Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Acts 22:30; 23:6-11
John 17:20-26

Reflection:

"…so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me…"

Many of the teachings of Jesus, while sometimes challenging to follow (Love my neighbor? You mean that guy that just cut me off in rush hour traffic?), seem to make good sense. Caring for each other, holding God above all else in our lives, these are pretty reasonable requests of anyone choosing to follow a religious path in life. But this gospel… this is one of those, "Wait, what did he just say?!" gospels. 

It starts right at the beginning: "I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word." So right there, Jesus is praying specifically for you. For me. For any and all who read these words. Pause and consider the implications of this. The Son of God is asking his Father something for us. You have to pretty much figure that it’s going to be granted. 

And what is Jesus asking for us? "That they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us." I may be mistaken, but it sounds like He is asking that we have the same relationship with Him and the Father as They have with each other. And that we find that relationship in our relationships with each other. If this is true, who or what is keeping me from that relationship? God seems to want it.

Finally, there’s that line, "That they may be brought to perfection as one." Now, I don’t know about you, but after almost 60 years on this earth, if I’ve learned anything, it’s that I am pretty far from being perfect. But when I looked up the original Greek that is translated as ‘brought to perfection,’ I found that it can also be rendered as ‘made whole,’ or ‘brought to completion.’ So another way to hear this is that without the relationship Jesus asks for us, we are incomplete. 

My prayer for today is that I get out of my own way and accept the relationship Jesus asks for me. That I find in that relationship a wholeness and completion with all those I meet today. May it be so.

 

Talib Huff is a volunteer and presenter at Christ the King Retreat Center in Citrus Heights, California.

Scripture:

Acts 25:13b-21
John 21:15-19

Reflection:

I had to bring my car in for a recall. A few days after that, I received a survey from the dealership. Most of the questions were rather objective (Was the service person courteous; was the repair done correctly; etc.). At the end of the questionnaire were a few subjective questions (Do you love your Ford car?). I marked "Does Not Apply". It seemed those final questions were looking for someone the Ford Company could put in a commercial!

Jesus asked a question of Peter: "Do you love me?" We are familiar with this encounter. We know that the Gospels use three different Greek words for ‘love’. There is eros, which is a passionate, sensual love; philos, which indicates a deep friendship and affection; and agape, which carries the sense of a deeper love that goes beyond merely fascination. Agape is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love, the highest form of love in the bible and is the word the early Church used to describe God’s love.

In the exchange Jesus asked Peter twice if Peter loved (agape) him. Peter responded that he did love (philos) Jesus. In the third question Jesus asked if Peter loved (philos) him, and Peter said that he loved (philos) Jesus. We are listening to a Peter who has put aside his bravado. Peter learned the hard way what it means to love Jesus Christ. He had enthusiastically stated his unfailing love to Jesus more than once. His self-confident words proved to be nothing but empty words when facing a hostile state of affairs.

Peter could not offer Jesus agape, but he could offer philos. That was good enough for Jesus and so Jesus changed his word for love in the third exchange. If this is the level of love Peter could offer, that is what Jesus asked for. Jesus encounters us where we are and how we are.

Successful or a failure. Outgoing or shy. Acting from the heart or from the head. Relying on facts or going with hunches. Spontaneous or planning ahead. Extrovert, intuitive, feeling or perceptive. We each have our way of loving God. The Spirit did not wait for the eleven apostles to figure everything out; the Spirit didn’t wait until they all became one personality. The Spirit descended upon them, as they were… eleven unique people with their distinctive personalities.

The Holy Spirit comes into our lives no matter our degree of holiness. The Spirit is with us whether we are accomplished in the Christian way, not too faithful in following the Christian way or we are wondering what is the Christian way. Open the door and let the Spirit enter. The Spirit knows better than we do how to enter and where to enter. "Only God’s Spirit gives new life. The Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it wants" (John 3:8). The Spirit blows where it wants and will blow some fresh air into our lives.

 

Fr. Don Webber, C.P., is Provincial Superior of Holy Cross Province and resides in Chicago, Illinois.

 

 

Scripture:

Acts 20:28-38
John 17:11-19

 

 

Reflection:

More than "Good-Bye"

As summertime unfolds for those of us in the northern hemisphere, many of us will embark upon summer vacation trips of various lengths, perhaps visiting some relatives.  Some of us will move our home to a new residence; others will be on the "receiving end" of such comings and goings.  In each, there is a hello…and a good-bye.  Today’s Scriptures invite us:  What feelings do we convey in our good-byes?

Our two scripture readings relay some famous "good-byes":  the Acts of the Apostles has the apostle Paul saying good-bye to the Church at Ephesus which he had served for years.  He exhorts the leaders to be faithful shepherds, humbly serving the needs of the congregation:  "…keep watch…be vigilant…remember…"   In John’s Gospel selection, Jesus lets us in on his final prayer for his disciples, asking God to protect them from the evils of the world and to keep them united and joyful, praying that they be consecrated to the truth of God’s Word.  Truly, both readings challenge us and our human good byes.

Our good-byes can convey all sorts of feelings:  comfort, reassurance, encouragement, challenge, advice, forgiveness, love.  No doubt Jesus and the apostle Paul had those same feelings flowing from their hearts as they "moved on" in fulfilling God’s will in their lives.  Jesus’ good-bye prayer for his disciples reveals his distinct love for us all, and becomes a framework for the love relationships in our lives.

As we say our good-byes to the beauty of this recent Easter Season and look forward to the gift of the Holy Spirit this Pentecost, may we hear Jesus’ words addressed to us as 21^st century disciples:  "…may they share my joy completely…keep them from the Evil One…consecrate them in truth…."  Jesus’ love for each of us continues, and we are challenged to accept and witness and spread that love in our daily lives.  In a very real sense, our "good-byes" are transformed by Jesus into messages of joy and welcome.

To which we say:  Amen!  Alleluia!

 

Fr. John Schork, C.P. is the local leader of the Passionist community in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Scripture:

Acts 20:17-27
John 17:1-11a

Reflection:

"Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ." John 17:3

 

We can get a glimpse of heaven while we’re still here on earth, by knowing the Lord! When we come into relationship with Jesus, we learn about Him, and the Father who sent Him, and the Holy Spirit who indwells each of us. As we come to know the Trinity, we long for heaven, and to be with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

It’s so amazing to me that the God of the universe wants to walk with us every day! He wants us to share our lives with Him – the good times as well as our struggles and sorrows. He is for us, He is with us, He can be our biggest support and encourager if we will let Him.

I don’t know about you, but it’s very easy for me to get caught up in the things I think I have to do each day, and it’s easy to do that without including the Lord. But more and more, I’m trying to be aware of God’s presence with me as I go from task to task, stopping for a moment to notice Him, to thank Him and to enjoy His love.

When we let God’s peace reign in our hearts by being open to Him and by walking closely with Him, life is so much more fun and we can have stability when things get confusing or difficult. When we remember the glorious future that awaits us as believers, our days are colored with hope and that hope can spill out into the lives of those around us. Let God’s light shine through you by spending time with Him each day.

 

Janice Carleton and her husband Jim live in Portland, OR and partner with Passionist Fr. Cedric Pisegna in Fr. Cedric Ministries. She is the mother of 4 grown children and grandmother of 6. Janice also leads women’s retreats and recently wrote her first book: God Speaks to Ordinary People – Like You and Me. Visit Janice’s website at http://www.janicecarleton.com/ or email her at [email protected].

Scripture:

Acts 19: 1-8
John 16:29-33

Reflection:

In today’s readings we are treated to a truly dramatic scene in the growth of the Church under the power of God’s Holy Spirit.  In the first reading, we catch a glimpse of the dynamic power of the Spirit as it energizes the missionary outreach of the first Christian communities. 

It is a bit like reading the final chapter of the novel, to see how things are going to turn out.  Then, in the Gospel reading, we return to the dramatic ups and downs that brought about the powerful ending.

The reading from the Gospel of John shows us Jesus instructing the apostles at the last supper, shortly before he begins the saving sacrifice of his Passion. 

He speaks of their abandoning him, and of being scattered from one another.

They, like ourselves, are carried away by our dreams and ideals.  We lose sight of the other side of the coin of our mortality.  We also know moments of discouragement and outright failure.  But Jesus never closes the door to us, he never leaves us to sorrow about our self-deceptions.

Into this very short excerpt from John’s Gospel, Jesus speaks a word to the apostles that means healing and hope.  He tells them that they will have peace in Him.  (Jn 16:33).  It is a word that is becoming more and more a part of the pontificate of Pope Francis.  Following the Pope’s recent trip to the Holy Land, he surprised all by inviting the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to "his home" to pray for and talk about peace.  "I offer my home in the Vatican as a place for this encounter of prayer."

The more we can remember that it is the Spirit of God working in and through us, the more we will be a people of peace, a Church of peace, and citizens of peace.  Our homes will be, with Pope Francis, a Bet Shalom.

 

Fr. Arthur Carrillo, C.P.  is the director of the Missions for Holy Cross Province.  He lives in Chicago, Illinois. 

Scripture:

1 Kings 17:7-16
Matthew 5:13-16

Reflection:

All it takes is music to get my 2-year-old grandson dancing with abandon, swaying, swirling, putting his arms in the air, and moving his body every which way. He reminds me of his father (my son) at the same age. He loved nothing more than to shimmy, bounce, and dance to music.

It’s a different story for my son now. Other than doing the obligatory dances at his wedding, he refuses to even approach a dance floor. What happened? Somewhere along the way, he became convinced that he could not dance, that he risked making a fool of himself if he even tried.  It saddens me to see such innate ability drummed out of him. He has, in effect, put his light under a bushel basket. Unfortunately, he is the rule rather than the exception.

How many of our innate God-given gifts suffer the same fate? I look around the pews at Mass and see people whose voice is stifled by their belief that they cannot sing. Others refuse to lead a ministry or even volunteer out of fear of failure or their certainty that someone else would do it better. Everywhere I look, people are afraid to risk, afraid to try, afraid to discover and use the gifts they’ve been given. Imagine what our church would look like if we all quit hiding our lights under bushel baskets and instead dared to push the boundaries and become the fullness of who God created us to be!

Of course, it’s much easier to make such comments about others than to turn the spotlight inward and examine myself. How many of my own gifts have I hidden? In what ways have I allowed society as a whole, my family members, or my own insecurities to stifle my willingness to try or keep me from even being aware of what I can do? Perhaps more importantly, is God calling me to minister in new ways and I am blind to that call because I have hidden too many lights?

I remember, for instance, when my husband died. There were so many things I didn’t know how to do and was convinced I could not do. Out of necessity, I had to try. Lo and behold, I discovered talents I didn’t know I had and strength I didn’t know existed. God used me in unexpected ways, and I grew and stretched beyond what I thought was possible. I bet God has given me other gifts, talents, and strengths that I haven’t even touched yet. Does it require a tragedy that knocks out all my defenses before I will allow God to show them to me?

Perhaps we all need to take the phrase "Oh, I could never do that" out of our lexicon. Perhaps even if we can’t remove the bushel basket altogether yet, we can lift it at least enough to look under it ourselves, so that in cooperation with the grace of God, we can discover what is hidden underneath. The light is there. We need only to let it shine.

               

Amy Florian is a teacher and consultant working in Chicago.  For many years she has partnered with the Passionists.  Visit Amy’s website: http://www.amyflorian.com/.

Scripture:

Acts 18:9-18
John 16:20-23

Reflection:

Most of us are familiar with the Global Positioning System.  What does a GPS device do for us?  It gives us directions.  "Take this road; turn here; oops, recalculating; go straight ahead; get ready to turn; avoid cliff; stay the course."  But before the GPS can give us directions, we have to tell it our destination.  So what is our destination?

In John’s gospel, chapter 10, Jesus says, "I came so that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10)  Life, abundant life.  That is our destination.  

In John’s gospel, chapter 14, Jesus says, "I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always…" (John 14:16)The Holy Spirit is called the Paraclete.  Paraclete means someone "called to the side" of another to be guide, protector, comforter, counselor and friend.  In other words, the Holy Spirit is like a GPS to life, to happiness.

During these days before Pentecost we are reminded of the role the Holy Spirit plays in our lives.  If we listen carefully, we will hear the Holy Spirit guide us to our destination.  Among other directions, the Spirit will tell us not to be afraid and to keep on spreading the Good News (today’s Epistle).   The Spirit will lead us to shout to God with cries of gladness (Responsorial Psalm), filled with a joy no one can take from us (Gospel).

Come Holy Spirit, be our guide.  Give us the wisdom to know what is right, and the courage to do what is right.  Show us the way to abundant life.  And thank you for loving us.

 

Fr. Alan Phillip, C.P. is a member of the Passionist Community at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.   http://www.alanphillipcp.com/

The Visitation of
the Blessed Virgin Mary 

Scripture:

Zephaniah 3: 14-18
Luke 1: 39-56

Reflection:

Today’s Gospel recalls the story of the Visitation – Mary visiting with Elizabeth.  On that special occasion, we learn about a very special gift that Mary brought to Elizabeth.  We are told that she brought just one thing: HERSELF.  She gave Elizabeth the gift of her very presence.  Mary gave her the gift, not out of her convenience, but out of the need that Elizabeth had.  It was not easy or convenient for Mary to travel that long, lonely, dangerous road from Galilee to the hills of Judea, but Elizabeth needed a helping hand preparing for the birth of her son, John the Baptist.

Mary was also a true Prophet in her time…a true prophet because she followed the same pattern as those prophets who went before her.  God calls the prophet.  The prophet says, "Here I am, Lord".  God says, Here’s what I want.

Some of the prophets put up a fight;  Jeremiah says he’s too young, Moses protests that he is slow of speech, Amos argues that he is only a herdsman, and Jonah doesn’t say anything…he just runs away!

Mary is called and is given a mission, and she has just one question about how this sign from God, this birth, can happen when she has no husband.  She doesn’t run off or avoid the call: in fact, she runs towards someone to begin proclaiming what she knows to be true.

Mary, the first disciple, in many ways prefigures all the disciples who would follow …those who traveled, mostly on foot, throughout the world to spread the gospel and proclaim the good news. Like those apostles, Mary was also a missionary – the first missionary, a woman who traveled and carried Christ to the world…he was a living tabernacle and Elizabeth became the first to experience Eucharistic adoration.

Salvation history ends up in the hands of a teenager and an elderly  woman, both preparing to give birth, both miraculous in their conception, and both who responded: Here I am, Lord. "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."

 

Deacon Brian Clements is a retired member of the retreat team at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, California