Daily Scripture

 

Scripture:

Acts of the Apostles 3:11-26
Psalm 8
Luke 24:35-48

 

 

Reflection:

The Easter Octave:  "Peace Be With You"

In almost all of his resurrection appearances, Jesus greets his disciples by words of "peace". He seems eager to dispel any fear in their hearts…and when you think about it, without faith we humans have every reason to fear.  Sickness, economic uncertainty, loneliness, violence, hunger, etc.:  all are too common in today’s world, just as it was in the time of Jesus.

The risen Jesus shows us that we have no reason to fear the future.  In His life, death, and resurrection, He triumphed over sin and death.  In his entire ministry of teaching, preaching and healing, Jesus revealed that he has fulfilled all the promises God made throughout the Old Testament era; such was the point St. Peter wanted to make in the sermon that is our first reading today.  We can thus be confident that both we and our entire world are in the loving hands of God…there’s no reason to fear.

Jesus’ words of "Peace be with you" are not an empty, casual greeting.  They express the great gift of God’s "shalom" which can dissipate all fear from our lives and embolden us to proclaim by word and deed God’s unconditional love for our needy world.  Are we women and men of Jesus’ peace?  Do we radiate that Christ-centered peace in the 1,001 details of modern life? 

As Easter People, alleluia is our song; Jesus’ gift of peace adds a richness that invites the world to sing along.  Let’s teach the world to sing…

 

Fr. John Schork, C.P. is the local leader of the Passionist community in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Scripture:

Acts 2:36-41
John 20:11-18

Reflection:

The days of Lent have passed; our Easter celebrations are waning, spring break has come to an end for many young people, and we look forward to the passing of our protracted winter weather.

Today’s first reading, from the Pentecost account of the Apostles’ first preaching foray into the streets of Jerusalem, will be back before us in a few weeks.  But the gospel passage is particularly relevant for us as we spend the Easter Season trying to embrace the meaning of the gospel acclamation, He is risen!

I say, "embrace" very deliberately.  This gospel passage is remarkable for its physicality.  The verbs emphasize that this is no dream, neither is it the "spiritualization" of a belief in the resurrection of Christ.  Mary Magdalen, weeping, bending over to peek into the tomb; two angels, sitting, where the Body of Jesus had been.  They said….She said, They have taken my Lord, I don’t know where they laid him.  She turned, and saw Jesus….Whom are you looking for?…Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him….Jesus said, Stop holding on to me, I have not yet ascended to the Father….go to my brothers and tell them….Mary went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and then reported what he had told her.

This bit of the Gospel is rightly cited as an example of the preference given to women in the proclamation of the Gospel message.  It is also an example of how powerful the love of Mary was for her "teacher".  In spite of the ignominious death of Jesus only three days earlier, Mary is the one who retraces the steps of the burial party back to the tomb, to "peek into the tomb", and to engage those she finds there in the quest for his body.  Once she recognizes Jesus, she clings to his body. 

The message is clear; on the first day of the week following the crucifixion of Jesus, he is present among them; he seeks them out, he comforts and consoles them.  His presence is so powerful, that it gives courage and conviction to the small core of his followers who will be visited by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and it will continue to exist in the body of his followers who become the household, the eklesia of Jesus’ presence in the world.  It is a real presence, a tangible presence, a caring presence. 

As we continue to marvel at the grace given to the Church in the election of Pope Francis, let us remember that the same Holy Spirit of God abides and stirs and inspires us to be the body of the Risen Christ for the world today.

 

Fr. Arthur Carrillo, C.P.  is the director of the Missions for Holy Cross Province.  He lives in Chicago, Illinois. 

Scripture:

Acts 2:14, 22-33
Matthew 28:8-15

Reflection:

On this Monday of Easter Week the church calls upon us to continue to praise and thank our God, to rejoice and shout our alleluias from the housetops, from the streets, through the fields and from the hills and mountains.  We continue our joy, our hope and our love born in us yesterday, when God raised our Lord Jesus Christ from the tomb. Let us rejoice, for he who was dead is now alive, resurrected, and living among us and within us.  Alleluia!

Our readings begin actually with Pentecost Day, from the Acts of the Apostles.  Peter, now filled with the Holy Spirit, stands up with the other Apostles and declares to all the men of Jerusalem that this man Jesus, who had lived among them doing nothing but good works, miracles and signs of healing, even raising the dead; who had come to them  preaching the word of God and the coming of the kingdom of heaven; and whom they in turn had cruelly killed – that this man, Jesus the Nazorean, God had actually raised up from the dead.  He had brought him in the flesh to sit at His right hand in heavenly glory.  Peter declares to all, "God raised this Jesus: of this we are all witnesses.  Exalted at the right hand of God, he poured forth the promise of the Holy Spirit that he received from the Father, as you both see and hear."

Matthew in the gospel returns us to Easter Day.  Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph had been to the tomb in the early morning only to find it empty.  There they had learned from the angel that Jesus had indeed been raised from the dead and that they were to go and tell the disciples.  Along their way Jesus suddenly met them – the risen Jesus in the flesh – and they embraced his feet.  Jesus repeats the message of the angel – "Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee and there they will see me."  

We end with the example of the women – overjoyed, let us with them go and announce the good news.  God so loved us that He sent his only son, and that son’s very human death in complete abandonment to His Father has saved him and us – made us all children of God, sisters and brothers to Jesus Christ – and he now lives within us through his Spirit. 

"Breathe on us, O Breath of God,
Fill us with life anew, 
That we may love what you do love,
And do what you would do."

 

Br. Peter A. Fitzpatrick, CFX, a Xaverian Brother, is a Passionist Associate at Ryken House, across the creek from the Passionist Monastery, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Acts 4:1-12
John 21:1-14

Reflection:

Peter figures prominently in two of our readings today. However, the events are out of order chronologically. In the first reading from the Acts the Apostles, we see Peter after he has fully integrated the Christ event. Here he is "filled with the Holy Spirit," healing and teaching as a member of the body of Christ.

In the Gospel, Peter is still in a period of discernment. A better word might be confusion. This simple Galilean fisherman had left his work and old life behind. He had been with Jesus through difficult times and had seen Him perform signs and wonders. He had followed all the way to Jerusalem and had seen Him taken prisoner, tried, and executed. All of Peter’s preconceived notions of God, the Messiah, and of Jesus riding triumphantly into the Holy City, declaring the new Kingdom of God, and wiping away the Roman rule had vanished. It’s easy to imagine the Peter’s tears in the courtyard of the high priest had been not only for his betrayal of Jesus, but for all that he had lost as well.

Here we find Peter sitting with his companions and friends. Still the impulsive, decisive, Peter, he declares, "I am going fishing!" And off he goes. Now, we must remember that fishing to these men was not a leisure activity. They didn’t go fishing when they wished to sit quietly in a boat and think about things. Fishing was their livelihood. It was hard work. It was the way they earned their daily bread. And at this point in his life, it was probably the only thing that had remained unchanged for Peter.

It seems to me that I often do the same thing when confronted with something new and wonderful by God. There’s a period of confusion, of wondering if what I have seen actually took place. Disbelief and wonder, fear and joy, all dance around in my heart and head. In times like these I will often turn to what I consider "normal."; those activities which comfort me in their ordinariness. Occupying myself with something I know well helps me make space for the new and transformative to work within.

And so it is with Peter and the other disciples. They fish all night and yet catch nothing. And then at dawn, Jesus is there standing on the shore. And what does Jesus do? He cooks them breakfast. Again, an ordinary, everyday task. It is almost as if Jesus himself is saying. "Find Me in the everyday. Find me in the ordinary. Find me within yourself and within those around you." 

May I find Jesus not only in the glory and spectacle, but in the simple and plain.

 

Talib Huff works and volunteers at Christ the King Retreat Center in Citrus Heights, California. You may contact him at [email protected].

Easter Sunday of the
Resurrection of the Lord

Scripture: 
 Acts 10: 34-43
Colossians 3: 1-4
John 20: 1-9

Reflection:
"…the other disciple also went in (to the tomb)…and he saw and believed."

Easter is a wakeup call – to a beautiful day and a wonderful way of life.   I often reflect on the Easter experience.  One thing that I find intriguing is that Jesus’ disciples, who were in hiding…totally disappointed…totally lost…suddenly changed. Not just one of them, but all of them. When they had an experience of the risen Lord, they came out of hiding, and looking back, finally understood what Jesus was all about.

The resurrected Christ was not the same as he was before. He could appear and disappear, he could change his looks so he wouldn’t be recognized, yet he could eat and be touched.  The followers of Jesus recognized him, believed in him and changed. They went from a group of frightened and scattered followers to a group of excited men and women, anxious to share their joy, their insights, and their love. That is the miracle of Easter.

In today’s Gospel, John talks about the "other disciple" who ran to the empty tomb with Peter and upon entering it, "…he saw and believed."  Some scholars believe that this unnamed disciple could be you or me.

Many years ago, I experienced the Risen Lord in a most profound and powerful way.  For me, Good Friday was the end of my long and painful journey into alcoholism.   In the depths of my hopelessness and despair, I cried out for help …and instantly, Jesus heard this cry…the cry of the poor…and I was immediately touched by the Risen Lord.  I became that "other disciple."  My life began to change at that moment and has continued to change even as I write this reflection.  What began as a feeling that my life was "falling apart" evolved into a realization that it was actually "falling into place."  I began the process of becoming the person that God created me to be.  The past thirty years have been an exciting journey, one filled with peace and gratitude and a joyful willingness to pass on to others what was freely given to me.

Today is the day of Easter joy. Yet, even as we celebrate, we are painfully aware that for many people it is still Good Friday.  Every day it seems there is something to remind us of the poverty, injustice, and violence of our world. 

My true faith journey began in a cemetery. Not in a stable. Not at the river Jordan. Not in an upper room. The first resurrection appearances happened in a cemetery garden.  Cemeteries are holy ground. Easter places.  And Easter tells us that Jesus’ tomb is empty and so is his cross. He is not there. He has gone ahead of us. He is among us…HAPPY EASTER !!!

 

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

Holy Thursday 

Scripture:

Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
John 13:1-15

Reflection:

Holy Thursday, in times past, has been referred to as Maundy Thursday.  Why "Maundy"?  Maundy is an anglicized version of the Latin "mandatum", which means "command".  And this is closely allied with the Lord’s remark: "I give you a new commandment: love one another" (Jn 13.35).  So today, Maundy or Command Thursday, is love day.

The church spells this out for us in the Eucharistic liturgy today, with its selection of historical words and actions.  She presents us one of the most significant events in the history of the Jewish people: the Exodus.  This was the Hebrew flight to freedom, after having been slaves in Egypt for the better part of four centuries, but now we find them poised, under the leadership of Moses, to escape this land and make their way to freedom in a new place.  This was not to occur by dint of amassing arms and weapons, but by gathering choice lambs from their flocks, and slaughtering them as part of a (paschal) meal, daubing their blood on doorway lintels, to escape the passage of the avenging angel.  This was a love feast, one of fellowship among them as each family looked to its neighbor to make sure everyone was able to partake of this last meal in bondage.  This all took place under strict orders, minutely detailing a command performance.

The church then jumps many centuries, to select a reading from the time of Paul the apostle, instructing the Christian community in Corinth about details of another meal (the first eucharist), carefully orchestrated to present the memory of what Christ Jesus did the night before He died: arranging a love feast of fellowship among those closest to Him, whose center-piece was bread and wine.  Like the Exodus meal, this too was eaten within hours of another journey to freedom, leading to the Garden of Olives, to mock trials before a procurator and high priests, and through the streets of Jerusalem to Calvary, where, as we proclaim at eucharist: "Lord, by your cross and resurrection you have set us free."

To accentuate the love dimension of this last evening on earth, the church then presents us John’s memory of Jesus going to His knees before each of His disciples to wash them.  The import of this deed was not lost on Peter, who quickly saw the significance of what Jesus was about.  It is in the combination of these biblical memories about the foot-washing, the last supper and the paschal meal in Egypt, that the church formulates the theme of fellowship on the journey to freedom, as an enriching revelation of God.  For God is a fellowship of Persons calling us to the sense of freedom that is at the heart of  the Paschal mystery.

 

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

 

Good Friday of the Passion of the Lord

Scripture:

Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9
 John 18:1-19:42

Reflection:

Today, Good Friday, we all stand together in community at the foot of the Cross.  We are not here to analyze or think; we are here to feel and experience the love only a crucified Jesus can bring us in the midst of suffering and death.  We are here to live the intimacy of a relationship founded in the simple, sure truth only a crucified Jesus can bestow in our world.

We are here with the "good thief", the man crucified with Jesus who was embraced with the words of Jesus assuring him of a place in paradise.  We are here as people who have sinned and yet now, next to a crucified Jesus are assured of how much we are loved by God.  The arms of Jesus embrace each of us with love.

We are here with Mary, the mother of Jesus.  We are present as Jesus entrusts Mary and John with the loving care of each other.  Jesus asks us to care for each other in community at the foot of the Cross.  The arms of Jesus are extended as He entrusts us to include everyone in our community with love.

We are here with the centurion who recognizes the presence of God in the ultimate act of love, the death of Jesus.  We are present as Jesus extends love to a world longing for the embrace of God. 

We are here at the foot of the Cross, joined by the good thief, Mary the mother of Jesus and a Roman centurion.  We are all, along with every person in our troubled world, indeed with all creation, joined in a loving embrace with each other and God at the foot of the Cross, with Jesus our life and our joy!

 

Terry McDevitt, Ph.D. is a member of our Passionist Family who volunteers at the Passionist Assisted Living Community in Louisville, Kentucky.

Wednesday of Holy Week

Scripture:

Isaiah 50:4-9a
Matthew 26:14-25

Reflection:

Oftentimes I focus on the wrong elements in the narratives of Sacred Scripture. Take the parable of the Sower and the Seed, for example. It’s easy for this preacher to thrash the congregation for being the kind of seed that is choked by thorns, burnt by the sun, or eaten by birds. It is much more difficult to speak of our God, who lavishes us with love the way the sower in Jean Millet’s painting, spreads seed… extravagantly, unconditionally, even wastefully. Or we sermonize about the profligate son or self-righteous older brother, and often ignore the compassionate and caring "prodigal father" who seems to waste his love on two self-absorbed, self-indulgent sons.  

When I was a kid we called today "Spy Wednesday" because of Judas’ role in the passion and death of Jesus. A better focus might be to call this day "Reassurance Wednesday" because of how Jesus ministers to those around him. Refocus. In today’s first reading the words of Isaiah, words of self-assurance and encouragement for the suffering servant, almost sound like we are trying to encourage Jesus as he begins his darkest hours of Passion. But Jesus is the one who, in the midst of excruciating emotional and physical pain, will be healing others – the centurion’s ear after Peter severed it. This Jesus speaks kindly to the grieving women instructing them to weep for themselves and their families. And it is Jesus who forgives his executioners from the cross, and informs a thief that he will share paradise with him. Blessed assurance.

As we conclude Lent this year and begin our Triduum journey, Pope Francis motivates me to follow this Jesus of reassurance. Our new pope declines places of honor and prays with Pope Emeritus Benedict in the same pew, or he waits for blessings of other Cardinals and then kisses their rings, and he will wash the feet of young inmates at Rome’s Casal del Marmo Jail.

Perhaps I could drop a note to someone who is enduring a difficult protocol of chemotherapy and encourage them, someone who struggles through the first weeks of widowhood, or divorce. May you have a really good Reassurance Wednesday!

 

Fr. Jack Conley, C.P. is the director of the Office of Mission Effectiveness.  He is a member of the Passionist formation community at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.