Daily Scripture

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe 

Scripture:

Zechariah 2:14-17
Luke 1:26-38

Reflection:

Appearances by the Virgin Mary have been regularly reported throughout the centuries. Some enthusiastic believers go into great detail describing the experience. Yet the church is generally slow to affirm that an apparition is "worthy of pious belief." Ecclesial endorsements are rare. Vatican scrutiny is severe. In modern times, only ten apparitions have been officially deemed to exhibit characteristics "worthy of pious belief." The earliest of these is the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Tepeyac (Jaroslav Pelikan in Mary Through the Centuries).

The significance of the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego in 1531 does not hinge on the historicity of the apparition. The miracle is manifested in the remarkable transformation which it evoked within the people of Mexico and the Chicano culture. Guadalupe has become a powerful cultural energizer. Her appearance was crucial in restoring dignity, humanity and hope to a conquered people. Truly, it lifted up the lowly.

An interpretation of the Gospel text (Luke 1:26-38) for this feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe can be understood in the same way. The miracle of the annunciation is not merely an historical event. It is a message addressed to every woman who searches for her own dignity and to every man on a quest for the meaning of his humanity. Our completeness comes in discovering the birth of the inner Christ in the womb of our hearts.

At various times, whispering angels suggest that we are blessed beyond expectation. They encourage us to look within to see in our hearts a seed, an embryo, a fetus, or maybe even a small baby – but, to recognize God within. As did Mary, the task of our spiritual life is to feed, clothe and nurture the child so that we may mature into the fullness of Christ. That is the miracle of transformation.

 

Fr. Joe Mitchell, CP is the director of the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center in Louisville, Kentucky. See his website: http://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/

 

Scripture:

Isaiah 40:1-11
Matthew 18:12-14

Reflection:

"Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem…" Is 40:1

Some of Scripture’s most sublime poetry lies within Isaiah 40.  It is the poetry of God’s comforting presence in the midst of darkness and seeming abandonment.  In her little book titled "40 Stories to Stir the Soul," Sister Joan Chittister shares a wonderful Hasidic tale that captures God’s tender presence.

"Once upon a time, the local Jewish congregation was concerned that their rabbi disappeared every Sabbath night.  Was he chanting with angels?  Was he praying with Elijah?  Was he communing directly with God?  So, after months of this, they finally sent someone to follow him and report back to them on where the rabbi was going.

"Sure enough, the next Sabbath eve, the rabbi went up a mountain path, over the crest of the mountain to a cottage on the far side of the cliff.  And there the sexton could see through the window, an old gentile woman lying sick in bed, wasting away.  The rabbi swept the floor, chopped the wood, lit the fire, made a large pot of stew, washed the bedclothes, and then left quickly in order to get back to the synagogue in time for morning services.

"The congregation demanded to know: ‘Did our rabbi go up to heaven?’  The sexton thought for a moment, then replied, ‘Oh no.  Our rabbi did not go up to heaven.  He went much higher than that.’"

In 587 BC, in the brutal aftermath of the Babylonian invasion and destruction, Jerusalem and the townships of Judah lay in ruins; the Jewish leadership lived in Babylonian exile, seemingly abandoned and without hope.  In their darkest moment, God summoned his prophet Isaiah to console Jerusalem, to tell them God has never left them.  But, rather, like the rabbi who traveled to the far side of a distant cliff to care for the sick old woman, God was always present to the Jews even in distant pagan Babylon to offer his tender comfort.  Indeed, it was in that darkest period of their history, that the Jews reflected, studied and encountered God most profoundly in their Scriptures.

In this Advent Season, the message of Isaiah speaks to us, too.  Wherever we are, whatever our situation, whatever we’ve done, God still loves us, still cares for us.  And in the midst of our darkest moments, there is hope in the wilderness, and the words of hope are these: "Comfort, give comfort to my people."  Does God remain distant from us, way up in heaven?  Oh, no.  He is much higher than that.  He is present in our midst.

 

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

Scripture:

Isaiah 35:1-10
Luke 5:17-26

Reflection:

I’ve worked with many grieving people who are angry at God because their loved one was not healed. They tell me how they stormed heaven with prayers, and yet God was silent. Some even relate stories of another person’s healing and wonder whether their own faith wasn’t strong enough, or whether God was punishing them for their sins by taking their loved one away. These situations are wrenchingly difficult and tragic. They prompt me to look more closely at the Gospels to see whether perhaps we’ve gotten God’s healing all wrong.

Place yourself in the position of the paralyzed man whose friends brought him to Jesus. They were convinced Jesus would heal him so he could walk again. They were so excited about it that they ripped a hole in the roof of the building in order to get the man through the crowd.

Finally this hopeful man is face-to-face with the Messiah. But Jesus doesn’t say "Be healed". He says "Your sins are forgiven." If you were the man, wouldn’t you be mad? You thought you were going to walk; instead he just forgives your sins?

And yet….what if he wasn’t mad at all? Maybe this was the first time in the young man’s life that someone looked at him and did not see a disability, the first time someone loved him exactly as he was, and the first time someone didn’t think his paralysis was his most defining characteristic. Maybe he did feel guilty about how he acted because of his condition, how he’d been angry, bitter, and caustic. Maybe Jesus knew what kind of healing this man needed most, and it wasn’t physical healing. He needed to be made emotionally and spiritually whole. In fact, when Jesus gazed at him and forgave his sins, maybe this man felt so completely loved that he wept for joy.

Of course, the bystanders weren’t satisfied and demanded proof that Jesus could forgive sins. So Jesus acquiesced and said, "Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home." Interestingly, that is exactly what the man does. He doesn’t jump up and down or have a party. He just stands up and walks home. It seems rather anti-climactic, but perhaps by that point it truly was. Jesus had healed him in the most profound way, and then it didn’t matter so much that he could walk. Physical healing was just the frosting on the cake, but not the miracle that made the difference.

I try to remember this story when I pray for my loved ones to be healed. God always heals, but it may not be a physical healing. In fact, sometimes the healing a person most needs is healing into a peaceful death. My heart longs for my dad, my sister, and my friend to be physically healed of their ailments. But God knows what type of healing they truly need; it is not my place to tell God what kind of healing I will accept.

So I change my prayer to one of trust. I pray that God will heal them in the ways they most need healing, and then I place them into the gentle hands of a God who loves them more than I can imagine and who wants their fullness of life in ways I cannot comprehend. The people I love may die; in fact, everyone I love will eventually die. Yet I trust that God is healing them every step of the way. Physical healing may be possible, or it may not. That is God’s call.

I pray the same thing for myself every morning of my life, and every morning of my life God is answering that prayer. I have all sorts of physical aches and pains I’d rather be rid of, but God is wiser than me. God is changing my heart. I am still deeply imperfect. God has a lot of work to do. But I believe, I trust, I know that whether it is for me or for someone I love, my prayers are being answered. Our God always heals.

 

Amy Florian is a teacher and consultant working in Chicago.  For many years she partnered with the Passionists.  See her website: http://www.amyflorian.com/.

The Second Sunday of Advent

Scripture:

Baruch 5:1-9
Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11
Luke 3:1-6

 

 

Reflection:

The Surprise of Advent Continues

Advent is a time of feeling and surprise more than historical celebration. As a season practices and customs from different parts of the Christian world joined, evolved and contributed to our Christmas preparation. The historical pegs are fulfillment of prophecy, those to Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth and Zechariah, and also those that spoke of our long awaited savior and messiah. Even before Gaudete (rejoicing) Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, Baruch and Paul exclaim in our readings today, "Rejoice".

It seems right if Advent prepares us to celebrate our Savior who came in such a surprising way, then our entering into Advent will partake of surprise. Could this be our experience when we remember past Advent’s with nostalgia? An Advent when God’s Word was particularly inviting and prayer consoling? An Advent when we felt close to Mary or Joseph as they waited together for Jesus’ birth, or found ourselves moved by the music or decorations in church? Or when the Christmas preparations that filled a lot of our attention surprisingly kept us linked to God’s long preparation that reached its fulfillment in the meeting of Gabriel with Mary? Unable to recapture these warm memories can leave us feeling disappointed. But there is the surprise. They were the gifts for another time. In this new Advent, we will be surprised again. 

We meet John today, a character who is hard to file, he is unique. He is a prophet, a new Elijah. John does no miracles; he does dance for joy in the presence of Mary who is pregnant with Jesus. In art he can be a cherub next to the baby Jesus or the austere preacher coming out of the desert with dress and diet that set him apart. He is informed and can challenge those in authority. Although his preaching is repentance and conversion, no one argues that John is wrong, and many follow him.

Could this Advent Sunday invite us to be surprised by joining those who respond to the Word? John hears the Word of God and comes out of the desert to preach a message of hope. For that reason that people flocked to his Baptism. Who does not want to hear that our journey to God’s presence is a delightful walk? Those who hear John also respond to the Word. When John calls for repentance and assures forgiveness, God’s grace was working among them. Jesus would say how surprising that those who were sinners would find their way into the Kingdom before the self-righteous. John tells us why; those who repent and change take the expressway, level and straight! And perhaps there is a surprise too in that our call to rejoice goes hand in hand with repenting and converting? But this is Advent, a time of grace; a time when God’s Word calls us in surprising ways. May we say yes to God’s Word to us, and go along for the ride, or as John would say, ‘the walk that is straight and smooth and will lead us to see the salvation that comes from God.’

 

Fr. William Murphy, CP is the pastor of St. Joseph’s Monastery parish in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Scripture:

Genesis 3:9-15
Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12
Luke 1:26-38

 

 

Reflection:

When I was a student at Catholic Theological Union, I decided to do a Scripture research paper about the Immaculate Conception since I was weak in Marian theology. I won’t give you all my findings and history, but I want to proclaim the central idea that ran as a thread throughout the paper: God’s original grace is stronger than original sin. God’s grace in us supercedes and helps us overcome the effects of the fall with which we are all so familiar.

I want to describe grace as "God’s initiative." We heard in the second reading that God "chose us before the world began." Notice, it was not when we were baptized or ordained or surrendered to Jesus. No, it was long before all of that. God had us in mind and chose us before we were born. The emphasis is on his election not our actions or any deeds we have done.

We are celebrating today that God chose a humble handmaiden from all eternity. Her song is ours. The opening prayer asked us to trace her love in our lives. She is the first disciple and shows us how to follow Jesus.

I’ve led pilgrimages to Rome and studied there while on sabbatical. In Rome, I saw many churches as well as works of art.  Many churches have mosaics in their apses. For example, there are four major basilicas in Rome: one dedicated to Peter, one to Paul, one to John, and one to Mary. The one dedicated to Mary is the Church of St. Mary Major (where St. Paul of the Cross went when rejected by the Vatican). 

When I visited the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the glittering mosaic in the apse of the church struck me. It shows Christ the King and on his right hand sits Mary, his mother. He is putting a crown on her head: the coronation of Mary. Another famous artist, Michelangelo, painted The Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel. He shows Christ as judge, raising his right hand in stern judgment. Just to his right is the Virgin Mary with her face turned from the damned since not even she can intercede for them now. My point is that many churches include Mary in a predominant place.

This brings to mind the story of James and John, the sons of Thunder, as Jesus named them. They were seeking to sit at Jesus’ right and left when he came into his glory. Jesus replied that it is not his to give but is for those "whom the father has prepared it for beforehand." My personal opinion, like many artists, is that Mary will sit on Jesus’ right for all eternity, and Moses will occupy the place on his left.

Eucharist is all about celebration and surrender. At Mass today, like Mary, we celebrate the wonderful love of God at the table of the altar. We rejoice that original grace is more powerful than original sin. Because God has chosen and handpicked us from all others in the world, like Mary in the Magnificat, "our souls magnify the Lord and our spirits rejoice in God our savior!" With Mary, we offer ourselves to God, as we also do in the Kyrie. We surrender ourselves again, now, united with the self-emptying of Jesus on the cross.

 

Fr. Cedric Pisegna, C.P. is a missionary preacher, author of 16 books and creator of television and radio programs airing in many cities. You can learn more about his ministry at: http://www.frcedric.org/

Scripture:

Isaiah 26: 1-6
Matthew 7: 21, 24-27

Reflection:

I can imagine people along the East Coast, especially those on the Jersey and New York coastline, reading today’s gospel story. Hurricane Sandy rolled over their coastal towns and destroyed houses and buildings, even those that had strong foundations. Some homes were built on pilings, legs going down through the sand to a solid foundation. The pilings lifted the homes up five to ten feet above ground to protect the house from flooding. Even these precautions didn’t defend them from the monster hurricane. Sandy came on shore with several feet of surge and during high tide.

John Steinbeck wrote in "Of Mice and Men" the often used quote: "The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry." No matter how well you plan something, expect the unexpected. George and Lennie, characters in Steinbeck’s novel, were always making plans to get out of their hopeless situation, but the plans, whether big or small, seemed to go wrong for them.

We know that Jesus was not actually talking about houses built on sand or rock. Jesus was speaking about how we set foundations for our lives. What values guide us; what goals are important to us; what motivates our decisions? It is better to build a house on rock rather than sand, but it is more important to build our lives on lasting values.

We can have well thought-out plans for our life, the best of advisors and consultants to talk with, but no plan or person can defend us against the unforeseen, the unfairness of life, or a tragedy that we never even imagined could happen.

Put your trust in Jesus. Make Jesus the fundamental foundation of your life. Violent winds can blow away your dreams, surges can quickly destroy your plans and high tides can drown you in fear and anxiety.  Our Advent prayer is, "Come, Lord Jesus." We pray that Jesus blesses our plans and our dreams. When they fail or are destroyed, we pray that Jesus strengthen us that we not become pessimistic or cynical. We pray for the encouragement to continue on, to look for a Plan B or a Plan C, never giving up on God’s love for us as expressed in the birth of Jesus Christ.  "Trust in the Lord forever! For the Lord is an eternal Rock."

 

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

 

Scripture:

Isaiah 11:1-10
Luke 10:21-24

 

 

 

Reflection:

Advent  Openness

Today’s first reading from the prophet Isaiah paints quite a picture:  visual images abound and invite us to embrace the season!  Shoots sprouting from stumps, flower buds blossoming, the Spirit of God, wolves and lambs, little children – and more!  The prophet stretches our vision, our hearts, to embrace the gift of salvation from God.  God’s redemptive love is unfolding in our midst.

Jesus’ Gospel message is a prayer of rejoicing and gratitude, for God is alive in our midst and offering us the personal experience of God’s Life and Love.  Jesus encourages childlike simplicity and openness — and joy.  He offered this encouraging message to his disciples, reminding them that they were blessed in their experience of Jesus, and responding to the call to follow Him.  At that time, little did those disciples realize where Jesus’ call would lead them…

Today’s two scripture readings are to become part of our lives as 21^st Century followers of Jesus, as members of the Passionist family embarking on the season of Advent.  How blessed we are!!  Many magnificent persons were born before the time of Jesus — prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah, kings like David and Solomon; many great people personally witnessed the life and ministry of Jesus, such as our Blessed Mother, Peter, James, John.  God has blessed us like the prophets and kings and disciples of old, with the person of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

We ordinary people live now in "the age of Jesus."  God’s love is revealed in Jesus; we are saved, we are loved.  We have been blessed with faith and a call to discipleship in our needy world. 

These days of Advent are a tremendous help to kindle in us the fire of the Spirit:  Jesus lives, and loves, today!  Let’s carve out some times of quiet, simplicity, and openness during these Advent days to deeply ponder the Scriptures, to quietly delve into the deeper meaning of the sights and sounds and smells of these Holidays — and enter into the unfolding mystery of God’s Love shared with us and our world.

May Advent blessings fill our hearts and lives!

 

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

Scripture:

Isaiah 2:1-5
Matthew 8:5-11

Reflection:

Messages filled with joy greet us as we begin the Advent Season of our 2012 liturgical year.  In the beautiful Old Testament reading we hear a message of hope.  Jesus, the Word of the Lord, will bring peace and will lead all of us to the mountain of God.  No more war, nation no longer rising against nation – Jesus is coming and he will bring peace.  Isn’t this the message we all have been waiting to hear even in our day?

The psalmist tells us to rejoice!  "Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord."  I spent Thanksgiving with family in Texas and as I hear the words of the psalm, I think of my six year old granddaughter, Erin, who ran with unbridled happiness to greet me when I arrived.  That’s the way I picture us going to the house of the Lord, spinning and twirling and so filled with joy that we break into spontaneous running to see our God.

In the Gospel, the Centurion expresses faith that is so deep that he knows that Jesus has only to say the word to heal his servant.

Hope, rejoice and have faith!   That is the message of Advent.  This is how we are to get ready for the birth of Christ – with the heart of a child.  Do we fill our lives with hope, do we rejoice and do we have faith in the coming of Christ?  Let us pray for the heart of a child- untethered by anxieties and concerns for it is with the heart of a child, filled with hope, rejoicing and faith that we can truly be ready for Christ.

The readings also tell us that the Kingdom will be made up of more than the people of Israel.  All nations shall stream toward the mountain of the Lord.   We hear Jesus saying, "many will come from the east and the west."   Sometimes we find ourselves thinking that only people who look like us, think like us, pray like us will enter the Kingdom.  These readings clearly tell us that the Kingdom of God is for everyone!

As we journey toward Christmas, we are called to work for peace, to live in hope, to rejoice daily and to act with kindness and generosity to all – because all are beckoned to the mountain of the Lord and all are called to have the heart of a child.   

 

Mary Lou Butler is a former staff member and a longtime partner of the Passionists in California.