Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Amos 8:4-6, 9-12
Matthew 9:9-13

Reflection:

Yes, days are coming, says the Lord GOD,
when I will send famine upon the land:
Not a famine of bread, or thirst for water,
but for hearing the word of the LORD. -Amos 8:9

Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.  -Matthew 9:13

Today’s readings have some pointed words for those merchants who seek excessive profits. And in a very prophetic statement, Amos speaks of those sellers who “will diminish the containers for measuring.” Who of us has not gone into the store only to find our favorite box of cereal or laundry detergent packaged in a “new, space-saving container,” supposedly for our convenience, that offers us less product for the same (or greater!) price? The news seems filled with stories of profit being prioritized over people’s well-being. Amos goes on with some dire predictions of what the consequences will be. The greatest of these is the famine for “hearing the word of the Lord.” It’s as if when we forget to care for each other, we slowly slip away from our connection to God.

In the gospel, Jesus reminds us of the line from Hosea: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” This was directed at the Pharisees who were well known for being fastidious regarding their prayers, sacrifices, and performance of prescribed rituals. And yet, this is not God’s desire. While our prayer life is very important to our growth as Christians, it is there to support us in doing what God wants us to do: love one another, show mercy, welcome the stranger, feed the hungry, and clothe the naked.

Finally, we have these hopeful words from Jesus. After the Pharisees call Him to task for including sinners in His ministry, He assures them that that’s why He is here. We are all included in God’s plan, both sinners and saints. All that is desired of us is that we turn away from that which keeps us from God, as Matthew did, and follow Jesus on the Way.

My prayer today is that I learn to recognize those things in myself that keep me from fully entering into communion with God, and that I make a concerted effort to put them behind me.

Talib Huff is a retired teacher and a member of the retreat team at Christ the King Passionist Retreat Center in Citrus Heights, California. You can contact him at [email protected].

Scripture:

Amos 7:10-17
Matthew 9:1-8

Reflection:

The Ongoing Call to Renewal and Healing

The ongoing human need for renewal, a change of heart, healing, freedom, and life… Today’s two Scripture readings challenge us to quality discipleship in the 21st Century—to follow the example of the ancient prophet Amos and our Lord and Savior Jesus, who want us all to be free from our “slavery,” our prejudices, and our illnesses of both mind and body.

The Old Testament prophet Amos was considered obnoxious by the people of his time because he preached the need of repentance, a change of heart.  His words angered many leaders of his day, and his background as a shepherd and a “dresser of sycamores” gave him little credibility for the words he bravely spoke openly.  Amos was living out his vocation, being called by God to speak the truth to his world gone awry.  And he did!

The portrait of Jesus in the Gospel is that of a healer of a paralyzed man who had friends who brought him to Jesus, carrying him on a mat.  Jesus cured the man because of their faith and went on to challenge those who questioned his authority and his background – they even accused him of blasphemy.  Beyond Jesus’ human appearance lays His divinity…Jesus IS God in the flesh!

Amos and certainly Jesus reveal the all-embracing love of God for humanity.  That love calls us to renewal and healing, to a faith-filled following of Jesus in all of life – both the “ups” and the “downs”.  Today’s celebration of July 4^th, America’s independence, encourages us to deeply reflect on our God-given gifts, to give thanks as we celebrate the blessings of life today and our hope for the future.  And, both Amos and Jesus challenge us to look deep into our hearts, to embrace the challenge of actively addressing the injustice and violence and poverty that is evident today, to respond as faithful citizens to our sisters and brothers who share our “common home” both down the street and across the globe. 

Let’s work together for renewal and healing, for a change of heart, for freedom and life!  God is at work in our midst!  God bless us all!

Fr. John Schork, C.P. serves as the Province Vocation Director and also as Local Superior of the Passionist Community of Holy Name in Houston, Texas.  

Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle

Scripture:

Ephesians 2:19-22
John 20:24-29

Reflection:

Of late, I have become very interested in astrology, inspired by the wonderful images now provided to us by the Hubble space telescope and the James Webb space telescope. Both orbiting at different points from the Earth, and both viewing the universe along different wavelengths of the light spectrum.

The images are stunning and while they are expanding our knowledge they are also adding to our questions, and informing our theories.  Inevitably the field of astronomy opens itself up to the question of origins – e.g. Was there a time before the ‘big bang’ ? Or indeed were there earlier universes prior to the one we can see (given our range of knowledge lets us go back only 13.8 billion years).  Often the questions lead us back to The Question about our origin in God.

For some the size and dimensions of the universe and its laws of behaviour, do not overly discourage one from faith – regardless of discoveries, God can remain at the core of existence no matter who we shape it; and we remain at the focus of God’s love. For others the endless possibilities being discovered only lead to new theories and God does not feature among them (unless God’s existence can be proved!).

Scientific method which has underpinned western thought for some centuries is always in operation in our western world – observations lead to hypothesises, which lead to predictions, which require experimentation in order to be validated.

Thomas might well have felt at home in such a world! He may have even anticipated ‘scientific methodology’! He wants proof to underpin belief.

We can learn from him, rather than follow his example. We find ourselves called to faithfulness and discipleship in a time that cries out for proof before commitment. Often, we have no theory to support our beliefs, save for the fact that we are surrounded by soul friends who have had the same fundamental experiences and who find the same source of meaning, belonging and authenticity in life – Jesus.

Like Thomas – at the second appearance moment – when we are within and surrounded by the community of the faithful, we discover we do not need proofs to ‘see’ Jesus – we know at a deeper level. We become those who “have not seen and yet have believed.”

Fr. Denis Travers, C.P., is the Provincial Superior of Holy Spirit Province, Australia.

Scripture:

Amos 3:1-8, 4:11-12
Matthew 8:23-27

Reflection:

Lord, save us, for we are perishing. -Matthew 8:25

In today’s Gospel, we find Jesus and his disciples in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, after a long day with people. Jesus is tired, and he sleeps. Then a terrible storm threatens to overturn the boat. Having fished on this lake for years, the disciples were accustomed to storms. But this storm was different. The word used in the gospel is “seismic”, translated “earthquake” or cosmic disturbance.

In this unusually violent storm, swamped by waves, they feared for their lives. So, they cried out to Jesus for help: “Lord, save us, for we are perishing”. And Jesus responded and calmed the storm.

This passage from Matthew’s gospel recounts something that happened over 2,000 years ago. But it is still happening today.

People all over the world in very perilous circumstances are crying out: “Lord, save us, for we are perishing!”

–Some have had their lives overturned by a war that has destroyed their homes and communities.
–Others are being swamped by waves of hurricanes and floods brought on by climate change.
–Others are swamped by waves of grief over a sudden death of a loved one, or a child lost to addiction.

How does Jesus answer these desperate prayers?

Jesus heals and rebuilds in and through His people, the Body of Christ:

People who have lost their homes in Ukraine are helped by Catholic Relief Services and Caritas Spes Ukraine, who are collaborating with local contractors to repair their bombed-out communities.

People dislocated because of climate change are helped by Catholic Climate Covenant’s mobilizing people to lower their carbon footprints and advocacy for renewable energy, so that extreme weather events will lessen, and those most affected by climate change can stay in their homes.

And those who are grieving a loved one meet Mater Dolorosa, the Sorrowful Mother when they encounter the Passionist family. Mary our Mother understands the pain of loss and leads us into healing, drawing us into the Paschal Mystery of life, death, and new life.

When Jesus calmed the storm, the disciples knew better who He was, and their faith grew stronger. They went on to became part of Jesus’ mission of re-building and healing in the Body of Christ. We 21^st century disciples can do no less.

Patty Gillis is a retired Pastoral Minister. She serves on the Board of Directors at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center in Detroit, Michigan. Patty is currently a member of the Laudato Si’ Vision Fulfillment Team and the Passionist Solidarity Network.

Scripture:

Amos 2:6-10,13-16
Matthew 8:18-22

Reflection:

In today’s Gospel, we hear brief exchanges between Jesus and two potential disciples. The first person is a teacher of the law, who is probably accustomed to a comfortable lifestyle. He tells Jesus that he will follow him wherever he may go. Jesus responds clearly that He does not have a life of luxury and does not even know where He will be resting at the end of the day. The second person wants to follow Jesus but only after burying his father. Jesus’ response sounds harsh: let the dead bury their dead. Some scripture scholars explain that the father probably was not dead or dying, just that the son wanted to be home to claim his inheritance and then he would be a disciple. In other words, the son wanted to be a disciple on his terms.

These two stories remind us that discipleship is a commitment to model our lives after Jesus. Earlier in the Gospels, Peter and Andrew did not hesitate to drop their fishing nets and follow Jesus when they were called to be disciples. Jesus does not say we should count the costs of discipleship or tie up our loose ends. He simply says, “Follow me!” and challenges us to have faith in His call.

Becoming a follower is the first step to discipleship. We listen and watch Jesus, hearing his teachings and observing his actions. We are interested but not yet committed, which possibly describes the two men in today’s Gospel. When we commit to modeling ourselves after Jesus, practicing His teachings in our daily lives, striving to love God and our neighbor, and are willing to take up our cross daily and follow Jesus, we have become disciples.

Mike Owens is coordinator of the Passionist Alumni Association and a member of the Migration Commission of Holy Cross Province.  He lives in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Scripture:

Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24
2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15
Mark 5:21-43

Reflection:

In our Gospel reading for Sunday (Mark 5:21-43), we have two examples of great faith. The first person we encounter is Jairus, a synagogue official. Jairus comes to Jesus, pleading Him to lay hands on his daughter, who is “at the point of death.” As a synagogue official, I wonder if Jairus was instructed by many Pharisees and scribes to denounce, or at least discourage others from listening to Jesus. But here he is, desperate about his daughter, willing to trust that Jesus has the power to heal her.

Then, when Jesus takes the time to attend to the woman suffering from hemorrhages, Jairus still has faith, even though he might well have given into impatience and anger about the interruption, and given up. And when they arrive at Jairus’ home, and find out that his daughter has died, he might have given up then. But he still has faith that Jesus can do something for her.

Then there is the aforementioned woman. She has been suffering from hemorrhages for a long time. She has tried everything she can think of, but nothing has worked. She decides to go to Jesus. But unlike Jairus, she does not go directly to plead with Jesus. But she believes that he has the power to heal her, and she believes that even if she just touches His clothes, she will be healed.

We have two different people, with two different situations, with two different approaches. But their answer to their situations is the same: to go to Jesus.

Is Jesus the answer for us? Do we trust that Jesus has the power to heal? I think that some people may have the faith that Jesus can heal, but have a hard time believing that Jesus is willing to heal them. So, it’s not only having the faith in Jesus’ power, but having the faith in Jesus’ love, that is the issue. And when it seems that God is moving too slowly to answer our prayers, we may be tempted to think God has stopped loving us. But look at the Cross, and know God’s love in Jesus Christ for you and for me and for the whole world!

In our divided world, the greatest challenge may be to believe not only in God’s love for us, but in God’s love for “them.” When I was looking at the Scripture readings for Sunday, I could not let go of one of the verses in our first reading from Wisdom (1:13-15, 2:23-24): “God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.” If God does not rejoice in the destruction of life, why do we find ourselves at times rejoicing in the destruction or downfall of those we consider “other;” those we consider “enemies? Maybe the more challenging question is to ask why it can be so easy for us to be complacent in the midst of destruction of life caused by poverty or oppression or the damage done to our environment? The ills afflicting our world can be overwhelming, but by the grace of God and empowered by God’s love, we can do what we can, where we are, to help heal a suffering world.

In our second reading from 2 Corinthians (8:7, 9, 13-15), St. Paul is asking the Christians in Corinth to help the Christians in Jerusalem: “As you excel in every respect, in faith, discourse, knowledge, all earnestness, and in the love we have for you, may you excel in this gracious act also. For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” Paul is not talking about material wealth, but that the Son of God became incarnate in Jesus Christ in order to save us. But in response to Jesus’ love, we are to respond in love to the needs of others.

May we not give in to despair, but like Jairus and the woman, give in to hope. May we not give in to rejoicing about the downfall of others, but give in to love. And may we continue to do “gracious acts” to help our hurting world.

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P., is the local superior of the Passionist Community in Birmingham, Alabama. 

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

Scripture:

Acts of the Apostles 12:1-11
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18
Matthew 16:13 -19

Reflection:

Today we celebrate two great men of the Church, Saints Peter and Paul. Two ordinary men, one a fisherman and the other a Pharisee and a tentmaker. Two ordinary men who recognized that God had called them to be something greater than they thought themselves to be. Two ordinary men who had courage to speak the truth that was spoken to them through Christ. They endured suffering through many hardships and trials for their words and actions and yet they kept on believing in the truth that dwelt in their hearts.

 “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church . . .” Mt 16:19

I have just returned from a trip to France, Spain, and Italy. The first stop was the city of Paris and the first landmark we visited was the Cathedral of Notre Dame. The cathedral was not open for visitors, but the outside was an architectural marvel. Standing in the place where the story of the people of Paris began was a great way to begin our travels. There would be other cathedrals and churches that my husband and I would visit along the way. Many had beautiful works of art depicting the life of Christ and the Saints in them, such as the cathedrals in Arles and Monaco, and the Papal Palace in Avignon. The last great cathedral on our trip was the Dumo in Milan. The third largest cathedral in Europe is the burial place of Saint Charles Borromeo who was the Archbishop of Milan from 1564 – 1584. There is also a simple but large wall monument to honor Saint Ambrose who was bishop of Milan from 374 – 397. In the Spirit of Saints Peter and Paul, they continued the mission of building the Church by leading the people into a deeper relationship with God. The beauty of these cathedrals, basilicas, and churches give praise to God as well as the people who come to pray and celebrate mass every day and on Sundays. If there were no great buildings the Church would still exist because the Church is more than brick and mortar, it is the People of God, Saints and sinners alike who continue what was begun over two thousand years ago.

All of us who are baptized in the Church are the Church. From the beginning it has always been about the people. The prayers of the Church are powerful, they may not always be answered the way we would like but they are still answered. Peter and Paul both put their faith and trust in the Church as they went about spreading the “Good News” They did not have an easy task with the many abuses they underwent as they preached, taught and baptized those who wanted to become disciples. On this feast we remember our two great saints who established the Church. Let us pray for our Church and world that God may send us the graces we need to proclaim the “Good News” and be the Church in our world today.

Linda Schork is a theology teacher at Saint Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

2 Kings 25:1-12
Matthew 8:1-4

Reflection:

In reflecting on our first reading from 2 Kings today, I felt as if I was watching the nightly news, reading the local paper, listening to the latest updates of life and death that surround us in our daily lives. The killing of Zedekiah and his sons, the pillaging and destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the persecution of its inhabitants made me very sad!  War continues to go on in the Ukraine, Gaza, Syria to name just a few places on a national level. Senseless shootings, negative rhetoric, poverty, homelessness and so many forms of abuse are daily occurrences for so many in our cities and neighborhoods.  It makes me very sad!

I am sure I am not the only one who is experiencing this deep sense of sadness and frustration!  How do we as faithful believers in a God of peace and justice work to overcome evil with goodness, hate with love, apathy with understanding and unbelief with faith?!  For me, I can only let this feeling of sadness consume me for a short time before I focus on how to combat the sadness with a sense of joy and hope.  Recently, we participated in the Poor Peoples Campaign, whose focus is to bring awareness to the greater community that poverty is the 4^th leading cause of death in our modern world.  It brought joy to my heart to be a part of this larger group of people of all ages, denominations and cultures who came together at our state Capital to share ways to combat this evil and bring about a lasting justice.  Sadness was replaced by hope in a small way that day!

Jesus gives us another example of how we can turn sadness into hope and joy as found in the gospel today.  We know Jesus spent his time here on earth preaching the good news, curing the sick, challenging the status quo, serving the helpless and downtrodden, to name just a few ways he sought to grow the kingdom of God here on earth! Jesus saw the leper who came to him asking to be cured as a person of faith who believed in the good news.  Lepers in Jesus’ time were seen as worthless trash, sinners of the worst kind and shunned by all.  Jesus was able to see beyond how society saw this person and recognized him for the inherently good person that he was.  How do we treat the lepers in our society?  This is a challenge for us who find ourselves in the midst of so much chaos and sadness.  How do we bring hope and joy out of the pervasive sadness that engulfs us at times?  If we are who we profess to be, people of the gospel, living the good news and calling others to do the same, then, aren’t we called to see the lepers of our time as Jesus saw the leper in the gospel passage today?!  There are many ways to do this if we remain open to the spirit guiding our way.  I was invited recently to join a ministry team who visit the women’s prison in our area.  We go once a month to pray and listen to our incarcerated sisters.  It is an eye-opening and humbling experience for me each time I go.  I am overwhelmed by the courage and hope of these women as they face daily what could be seen as hopelessness and despair.  It gives me joy to pray with them and listen to their highs and lows.  

I was relating to my two young grandchildren about this prison ministry recently and they were dumbfounded and confused about why I would visit bad people in prison!  It was one of those teachable moments we have every once in awhile with our young ones!  I explained that oftentimes people are in prison because they have done something bad, but that doesn’t make them a bad person.  Furthermore, they are worthy of our prayers and mercy and presence.  I like to think that this is something we all need to remember when the sadness of the world overwhelms us.  Mother Teresa said, “We aren’t called to do big things, just little things with great love.”  Amen.

Theresa Secord is a retired Pastoral Associate at St. Agnes Parish, Louisville, Kentucky.