Daily Scripture

 

Feast of St. Paul of the Cross,
Founder of the Passionists

Scripture:

Exodus 17: 8-13
2 Timothy 3: 14 – 4: 2
Luke 18: 1-8

 

Reflection:

Have you ever been weary?  Most of us have at one time or another.  I vividly remember a period of about three years during which our family lost both parents, a sibling, and two beloved aunts.  Most of us felt battered by the steady losses of people who were important in our lives.  I suspect most families go through times like these, and times that are even more difficult.  Times of Illness, failures in relationships or employment, disappointment in or betrayal by friends, personal losses and longtime struggles with personal sinfulness can truly wear us out. 

The Scripture readings for today encourage us to turn to God with confidence when we find ourselves weary with life.  The reading from Exodus reminds us that whenever we’re engaged in battle of any kind God will support us if only we keep our hearts turned toward Him.  In the Gospel, Jesus uses the story of the unjust judge and the persevering widow to assure us that God, who is Our Father, will be even more faithful to us in our desire for God’s help with our personal struggles.  Jesus tells us not to lose heart but to keep praying through our weariness.  And, St Paul, in his letter to Timothy, encourages him and the community in Ephesus to remain faithful to what they have learned and believed; not to lose heart but to persevere in their witness to the truth of the Gospel.

Clearly, weariness is an experience that all true disciples of Jesus must deal with.  In our Scriptures today we are encouraged by every reading to trust that God will be with us in our struggles and will lead us through them to the fullness of life with God.

 

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

 

Feast of St. Luke 

Scripture:

2 Timothy 4:10-17b
Luke 10:1-9

 

 

Reflection:

Beloved:
Demas, enamored of the present world, deserted me …Luke is the only one with me. At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. 2 Tm 4:10-17b

By way of reflection for this feast of St. Luke I would like to send a letter to Luke. 

"Dear Luke, please accept my most sincere thanks for taking all the time to write your gospel.  I know that you and Matthew were peeking over each other’s shoulders, especially Mark’s. 

"I guess what really strikes me this year as I reflect on you is the mention that St. Paul makes of you in his letter to Timothy.  What makes it more interesting is that Paul is going through some lonely times.  He has been abandonned by so many at a time of great need.  And there you are…’Luke is the only one with me.’  I think we both know how important the presence of a person is when we are in trouble, either self- inflicted or other-inflicted.  I wonder, though, if that could have ended up putting a lot of pressure on you to support him. 

"Oh, I know that Paul wrote: ‘…but the Lord stood by me and gave me strength…’   It’s right that Paul does indicate this source of presence and strength which comes from the Lord.  I know a lot of people who will affirm God’s presence when things have gotten dark and lonely.  They really mean it.  But there is that other presence…of a wife, a husband, a mom, a dad, a brother, a sister, a grandma, a grandpa, an aunt, an uncle, a cousin, a classmate, a close friend, a fellow worker, a fellow parishioner, a Priest, a Sister, a Brother, a Deacon, a caring  stranger….gosh, where does the list end?  There they sit in front of us telling us that we are not alone.  And the neat thing is that we can also do the same for a hurting person…‘I’m here, you are not alone.’.

"I think, Luke, that is what I wanted to thank you for!  You must have received a lot of kudos for taking all the time to gather, interview, sift and write your gospel.  It’s one thing to hand someone a copy of the gospel which is so rich, affirming, hopeful, comforting, exhilarating and faith-filled and suggest that the person read it.  But what is striking me about you and Paul is that you hung in there with him.  You were there.  You didn’t abandon him.  He could read that so clearly.  Not in a rolled up papyrus containing bits and pieces of what would become your ‘good news’.  No.  You were a living book of love and friendship that could be read loud and clear.

"Luke, my brother, would you pray for all of us still here on earth?"  

 

Fr. Peter Berendt, C.P. is a member of St. Paul of the Cross Community in Detroit, Michigan.

Scripture:

Romans 3:21-30
Luke 11:47-54

Reflection:

Wondrous deeds have been done by the Lord to us and in front of us. What else will it take for us to be strong in our faith and open ourselves up to a spiritual transformation?

In the readings for today, we hear that all people have been justified in faith by the grace and mercy of God. Equally. We are all sinners but have been redeemed by Jesus Christ. Who are we to judge one another? In the end we will be judged on the basis of faith. Today, our faith is countercultural, drawing us away from our faith rather than towards God. Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm! Isaiah 7:9.  We come from a culture of convenience; we can get anything we want at any time of the day. Life, which includes our faith, should be as easy and happy as possible. If we start to view the trends of today as truth, what will come of us? If we dread, fear, or hate, what is inconvenient how we will ever become closer to God? We cannot expect something so glorious to be easily attainable, but have faith through the sufferings we incur along the way. It is through these sufferings that we are able to experience true peace and the love of God here on earth.

"Do not be disturbed by the passing trials you are going through, since you must know that similar trials will come often. Our divine Savior visits those servants who are dear to him and purifies them with trails to develop their fidelity" – St. Paul of the Cross. 

God graces us with His presence in our daily lives in order to transform us by His love and mercy into what He has planned for us. God places on our hearts his Word and Will for our lives. When we open ourselves up to this possibility and begin to live in faith, we realize that it is the only possibility and wish to be transformed. Why would we want to do anything else? We should be increasing in faith, good deeds and love. We have free will and can make the active choice to open our lives to the will of God, or to turn down the wide and easy path. In what way will you choose to seek His will today?

"I seek nothing else, I long for nothing else…save in all things to be transformed by love in the divine will…" – St. Paul of the Cross

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

Scripture:

Romans 2:1-11
Luke 11:42-46

Reflection:

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, the second-century Roman Emperor and Stoic Philosopher wrote on his Meditations: "Look beneath the surface; let not the several qualities of a thing nor its worth escape thee."  Such a philosophical statement expands the theological meaning of today’s scripture readings, which advise us against the superficiality of a self-righteous attitude that could make us "hold [God’s] priceless kindness, forbearance, and patience in low esteem, unaware that the kindness of God would lead [us] to repentance."  We are indeed advised against a hypocritical behavior that could compromise our life-giving relationship with God and the church by simply judging "those who engage in such things and yet do them [ourselves]," just as the Pharisees and the scholars of the law did it and thus subjected themselves to the inescapable woes of Jesus.   

The Pharisees and the scholars of the law had indeed overlooked the priceless meaning and purpose of the law and the prophets, which Jesus did not abolish but fulfilled by affirming them in their God-given meaning and purpose of kindness, forbearance, patience, and above all mercy and forgiveness.  It was for all these graces that God gave us the Law and the Prophets, so that they could lead us to repentance and conversion and thus help us find our redemption and salvation in Our Lord Jesus Christ.  No wonder Jesus admonishes the Pharisees and the scholars of the law, as he tells them that they should have paid special "attention to judgment and to love for God" without overlooking their paying of "tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb."  For the former decree and duty of the law is far more important than the latter, because "only in God is my soul at rest; from him comes my salvation," as the Psalmist proclaims.

Today’s scripture readings therefore invite us to focus, not on our sins and their lethal spiritual effects, but on the life-giving grace and love of God, who shows us mercy and forgives us every time we return to him with a contrite, humble heart that allows us to treasure his priceless kindness, forbearance, and patience above all things.  This is the promise of hope and salvation that God has given us in Christ Jesus, in whose Holy Spirit rests our soul and finds its peace.   In such a spirit of trust and confidence in God’s mercy, let us bear one another’s shortcomings and hardships with fraternal love and patience, because a judgmental or indifferent attitude would only subject us to the unavoidable woes that Jesus proclaims to his adversaries.  Thus, let us pray for one another, so that we become recipients of Jesus’ evangelical beatitudes and graces, as we strive to love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves.

 

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

Feast of St. Teresa of Avila

Scripture:

Romans 1: 16-25
Luke 11: 37-41

Reflection:

The Apostle Paul is very proud and confident of the Gospel. Obviously he is writing his Letter to the Romans before any of the written gospels of Mark, Mathew, or Luke. The "good news" or gospel he is referring to is the proclamation that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. This message, when accepted by faith, is the "power of God for salvation".  It was offered to the Jews first, and now to the Greeks. Here Paul sets the theme for his letter.  For this good news Paul would expend his energies and ultimately give up his life.

The power of this good news has shaped Christian life for two thousand years. It has been embodied in the inspired word of God (Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Revelation) and in the sacred mysteries (water, oil, bread and wine, ritual actions and words). It lives in the hearts of the members of the Church, the Body of Christ, united in communion by the Holy Spirit. It has a Universal Teacher, the successor of Peter, and local teachers, the successors of the Apostles. It also has a long history of saints and sinners.

Paul wrote that he was never ashamed of the Gospel, but 2000 years of history has sometimes made us ashamed of the Church. All of us are forgiven sinners. May we pray for one another and listen to Pope Francis’s call to renew the Church in our day.   

 

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

Scripture:

2 Kings 5:14-17
2 Timothy 2:8-13
Luke 17:11-19

Reflection:

In Sunday’s Gospel reading (Luke 17:11-19), Jesus heals a group of ten lepers, but only one of them returns to thank Him. Jesus asks, "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" I have often surmised that the other nine might have been so eager to get back to their former lives that they didn’t even take time to stop and give thanks. We must never forget to stop and give thanks for what God has done for us!

As I reflect on the wars and conflicts raging in countries such as Syria and Egypt and Afghanistan and Iraq and so many other places that are not even on my radar, and when I think about the government slowdown/shutdown around the implementation of Obamacare/The Affordable Health Care Act (Whichever side you’re on usually determines which terms you use), Jesus’ question – "Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" – has generated some questions of my own.

For instance, it seems that these ten lepers were together. Does that mean that there were Jews and Samaritans together? Jews and Samaritans were supposed to hate each other. After the ten got cleansed, did they just go their separate ways, with the Jews and Samaritan(s) especially returning back to the old divisions and hatreds? The situation reminds me of something I learned from a Public TV series on the Great Depression. In the early 1930’s, a good number of Army veterans marched on Washington, D.C., and actually set up camps in the city. They were trying to get the bonuses they were promised before the economy went sour (sound familiar?). According to the program, these camps were integrated. At that time, the armed forces were not integrated, but the shared desperation of their situation had brought them together, ignoring the social conventions and prejudices at that time. There was a very controversial dispersing of the veterans led by General Douglas MacArthur, and after the veterans left, it seemed that things went back to the way they were. After 9-11, the U.S. seemed to be united for a time, but it wasn’t long before the partisan bickering began again.

At a recent retreat center board meeting, the members reflected on an article written by John Shea called "Soul Seeing." In the article Shea reflects on how the commonality of suffering can bring us together, without judging or comparing. I see the truth of the article, but it seems that this bringing together does not happen on a bigger scale. There are people suffering from all the things I mentioned above, but that doesn’t seem to bring us any closer together. Could it be because the experience isn’t seen as shared? And therefore we don’t let the common experience change how we think about each other?

Perhaps the biggest difference between the one leper who returned and the nine who did not is not so much between gratitude and ingratitude. The biggest difference may be that the nine got their old lives back, but the tenth leper’s life was changed. The tenth man’s life was changed, not just restored, by his encounter with Jesus. And so he gave thanks.

Our encounter with Jesus, especially at the Eucharist, is meant to change our lives. At Mass, we share in the sacrifice of Jesus. We celebrate His Passion and death and Resurrection for our salvation! As human beings, we can all relate to His suffering. On various levels, our sharing in Jesus’ sacrifice and our love of Jesus is to change us and help us when our faith leads us contrary to the divisions and prejudices and injustices of the world. The disease of leprosy did not respect the divisions between Jews and Samaritans. Neither did Jesus. I daresay neither should we.

May our suffering engender within us empathy and compassion. May it not isolate us but bring us together. May we see the suffering of others as connected to our own. And may our encounter with Jesus change our lives and lead us to bring down divisions and help change the world.

 

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

Scripture:

Joel 4:12-21
Luke 11:27-28

Reflection:

The first time I read this Gospel story, I wondered what I would feel if I heard my son dismiss me so casually.  "No, my mother isn’t any more important than anyone else.  In fact, I don’t care who you are or what you’ve done, as long as you are listening to God’s word and trying to follow it."  Was he serious?  Did he hold his mother, who sacrificed so much for him, in no higher regard than his other followers?  Was she not special in some way?

As I thought about it, though, I realized the gift of this simple statement.  In Christ, there is no hierarchy of status.  It doesn’t matter if I am the most obedient rule-follower, the most recognized parish volunteer, the best preacher, the most devoted Christian, or the Mother of God herself.  I am no more special in God’s eyes than the rest of my sisters and brothers. That is a humbling thought when I am tempted to judge people as either lesser or better than myself.  In Christ, there is no such thing.

Yet on the flip side, this does not mean I am insignificant.  Rather than diminishing any of us, Jesus raises up all of us.  Amazingly, in God’s eyes I am just as special as Mary herself.  And my worth, value, and lovability are not dependent on my actions or efforts.  Because I am loved so completely and unconditionally already, there is nothing I can do to become more precious to God. 

This is incredibly freeing.  My actions and efforts, rather than being attempts to prove my worth, demonstrate my faithfulness, or elevate my status, can instead be heartfelt responses to such overwhelming love.  I can act more selflessly, more honestly, and more courageously because no matter what happens I can fall back into the arms of Love itself, knowing I am stretched by my experiences and led by a Spirit that always works to bring good things even out of my mistakes.

How different the world would be if we all realized we don’t have to strive for recognition and status in order to be worthy of love.  How different our relationships would be if they were built on responding in love rather than winning or controlling. 

As much as I’d like my own sons to praise me to the world and hold me in highest regard, ultimately I think I like Jesus’ way better.

 

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:

Joel 1:13-15, 2:1-2
Luke 11:15-26

Reflection:

"It’s Not Too Late."

The Prophet Joel is something of an enigma.  Little is known about him, except that he is from Judah, the son of Pethuel.  Did he prophesy before the Babylonians invaded and destroyed Jerusalem and marched its leadership into the darkness of exile?  Did Joel prophesy after the exile?  Is this a book about Judah’s past or its future?  We don’t know.  All we know is that Judah is facing its moment of decision during a time of national calamity.  "Alas, the day," Joel announces, "for near is the day of the Lord, and it comes as ruin from the Almighty."

His message also is rather enigmatic.  "This is the Day of the Lord."  Is this a message of warning or of good news, of justice or of mercy?  Perhaps it is both-and.  Joel calls his people to examine their past and the judgment of God for their sins.  But, it’s not too late, he seems to say.  There is hope in their future if they will seek the Lord.

"This is the Day of the Lord" also means that it’s time to decide.  Are they with the Lord or not?  Where do they stand?

Jesus speaks a similar word to us.  His numerous healings and exorcisms brought freedom and healing to many who were oppressed by the work of evil spirits.  This angered some Jewish leaders who accused him of using the power of Satan rather than of God.  But Jesus called them on their contradiction.  A house divided is a house that will fall.  He challenged his opponents.  He challenges us, too.  It’s time to decide.  Do we want to live in the slavery of sin or in the freedom of new life?  Despite our past failures and sins, Jesus extends to us a future of hope and healing.

But there is one non-negotiable – there can be no neutral parties here, no house divided.  It’s time to decide.  "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters."  It’s not too late.  If we listen carefully, we will hear the Good News lurking within the words "This is the Day of the Lord."

 

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