Daily Scripture

Scripture:      

Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14   
1 John 3:1-3
Matthew 5:1-12a

Reflection:

Today is a feast that we can all rejoice in – All Saints Day, the feast of all those now with the Lord in eternal life and happiness.   

While we gratefully celebrate today all the officially entitled Saints, in particular we celebrate all those "small-s" saints, ordinary people like ourselves, who now rest and relax in love and joy at the heavenly table.  They include persons we knew, at whose death we grieved, and for whom we prayed everyday that God may take them quickly to Himself.  Believing in purgatory, we also believe in the release from purgatory, and there must be many whom we knew who have already been released to see Him face to face.   We include, likewise, the vast majority who had no empirical knowledge of the Lord, but who were drawn by His Spirit to follow their conscience in love.

The first reading, Revelation, speaks of these truths, proclaiming them in symbolic form.  The number of those marked by the seal, for example, is 144,000: 12 x 12 x 1000 = 144,000.  The number "12-squared" indicates perfection, completeness; it is multiplied by a thousand, symbol of greatness – a thousand times the 12 tribes of Israel, times the 12 Apostles and their followers, all sealed and gathered to the Lord.  And after this we see another multitude, this time so grand it is unable to be counted – wearing white robes and carrying palms, symbols of purity, integrity, and victory.

The second reading follows with an additional truth: The letter of John speaks to us about another group of "small-s" saints that is included in today’s feast.  That group is us – you and me -and all others alive today who are with us in the Spirit.  John tells us clearly that God so loves us that He makes us His children.  What John is saying is that God, Father/Mother to us, has given us His Spirit so that we are really children of God; Jesus’s Spirit, the Spirit of God, now dwells in us.  John does emphasize that we are growing children.  What we will look like when we have reached maturity "has not yet been revealed," but we know that "we shall be like him."  John calls us to this growth – more and more becoming Christ to and for others, the maturity of the children of God.  Let us then rejoice today, growing in Christ, for in time "We shall see Him as He is." 

 

Br. Peter A. Fitzpatrick, CFX, a Xaverian Brother, is a Passionist Associate at Ryken House, across the creek from the Passionist Monastery, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

1 Ephesians 6:1-9
Luke 13:22-30

Reflection:

"Strive to enter through the narrow gate."

Jesus is walking with a crowd of people. Someone asks; "Lord, will those who are saved be few?"  Jesus doesn’t answer the person’s question. Instead, he says, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able."

Jesus turns the person’s question around. He doesn’t let it stay on the mathematic or theoretical level. He directs it to this individual personally.  He invites this person – and each of us today – into self-reflection.  Are you going to be saved? Yes, there’s a danger that many people will not be saved. But don’t let that happen to you.

What is this "gate" that Jesus is speaking about? It is the gate to eternal life. It is the gate to the kingdom of God, the household of God and the heavenly banquet.  

The question we need to ask is what makes this door so difficult to get through? Jesus says there is only one gate, and it is a narrow one at that. Not everything will fit. This narrow gate has no room for your pride, your power, your property or your prestige. No room for anything you may think will earn your way in.

Many believe the narrow gate is Jesus himself. If we follow Him who called Himself "the way, the truth and the life." we will indeed get through the gate. . Jesus fills that "hole in our soul" that only He can fill. Once we commit to following Jesus, then we will understand what can go through the door and what can’t.  But following Jesus is not easy.

The gate may be narrow, but it is open. It is open NOW, for you and for me.  Right now, as you are reflecting on the words of the gospel, God is opening His gate to you. God is speaking to you, inviting you in, and encouraging you to open your hearts to the Word of God AND TO LIVE YOUR LIVES ACCORDING TO THAT WORD. 

 

Deacon Brian Clements is a retired member of the retreat team at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

Scripture:

Jeremiah 31: 7:9
Hebrews 5:1-6
Mark 10:46-52

Reflection:

Today’s readings highlight the fact that God answers prayers and that he is always aware of our needs..  Whether it’s gathering the lame, blind and suffering people of Israel and bringing them home or Jesus’ curing the blind Bartimaeus, we once again meet our loving and caring God.  And along with the psalmist, we can all sing out:  "The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy."  We know that when one of us suffers, in some way, we all suffer, and when God heals one of us, we all share in the healing and hopefully, then, we are all filled with joy!

But it often takes us awhile to get there.  The natural feeling on the way is often a sense of hopelessness.  It’s easy to just see the suffering and give up on God. We may well ask, why does anyone we have to go through all the suffering.  It’s pretty easy to feel compassion for the Israelites described in the first reading – the blind, the lame and all those who are suffering and to understand how they must have been tempted to give up on God.   And in our own lives, we are tempted to ask, well If God is going to transform our pain into joy anyway, why not now?

That is where Bartimaeus teaches us an important lesson.  Although we don’t know too much about Bartimaeus, we can assume that he was blind for some time.  Maybe he was tempted to say, as he dealt with his blindness, if there is a God, how could he let this happen?  Or to just accept his lot and go his way.  But no, not Bartimaeus, he knew that there was hope in Jesus, and he was willing to speak out even when shunned by the crowd.  He was willing against all odds, to ask Jesus for help.  And Jesus answered.

As we begin this year of Faith, may our prayer be that we never shun those who are suffering and that we always have faith in God’s love for us as we call out to Him in prayer.

 

Mary Lou Butler is a long-time friend and partner in ministry to the Passionists in California. 

Scripture:

Ephesians 4:7-16
Luke 13:1-9

Reflection:

I recently read a blog entitled, "Making No Difference."  Alluding to the closing segment on NBC Nightly News ("Making a Difference"), it is the author’s contention that the news media has it all wrong. Those who really make a difference are not a California group that brings hope to deprived, inner-city children by fostering their appreciation of classical music through a program that offers free violin lessons, nor the middle class couple who respond to the desperate need for water in a remote village in Africa by sponsoring a water filtration plant and implementing its construction themselves. No. According to the author, these actions are very kind, but the broadcasting of such activity simply encourages more government grants like National Endowment for the Arts, or they subtly suggest the need for universal national health care. The real heroes and heroines, those who really make a difference, those who are making the greatest difference in American society, and in global well-being generally, are the millions of employees who report to work every day, striving to produce profits for their company, and, in the course of doing so, produce the goods and services enjoyed by all.  A person who begins work for ExxonMobil or IBM at age 22 and works for 43 years, thereby contributing to the success of one of America’s great corporations and to the wealth of his country, is a hero who should be honored.  Indeed, why is it that capitalism per se is never depicted as making a difference?  "It is well and good to devote one’s energies to a nonprofit organization that spreads holiday cheer," the author insists, but his conclusion thunders, "only a free market will create the sort of wealth that reduces poverty to begin with, and so permanently eliminate the effects of poverty." 

Rather than get caught up in such disparate ideas, today’s readings demand we journey deeper; and how very appropriate are both readings as we prepare for another national election!  Today many of us seem to be hard-wired for polarization. As we ponder the selection from the letter to the Ephesians, we’re challenged to move beyond our dualistic, black and white thinking, right and left positioning. Rather than entrench ourselves more deeply into our own theological or political ideology, we’re asked to acknowledge the fact that all of us, together, form one body, but we have each received different gifts.

When Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God, he always seemed to be saying things counter-intuitive. Jesus is a boundary breaker who turns my world upside down.  He says God’s Kingdom offers a peace and unity that the world cannot give. This is a Kingdom where, although the princes of this world use their power to dominate and control, in His Kingdom we use power to serve. This is a Kingdom where the weeds and wheat grow together, where it rains on the just and the unjust alike, where those hired at the end of the day receive the same wage as those who labored in the hot sun all day. It’s a Kingdom where we wash one another’s feet, and love our enemies.

Sure, we’ll differ with how we are to implement Jesus’ teaching, but let’s not forget that if we do not suffer and celebrate together, struggle and transmit life together, we are like the person whom Jesus warned: "You will all come to the same dreadful end unless you reform."

 

Fr. Jack Conley, C.P. is the director of the Office of Mission Effectiveness.  He is a member of the Passionist formation community at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

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.