Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Ephesians 4:32-5:8
Luke 13:10-17

Reflection:

Today’s reading from Luke describes Jesus healing a woman on the Sabbath.  After Jesus heals the woman the leaders at the synagogue become indignant saying Jesus should not have healed her because it was the Sabbath.  In their opinion Jesus broke the rules.  Luke tells us that Jesus won this debate concerning healing on the Sabbath.  According to Luke we don’t need "fact checkers" or an instant poll to determine who was right and who was wrong.  Luke says "all his adversaries were humiliated".

Jesus seems to have a clear bias toward breaking the rules when it comes to compassion and kindness.  Our reading from Ephesians today also emphasizes the primacy of kindness and compassion over all else.  "Brothers and sisters: Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ."  This seems to be so clear.  Yet at times I admit my own attempts to maintain control in situations turns out to be the rule which blocks my urge to be compassionate.

I use the rule of control in my life to moderate my compassion and keep the urgings of the Holy Spirit in the "safe" range.  Perhaps my own need for control could be called the sin of risk management.  I manage the risk in situations which clearly call for speaking out against injustice, poverty and hatred by measuring my words and actions in a way which keeps me safe against the reactions of others.  I’m probably not what you would call a great "risk taker".  You won’t find me joining the courageous man who recently parachuted from a balloon at the speed of sound! 

On the other hand, if I am not ready to take a risk for the sake of the Gospel, am I much different from the leaders who complained about Jesus healing on the Sabbath?  My reflection on today’s scripture readings leads me to a rather humbling examination of conscience, an old but definitively relevant practice in today’s world!

 

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

Scripture:

Ephesians 3:14-21
Luke 12:49-53

Reflection:

When the coach of a high school football team goes into the locker room at half-time, especially when the team is losing, he gives a fire and brimstone pep talk to rally them and raise their spirits.  He provides them the empowerment they need, filling them with enthusiasm.

Our scriptures today copy this strategy, to a degree, at least.  We hear Jesus in one of His more invigorating moods, saying to His followers: LET’S GO!  We’ve got a job to do, and now is not the time to lay back and take it easy!  Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work!  "I have come to set the earth on fire…" 

We’ve grown accustomed to a mild and meek Jesus, and find these words striking and even off-setting.  We’re not expecting to hear this type of language from Him!  It can cause a kind of turmoil, and indeed the gospel proceeds to describe it, in terms of a family whose members are divided among themselves when a project is proposed that is a high-energy one, and that makes a demand on every one of them.

Something of significance is at stake here: Jesus’ mission to establish His Father’s kingdom here on earth.  He knows that only limited time is at His disposal, so that, upon His departure from the scene, this task will fall upon us.  St. Paul, fortunately, comes to our help with some promising insight on what the prospects ahead for us look like.  He talks about the empowerment we are to receive…"power through the Spirit"…"…the power at work within us…"  In other words, we can do it.  We can carry on the work Jesus has begun.

But…it takes faith to make this our conviction.  It’s a bit like hearing from someone, who is commissioning us for a baffling search and find operation, "You’ll know it when you see it".  When that’s the best depiction of what we’re searching for, we’re a little discomfited.  But, as a matter of fact, it works.  We will know it when we see it, and will be exhilarated when we make this discovery.  A similar upbeat exhortation is that "it’s in the doing that we’ll know we’re up to it"!  Again, St. Paul helpfully backs this up, when he observes about God, in our regard, that He "…is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine…" 

Today we hear words of vigor and high energy from our scriptures.  While on many occasions they comfort and console us, today they may sound intimidating.  But let us go forth on mission to that part of God’s acre which we inhabit, and prepare it for the coming kingdom of God.  Convinced we are empowered by Him, we need this invigorating commission from His lips to rally us.

 

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

Scripture:

Ephesians 3:2-12
Luke 12:39-48

Reflection:

"The mystery was made known to me by revelation" Ephesians 3:3  Today’s first reading reminds us that faith only happens when it is preceded by revelation.    As we begin this year of faith we are reminded many times in the Scriptures that God must reveal Himself to us before we can believe.   "No one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." Luke 10:22

The word revelation in the inspired Greek New Testament is apokalyptō which means to unhide’ or uncover.  It comes from two Greek words apo (from) and kalyptō cover or hid.  In the New Testament we are reminded some 44 times that God must reveal Himself to us if we are ever able to embrace Him by faith.  As a young man St Paul of the Cross when deeply troubled with doubts of faith would lay his head in agony on the communion rail and beg God for the gift of revelation. 

The Old Testament first reminded us that God must open our eyes if we are to see the things of God.  "Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him."  1 Samuel 3:7 There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel,*because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother. Genesis 35:7 the word in Hebrew is gala which like the Greek apokalyptō means uncover, or remove scales from the eyes.

We must start this year of faith with humility by begging God to grace us and our love ones with revelation. As G.K. Chesterton reminds us in the Everlasting Man, "For God is by His name a mystery".  In our weakness of faith we are forcefully reminded of how very much we need the mercy of revelation.  " To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for all what is the plan of the mystery  hidden from ages past in God who created all things, so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known." Ephesians 3:8

 

Fr. Bob Weiss, C.P. preaches Parish Missions and is a member of the Passionist Community in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Ephesians 2:12-22
Luke 12:35-38

Reflection:

By the time this is published, the third and last presidential debate for the 2012 election will have taken place. Probably more in contested states than elsewhere, the presidential ads have increased more and more, and the campaigning has become more intense. That is probably why I have been drawn to these words in our first reading from Ephesians: "For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh." Here, St. Paul is talking about the enmity and division between Jews and Gentiles in his time. But it is not hard to see "dividing walls" between groups any where you look today.

In our Gospel reading from Luke, Jesus tells His disciples to be ready when he comes again: "Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival." The exhortation to be vigilant might sound like a call to defend those "dividing walls" mentioned above. After all, it seems that certain values we hold dear are under attack. But I wonder whether we should also be on the alert for the opportunities to break down those walls. Just as we can be vigilant to defend our faith and values, can we also be vigilant for peace and dialogue?

Maybe we’re called to do both: to be vigilant in standing up for what we believe, but also willing to take every opportunity to share and work with others of good faith in order to help bring about the kingdom. If I get to heaven, I’m not sure I’ll be asked to what political party I belong, but whether I was about doing God’s will in following Jesus. He died on the cross to reconcile us to God and to each other! May we be vigilant in upholding the truth we know, and in learning the truth from others. And may God’s reconciliation continue in our world.

 

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P. is the director of St. Paul of the Cross Retreat and Conference Center, Detroit, Michigan. 

Scripture:

Ephesians 2:1-10
Luke 12:13-21

Reflection:

"The Lord made us we belong to Him."
Psalm 100:3b

 

We all love to belong . . . to a family, to a community, to a club, or to a group of friends. When we belong, we feel loved and safe. We feel accepted and welcome and we know that our ideas matter, and that we matter! It’s nice to know that people like us and want to spend time with us. It’s good to know that we fit in someplace. We enjoy being with those to whom we belong.

There are certainly different kinds of belonging. Belonging to a spouse is much different than belonging to a country club. Still, we have a basic need to belong. The dictionary defines the word belong this way: 1. To be rightly placed in a specified position. 2. To be rightly classified in or assigned to a specified category.

Simply by being, we are "rightyly classified" as children of God! The greatest belonging of all is that we belong to the Lord. Take a moment to ponder that truth . . . Because we belong to the Lord, our lives have meaning and purpose, and we are secure in Him. Even when things are difficult, we know that "all things work for good" and ultimately, we will be with the Lord in the place he has prepared for us for all eternity. It doesn’t get any better than that!

Whatever difficulty you are facing today, tell the Lord how you feel about it, and then leave it with Him. Choose to walk in peace instead of focusing on your problem. By praising God during these time, we set God free to work in our situation. God is with us and He will never leave us.

Thank you Lord that we belong to You. Thank you for holding us close to your heart.

 

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]

Scripture:

Isaiah 53:10-11
Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22
Hebrews 4:14-16
Mark 10:35-45 or 10:42-45

Reflection:

The readings for today remind me of a chapter from the book, "Journeys of Courage," pages 38-39.  It is a reflection about the tragedy of 9/11.  What is service all about?  Does it come naturally?  Does it cost?  "Firefighting is a very dangerous business.  It’s not just an occupation, because thousands of people rely on us to take care of them.  So regardless of how we might feel, we still have to go out and do our job well.  After the World Trade Center came down on 9/11, most of the guys were anxious to go to a fire as soon as possible.  It was like getting back up on a horse again after falling off and being injured.

"We call what happens around the firehouse table the ‘healing process.’  This old kitchen table really helps us out.  There’s a lot of stuff that goes on here, a lot of talking, crying, making fun of each other, laughing, healing.  Kenny and Stevie and Neal (three of their buddies who died) would want us to do it this way.  We’re a community, a family, and we try to be there for each other, to help each other out in various ways.  One day we might be patting a guy on the back and then the next day dumping a bucket of water on his head.  Crying and laughing together have been important in our healing process.  Maybe that’s what makes this occupation so special.  There are many other occupations out there that don’t have the luxury of being around a kitchen table, of having twenty-nine brothers growing up in a home together."

Are we being told that helping others has to be nourished?  That it doesn’t happen automatically?  Is this what happens at the Eucharistic table?  Is this what needs to be taken back to our kitchen tables?  Is this what happened that day when Jesus appeared in the upper room, where the doors were locked shut?  Would James and John be turning over and over in their heads and hearts what Jesus’ presence was saying to them about service?  It wasn’t a place of honor at a table.  "The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve."  "Greater love than this no one has than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."

 

Fr. Peter Berendt, C.P. is the senior priest at Immaculate Conception Parish in Chicago, Illinois.

Feast of St. Paul of the Cross,
Founder of the Passionist Congregation

Scripture: 

Isaiah 61, 1-3
I Corinthians 1, 17-25
Mark 6:7-13

 

 

Reflection:

Today we Passionists celebrate the feast of St. Paul of the Cross, our Holy Founder (1694-1775).  It is a day for remembering this remarkable man and his profound insight into the mystery of God.  Paul Daneo started out as a young man fascinated by the Passion of Jesus Christ.  From his earliest years Paul recognized in the human sufferings of Christ a divine commitment to the human family.  Paul spent his entire life reflecting on the meaning of the love God has for us.  In his early years Paul burned with the desire to participate in the sufferings of Christ in his own person through long hours of prayer, penance, self-discipline, severe poverty and fasting.  He gathered companions to share in this life and threw himself into preaching the great love revealed in the passion and death of Jesus Christ.  In the mature years of his life we witness a man totally absorbed in God’s love and filled with a desire to share that love with everyone he met.  Paul is, indeed, a fascinating man who lives the transforming experience of giving oneself over totally to a God who loves us!

St. Paul of the Cross is clearly a vivid example of the truth of the testimony of St. Paul the Apostle in his letter to the Corinthians.  God’s wisdom and power, revealed in the Passion of His Son, Jesus Christ, is truly beyond human understanding. 

Paul Daneo spent his entire life embracing the mystery of Christ Crucified.  The depth of Paul’s compassion and commitment to the people in his life, from the outcasts of the Tuscan Maremma (marshes), to the families he guided, to the church leaders he advised, to the companions he gathered around him to share in his life, inspired them all to an ever-deeper conviction that God loved them beyond their understanding.  The love they experienced in Paul’s reflections on the Crucified Christ enriched their lives and deepened their own commitment to living their lives generously and faithfully.

 As we remember the example of this great Saint, we ask God to keep us centered in the love God has for us as revealed in the Passion and Death of His Son.

 

Fr. Michael Higgins, C.P. is the director of the Development Office for Holy Cross Province and is stationed at Immaculate Conception Community in Chicago.

Memorial of Saints John de Brébeuf
and Isaac Jogues

Scripture:

Ephesians 1:11-14
Luke 12:1-7

Reflection:

"Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows." (Luke 12:7)

Who of us hasn’t been afraid? There is a fear for every moment of life. There were fears that we had as children just because we had great imaginations and vivid dreams. There were the usual fears of young people, like: are we popular, what if we don’t get chosen or asked out? Other fears emerged as young adults, for example, the fear to dream big, the fear of failure, the fear of not belonging to anyone. There are fears of the people who live in dangerous neighborhoods or in violent relationships. There is the fear of being discounted, dismissed and disrespected. There are fears that drive us to drink, to addictions, to the "safety" of our house, our room, the darkness of our mind and spirit.

As we read the Scriptures, especially the New Testament, there are so many references to fear and to being afraid that we begin to realize that fear is a long-standing human condition. The Gospel for today invites us to reflect upon our fears, our personal fears, the fears that keep us awake at night and the fears that make us anxious all the day long. So many of us fear physical pain, we fear suffering, we fear the emotional pain that others can inflict upon us. Fear is such a fundamental human experience that we never really overcome our fears. When we allow ourselves to be dominated by fear, overwhelmed by it, then we discover how dehumanized we feel. Our self worth and our dignity are diminished and we allow ourselves to sell out to the closest security blanket we can find. To make matters worse, we also feel guilty for losing control over our lives. Who can save us from this mess? Who can save us from our fears?

This is when a Gospel like the one we have today lifts us up and helps us make sense of our fears. God’s personal love for us is more powerful than any human fear we can have. And the more we trust in that love, the more courageous we become.

The martyrs whose lives we celebrate today are examples of just how powerful God’s love is. All of these men, St. John de Brébeuf, St. Isaac Jogues and companions kept going back into the settlements of the Native American peoples of New York and Canada despite being captured, tortured and cruelly treated time and time again. Their letters tell us how they overcame their fears by believing that God would always protect them, even in their death. Fear makes cowards of us all but love, indeed God’s love gives us the strength to overcome all fear. Our fears will never go away, but they will never control us again once we allow God’s Love to transform us day after day.

I once celebrated a Mass for a College Newman center. The student president got up to speak after Mass. She said that when she first got to college, she was afraid to be Catholic, afraid to speak out, afraid to take on leadership roles. Then she started repeating a prayer every morning that someone gave her: "Remember you are a daughter of God, a God who loves you and cares for you. So today, show that love to someone else." That prayer, she said, took away all my fears! Yes indeed, we are worth than many sparrows!

 

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