Daily Scripture

Scripture:
1 John 2:18-21
John 1: 1-18   

Reflection:
"In the beginning was the Word…and the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…"

It’s the last day of the year and the eve of a new one.  For many of us, this means it’s a time of reflection…a time to look back and a time to look forward…

Our Gospel today is about BEGINNINGS.  God is good at beginnings, especially the gift of new beginnings…

I realized recently that I like beginnings…sometimes I like beginnings better than I like endings. Oh sure, I like the end of a hockey game better than the beginning. And I like the ends of movies and the ends of good mystery novels. But when it comes to years on the calendar, I like beginnings better than endings. I appreciate the fact that it’s new, like a blank canvas, holding much possibility for me.

Words are important…Words have power.  Words help us express our feelings and emotions, our hopes and our dreams.  Words enable us to communicate ideas and thoughts.  Words can unite us with others or separate us from one another…Words are significant.

In the beginning, God "SPOKE" and the world was created… The WORD became flesh and made His dwelling among us… Somehow, before the beginning of time, this Christ child existed, not as a human being, but as God himself, as what we call the WORD. 

This Christ had something to do with the creation of every single thing that we have in our lives…and also, He had something to do with the creation of YOU and of ME. 

This WORD, has graced us with many gifts & blessings:  The gift of power...God’s power…the gift of light…a light that shines in the darkness, but will never be overcome by the darkness, and the gift of grace, that voice that calls us to change and gives us the power to pull it off….and all gifts & blessings that we receive everyday of our lives…

Words are important…Actions are also important…

As we cross the bridge into 2014, let us walk humbly with our God, trusting that He will help us to:  Make memories. Renew friendships. Mend broken relationships, and Be at peace with the world…HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL !!!!

 

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

Scripture:

Acts 6:8-10, 7:54-59
Matthew 10:17-22

Reflection:

On the day after Christmas many of us might be feeling a bit disappointed.  We didn’t get what we asked or hoped for.  Disappointment comes from dreams and hopes unfulfilled. 

When I was ten years old, my grandparents gave me a very nice and probably expensive peddle car for Christmas. I was deeply disappointed.  You see, not only was I was too tall to even get into it at all-itself a source of delight for my brothers-but I was simply too old for this toy.  I did not get what I wanted, which was a new baseball glove.  My sister got one, though, which really underscored my disappointment.

All through Advent we pray, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel."  We sing, "Joy to the world, the Lord is come."  And yet we continue to hear of great poverty, the scourge of war, the fear of violence, and the loss of a child.  The promise of Christmas, the hope of the Child Jesus born among us seems dashed.

I suppose that if our dreams and hopes did not run so deep, our disappointment would not be so poignant. We don’t live yet in a world at peace.  We still are rocked by senseless deaths.  We hope and dream for something more for ourselves, our families and our world.

There are two cultural tales of Christmas that compete with one another.  One is the story of Santa Claus bringing us what we asked for-or not.  The other is the story of a Child born in poverty in a way out of the way place.  In the first story, Christmas Day comes and goes.  In the second, Christmas is a life-long journey of living out in our own lives the hopes and dreams the Child Jesus delivers to us.  If there is any disappointment, it’s probably realizing that I am not living out the hopes and dreams that Jesus gives to me as a gift.

 

Robert Hotz is a consultant with American City Bureau, Inc. and is the Director of The Passion of Christ: The Love That Compels Campaign for Holy Cross Province.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Scripture:
Isaiah 7:10-14
Romans 1:1-7
Matthew 1:18-24

Reflection:
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel." Isaiah 7:14

I’m so glad that Mary said "Yes" to the Lord and brought Jesus into the world for us. But don’t each of us also need to bring Jesus to the world? "As the Father sent me, so I send you…"

Advent is a great time for us to consider how we are doing in this area. How can I bring Jesus to others? Jesus showed us by example that loving others will change the world. Isn’t that what Pope Francis is calling us to do? When we love people, we open a path for them to experience God’s love. We don’t have to save them, we don’t have to theologize them, we just need to be kind and generous and loving.

If we spend time with the Lord and soak up His Presence, we become more and more like Him. As we surrender our day and invite him to guide us, He will lead us to those who need our love. It doesn’t have to be complicated. We all know how a smile or a hug can change your day. Maybe there are people at your church who are lonely and you can drop by for a short visit. Even just noticing someone who is alone and taking a moment to chat with them after mass can make a big difference. Obviously the opportunities are endless.

We went Christmas caroling at a retirement home yesterday, wanting to share the joy of the season. We were ushered into the lock-down unit for those with memory problems, where visitors are scarce. and as we sang to these people, I received much more than I gave. One woman in particular blessed me so much. She was delighted by the music and was clapping her hands and laughing and her face was filled with joy. I realized as she smiled at me … I didn’t bring Jesus to her… she brought Jesus to me.

We can all be Christ-bearers. All of us.

 

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].

Saturday of the Third Week of Advent

Scripture:

Zephaniah 3:14-18a
Luke 1:39-45

Reflection:

Signs play a major role in God’s dealings with us.  Biblical history makes this abundantly clear, as the unfolding of the Christmas story that we are about to recall will remind us the next few days.  Were it not for the angels acting as signs attracting the attention of the shepherds out in the fields with their flocks, the shepherds would not have known of the birth of the infant nearby.  And it was the sign of a  star in the sky that caught the attention of the wise men in the east,  leading them to the place where the child lay, so that they could offer Him gifts.  And earlier on it was Joseph’s dream acting as a sign leading Joseph to take Mary as his wife, despite his initial misgivings.  Before it was all over, Joseph would become adept at interpreting dreams as signs of God’s interventions in his life.

Signs have been major players in God’s dealings with us, across the centuries.  They appear in the biblical readings we hear today.  When the prophet Zephaniah addresses the people of Jerusalem assuring them of their safety, urging them to be joyful because their enemies have been repulsed, he emerges as a sign from God alerting them to God’s action on their behalf.  And Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, offers her hospitality upon her arrival, and sings a song of joy as she greets her pregnant kinfolk by understanding the sign of Mary’s pregnancy as a visit from her Lord.  Elizabeth realized this was no ordinary pregnancy by interpreting a sign within her own pregnancy.

Signs play an important role in God’s dealings with us.  He finds them helpful in communicating with us, and they facilitate our association with God, provided we are able to interpret or decode His signs.   Biblical history is full of signs, calling, as they do, for interplay between God the signer and us the interpreters.  Jesus frequently encountered those seeking a sign from Him that would convince them of His Messianic claims: "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet." (Mt. 12.39)  "Others, to test Him, asked him for a sign from heaven." (Lk. 11:16)

We use signs among ourselves, which also require interpretation in order to be understood.  Sometimes we refer to such signs as codes, especially when they are intended for only a restricted group of people.   During WWII American military forces utilized Native American languages, in both major theaters of war.  A group of 24 Navajos handled telephone communications, using voice codes in their native tongue, between the Air Command in the Solomon Islands and various airfields in the region, and these codes proved difficult to decode and understand.  Enemy forces had to find a way of decoding a strange language.  And when God uses signs in our regard, we too need to decode the message, and this happens only by faith.

We still honor signs in God’s dealings with us, such as the sacraments.  We have regard sacraments as "signs" of grace instituted by Christ and committed to the church.  Sacramental signs are in continuity with those so frequently mentioned in the scriptures.  Like so many signs, they too have to be decoded in order to be appreciated, and it is only faith that enables us to do this, just as it was faith that enabled Elizabeth to interpret the import of Mary’s pregnancy.  Before this shortest day of the calendar year draws to a close, let us seek the fullness of faith to interpret the events of life in continuity with the whole history of God’s interventions in human life.

 

Fr. Sebastian MacDonald, C.P. is a member of the Passionist formation community at Catholic Theological Union, Chicago. 

 

Christmas Eve   

Scripture:

2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
Luke 1:67-79

 

 

Reflection:

 The Stunning Visit

The Church’s liturgy beautifully prepares us for the grand feast of Christmas by putting before us the words of Zechariah.  These words are among the most beautiful in the New Testament.   They are a challenge to the translator to put into good English.  The best I can do is the following.   "Through the tender mercies of our God, the rising sun from on high did look upon (Visit) us."

The beautiful words "tender mercies" in the original Greek New Testament are "splágxnon eleous"  which mean the visceral mercy of God. The words roar out the passionate parental love that God has for us.  I think the Latin had it best with "per viscera misericordiae Dei nostri".  God comes to us with stunning feelings of warmth and care in this great mystery of the Incarnation.

In this immense cosmos of God’s creation we might easily be led as so many are today, to believe that we are but flyspecks.    They would say God could not possibly be that interested in the earth, a piece of dust, floating in the vast universe of a hundred million galaxies.   And if He did show some special interest in our planet, He certainly would not be bothered with smudged and gritty humanity.

In Rome we probably have the oldest picture of the crucifixion of our Lord as a piece of graffiti on the wall of a soldier’s barracks.   Under the image are the words: Alexemenos worships his god.  What is striking about this image is that the head of the crucified is a head of a donkey!   It is a blasphemous image mocking the faith of a Roman soldier in the second century.   God would have to be a donkey to come and die for humans!   This sends a chill down one’s spine and has the smell of the same unbelief in our modern world.   I wonder how many in the world today believe that God so loved the world as to give His only Son?   "Will the Son of Man find faith?"   "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not." John 1

But even human blindness and ignorance seem in this season to be overcome by joy.   I love to see all the lights and cheerfulness in the secular world during this season.  Maybe even pagans deep down in their heart may hope that they might be intensely, totally and profoundly loved by God.

 

Fr. Bob Weiss, C.P. preaches Parish Missions and is a member of the Passionist Community in Louisville, Kentucky.

Thursday of the Third Week of Advent

Scripture:

Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a
Luke 1:5-25

Reflection:

But they (Zechariah and Elizabeth) had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years. Luke 1:7

Over the years, married couples have come to see me about their struggle to have children. Many of them began their married life thinking that having a child would not be a problem. They thought that the problems would come from other sources: not enough money, not having steady jobs or they were beginning their married life far away from parents and relatives. In a sense, they all thought that they were in control of their lives.

The years go by and they try very hard to have a family. They go to doctors, listen to all of the folk remedies offered by friends and go to Church to pray for children. Slowly, the situation begins to wear on them, and some of them will begin to see their marriages suffer. Many will seek pastoral or professional counseling at that point. Childless marriages are very stressful to a marriage.

Both readings for today’s Mass deal with childless marriages. The first reading is about Samson’s parents. Israel was in need of a savior at that moment in history. God chose this childless couple to give birth to a warrior who would lead the Israelites against their enemies. The second reading is about Zachariah and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist. They were childless but God chose them give birth to a key person in Salvation History, John the Baptist. We admire these parents for not giving up on God and allowing God to enter into their lives for the good of all.

We all know that God’s ways are not our ways. Advent is the perfect time for us to reflect upon that truth. God’s Plan of Salvation will not be frustrated because we do not get our first wish or if things do not go our way. Advent is leaving ourselves open to what God may place before us, no matter how bleak the future looks. Both parents that we read about in today’s Mass were really surprised to see how their sons turned out. When these parents first got married, they probably had very different lives planned for their children. Yet God chose them and their children to continue our path of Salvation.

Advent is adjusting to the circumstances that life brings us. That is hard work. Advent asks us to delve deep within us to find our center, that point of contact with our God and our truest identity. That is where the Child Jesus will be born. Yes, once we were childless. Now, we have given birth to the Child Jesus! Where there was once no life, now there is New Life. What a great preparation for Christmas this season is for us!

 

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

 

Scripture:

Jeremiah 23:5-8
Matthew 1:18-25

 

Reflection:

"She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."

Just what is Christmas all about?  I’ll answer my own question.  It’s the Christmas songs, the beautiful lighted Christmas trees, the manger scene with the Christ child in the crib, the laughter and merry making of family and friends as presents are opened.  If that is Christmas, then isn’t the line …"And you shall name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins"…sort of out of place?   Sort of like pulling the plug on T.V. which has been playing Christmas songs, removing the hors d’oeuvres from the table, turning off the lights and insisting on silence?  What do we do with this serious line in Advent…"And you shall name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins"?

I would suggest that this rather serious line will do wonders for our celebration at Christmas.  Into our midst comes Jesus, our Immanuel ("God is with us").  It’s so much like the family gathering to welcome home the new born baby in the family.    Conversations are halted, the bantering stops and almost in unison is heard, "Ohhhhhhhhh, myyyyyyy!"   All the attention goes to the child.   Who would walk out of a touching, tender moment as that?!

How could you and I ever walk away from the Nativity scene of Jesus?  How could you and I not love Him?  How could you and I not accept His love?  The added aspect for us adults will be the depth of His love.  We will gather for Mass on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.  The depth of His love for you and me will be realized as we catch a glimpse of the crucifix over the altar.  Jesus crucified will not catch the attention of the little ones.  That’s okay.  But for us adults there can be quiet tears.  There is Jesus. And we will go one step further in realizing, "Greater love than this no one has but that he lay down his life for his friends."  And this is our Savior, divine friend and brother: Jesus.

 

Fr. Peter Berendt, C.P. is on the staff of Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center, Houston, Texas.

 

Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent

Scripture:

Genesis 49:2, 8-10
Matthew 1:1-17

Reflection:

As a child I always wondered why today’s Gospel was necessary.  Why is it important that I know who came before whom, especially when I cannot pronounce half of the names included. It wasn’t until I was older that I yearned to know more about my own family heritage: people, names, places. It was these items that gave me an indication of who I am and where I come from. The same applies to those readings during Advent that give us a genealogy, lists of animals and songs of praise. With these we are taken back to where it all began and it shows us how we arrived at where we are today. As we continue on our Advent journey, we are given an opportunity through Scripture to turn and look back. We need that reminder of where we have come from so that we can continue to journey with hope for the future. It gives us the opportunity to look back and allows us to prepare the way of the Lord at Christmas; to open up our lives to the Christ-child.

The commercial effect of Christmas can weigh heavy on us.  We are constantly, from the day after Thanksgiving, preparing for the next major holiday milestone, December 25^th. Whether we are in line getting the best discount, gathering groceries, or wrapping gifts, we are preparing to make Christmas Day happen. If you were to ask anyone why they make all of these preparations, they will tell you -"I want my family and I to enjoy Christmas Day." And that is rightfully so. And when we make the time to prepare spiritually for His coming; make it our priority, it helps us to better enjoy the celebration.

Advent is a time for us to prepare ourselves for His coming, and reflect on the rich history that has brought us here. Instead of blinding ourselves to everything but Christmas, we should enjoy the journey beforehand. Throughout Advent we are graced with readings, traditions and music that exude our faith and give us the opportunity to prepare our hearts. We take time to clear away all the debris that has built up, so that when He comes the path is clear. As we prepare in these final days of Advent for the coming of Christ at Christmas, let us take time to reflect on our rich Salvation History and prepare, as we should every day, the way of Lord.

A voice proclaims in the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD! – Isaiah 40:3

 

Kim Valdez is a Pastoral Associate at Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center in Houston, Texas.