Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Proverbs 30:5-9
Luke 9:1-6

Reflection: 

For most of us the classical Greek axiom, "moderation in all things," seems a reasonable tenet to live by.  It seems all the more reasonable during this election cycle when moderation seems sorely missing.  Incredibly, even to be labeled "moderate" places a political candidate at risk.  Yet we know in our daily lives, that moderation seems wise counsel when we consider our eating and drinking and working habits.

Our first reading from Proverbs echoes this seemingly obvious virtue when the writer implores God:  "Give me neither poverty nor riches; provide me only with the food I need; lest, being full, I deny you, saying, who is the Lord?  Or, being in want, I steal, and profane the name of my God."

The commission to the apostles in Luke’s Gospel to go forth to proclaim the Good News and cure disease includes Jesus enjoining those who go in His name to take nothing extra for the journey.

The things in our lives really do get in the way.  But so do lack of things.  How do we proclaim the compassionate love of God to those who either think they have everything they need or who are so consumed with struggling through the day they have no time to consider the abundant love of Jesus?  It is not the number of things we have in our lives.  It’s the attitude we have about the things in our life.  We become so easily distracted by what we have or don’t have that we cannot hear the Word of God as it is proclaimed to us.  Nor will we be very good at proclaiming God’s Word when distracted by the excesses or the deficiencies we experience in our lives.

Perfection is not to be found in this life, either in our personal lives or in society.  We strive for excellence certainly, but perfection comes only in our union with God.  The search for excellence is full of false starts and dead ends, of pendulum swings from one extreme to another, of trying to find a balance in life – that moderation, that temperance – that allows us to be free to hear God’s Word and to live that Word honestly and openly.

We have become a people of extremes in all manner of life.  Look at the extremes of wealth and poverty, all while the middle class is reported to be shrinking.  Look at the extremes of fundamentalism at both ends in religion and politics that leave moderates sidelined.  Perhaps if we focus first on God’s Word, Jesus will help guide us through the traps of extremism to find a moderation that allows us to see God in all things and all people.

 

1. Robert Hotz is a consultant with American City Bureau, Inc. and is the Director of The Passion of Christ: The Love That Compels Campaign for Holy Cross Province.

Scripture:

1Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-49
Luke 8:4-15

Reflection:

"What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies." 1 Corinthians 15:36

 

I’ve been thinking about seeds lately – actually marveling at them. It’s mind-boggling to me that a tiny little seed has the potential hiding within it to produce a tree, or a bush, and then flowers and fruit! How can something so small end up so big?

We too began as a seed and look at us now! Besides physical growth, we grow emotionally and spiritually, and often that growth comes from dying – dying to ourselves. Most of us still have some dying to do . . . not just at the end of our earthly lives, but each day as we try to become more and more like our Lord Jesus.

I love caffeine. I love how it makes me feel – energetic and motivated. The problem for me is that it ends up controlling me: if I run out, I have to go find some, if I have any after 3 p.m. I have a hard time falling asleep, and it elevates my blood pressure. What’s also interesting is that when I’m on caffeine I’m not as sensitive to the Holy Spirit. I just power through my day and don’t stop to pray as I go.

I have finally faced the music, and realize this is an area of my life where I need to die to myself and go against the flow. It’s hard because it’s so readily available, plus people like Dr. Oz say that some caffeine is good for you. Still, God has shown me repeatedly that it isn’t good for me, so it’s got to go! Today I am 64 days caffeine free and recently my blood pressure was 108/80!

I’m sharing this with you because maybe you too have felt a nudge to get off caffeine, but the world keeps you hooked! I want to give you permission to join me and quit being controlled by the need for caffeine (or alcohol, or food, or too much TV, or whatever your problem area is). As we die to ourselves, we become more and more the person that God created us to be, and we will be able to bear more fruit for the Kingdom.

 

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]

Feast of St. Matthew

Scripture:

Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13;
Matthew 9:9-13

Reflection:

Usually we like to put our best foot forward when we’re meeting someone for the first time, or entering a situation that is new to us.  We dread making a faux pas or a remark that is out of place.  This tendency of ours differs somewhat from what we meet in the biblical account presented today, on this feastday of the apostle and evangelist, St. Matthew.

We hear of his first encounter with Jesus, Who meets him "at the customs post", where Matthew, also called Levi, worked.   In the Jewish circles of the times, given the volatile atmosphere surrounding it, this was probably not the place Matthew, who had likely already heard about Jesus,  would have preferred to initiate his first meeting with so famous a person.   Given that customs officials/tax collectors were on the Roman payroll, this didn’t set well with Jewish citizenry, who resented their subordinate status within their very own nation.  But Matthew didn’t have much say about this event since it was Jesus, apparently, Who initiated the encounter.

 Matthew, however, handled whatever embarrassment he may have suffered on that occasion with aplomb, as he proceeded to throw a banquet to celebrate his good fortune,  and without more ado he invited Jesus to attend, along with his (Matthew’s) friends-more tax collectors and "sinners", as they are described in the account.   Jesus, for His part, accepted.  Apparently neither Jesus or Matthew felt it out of place to have the epithet "sinners" applied by Jesus to the whole motley group in a subsequent remark aimed at the critical Pharisees: "I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

The tenor of this gospel is in line with a letter Paul, in later years, wrote to the church in Ephesus, which he had evangelized.  It begins with the autobiographical remark: "I, then, a prisoner for the Lord…"  It is likely that someone unfamiliar with the Christian scriptures, but coming upon these accounts for the first time, would wonder what manner of person the Christian is who reverences as religious/inspirational literature these snippets, revealing less than complimentary glimpses of persons  cherished and revered by these Christians.  Matthew’s status as a sinner and Paul’s situation as a prisoner don’t seem to speak highly of the leadership of the Christian community.

Of course, we could extend this surprising element to Jesus Himself, Whose final hours on earth were those of a criminal dying in shame and ignominy.  It can serve as a powerful antidote to our own tendency to be on our best behavior, as we carefully groom our appearance and reputation to establish our true worth, both in the sight of God, and of others.  As Paul goes on, in his letter to the Ephesians, to describe the manner of life worthy of the call we have received from God, and which he hopes will prevail in the church/the body of Christ, it suggests that whatever first impressions we might have of others, such as those presented above, don’t always capture the entire situation.  And we are led to reflect on our own experience of first impressions, both those we give, and those we receive.

The axiom that we can know a person by the friends he or she has may call for us to reevaluate those whom we would like to have as friends-any room for sinners and prisoners?

 

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

Memorial of Saint Andrew Kim Taegŏn, priest and martyr and Saint Paul Chŏng Hasang, martyr, and their companions, martyrs

Scripture:

I Corinthians 15: 1-11
Luke 7: 36-50

 

Reflection:

Most of us are quite familiar with the stories of the growth of faith in the U.S. and in Europe and South America.  But stories of the introduction of our faith in Asia, though less familiar, are equally compelling.  And today we celebrate the early days of Christianity in the country of Korea on this feast of St. Andrew Taegon and Companions.  St. Andrew is a "new" saint for he was canonized by Pope Paul II.  Though St. Andrew and his Companions are new to the liturgical calendar, they are powerful witnesses to living the Gospel in real life.

St. Andrew wasn’t the first Korean Christian by a long shot.  By the time he was born in 1821, Christianity had been growing in Korea for about fifty years.  It is believed that Christianity had been brought into Korea by some Christian Japanese soldiers in the latter part of the 18^th century.   The Christian Japanese soldiers baptized the first Korean Christians and the Christian community began to grow quickly.  By the time the first foreign priest arrived in Korea in 1836 there was already a substantial Christian community flourishing there.  The Korean Catholic Church is the only known Catholic Christian community that first developed completely from the witness and work of lay Christians.

The rulers in Korea were not at all pleased to have this foreign religion thriving in their country.  At first they just discouraged it but soon enough outlawed this practice and began to actively persecute anyone who took it up.  As Christians were arrested, tortured and put to death the Church quickly moved underground

St. Andrew’s parents, members of the Korean nobility, were an important part of that early community and secretly remained faithful to their life with Christ.  Andrew was baptized at fifteen and soon expressed his desire to become a priest.  He traveled to Macau to attend the seminary and was ordained in 1845.  He was the first Korean to become a priest and returned home shortly after his ordination to help organize the Church and bring the sacraments to the faithful.  He ministered in Korea only a year before he was arrested and put to death.

There were intense persecutions of Christians in Korea in 1839, 1846, 1866 and 1867 and 103 Christians were martyred for their faith.  We celebrate these heroic martyrs on this day.

May their faith and courage inspire us to live our lives faithful to the Gospel and have the strength to be fearless witness for Christ in our everyday lives.

 

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.

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 12: 12-14, 27-31a
Luke 7: 11-17

Reflection:

There was a man calling all his friends to his back yard.  He wanted to show them the car he had just bought.  "Isn’t that something," he said.  "How lucky can a guy get?"  There was silence.  Nobody was answering.  Finally, there was a single voice, "The body of the car looks terrific.  But there are no rims and tires, no steering wheel.   All you can do is just look at it.  It’s useless.  If you want to go somewhere, you better have a good pair of walking shoes!"

 Well, laugh along with the people standing there.  It really isn’t a whole car.  Some of the essential parts are missing.  Take a quick step forward and look at that first reading from St. Paul for today’s Mass.  He is talking about the Body of Christ.  Paul insists that there are many parts, namely, gifts.  Some of them certainly stand out and are very visible.  The gift of Apostleship heads the list.  Paul was very much aware of this gift.  And he goes on to list a number of gifts.  But an important fact here is that Paul includes all of them as making up the Body of Christ.     

People notice the well spoken word, the clear language, the enthusiasm of the leaders, the fearlessness, for instance, of the modern day prophet.  But when we look around at our parish family, or our natural familiy, we may be tempted to skip over the ones who don’t have much to say or anything outstanding that they have done.   

Is it that hard to spot the dedicated Christian man and woman who shares the life of the Body of Christ?  That sharing, for instance, is offered to us when we gather as the Whole Body of Christ at Eucharist.  All the "parts" are there: the old and the young, the healthy and the sick, the happy and the sad, the rich and the poor, the married and the single, the saint and the sinner,etc.  They are present.  ALL of them together make up the Body of Christ and have with them their precious gifts that are shared.   Watching an older person nodding in agreement with one of the readings…I never stop learning.  Seeing a husband reach over and give an affirming pat on the shoulder to his wife as the reading continues…"thanks for reminding me of that."   A big smile is her word of thanks. Or a teenager giving a big grin to his dad at the sign of peace…"nobody can replace you, dad!"   

No one of us is going to make it without others.  Paul is so wise in reminding you and me that we are not alone.  We have the richness of the love, the example, the many, many different gifts that are found in the Body of Christ. 

See what gifts you become aware of as you relate, mingle, share with the Body of Christ in your life.  Interestingly enough, its some of our family or friends or even strangers that can surprise us with, "Thanks for sharing that.  I never saw it that way."  Or it can be just as surprising to hear them say, "You have a way of saying a lot just by the way you treat toward people.  Thanks!" 

 

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

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 11:17-26, 33
Luke 7:1-10

Reflection:

When I was young my great-aunts used to say things like:  ‘Vaya con Dios’ whenever I left their houses, ‘Si Dios Querien’ whenever we spoke about the future, and ‘Gracias a Dios!’ when something good happened. These statements, no matter how ordinary or small, always have reminded me where to fix my eyes, no matter the situation. Even the good things that I accomplish are for the glory and from the willingness of God.

A shining example of humility is brought forth in today’s Gospel. Humility is knowing where our gifts and talents come from, realizing that everything comes from God, and that everything should be offered back to Him. In the Gospel, the elders claim that the centurion "deserves" to have Jesus heal his servant. Yet, friends come later with a statement from the centurion himself, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed."

We pray this before coming to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, humbly presenting our faith. Humility is key to opening our hearts and lives to Christ. At the Paschal Sacrifice we witness the unending love that Jesus had for us by dying on the Cross.  As witnesses, we are called to go forth and proclaim what we participate in at every Mass. This is our primary objective as followers and children of the Father. The gifts he has given us are meant for us to evangelize in various ways.

In my own life, I relate asking for humility to asking for a bolt of lightning or asking for trouble. Even though we ask for humility, it is can be hard to accept when it comes. There are often times when I am brought back to the reality that I am a human who makes mistakes. When those moments happen, I glance up to heaven and say "Okay, I get it." God does grant me the gift of humility, but am I always apt to receive it when and in the way it comes?

As we reflect today, let the example of the centurion remind us to have the faith that all it would take was a word and the humility to know that we are not worthy but made so by His grace.

 

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

 

Scripture:

Isaiah 50:5-9a
James 2:14-18
Mark 8:27-35

 

 

Reflection: 

Who Do You Say that Jesus Is?

"Who do you say that I am?"  Mark finally takes us to the central, objective point of his Gospel, that is, to know Jesus as "the Christ" and accept him as "the Son of Man" who is to suffer, die and rise for our sins.  More than being an existential question that reveals Jesus’ messianic identity and mission, this is a behavior-based question that evokes our faith in Jesus and engages us in a demanding life of discipleship. He could have also asked his disciples: Based on what other people and you have seen me doing, who do they and you say that I am?  In fact, Jesus answered John the Baptist’s Christological question "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" with a behavioral response "the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. . ." (Matthew 11:3-5) that sets the life-giving tone of our faith in him. 

Knowing Jesus as "the Christ" is to know ourselves as his disciples and do what is implicit in that, for he describes our discipleship in terms of his messiahship, which is to tread the way of the cross as God’s Suffering Servant does in Isaiah’s first reading.  We can therefore say that today’s Gospel’s Christological question is as relevant to us as it was to first-century Christians who lived in a different historical and cultural context than ours.  But, what exactly do we imply when we say that Jesus is "the Christ" or "the Messiah?"  Do we really understand the evangelical implications of professing our faith in Jesus Christ?  We obviously do not have the same historical messianic problem that Jesus’ intimate friends faced, as they lived in the pre-resurrection period expecting their promised Messiah with a belligerent, liberating attitude towards the Romans.  However, I dare to say that many "modern Christians," and perhaps I am one of them, still fail to commit to our faith.  For we still fail, like Peter and the others, to understand that once we profess our faith in Jesus by acknowledging him as "the Christ," we embark on a life of discipleship that demands our self-denial and willingness to take up our crosses and follow in his footsteps. 

For the above reason, Jesus warns us that our Christian life and discipleship will always ask of us to die to ourselves in order to rise with him, so that we can say with Paul: "I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me." (Galatians 2:19b-20a). In doing that, we can come to understand and follow James’ advice, that is, to live a living faith that engages us in a fraternal relationship with our sisters and brothers to whom we are to demonstrate the social works of our faith by responding generously to their human needs.  We will thus echo the words of Isaiah’s Suffering Servant: "see, the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong?"  Hence, as Christians, we should ask ourselves:  Who do we follow?  And what kind of works do we do to witness to our faith in Jesus Christ?

 

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

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
Luke 7:31-35

Reflection:

"But wisdom is vindicated by all her children."
Luke 7:35

 

When I first reflected on the readings for today’s Mass, I was quickly drawn into the beauty and poetry of St. Paul’s description of a more excellent way. There is power in its message and imagery. Love is what makes all of the virtues virtuous. Yet, I read on and was invited to enter more deeply into the last line of today’s Gospel: "But wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

Wisdom is one of those beautiful attributes of God that is woven throughout the entire Scriptures. When reflected on and celebrated in the Old Testament, wisdom is portrayed as a Woman. She was with God when the world was created. The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, established the heavens by understanding" (Proverbs, 3:19) and she is sought after by Solomon and every servant of God. In the book of Job, there is a long passage on where Wisdom comes from. It is a gift from God, for Wisdom was with God from the very beginning. (Job 28-29)

So, when Jesus said "Wisdom is vindicated by all her children," I felt that it was an invitation to reflect and meditate more profoundly on the children of Mother Wisdom.

This invitation to be children of wisdom came about because some disciples of John the Baptist wanted to know if Jesus "is the one who is to come or should we look for another." (Luke 7:19) Jesus responds by pointing out his recent ministries: teaching the Good News of the Reign of God to the poor, healing the blind and lame, bringing life to those who were dead. (Luke 7:22) Basically, Jesus is saying: "By their fruits, you shall know them." (Matt. 7:16) I also believe that Jesus is saying to us: if we let Wisdom become our mother and teacher, she will lead us to Himself and to God.

The list of all of Wisdom’s children is long. I begin with Insight. Wisdom gives us insight into the understanding and appreciation of complex and complicated realities. There is Prudence, which asks us not to jump to quick conclusions. Integrity is another child. Integrity teaches us to be honest and faithful to the truth and our core values, even when these embarrass us. Another child of Wisdom is Tranquility. Wisdom does not sire  rage and violence and free-floating anxieties. Wisdom wants us to be peaceful, open-minded and open-hearted so that we can act with conviction, courage and confidence.

Wisdom has many other children that are too numerous to name. All of Wisdom’s children will vindicate what Jesus says and does. These readings invited me to move deeper into the mystery of God and Wisdom.

Furthermore the first reading should remind us of what St. Paul says in Colossians, 3:14: "Above all, put on love-the perfect bond of unity." St. Paul so eloquently says this in the first reading: "And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing!" So, let Wisdom be our guide and take a more excellent way.

 

Fr. Clemente Barron, C.P. is a member of the General Council of the Passionist Congregation and is stationed in Rome.