Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Ezekiel 34:1-11
Matthew 20:1-16

Reflection:

How do we use our power and authority in relation to others? Do we use them to care for and help others? To offer comfort, support, and encouragement? Or do we use them only for our own benefit, even if that means treating others unjustly?

These questions arise naturally from today’s reading from the Book of Ezekiel. The prophet announces a word of righteous judgment against the “shepherds of Israel,” because instead of watching over and protecting the “sheep” that were entrusted to them, they were “pasturing themselves,” using their position to ravage and exploit, crushing the people they were given to safeguard and serve in order to promote and advance themselves. In their greed and lust for luxury, these false and pernicious leaders were completely insensitive to the sufferings and needs of their people. As the prophet vehemently chastises: “You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost, but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally.” Nothing expresses more dramatically the wickedness of these perverse shepherds than the prophet’s closing judgment that the sheep were being devoured by the very ones who should be looking after them.

What might Ezekiel’s chilling words mean for us? The sheep are anyone who is poor, needy, exploited or victimized. They are anyone who is lonely, hopeless, loveless or lost. Anyone among us who suffers and is in need, anyone who longs for healing and consolation, are sheep yearning to be comforted and assisted, rescued and reassured.

Each day we are called to be shepherds because every one of us has the crucial responsibility to live on the lookout for all who are in need of help, healing, and hope. Like Jesus, the good shepherd, each day we are summoned to bless, to build up, and to do good in any way we can. Like the landowner in today’s gospel story, we know it is never too late in the day to help someone in need.

Paul J. Wadell is Professor Emeritus of Theology and Religious Studies at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, and a member of the Passionist Family.

Feast of St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church

Scripture:

Ezekiel 28:1-10
Matthew 19:23-30

Reflection:

Among the many gifts that I’ve cherished over the years, are stories of the truly remarkable people who have given their lives to witness to the importance of the Gospel.  And today we’re invited to remember one of the truly great ones, St. Bernard Clairvaux.  He lived at a time when both the society and the Church were truly struggling with the chaos both within and all around them.  And, despite all the chaos, he lived his life in such a way that his peers, both friends and foes, respected him.  As a result, he had a profound influence on the very best that emerged in his time.  He was born in 1090 and died in 1153 and created centers of stability and wisdom that helped hold his world together. 

He was born into one of the noble families in Burgundy, France.  He had a great future before him in the society of his day but chose instead to give his life to God.  Against his family’s wishes, he rejected the ambitious plans they had for him and, instead, followed his heart and at age 23 entered one of the most austere religious orders in the Church, the Cistercians.  He was already so influential among his peers, he brought a total of 30 young nobles (among whom were several of his brothers) with him into religious life.  Even at the early age of 23, he was a man of prayer and his prayer life deepened quickly under the guidance of the Abbot of Citeaux, St. Stephen Harding.  Though the Cistercians lived a very austere life, they were growing so rapidly at that time that just two years after he entered, he and fifteen other companions were sent out to establish another abbey.  Bernard was elected the first abbot of this new abbey located in the Clair Valley.  He remained Abbot of Clairvaux until his death in 1153

As abbot, Bernard emphasized three important spiritual disciplines:  an austere and simple form of life, lectio divina and personal prayer, and finally, a deep personal devotion to Our Blessed Mother.  His Abbey flourished and Bernard founded three additional abbeys with the monks from Clairvaux.

But it wasn’t just within the confines of the Cistercians that Bernard exerted enormous influence.  He participated in several Church Councils, brought unity to the Papacy (persuaded most of the secular rulers to accept Innocent II over Anacletus II), and overcame several heresies that were rampant during his time.   In short, Bernard became one of the most significant religious figures of 12th century. 

As you remember St. Bernard today, I hope you have a chance to read more about his life.  He is a true example of a faithful disciple of Jesus who uses all his considerable gifts to build up the Kingdom of God.  We thank God for this remarkable man and ask for the grace to live our lives in a way that builds the Kingdom of God in our world..

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

Scripture:

Ezekiel 24:15-24
Matthew 19:16-22

Reflection:

Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

The encounter of Jesus with the rich young man has possibly inspired and motivated countless Christians across the centuries. It is indeed a powerful story and one that can speak deeply to all men and women who wish to live their lives as a more radical imitation of Jesus.

For the challenge of Jesus here is profound. Nothing less than a complete change of life and life style.

The young man is challenged to move from a lifelong devotion and steady adherence to the law to a seemingly reckless act of dispossession and to undertake the life of a follower of Jesus – the one who has nowhere to lay his head. In essence he is asked to substitute riches for poverty and to substitute  the security of land and wealth for a nomadic life of unknown destinations.

Perhaps most radically, the young man is challenged to substitute self possession and self reliance for a life lived in relationship to Jesus and given over to others.

Perhaps one can appreciate the depth of what Jesus asks and offers when one takes his commanding challenge and isolates the five verbs that fuel this challenge. “Go, sell, give, come and follow“. Perhaps it is here that we see how all embracing and deep is the challenge that Jesus offers the young man (and indeed us!).

Go – act, be committed. Sell – dispose of all that blocks your happiness and deepest desires. Give – be outgoing; be generous and prepared to make sacrifices. Come – enter into relationship with the one who can show you life. Follow – take up the mission of Jesus in our world and live it in all you do and say.

These five commands – these five verbs – can be a guide for us in life. Whether we seek a more radical following of Jesus in religious life or priesthood, or a life of committed love in marriage and parenthood or whether it is a dedicated single life serving others,  these same verbs apply.

For any meaningful and committed life – the necessity to be committed, to be ready to put aside things or attitudes that block you, to  be generous, to be able to enter deeply into relationship and to follow Jesus’ example and continue his mission – are all essential attitudes and capacities.

“Go, sell, give, come, and follow.” If we allow these words to echo and re-echo in our lives then we will be much more equipped to live out all that Jesus asks and offers to us.

Fr. Denis Travers, C.P., is the Provincial Superior of Holy Spirit Province, Australia. 

Scripture:

Proverbs 9:1-6
Ephesians 5:15-20
John 6:51-58

Reflection:

“The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
John 6:52

The readings for today’s Mass invite us to eat and drink nourishments that give us wisdom and life (the first reading and the Gospel proclamation) and to avoid drinking to excess (the second reading). These readings make it easy for us to reflect upon the gift and grace that the Sacrament of the Eucharist is for us. The Eucharist is the nourishment that gives us wisdom and understanding, communion with God and with one another and that reminds us that Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary, will never abandon us. The Eucharist is one of God’s greatest signs of love for us. Without the Mass, without Eucharist, we do not have life within us nor do we have eternal life. Jesus’ message was quite clear.

And this gift is given to us within the Community of the Church. It is not a personal gift, even though each one of us benefit personally from this beautiful gift. It is a gift given to us in community. We receive this Sacrament only when we are members of the Catholic Church.

While the Sacrament of the Eucharist challenges us to a faith that goes beyond the appearances of bread and wine, the Sacrament also challenges us to believe that a sinful People can also be the holy People of God. It is this last challenge to our faith in the Eucharist that often becomes the stumbling block for many. So many of us stop coming to the Eucharist when we are angry at the Church. And most often we get angry at the Church when we are trying to justify a lifestyle that is outside the norms that the Church as established as being in full communion with God and with our brothers and sisters. We want to be both sinful and saved at the same time. We want God to discount our sinful behavior: our addictions, our sexual misconduct, our dishonesty, our blindness to social justice, our commitment to war and violence as the resolution of our problems, our prejudices and racism, our commitment to life, from the womb to the tomb. We want to pick and choose. We want to be vocal about how wrong abortion is, but choose to be silent about how wrong it is for people to live in poverty, condemn people to a life without education and health care or deny the dignity of human life because they are not citizens of a country. Eucharist forces us to choose the right path in life.

Sometimes we stop coming to Mass because we are angry at the Church and Church people. We think we will punish the Church by not coming to Church, not receiving the sacraments. We end up by punishing ourselves, by depriving ourselves of the very graces that we need to overcome the faults and failings of our Church.

As Jesus said in today’s Gospel, the Eucharist is necessary for us to gain eternal life. Without Eucharist, we continue the path of destruction. The Eucharist challenges us to be good people and good disciples of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and brothers and sisters to one another. What a gift Jesus has given us!

Fr. Clemente Barrón, C.P. is a member of Mater Dolorosa Community in Sierra Madre, California. 

Scriptures:

Ezekiel 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32
Matthew 19:13-15

Reflection:

What we do with our lives really does matter. How we live each day truly is of ultimate significance, because the cumulative effect of our daily behavior will reveal whether we chose the path to life or the path to death.

In today’s first reading, God, speaking through his prophet, Ezechiel, tells the Israelites that they “shall surely live” if they do “what is right and just,” if they “oppress no one,” if they “give food to the hungry and clothes the naked,” if they do “not lend at interest nor exact usury,” “commit no robbery,” and “if they hold off from evildoing.” At first glance, the prophet’s words might leave us with a relaxed and easy conscience—after all, how many of us have the power to oppress anyone? And yet, isn’t it true that we can “oppress” others by the attitudes we have towards them (if we are biased, judgmental, or prejudiced); by how we talk to them or treat them (if we are mean, harsh, petty, or malicious); and by what we refuse to do for them (if we withhold kindness, love, or forgiveness)? Similarly, we may not literally “lend at interest nor exact usury,” but do we often try to gain an advantage over others by putting our needs first or by making sure everything turns out well for us? And even if it never even entered our minds to commit a robbery, have we ever gone through life grabbing as much as we could for ourselves, never once wondering if we had more than we needed and, therefore, “robbing” others who had little or nothing at all? If we are not to stray from the path to life, we must “hold off from evildoing” in all its forms.

Today’s first reading is sobering. But it is also suffused with hope, because when Ezechiel concludes, “Turn and be converted from all your crimes…and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit,” God assures us that it is never too late to change, never too late to start over. And if that doesn’t stir hope in our hearts, these final words surely will: “Why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, says the Lord God. Return and live!”

Paul J. Wadell is Professor Emeritus of Theology & Religious Studies at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, and a member of the Passionist Family of Holy Cross Province.

Scripture:

Ezekiel 16:1-15, 60, 63
Matthew 19:3-12

Reflection:

The beautiful words of God’s care and love reverberate in these passages. We can even hearken back to Hosea 11 and Jeremiah 29 as further examples. The Lord knows His plans for us; to prosper us and give us hope and a future.

The beginning of the Gospel shakes us. Jesus is approached by some Pharisees and asked, “Can a man divorce his wife for any reason?” The teachable moment allows Jesus to explain God’s intent of marriage through the ages. God created them male and female, and for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. The two will become one flesh. Humanity must not separate what God has joined together.

The Passionist family talk often of vocation; the religious men and women who made vows to the congregation. We also must include the laity who make such wonderful contributions through their service and witness in spreading the charism

The Gospel spoke last week of Jesus’ trajectory. The disciples were put in a hard place to say who Jesus was in Caesarea Philippi, and then accept what Jesus meant as messiah.

In our own lives, we are given trajectories and projects to fulfill. God has plans for our prosperity, hope and future.

Fr. Phillip Donlan, CP, is the Associate Director of Ministry at Christ the King Passionist Retreat Center, Citrus Heights, California.

Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe

Scripture:

Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22
Matthew 18:15-20

Reflection:

Saint Maximilian Kolbe: A Beacon of Sacrifice and Heroism

Saint Maximilian Kolbe, a twentieth-century Polish Franciscan priest and martyr canonized by Pope John Paul II, holds a special place as the patron saint of those battling addiction. His story resonates with profound selflessness and commitment.

Imagine this: Kolbe volunteered to starve to death in a locked cell at Auschwitz, taking the place of another internee condemned by the Nazis to die slowly from starvation. For a person begging Saint Kolbe for help, the misery of giving up a drug could pale in comparison to a meditation on relentless hunger. Kolbe’s sacrifice—paying the ultimate price—can leave an electrifying image to help us face our struggles.

But Kolbe’s heroism extends beyond Auschwitz. He founded the Militia of the Immaculata in 1917—a fierce organization defending the Catholic Faith. While under German occupation, he and fellow religious hid thousands of Jewish and Polish people from the Nazis and fearlessly published anti-Nazi articles.

Today, Saint Maximilian Kolbe’s biography remains a failsafe source of inspiration. Dive into his life—a narrative rich with valor and virtue. Wikipedia provides an adequate introduction.

Jack Dermody is the editor of the CrossRoads bulletin for the Passionist Alumni Association and a member of the Migration Commission for Holy Cross Province. He lives in Glendale, Arizona. 

Scripture:

Ezekiel 2:8-3:4
Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14

Reflection:

Ezekiel was a priest of the Temple in Jerusalem when he was called by God to warn the people of immanent destruction. If the people did not return to fidelity to God, the people would be exiled and their country destroyed. The people relied on their own wisdom, implemented political alliances for self-preservation and accepted idolatrous practices. Eventually Babylon did capture Jerusalem, and Ezekiel was exiled with the leaders. Now in exile the prophet became a voice of hope, encouraging the people to turn to the Lord and offering them images of hope that one day they would return to Jerusalem, and the glory of God would return to the Temple (the vision of the dry bones returning to life).

In the reading for today, Ezekiel is commanded to eat the scroll, covered with writings, front and back, of lamentations, wailings and woes. When he ate it, the scroll was as sweet as honey. Like Ezekiel, each one of us carries a scroll with writings: our disappointments, our discouragements and our despairs. They create a fear within us that our life will never get better, or we are tempted to flee from them by ignoring or denying them. God shows Ezekiel that we must accept the negative side of life as part of our humanity. It is only in accepting our lamentations and woes that God can act in our life. “Ezekiel” means “God strengthens,” and when Ezekiel ate the scroll in obedience to God’s command, the prophet was admitting his own sins and failures as well as those of his fellow citizens. He was turning to God like the child in the gospel reading today, totally dependent upon the parents for help. What was bitter became sweet as honey.

God continues to perform miracles in our lives if we turn to God with childlike faith and trust. God brings light into our darkness, forgiveness for our sins, strength where we are weak. Let us be humble like a child and enter into the Kingdom of God, relying on the strength that only God can give us.

Fr. Don Webber, C.P. is the director of the Office of Mission Effectiveness. He resides in Chicago, Illinois.