Daily Scripture

Scripture:

I Samuel 15: 16-23
Mark 2: 18-22

Reflection:

"Old habits die hard!"  Now, there’s a truism! 

As I’ve gotten older I’ve noticed that conversations, and even disagreements, with long-time friends and family often take a very familiar path.  Whatever the topic, I tend to say similar kinds of things as I have before, and the person I’m talking to responds in familiar ways.  This pattern is especially true in our long-term disagreements.  Perhaps it is just easier to repeat ourselves because then we don’t have to really think much!

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus surely challenges that very human expectation and habit.  In His examples of a garment patch or a need for new wineskin, Jesus invites his disciples to be open to new ways of thinking and acting.  In his response to those asking about the fact that his disciples don’t fast, Jesus claims that the reason his disciples don’t fast is his very presence with them.  He’s the difference! 

Jesus constantly invites us, his disciples, into new ways of thinking and acting.  He asks us to trust God in every aspect of our lives because God is our loving Father.  Jesus wants us to realize how deeply he loves us, so gives his very life ­­­­for us.  He tells us that love and forgiveness, even or maybe especially, for those who have injured us or are our enemies are the only paths to peace, either personal or communal.  Jesus teaches us that it is in caring for the poor, homeless, hurting, oppressed or outcast that we build the Kingdom of God.  Many of us disciples of Jesus cherish these teachings but few of us are able to live them fully.  It seems our ways of thinking and our imaginations are just too small to free us to risk living fully the example and teachings of Jesus.

Let us pray today that we are able to recognize any of our beliefs or attitudes that keep us from embracing fully the life-giving teachings of Jesus.

 

Fr. Michael Higgins, C.P. is the director of Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, California.

Scripture:

Isaiah 49:3, 5-6
1 Corinthians 1:1-3
John 1:29-34

Reflection:

"I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth."
Isaiah 49:6

The readings for today’s Mass took me down a path that invited me to reflect upon Awareness and Acceptance. These are challenging attributes of a good and wholesome life. They need to be life-long companions if we are to make any progress in our spiritual journey. For me, these two dimensions of a healthy spiritual life challenge me to review my life’s calling within the context of God’s Plan.

After reading and rereading the Scriptures for today’s Mass, I became aware of the development that was taking place in each of the key persons in the readings. In the reading from the Prophet Isaiah, there is a growing awareness that the servant’s role is developing beyond the typical understanding of servant, someone who works for a master. Isaiah says, "It is too little, the God says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach the ends of the world." As Isaiah fulfills his ministry of being a servant of the Lord, he becomes a witness to God’s glory.

The second reading begins with a greeting from Paul, who identifies himself as an "apostle." This was a bold claim because all of the "apostles" were identified as those who witnessed Jesus’ life, passion, death and resurrection. Paul did not begin his preaching ministry thinking that he was an apostle. He became of aware of that development as he continued to preach Christ crucified.

The Gospel reading also gives us a glimpse of John’s awareness of his mission: to point out the Messiah when he appears. When Jesus asks John for his baptism, John correctly says "A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me." John is definitely aware of his identity and his mission.

I believe that it is important for us to become aware of who we are before our God, of our mission in life and the graces we need in order to accomplish our mission the best we can. If we were to continue reflecting upon the lives of the three people referenced in today’s readings, we would find out that their lives were filled with challenges, missteps and sufferings. Just because we are aware of who we are before God and we are called to a mission in life, does not mean that we will escape the ups and downs of life.

So awareness is not enough. We also need to accept what God has put before us so we can fulfill our calling as servants, apostles and prophets. None of us can escape these callings. As we become aware of them, we must accept them, with the grace of God.

 

Fr. Clemente Barrón, CP, is a member of Immaculate Conception Community in Chicago, Illinois.

Scripture:

1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22a
Mark 2:1-12

Reflection:

"Agency first, God second." These are the words spoken twice by ‘Clover’ in the movie "The Good Shepherd" starring Matt Damon (playing the part of CIA agent Edward Wilson) and Angelina Jolie (Wilson’s wife ‘Clover’). Criticizing her husband’s commitment to the OSS and the CIA, Clover is making a rather profound observation about her husband’s priorities: He is more committed to his agency (nation) than his God.

 The same can be said about the Israelites in today’s first reading from Samuel. In their demand of Samuel to give them an earthly king, the people are ignoring their Creator whose justice would have been all they needed. God, of course, gives the people the freedom to make this choice: "Grant the people’s every request. It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king."

 The questions we must all ask ourselves, then, are: Do I seek God’s justice or do I seek the justice of earthly things? Do I love my country more than I love my God? Do I pay more attention to the U.S. presidential campaigns than I do to the humble kingship of Jesus? Is my patriotism stronger than my love for the Church? Do I know more about my country’s justice system than my God’s? Do I even know what God’s justice is all about?

 The scribes in today’s gospel also have their priorities mixed up. Their notions regarding God’s forgiveness of sins had been completely distorted to their liking. Instead of recognizing God’s healing power in Jesus, they wanted God’s forgiveness to conform to the laws and institutions they had created.

It is so common to never see the humanity in those on trial, in jail or in prison. We tend to judge people exactly how our justice system judges people. But what if we took the radical stance that EVERY HUMAN HAS A STORY? Better yet, what if we actually took the time to learn everyone’s story? Wouldn’t the world be a different place? Wouldn’t we have more compassion for those who have turned to a life of crime? Wouldn’t we see solutions to crime much deeper than a prison or jail cell? Wouldn’t we, in a sense, be allowing everyone to experience Jesus’ forgiveness just as the paralytic in today’s gospel?

 If we took the time to learn everyone’s story we wouldn’t need an earthly institution to bring about justice. God’s justice system would be all we need.

 

Tony Cortese is the Campus Minister at the Newman Catholic Community at Sacramento State Univversity. 

 

Scripture:

1 Samuel 4:1-11
Mark 1:40-45

Reflection:

How do we recognize and take God’s divine presence in and among us?  Do we see it as symbolic, or a living reality?  Do we take for granted its abiding nature and, at times, even as an amulet?  Or do we trust and appreciate its life-giving power at all times and in all circumstances? 

Let us consider the above questions as we look into today’s scripture readings, for they reflect the contrasting attitudes of a manipulating belief and an unwavering trust.  In effect, the first reading pictures the scenario in which the Israelites not only fail to acknowledge God’s abiding presence with them while they are engaged in battle with the Philistines, but they also take it as an amulet to manipulate the outcome of their fighting with their pagan adversaries.  For the Israelite leaders not only complain about God permitting them to be defeated by the Philistines, but also "fetch the ark of the LORD from Shiloh that it may go into battle among us and save us from the grasp of our enemies."  They identify God’s real and abiding presence with the hand-made symbol of divine presence: "the ark of the LORD of hosts."  No wonder the Israelites were more brutally defeated a second time.  For their true, living God does not like to be taken neither for granted nor as a triumphalist idol.  Likewise, we may at times come to make the mistake of conditioning our relationship with God, whom we might try to manipulate as though God were a puppet.

The gospel offers the contrasting attitude of an unwavering trust, for we see "a leper" coming to Jesus and "kneeling down" to beg him for mercy and healing, as he says:  "If you wish, you can make me clean."  The physical, social, and psychological condition of his suffering and the unwavering trust of his attitude towards him make Jesus’ compassionate words and touch perform the miraculous healing of his illness.  Mark even shows us that Jesus did not "come to abolish the law or the prophets" (Mt 5:17), for he came to fulfill it with love and mercy.   That is why Jesus performs the healing miracle in two parts.  First, he heals the leper’s physical illness by making him clean of his leprosy and then sends him "to the priest [to] offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them."  By being confirmed physically healed, the leper is fully integrated into society which releases him from his social and psychological sufferings. The gospel thus encourages us to always come to Jesus with an unwavering trust, because faith is the only thing that matters to God in order for us to be healed and saved by Jesus. 

Let us reflect on the above questions and evaluate our personal and communal relationship with God and one another.  I pray that you and I may come to be recognized as a steadfast people of faith and hope in Our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Fr. Alfredo Ocampo, C.P. gives retreats and parish missions.  He is stationed at Holy Name Passionist Community in Houston, Texas.

Scripture:

1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20
Luke 1:29-39

Reflection:

The passage from 1 Samuel begins with a description of the religious situation of Israel after the time of the judges: "a revelation of the Lord was uncommon and vision infrequent".   The twelve tribes of Israel were loosely bound together by the experience of the Exodus, by the revelations of God at Mt. Sinai and the giving of the Law, and by their successful yet tenuous establishment in the Promised Land. The people had no leader and no direction. It was time for God to act again. The Lord called the young Samuel three times during the night before the priest Eli realized that something was going on out of the ordinary. He instructed Samuel if he heard the voice again to reply: "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening".  Do we listen for the Lord? I don’t think we are going to hear a voice. For us it comes down to how well we read the signs of the time. Do the words and actions of Pope Francis speak to our hearts? And after prayer, reflection and discernment what new directions/actions become a part of our lives?

The gospel passage presents us with Jesus in the role of miracle worker and healer. He was not hesitant about using his power to heal, even though he knew that it was problematic, that people might get the wrong idea of who he was. So the next day we see him getting up before dawn and slipping out of town to find a place where he can be alone and pray to his Father. His decision is to move on and not to bask in the adulation and excitement of the crowds looking for him. He must preach in the other villages and towns throughout the whole of Galilee. We need to ask ourselves about our own dedication to the "mission" we have from the Lord. Are we sometimes sidetracked or distracted or do we stay on course.

Do we find in prayer as Jesus did the strength to walk the path of discipleship?

 

Fr. Michael Hoolahan, C.P. is on the staff of Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

Scripture:

1 Samuel 1:1-8
Mark 1:14-20

Reflection:

Fish are a central feature in the Christian story. When Jesus feeds the multitude in the wilderness, fish are the entrée. When funds for paying the tax assessment are required, a snagged fish contains just the right coin. When Simon and his companions had worked all night with no results, Jesus instructed them to drop their nets into deep waters where they hauled in such a huge catch of fish that the boat nearly sank. When the morning of resurrection dawned, Jesus prepared and ate grilled fish for breakfast with his weary friends. And as the Gospel text of today explains, when the first disciples were recruited, foremost in their profession resume was their expertise at catching fish.

These aquatic creatures play an important symbolic role in understanding the development of spiritual consciousness. From the perspective of depth psychology, water is the element which represents consciousness and fish symbolize the content of the inner world. Living beneath the surface of water, fish are the contents of consciousness which are usually difficult to see and not easy to apprehend. Yet with patience and skill they can be netted, brought to the surface and eaten for nourishment.

In announcing "the kingdom of God is at hand," Jesus was not referring to a distant geographical location of heaven, but to a proximate reality. The kingdom where Spirit abides is an inner reality within each of us, like fish within water. Elsewhere Jesus explained that it is a great treasure lying buried within the field of our body-psyche. We access the hidden treasure of the kingdom by expanding our consciousness.

What usually dominates our consciousness is not the expansiveness of the kingdom, but the contracted murmuring ego with all of its petty demands of craving and aversion. The task of Christian discipleship is to engage in the often exasperating and exhausting labor of catching those inner-fish lurking beneath the surface of ego-consciousness in order to snag the rich harvest of the inner world. Once netted, the inner-fish can provide for the individual ego the nourishment necessary for it to become a radiant manifestation of Spirit.

 

Fr. Joe Mitchell, CP is the director of the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center in Louisville, KY.  See his website: www.earthandspiritcenter.org

The Baptism of the Lord

Scripture:

Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7
Acts 10:34-38
Matthew 3:13-17

Reflection:

On Christmas day, we celebrated and reflected on the Incarnation of the Son of God as one of us in Jesus Christ. That "being one of us" is something that’s been carried throughout the liturgical season, as we reflected on Mary, on the Holy Family, and on the Epiphany. And it continues through to our celebration Sunday of the Baptism of the Lord.

I think this concept of Jesus identifying with the rest of us is important to remember as we look at the Baptism of Jesus. Scripture scholars remind us that Jesus’ Baptism was somewhat problematic for the early church. After all, John the Baptist was preaching a baptism of repentance. Why would Jesus, who had no need to repent, subject Himself to such a thing? In our Gospel reading from Matthew (3:13-17), John the Baptist asks the same question: "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?" But Jesus responds: "Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." What kind of righteousness is He talking about? It is not the righteousness of the Pharisees and the scribes. Our Gospel passage is right after the Gospel reading we heard a few weeks ago during Advent, when John confronts the Pharisees and scribes who came to the Jordan River: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good evidence of your repentance." There were probably many Pharisees who didn’t even bother coming to the Jordan River, having dismissed John as some crazy man, and so sure of their own righteousness.

So, Jesus, not needing repentance, but wanting perhaps to contrast Himself with the religious leaders and to show his support for the Baptist, demonstrates His connection with "sinners," which He does all through the Gospels, and consents to be baptized. In so doing, He leads us to be baptized, and shows us how to live as baptized.

The first thing that Jesus shows us in His Baptism is that we cannot fall into self-righteousness. We are all in need of repentance. We are all in need of the cleansing of baptism. And we have no grounds to look down upon others. As Peter says in the household of Cornelius in our second reading from Acts (10:34-38), "I see that God shows no partiality."

As He demonstrates His solidarity with the people, Jesus shows himself to be their servant. And God vindicates the choice. When Jesus is baptized, the Holy Spirit descends upon Him like a dove, and a voice from heaven says, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." Following our baptism we are called to be servants. What kind of servants? Look at our first reading, one of the "Servant-of-the-Lord" oracles found in Isaiah (42:1-4, 6-7). We are called to be so gentle as not to "break" a "bruised reed," or "quench" a "smoldering wick." At the same time, we are to called to be bold enough to share the light of Christ, and help "open the eyes of the blind," "bring out prisoners from confinement," and help lift up "from the dungeon, those who live in darkness." Though we cannot do this on our own, we can by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit we received when we were baptized. The world does not need any more "crying out" or "shouting" or self-promotion. Instead, what is needed is more justice and humility and light.

May God continue to bless us all, and may we live out our baptism.

 

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P. is on staff at St. Paul of the Cross Retreat and Conference Center, Detroit, Michigan. 

Scripture:

1 John 5:14-21
John 3:22-30

Reflection:

Whose baptism is more effective?  Whose ministry is more important? Who should stand at center stage — John or Jesus?  The disciples of John the Baptist demanded to know.  Their question betrayed a hefty dose of jealousy and competition.  After all, both John and Jesus had charismatic and vibrant ministries.  Jesus was ascending in renown; John was at the height of his popularity.  Even Herod feared John’s vast influence among the people.

But John had a different sense of his identity and mission.  He explained to his disciples that he must neither presume to exceed the calling he received from God, nor must he compare himself with others.  They may call him "rabbi," Jesus may call him Elijah, and many others the Baptist.  But John wanted there to be no mistake about his role and his relationship to Jesus.  The only title he would embrace was that of best man, shoshben in Hebrew, to Jesus, the bridegroom.  Such a powerful metaphor.

What is John saying?  Israel is the bride, as the Old Testament depicts the people of God.  Jesus, the bridegroom, is the long-awaited king and messiah.  And John is his best man.  He is there to make the necessary preparations for the wedding feast.  He will witness to the marriage.  He will stand alongside the bridegroom to make sure all attention was riveted on him.  And once the bride and bridegroom have been brought together, John’s work, the work of the best man will be completed.  Thus, John announces that Jesus "must increase, but I must decrease."

What else is John saying?  Best man that he is, John is reminding us that the bridegroom loves his bride, meaning us, with an everlasting love.  Jesus will return to claim his bride.  And as we await his coming, we must remain faithful to the one who loves us so much, who is preparing a place we will call home for eternity.  The table at the Messianic banquet, the wedding feast, will be lavishly set.  The invitation list will include a countless number of angels and saints.  But among the enormous crowd, it will be easy to recognize John.  He will be the best man standing next to bridegroom to welcome us.

 

Deacon Manuel Valencia is on the staff at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.