Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Acts 6:8-15
John 6: 22-29

Reflection:

There come into everyone’s life defining moments, forks in the path that set one on a new course. Our readings set the stage for a major transition in the ministry of Jesus and in the life of the new Christian community that formed in Jerusalem after Pentecost. Let us look at Jesus. He had just performed the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and the feeding of five thousand men. This precipitated a confusing aftermath: Jesus hiding himself from the crowds who wanted to make him king, boats leaving, the crowd confused, and finally the people finding him again in Capernaum. Jesus senses that this is the time to challenge the faith of the crowds enthused by his preaching and miracles. He launches into his discourse on the Bread of Life which reaches the startling proclamation that they must eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood if they are to have life in them. John concludes with:  "From this time on, many of his disciples broke away and would not remain in his company any longer." (6:66). The Twelve, led by Peter’s confession ("You have the words of eternal life") remain with him. The shadow of the cross is now over the Jesus movement.

In Acts we have a decisive moment as well. The deacon Stephen has risen to prominence in the Christian community on the strength of his powerful preaching and healings. Possibly understanding the fuller implications of the teachings of Jesus he has begun to stress the differences between Judaism and followers of the new Way. He is arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin. The charges against him (making statements against the law and that Jesus the Nazorean will change the customs Moses handed down) were in fact true. Our passage ends with Stephen standing before them his face shining like that of an angel, about to launch into a passionate defense of the new Way. He is dragged out of the city and stoned to death and a fierce persecution, led by Saul, begins against the church in Jerusalem. As a result Christians seek refuge away from the city and the

Church spreads to Damascus and Antioch, a changing event that moved the church into new lands, peoples and cultures.

Maybe we can ask ourselves what is the meaning of our new Pope named Francis.

 

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

 

 

Scripture:

Acts 4:32-37
John 3:7b-15

 

 

Reflection:                                          

Nicodemus, Model of Catechumens

I find myself feeling a certain awe when I am with those in the RCIA. Something wonderful is happening in their lives. In words used in today’s gospel the Spirit is bringing into them something from above. They have questions and challenges but in the end it seems catechists and celebrant step back, and the persons to be baptized stand open before God, while God works in them.

Today is our second of three days with Nicodemus this week. Jesus challenges him to be born anew, to a new way in which God is at work. Jesus gives him a parable about the wind, and draws from it, that like the wind that cannot be controlled, so is the mystery, the freedom of God. What a good example are those newly baptized who have the seed of new life carried to them by the Spirit, it will be born within them and will grow to something new.

In the middle of our reading the conversation shifts. It is no longer Jesus and Nicodemus, but the faith community and Israel who are in dialogue. ‘We testify to what we have seen, you people do not accept our testimony’. We are in the days of mystagogy, the 50 days of celebrating the Resurrection and the time in the early church when those baptized were taught about their faith. There was much for them to learn, especially as they were celebrating a mystery that could only now be fully explored and entered into. We have welcomed those newly baptized at Easter this year. Even if our parish or the religious community in which we live did not celebrate a baptism, we join the community of the larger Church in celebrating those baptized. We by our faith during Lent witnessed to them, some in prayer others by example. And they have helped us by surrendering to the mystery of the breath of the Spirit working in them. They have answered the question of Nicodemus, "How can this happen?" 

The gospel ends today with a summary of faith. John tells us this is where the Spirit leads us: Jesus is from the Father, the one above. He will be lifted up as was the serpent in the desert during the Exodus, and will be our Savior. All who believe will have eternal life.

 

Fr. William Murphy, CP is the pastor of Immaculate Conception parish in Jamaica, New York.

Scripture:

Acts 5:27-33
John 3:31-36

Reflection:

"He does not ration his gift of the Spirit."

This is a very personal reflection.  I know first-hand that God does not ration his gift of the Spirit.  About 20 years ago, after much prayer, a private retreat, and discussion with my spiritual director, it became clear to me that I, a husband with two children, wanted to live my life more fully as a Passionist.  But how?  The only way I knew was to embrace the one gift that is unique to all Passionists – their vow to keep alive the memory of the Passion of Jesus Christ, the Memoria Passionis.

I wrote to Fr. Michael Joseph Stengel, then the Provincial of Holy Cross Province.  I requested his permission to enter into a year-long private formation leading up to the Feast of the Sorrowful Mother, Sept. 15, when I would hope to take the Passionist vow.

Fr. Michael Joseph replied: "I don’t have the power or authority to give you permission to take this vow.  We Passionists don’t have a monopoly on this charism.  We can’t ration it out. It belongs to the Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit shares it with whoever desires it.  I can’t give you permission.  But my blessing you have as you prepare to take this vow."  About a year later on the Feast of the Mater Dolorosa, in the chapel of Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center, before family and the Passionist Community, I made the vow that Passionists have been making for nearly 300 years – the Memoria Passionis.

God is not stingy, not miserly, not tight-fisted.  God does not ration his gift of the Spirit.   God lavished me with the unmerited gift of the Spirit, the desire to preach Christ Crucified. And God allows me to share this gift in Passionist retreat ministry.

What has this personal reflection, the Memoria Passionis, to do with all of us during this Easter Season?  Just this:  As we continue to celebrate the Season, we are called to remember that the centrality of the Gospel is the cross, because it leads to life – never rationed, but bestowed lavishly.

 

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

Scripture:

Acts 5:17-26
John 3:16-21

Reflection:

I feel great compassion for the Sadducees and Pharisees. They were not, after all, bad people. They were the religious authorities of their day. Being human, no doubt some became obsessed with or corrupted by power. Yet for the most part, these leaders believed they were safeguarding the truth, speaking for Yahweh, and enforcing the rules of the faith in ways they needed to be enforced. They honestly believed they were right and were offering valuable service.

Then this stranger comes and starts preaching about Yahweh in a completely different fashion. Rather than judgment, awe, and power, he speaks of love, forgiveness, humility, justice, and service. He touches people that the scriptures explicitly command no one should touch. He violates the rules of the Sabbath laid down in Yahweh’s law. He dishonors himself by eating with known sinners. He comes very close, or sometimes seems to cross the line, to blatant blasphemy. He challenges the religious authorities and leadership, and their interpretation of laws they’d studied from the time they were young boys.

Yes, this stranger also had incredible charisma and drawing power. From all reports, he healed people, walked on water, and performed miracles. Indeed, many Jews were following him, supporting him, and going out to preach the message themselves. But how could Jesus be doing these things in concert with Yahweh given such egregious violations of Yahweh’s laws combined with his refusal to submit to the divinely sanctioned authorities of the church? How were they to respond to this threat to the established system, their religion, and the way of life ordained in scripture? This man seemed too contrary to what they’d been taught and the principles on which they based their lives, faith, and ministries. He seemed dangerous – to them, to the faith, and to God’s chosen people.

The same dynamics are still in play two thousand years later. There is a lengthy list of contentious issues in our society and in the Catholic Church. It is incredibly difficult to discern whether different or even radical perspectives on these issues are dangers requiring condemnation and suppression, or whether they are strong movements of the Spirit trying to open us to God’s ever-surprising call.

We believe that God will never abandon the Church, and in the long run the Spirit will guide us on the right path. In the present moment, though, we are all human beings capable of mistakes, just as the faithful Pharisees and Sadducees were. Even those with knowledge, authority, and right intent can become whitewashed sepulchers who miss what God is trying so hard to do in our midst.  Today, as then, there are principles and doctrines we need to retain, and there are ways we need change or outright reform. I pray constantly for our Church leaders, that they may have the wisdom, insight, and openness to see the changes Christ desires in order to move us closer to the Reign of God.

The light has come into our world. Especially as we move forward with our new pope, may we not prefer the darkness, but open ourselves more fully to the dangerous, radical ideas of Jesus Christ.

 

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/.

Solemnity of the Annunciation

Scripture:

Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10
Hebrews 10:4-10
Luke 1:26-38

 

 

Reflection:

Years ago, filled with doubt and trepidation, I readied myself to embark on a major new challenge.  A good and wise friend said to me in response to my uncertainty, "You know what you’re doing.  You just don’t know what you’re getting into."

Today is one of the great feasts of the liturgical year.  The story of the Annunciation has been told and retold by the great masters of art throughout the ages.  A young girl is visited by an angel who tells her she is to conceive and bear a child, the Son of God.  She, of course, does not have the full knowledge of events yet to come as we do.  We can sit here with the advantage of time to say to Mary, "Go for it…it will all work out."

This feast of the Annunciation falls this year just after Holy Week.  That might help put into perspective Mary’s fiat, her "May it be done to me according to your word."  To what is she saying yes?  She knows there is risk for scandal ("I have no relations with a man.").  She knows the ordinary demands of motherhood.  And she knows that God is faithful.  So, knowing all this, Mary knew what she was doing.  But she certainly did not know what she was getting into.

The death of my brother when he was only 22 years old was heart-wrenching.  Great as that pain was – and is – it pales compared to my mother’s.  The horror of a mother losing a son to war, violence, disease or accident is a loss so deep that really only other mothers can know it.  Yet here we are on this feast contemplating Mary’s yes knowing that Good Friday brought her immense pain as she watched her son suffer and die.  We are forced to see the connection between saying yes to God and where that yes may take us. 

The yes we give to God takes us not just to the cross, but through that brokenness and loss to new life.  But simply because we know where our yes to God will take us ultimately – we know what we’re doing – it doesn’t mean we know what we’re getting ourselves into.  That journey of faith that continues with our saying yes today will certainly challenge us along the way to new life.

 

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.

Scripture:

Acts 5:12-16
Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19
John 20:19-31

Reflection:

I hate to say it, but I think old age is finally catching up with me. I live in Chicago, one of the most Catholic cities in the world, and what do I see? I see babies being shot and killed. I see church buildings that once were filled and buzzing with activity, now empty and shuttered. Public and church leaders alike insist we don’t have the money, we can’t afford the personnel. I see a public school system that spends more than ever before and yet fails to get the majority of their students through to graduation. Then I hear Pope Francis in his inauguration say the mission of the church: "means respecting each of God’s creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about."

Truly, I feel like Thomas in today’s readings who says, I don’t believe and until I see Catholic politicians more concerned about making sure sick people are taken care of or school children get the care and attention they need than balancing their made up budgets, I will continue being the doubting Thomas.

 

Dan O’Donnell is a Passionist Partner and a longtime friend of the Passionists.  He lives in Chicago. 

Scripture:

Acts 4:13-21
Mark 16:9-15

Reflection:

"I believe; help my unbelief." Those are words, in Mark’s Gospel, of a father seeking a healing from Jesus for his sick child. Familiar words that we pray at times. Our faith is strong but not perfect. There are moments we don’t understand what God is doing in our life; we feel neglected; we are in pain; we are angry. "I believe; help my unbelief."

Talib Huff, in yesterday’s reflection, invited us to find Jesus not only in remarkable events but also in the familiar activities of our life, like eating a meal together. The readings today carry forward that theme that the risen Christ is present always and everywhere; he is not thwarted by locked doors, walls, fears or doubts.

The readings today describe the inconsistent sides of faith. We hear Jesus rebuke the apostles for their weak faith and stubborn hearts. They have heard two independent and reliable reports about the resurrection of Jesus, yet they didn’t believe. In the first reading, we listen to the story of Peter and John preaching in public. The religious leaders demanded that they stop. However, the two apostles firmly and boldly stand against the threats of the Jewish leaders. The apostles don’t back down but continue to proclaim the story of the resurrection. In one situation the apostles’ faith has been severely weakened; in another their faith is as strong as rock.

"I believe; help my unbelief." Both the good times and bad times of our faith journey are indispensable parts of the journey. Intellectual and emotional turmoil can plague any of us at a given moment in our lives. No one is characterized by a "red-hot" faith around the clock. We feel neglected; we don’t understand why the Lord doesn’t rush to our aid. We refuse to talk to him (i.e., we don’t pray). We think we can punish God by not going to Mass on Sunday. We may even say thoughtless things about God, figuratively shaking our fist in his face.

The locked door and the strong walls of the room in which the fearful and depressed apostles huddled after the death of Jesus did not keep Jesus out of their lives. He appears and says, "Peace be with you." When we close the door and shut ourselves up in self-pity or anger or despair, we have not truly isolated ourselves from the risen Christ. That is the very moment, if we are willing to patiently listen, we hear a quiet whisper, "Peace be with you."

 

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

Scripture:
Acts 3:1-10
Luke 24:13-35

Reflection:
"It is finished."  Mary, the wife of Clopas, trembled as she heard those dying words as Jesus bowed his head and surrendered his spirit.  Clopas gave way to tears as his wife repeated "It is finished." on Good Friday night.

Sunday brought strange stories of Jesus appearing to women folk.  Peter and John told of an empty tomb.  Hatred of Jesus pursuing Him even in his grave?  For Clopas the only message was "It is finished."  The hopes he had in Jesus were dead and buried.  It was time to move on.

So with Mary, his wife, he begins his journey to Emmeus.  Thoughts and feelings were shared with each sorrowful step.  Then a soft-spoken stranger was with them and reaching into the Scriptures to make sense of what seemed a meaningless, hopeless tragedy.  "Was it not necessary that the Messiah suffer and so enter His glory?"  A warming dawn in hearts growing cold!

Emmeus came into view.  This wise stranger must share bread with them.  And with the breaking of the bread, eyes, minds, hearts were opened.

 Oh yes, sin and sorrow are finished.  Clopas and Mary now become witnesses of the new beginning.  They are witnesses to the triumphal inauguration of the Kingdom of God.  Christ is risen.   In Clopas and Mary, in the charged and changed followers in Jerusalem "all things are new."   The never-ending of salvation and grace now prevails!   And as Clopas and Mary shared that good news, so must we do in our day!     

 

Fr. Fred Sucher, C.P. is retired and lives in the Sacred Heart Passionist Community in Louisville, Kentucky.  For many years he taught philosophy to Passionist seminarians.