Daily Scripture

Feast of Saint Joseph, Spouse of Mary

Scripture:
2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16
Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22
Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a or Luke 2:41-51a

Reflection:
"Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever."
2 Samuel 7:16

The feast of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary, is a significant and magnificent one for the Church. While St. Joseph had a dedicated following within the Christian Community from its very beginning, his feast day was placed on the Liturgical Calendar on this day in the 10^th century. In 1870, Pope Pius IX declared him patron of the Universal Church. As St. Joseph watched over Mary and Jesus as husband and father with love and care, he now continues to watch over us, the Church with that same devotion. We are definitely blest to have him as a Patron of the Universal Church.

The Church has been in the spot light these last few days, as our previous Pope resigned and then a new Pope was chosen. This time of grace has brought out an outpouring of hope and expectation for the vast majority of us who see the Church as the Body of Christ. Whether we are Catholic or not, whether we are strong, committed church goers or have ceased coming to church and whether we believe in God or not, we could not get away from the intense media coverage that the election of a new Pope generated.

While there were some news stories that were positive and favorable to the Church, the vast majority of them were unjustly critical, negative and downright false in their content and assumptions. For a number of people, the Church will never be a community of sinners who come together to become the healed Body of Christ.

St. Joseph had to wrestle with many problems and challenges as he accepted Mary into his home. He found Mary to be with Child before their marriage was formalized. He struggled to be a faithful follower of the Hebrew law and a loving, just man. He needed to obey the civil law and be registered in the census in Bethlehem of Judah while Mary his wife is about to give birth. Think of the shame that he and Mary felt when Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem at the age of 12, while the rest of the family was on their way back home. Certainly whispers of being careless parents would have circulated, and Joseph, the father would be the one ultimately responsible.

But Joseph had cultivated an ability to pay attention to the Voice of God even as he remained faithful to his Hebrew traditions. He was able to be a law abiding citizen at great personal cost, conscious of both obligations. His responsibility as a spouse and parent was based upon trust and love and not upon the expectations of others.

We pray that St. Joseph will accompany the newly elected Pope, Francis, as he begins his ministry. He too will have many challenges that will deal with our Catholic traditions and he too will struggle to keep a balance between the civil law and the dignity of each person as well as the entire People of God. Pope Francis is blest to have St. Joseph as the Patron of the Universal Church. May we stand firm forever!

 

Fr. Clemente Barrón, C.P. is stationed in San Antonio, Texas. 

Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent 

Scripture:
Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41c-62
John 8:12-20

Reflection:
Jesus spoke to them again saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."  John 8:12

When Jim and I got married we agreed to stay in Oregon for 10 years so that our kids could grow up knowing my parents and family. My dad was the same age as Jim’s Grandma! His parents were only in their early 40’s and worked full time, and my parents were retired and had lots of time for us, so it seemed like a great plan! We knew we would eventually move to California so Jim could take over his Dad’s business, but unfortunately for me my father-in-law wasn’t willing to wait 10 years. When our first son was 1 week old, his father said to him "I have an opening and I want you to fill it. If you don’t come now, you will never work for me."

Relocating to California was really hard for me. I was now a 10 hour drive away from my parents, I didn’t know anyone in the city we had moved to, I was a very new mother with a month old baby, and my husband’s family all worked, so there was no one to go to hang out with when I was lonely. I was terribly homesick and realized that my life wasn’t unfolding as I had hoped … sometimes I felt like I was floundering and was going to drown.

One day that heaviness in my spirit overwhelmed me and I felt like I was falling into a deep, dark pit and would never be able to get out. I fell to my knees and cried out to God to help me. Immediately the phone rang and someone asked for prayer. I hung up the phone and started praying for that person. A few minutes later the phone rang again–this time someone needed prayers because of a terrible accident. I knelt back down and started praying for this family and all of a sudden I realized that I wasn’t falling into the dark pit anymore.

What I learned that day was that I can get too focused on my own problems, and when that happens, I need to put myself and my problems in God’s hands and then go help someone else. God can always use us to be a blessing to another, and in so doing, we end up getting blessed ourselves. There are times when we need to seek professional help if our depression is too much for us to handle on our own, but other times like in my experience that day, we just need to look up and look out and let the light of the Lord dispel our darkness.

 

Janice Carleton and her husband Jim live in Portland, OR and partner with Passionist Fr. Cedric Pisegna in Fr. Cedric Ministries. Janice also leads women’s retreats. She is the mother of 4 grown children and grandmother of 6. Visit Janice’s website at http://www.jcarleton.com/ or email her at [email protected]

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Scripture:

Isaiah 43:16-21
Philippians 3:8-14
John 8:1-11

Reflection:

In Gospel reading today, we are given the three main characters: Jesus, the woman accused of adultery, and the Pharisees. The Pharisees wish to expose this woman of her sin in the public realm, bearing down their own judgment on her crime. Yet in the end they walk away shamed after Jesus says, "Let the one without sin cast the first stone."  How many times have we judged other people for their wrongdoings? We cannot shame others, because we too are sinful. Then the woman caught in adultery who has been brought forth to be stoned. We too have been like this sinful woman, and by the grace of God are saved. We are called to be like Christ in this scenario, to forgive. The Gospel reading calls us out of our judgment, selfishness, brokenness and sin, into a new life with Him. He continues to love us not matter how many times we fall. His great love is at the heart of the Gospel and we are called to strive towards an intimate relationship with him. We are to have faith that he will lead us out of whatever terrible situation we face. If we have this faith why do we panic and fall back to our sinful comforts?

It is not always easy. The reading from St. Paul poignantly reminds us of our sinful nature and God’s mercy by proclaiming that he (Paul) is not perfect, but continues in pursuit of hope. We are not perfect! How refreshing! St. Paul calls us to not only admit that we are sinful but to also continue to strive towards our ultimate goal, Jesus Christ. We continue to fight the good fight, to withstand the temptations of this world with His help. The reading from Isaiah reminds that God will make a path for us, and provide for us not matter how often we turn away. He provides for us not because of our faithfulness but to fulfill His promise. No matter how broken we become or allow ourselves to be, He continues to welcome us back. Our job is to have faith in Him and his constancy.

The theme of reconciliation is prevalent throughout the season of Lent. It is a time of purification, where we can prepare our hearts and refocus our lives. As we journey through these last days of Lent, let us remember our own brokenness, allow Christ to lift that burden through reconciliation, and to revel in the light that is Christ at Easter.

 

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

 

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Scripture:

Jeremiah 11:18-20
John 7:40-53

 

 

Reflection:

Interpreting the Signs of Our Time with God’s Judging Attitude

"Never before has anyone spoken like this man."  How do we judge what is right and just even when that does not comply with the rules and traditions of a society or fulfills our expectations?  How do we let God, the "just Judge [and] searcher of mind and heart," help us judge justly what is acceptable and satisfying even when it is uncommon and unconventional to the popular mindset?  Do we remain open and true to the vast horizon of possibilities that our faith offers us, just as it happens to the guards who acknowledge in and through Jesus’ words and works the many possibilities of their Jewish faith?  Or do we remain close-minded and, therefore, limit our judging criteria to our biases and expectations, as the religious and civil authorities of Jesus’ time did?  To judge things and people by their appearance which is a common human tendency and not be able to see their cause and state of being or to disregard, as the reading from the Prophet Jeremiah suggests, what is in the minds and hearts of people, as God does, can leave us surprisingly embarrassed before God and others, to the point that we will have to take our words back. 

Today’s gospel, especially the guards’ aforementioned statement and that of Nicodemus, who eagerly addresses his Jewish brothers with the question: "Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?" reminds me of the first public appearance of our newly elected Pope Francis, who appeared motionless, quiet, and inexpressive before the big crowd at St. Peter’s Square and all TV cameras capturing the moment for the rest of the word to see.  Perhaps many, including myself, misunderstood the stillness of his posture and promptly and wrongly judged him as a timid, old, and tired fellow who was unsuitable for such a ministry he has been chosen to carry out as the leader of our Roman Catholic Church.  However, once he started addressing and smiling to the crowds, which were in expectation of his first words and blessing, and showing gestures of humility and simplicity that connected him with God’s people, many in the crowds changed our biased, judgmental attitude for one of affirmation and possibilities. For soon after, we began to say that never before a pope has done what Pope Francis did during his first public appearance at St. Peter’s papal balcony.

As the optimistic people say of Jesus in John’s Gospel, "this is truly the Prophet. . . This is the Christ," let  us trust God who inspired the cardinals’ election of Pope Francis, who, in many ways is a pioneer which makes us believe and hope that "he is the right man for the right time for the right job of the Catholic Church," as one of the journalists put it.  Otherwise, we will be putting our hopes and expectations in what is predictable, familiar and acceptable which will make us think that the Pope cannot come from the New World, just as the Pharisees thought of the Christ, who "will not come from Galilee, will he?" Let us, therefore, look beyond what is before us, so that we do not dismiss the world of possibilities that our faith can certainly afford us because "faith makes things possible, not easy, so let us keep on going."   

 

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

Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Scripture:

Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22
John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

Reflection:

Usually when it comes time to sit with the readings of the day the Church is sailing along in rough or more or less calm seas with the steady hand of the successor of Peter at the helm. But unless white smoke has come from the Sistine Chapel we are still waiting and praying. March 15^th is, or would be, the fourth day of the Conclave to elect the 266^th bishop of Rome.  So as your read this I don’t know if we are still praying in hope, or rejoicing with the announcement of "Habemus Papam!"  Either way the readings for this Friday in Lent are a sober reminder of the opposition and hatred that Jesus faced in his ministry. His enemies would finally succeed in killing him on Good Friday. Maybe the readings also give us a sense of the opposition and hatred that the Church and its leader face from those who do not walk in the light.

The Book of Wisdom sets the scene as the just man is reviled by the wicked. Their hatred culminates in a  plot to kill him and condemn him to a shameful death.  But the wicked do not take into account that God has the final say and will reward the just man for his faithfulness. Implied is that the wicked do not see their own eventual punishment.  For men and women of faith we must always remind ourselves to take the long view. Evil can appear to win, but appearances are deceiving. When time runs out in this world everyone faces the Lord God who will judge them justly.

The "just man" is a type for Jesus. In the gospel reading we see him very much aware of the plot by the leaders in Jerusalem to kill him. So prudently he is restricting his ministry to Galilee.  However, as a faithful Jew, he feels in his heart a desire to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles and goes up to Jerusalem alone "in secret."  There he is recognized. The whisper goes around: "Is he the Christ?" No, he can’t be, "we know where he is from."  At this point Jesus takes matters into his own hands and boldly proclaims in the Temple area that he has not come on his own, but he has been sent. He affirms a special relationship with the one who sent him. At this his enemies seek to arrest him, but fail, because "his hour had not yet come."  We are reminded in this scene that Jesus always stood up for the truth and wasn’t afraid to proclaim it when necessary.  Can we say the same for ourselves?     

 

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

Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Scripture:

Exodus 32:7-14
John 5:17-30

Reflection:

In the first reading of Exodus we hear the story of Moses and the Israelites.  I often think of the Israelites being led out of Egypt and feel that I act the same way on my life journey.  In Exodus, God does these amazing miracles, but it time they forget, wonder where God is, and turn to idols and bad behavior.  While I may not act with the very same bad behavior, certainly there are parallels with my life.  God has been miraculous in my life, in big ways with the miracle of the birth of my children, but also in every day ways where I feel amazed and certain of His inexplicable presence in a situation where I sought His help or His answer to a prayer.  Yet despite this, how often I find myself feeling abandoned by God when life’s circumstances turn difficult or prayers seemingly go unanswered.  Barely off my knees in thanksgiving, I am worried about the next issue as if God no longer was there or no longer cared.

But as much as we respond in ways similar to the Israelites, I wonder if we truthful have it a lot easier than they did.  While God came to them in very powerful ways like the parting of the Red Sea, having water pour forth from a rock, or receiving manna from heaven, these events came intermittently and came through another person, Moses.  We have a much greater gift.  We have Christ.  We don’t have to wait until we are famished or thirst greatly to receive the healing presence of God.  Nor do we have to be shown God through another, like Moses.  Through our relationship with God’s son, Jesus, we can be constantly fed and nourished.  We don’t even have to wait for Sunday mass.  We have prayer.  We can attend daily mass.  We have the sacraments.  We have adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.  We have Mary who can lead us to her Son. We can even find and know Christ when we love one another in acts of service.  All of this makes God much more present in our lives and can help us through life’s challenges.  Our role though is not to sit back and let things happen, but to reach out in a spirit of faith to the One who can save us.

 

Steve Walsh is a retreatant at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center in Sierra Madre ,and a good friend of the Passionist Community. 

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Scripture:

Isaiah 49:8-15
John 5:17-30

 

 

 

Reflection:

The reading from Isaiah is from the section called the Book of Consolation. The prophet announces that the people will return to Jerusalem from their exile in Babylon. They are still in exile so Isaiah wants to strengthen their hope in the midst of their hardships and backbreaking experiences. Better times are on the way.

God hears the cry of the poor and will respond to their prayers for deliverance. The prisoners will be set free, light will come into the darkness, water will be given to the thirsty and food to the hungry. No more will they have to labor as slaves in the harsh sun. The people, and all of creation, will soon rejoice…turning their weeping into cries of joy.

When we feel let down by others, defeated by life and its unfairness, when all our good efforts end in failure or misunderstanding, when we wonder if God is on our side or has God forgotten about my plight, that is precisely the time we are called to a "naked" faith (as St. Paul of the Cross describes it), a faith that does not depend on signs and wonders, a faith without props and guarantees. This is the faith that Isaiah encourages. In spite of darkness, harshness and impossible conditions, God is with us and will never forget us.

These are the experiences that bring us closer to Jesus Christ. They allow us, if we let them, to journey with Jesus in the desert for 40 days, to pray with Jesus during his agonizing prayer in the Garden, to be nailed with Jesus on the cross and cry with Jesus: "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" It’s on the dark side of life that our faith is tested. When God seems so far away, do we have the faith that Isaiah describes, the resilient faith that Jesus possessed? The journey back to Jerusalem challenges us to be people of faith, to believe beyond what we can see and touch, beyond our experience of exile. At these moments, for however long they last, we confess in our hearts that God has not forgotten me. I’m not in Jerusalem yet; dawn has not arrived; resurrection seems like wishful thinking; still, I believe God is with me and act accordingly.

 

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

 

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Scripture:

Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12
John 5:1-3, 5-16

Reflection:

Haridwar is a pilgrimage city in the Haridwar District of Uttarakhand, India. It is associated with both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. Haridwar is among the seven sacred cities of India. It is also one of the four venues for the Kumbh Mela, held in its magnitude every twelve years where the Ganges enters the plains is a very religious, Hindu spot. Millions of people gather there, put ashes on their body and bathe in the river Ganges to wash away their sins and be liberated from the chain cycle of life – birth, death, and rebirth. Every human person’s heart wants to cleanse oneself from sinfulness -like the Hindus bathing in the river Ganges.

In Jerusalem, there was a pool by the Sheep Gate, where it is believed that anyone who dips in first when the water is stirred would be healed. There were many who were blind, lame and paralyzed who were laying at the porticos.  Among them, Jesus meets a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years and could not get into the water before others and tells him, "Pick up your mat and walk." Immediately he began to walk and experienced healing in his life. Jesus, instead of throwing the paralyzed man into the waters of the pool, cures him by the strength of his word: "Pick up your mat and walk." The man does not even know who cured him. Jesus’ salvation is a free gift for all who believe in the power of his word and want to be cured of their many paralyses.

When we approach Jesus in faith, He heals us as he healed the man who was sick for 38 years. We are also called to take this blessing in other people’s lives – as the river of God’s grace that flows in our lives. In Palestine, the river Jordan always mixes good water into the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea allows no living creatures to live in it because it does not give to others what it has received. As Christians we are invited to share the grace that God blesses us with and not hold onto ourselves. This miracle of Jesus in our life is a grace-filled event which demands an active response from us, a response that has to effect the whole of our life.

 

Fr. A. Justin Nelson, CP,  is a member of our Indian Vicariate and temporarily stationed at St. Mary’s Parish, Fairfield, Alabama.