Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Acts 16:1-10
John 15:18-21

Reflection:

Witnessing Jesus

These Easter days’ readings from the Acts of the Apostles continue to impress upon us that St. Paul was truly a zealous traveling missionary who, along with a variety of companions, went from town to town to preach the Good News.  He worked hard, had his share of sleepless nights – and his message of Jesus’ unconditional love was all-too-often not well received…to say the least!  Yet, nothing deterred Paul from his divine calling and his passionate response.

We are women and men of faith today because of St. Paul and many others like him.  Over the centuries, many people have generously responded to God’s call to be missionaries and evangelists; at the top of our “lists” are likely our own Passionist saints and blesseds such as Paul of the Cross, Vincent Strambi, Charles of Mt. Argus, Dominic Barberi, etc.  As Jesus points out in today’s Gospel selection, sharing the Good News is not always easy; persecution and even hatred can stifle our efforts.  And yet the Good News continues to be spread throughout the world today, even “to the very ends of the earth”.  Yes!!

As “Church”, we are each called to be “missionary” in living and witnessing our faith in the person of Jesus, crucified and risen.  By word, example, and deed we share the treasure of our faith and show the power of God’s love in our lives — especially in our love for one another.  Jesus’ words apply to us:  the message of love we proclaim may not always be received with great openness and enthusiasm; we may join Jesus in suffering as we proclaim God’s Kingdom to our 21^st Century contemporaries.

May these Easter days and the anticipated gift of the Holy Spirit in Pentecost encourage us as missionary disciples in praying the words of Psalm 100: “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy…Sing joyfully to the Lord…Know that the Lord is God…the Lord is good…”

As Easter people, we proclaim:  Amen!  Alleluia!

Fr. John Schork, C.P. serves as the Province Vocation Director and also as Local Superior of the Passionist Community of Holy Name in Houston, Texas.  

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 15:1-8
John 14:6-14

Reflection:

It might be argued that Thomas’ principal service in the gospel is to show us that even the faithful have doubts. What is more, his story shows us that faith can exist without any need for ‘proof’.

That is, when he is at a distance from the community and alone, he demands to see and feel evidence of the resurrection before he will believe. However, when he is once more united with the community of believers, and encounters Jesus risen, he no longer needs physical proofs – he declines the offer to place his hand in Jesus side or touch the wounds. He ‘knows’ at a different level – the level of faith (supported by the faith of those who surround him).

Thomas shows us a familiar pattern, understandably human and instinctive. Who has not been tempted to ‘feel’ or ‘touch’ the wet paint on the park bench – to see if the sign is really true!

Faithful living is holding a tension, it is a ‘knowing’ without surrendering to the desire to underscore one’s knowing with further evidence.

On the other hand, faithful living is not so ‘other-worldly’ as to make Philip’s question valid either. It is not so much a matter of some exceptional revelation that enables faith – we do not suspend belief till we encounter something miraculous or of a celestial order. Again, we might find the thought of a dramatic, celestial intervention to be comforting and awe inspiring, but it may not guarantee faith.

No, faith is a gift, albeit one that finds its origins in a different order of reality.

In Jesus’ own understanding, and in his message to us today, faith grows from relationship. It is a gift, and as Jesus also implies, it is one that comes from knowing him. Not a knowing in the academic sense (valuable as that is), but a knowing at the level of a trusting relationship.

The dimensions of this trust are clear in his teaching. Faith grows as a result of listening to the words he has spoken and trusting the works he has done for us. It is a knowing him that builds gradually throughout life and becomes a relationship that is simply a ‘part’ of us. At a personal level, faith is also nurtured when we reflect on the fact that we too are empowered to act with the same selfless love of Jesus and are capable of imitating his own works.

All this to engender the belief that not only is his bond with the Father indivisible, but that his bond with us is similarly indivisible, and that Jesus’ love for us, and service of us in the name of the Father, continues – we merely have to ask.

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

Memorial of Saint Athanasius, Bishop, and Doctor of the Church

Scripture:

Acts 15:7-21
John 15:9-11

Reflection:

Athanasius lived in Alexandria, Egypt in the fourth century. He became secretary to the bishop of Alexandria, was ordained, and then was named a bishop himself. At this time, many “Christians” came to think that Jesus was a good man, but certainly not divine. One of these people was Arius, and his followers were called Arians.

By 325, the Arian heresy was dividing the Church and unsettling the Roman Empire. In that year, Athanasius attended an Ecumenical Council, held at Nicea. The Council reaffirmed the Church’s teaching on Christ’s full deity as a statement of faith. Through his prayer, his study, and his pastoral work as a bishop, Athanasius understood God as Trinity: three Persons in one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For his work in the development of the doctrine of the Trinity, St. Athanasius was given the title “Doctor of the Church”.

Today’s Scripture readings speak of the expansive and inclusive Love of the three Persons in one God.

In the Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples about his relationship with God the Father:  
As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.   –John 15: 9-10

And in today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear St. Peter speak of the Holy Spirit being given to the Gentiles, as well as the Jewish followers of Jesus. The early Church for a time struggled with including Gentiles, and some wanted them to first convert to Judaism. Because of the early disciples’ experience of the expansive and inclusive Love of the Trinitarian God, they were able to affirm that Jesus came for all peoples. St. Athanasius expressed it this way:

We see the fitness of His death and of those outstretched arms: it was that He might draw His ancient people with the one and the Gentiles with the other and join both together in Himself.

A recent expression of this is Pope Francis’ “Todos, todos, todos.” (meaning “everyone, everyone, everyone”), repeated throughout his time in Lisbon, Portugal, for World Youth Day last year.

We ask St. Athanasius to intercede for us, so that God’s expansive Love will outstretch our arms even wider. We pray to be more inclusive in our relationships with those near to us, and with those we have not yet met.

Patty Gillis is a retired Pastoral Minister. She served on the Board of Directors at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center in Detroit. She is currently a member of the Laudato Si Vision Fulfillment Team and the Passionist Solidarity Network.

Scripture:

Acts 15:1-6
John 15:1-8

Reflection:

Jesus’ analogy of the vine and the branches reminds me when we toured a winery. Our guide walked us through the grape arbors and explained the importance of caring for the vines. Not all growth is beneficial to the vine and must be pruned. Some branches die out and must be removed to prevent disease and decay. The result of careful cultivating was a very healthy, productive vineyard!

While this was a novel experience for me, it was everyday life for the disciples. They would easily relate to this analogy.

Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.

What lessons can we take from this reading?

We are intimately connected with God, the vine grower, through Jesus, the vine. Jesus’ life flows through us guided by the Holy Spirit. By remaining attached to the vine, we grow and produce fruit that benefits the community.

We are interconnected with each other as members of the same vine. There are not separate vines for gender, race, or nationality. God’s love is the same for all of us. We are expected to support and encourage each other.

We need pruning. Diseased branches and wild shoots drain life from the vine and branches. Unhealthy growth must be removed, and good growth needs to be encouraged. Pruning can be painful, but we must have faith that God the vine grower has a plan for us.

Springtime is here and nature is waking up. If you are able, take a meditative walk in a park, forest or your own neighborhood and pay close attention to the plants, vines, and trees. How healthy are the branches of your spiritual life? Are you contributing to the vitality of the vine? Do you need some pruning?  God speaks to us through nature, if we listen with an open heart!

Mike Owens is coordinator of the Passionist Alumni Association and a member of the Migration Commission of Holy Cross Province.  He lives in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Scripture:

Acts 14:19-28
John 14:27-31a

Reflection:

“’Peace’ is my farewell to you, my peace is my gift to you….” We find these words that begin today’s gospel to be powerfully consoling and immensely reassuring not only because they speak to one of the deepest desires of our hearts, but also because we know that if we could only abide in peace, all would be well. Is there a better parting gift that Jesus could bestow on us? And yet, when Jesus says that the peace he offers is not “as the world gives peace,” but his peace, we know the path to peace will be different than we expect.

Nothing illustrates this more dramatically than today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles. Paul is stoned, dragged out of town, and left for dead, all of which would lead us to suspect that he could hardly be at peace. But that is not the case at all. The hardship and suffering Paul has undergone—and the certainty that more awaits him—do not deter or defeat him, much less diminish his zeal for proclaiming the gospel; if anything, Paul seems energized and emboldened. What’s striking in this snapshot of Paul and Barnabas’ missionary journeys is that they are always on the move. Today we find them first in Antioch, then Derbe, then Lystra and Iconium, then back to Antioch, and then to Pisidia, Pamphylia, Perga, Attalia, and back again to Antioch. Far from withdrawing in fear on account of all he has suffered, Paul is absolutely courageous, joyful, and, strangely enough, totally at peace.

Perhaps that is because for Christians, peace is not the absence of suffering and hardship, but the abiding presence of God. When Paul and Barnabas arrive in Antioch, they share with that Christian community “all that God had helped them accomplish,” which explains that no matter what he might suffer, Paul could abide in peace because God was with him every step of the way. It is no different for us. Like Paul, suffering and hardship will visit us, but they should never rob us of peace because God, who is life and love, is with us every step of the way.

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.

Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin & Doctor of the Church

Scripture:

1 John 1:5–2:2
Matthew 11:25-30

Reflection:

Start being brave about everything. Drive out darkness and spread light.
Don’t look at your weaknesses. Realize instead that in Christ crucified you can do everything.”   – Saint Catherine of Siena

Today the Church celebrates the feast day of one of the four women Doctors of the Church, Catherine of Siena. Her influence on Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome from Avignon, France was Divine intervention only because she listened to God with deep love and was open to the Holy Spirit.

The above quote from Saint Catherine of Siena goes so well with the readings for today. It challenges us to be the one who “drives our darkness and spread light”. It challenges us to be the ones who bring light to those around us. A smile, a small act of kindness or a gentle word. As humans we tend to look at our shortcomings when God has given us many gifts and talents. When we focus on these, we become so much stronger.

                How will I bring the Light of Christ to others today?

In the first reading the author of the Letter of John speaks of God being light and if we are walking in the light then we have all that we need. If we walk in darkness then we walk in sin, and walk in the world as one who stumbles in the dark feeling our way around, searching for something to steady ourselves. The author reminds us that our sins are forgiven through Jesus’ offering of his own Blood. During this time of Easter, it is easier to choose the light and bask in the Resurrection of Christ knowing that we have eternal life. The challenge is when the joy of Easter begins to fade, and we return to old habits or move back into our comfort zone. Easter is about new life and living in that life. Just as a butterfly cannot return to the cocoon so we must not return to old habits that we worked to change over Lent.         

                How am I celebrating my new life in the Resurrected Christ?

Linda Schork is a theology teacher at Saint Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Acts 9:26-31
1 John 3:18-24
John 15:1-8

Reflection:

Happy Springtime!  I hope wherever you hail from these days you are able to enjoy the colors and sounds and warmth that Mother Nature has blessed us with during this Eastertide.  Our scriptures speak of the hope of resurrection and new life as well.  The early Christian community welcomes a new disciple into the fold as Saul/Paul embraces the new life open to all believers in Jesus Christ!  Initially, Paul was not welcomed with open arms by the other disciples. They were reluctant to believe that Saul, the persecutor had really undergone a conversion to become Paul, the believer who spoke out boldly in the name of Jesus.  In a short time, Paul was able to show by words and example that he was truly committed to following Jesus.  How willing are we to accept the ‘Sauls” in our lives who don’t measure up to our unrealistic expectations?

In the second reading from 1 John, we are reminded of the greatest commandment to Love one another just as Jesus loves us!  How often do we pick and choose who is going to feel our love or wrath on any given day?!

Today we hear the familiar story of the Vine and branches as recounted in the Gospel of John.  Jesus is the true vine; God is the vine grower and we are the branches.  Jesus tells us what we must do to grow and prosper as his disciples in these words:

            “Remain in me, as I remain in you.
            Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
            Unless it remains on the vine,
            So neither can you unless you remain in me.”

If you are a gardener, you know well that the season of springtime is a time of planting, nurturing, pruning, and weeding our plants, flowers, and vegetables so that we may enjoy a bountiful harvest in the coming months. The Easter season is also a time for us as disciples to allow ourselves to sit with the scriptures of the season, to acknowledge our failures and successes as members of the Body of Christ, to allow ourselves to be pruned and prodded and challenged in the areas of our faith life that are in danger of being consumed by the weeds of apathy, frustration, selfishness, etc.

I always find the scriptures of the Easter season, wherein the highs and lows of the early Christian community are recounted, as a time of renewed hope. Hope for myself and others in our community of faith here in 2024, who struggle to live out our call to bring the message that JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN!  HE IS ALIVE AND WELL and LIVING IN EACH OF US!  May we take time today to enjoy the hope and promise this season offers us.  Easter Peace!

Theresa Secord is a retired Pastoral Associate at St. Agnes Parish, Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Acts 13:44-52
John 14:7-14

Reflection:

Whoever has seen me has seen the Father…

These final discourses in John’s gospel focus not so much on what Jesus did, but on who Jesus is and what he does in and through us.  In some ways, these discourses are building a bridge between Him and faith.  In this passage, we hear the familiar words of God spoken to Moses “I am.”  Jesus repeats three times “I am in the Father”… “I am in the Father” … “I am going to the Father.”

 “Whoever believes in me with do greater works than me” … these are difficult words for the disciples – how can they do what Jesus has done, how can they do even greater things than Jesus has done?  Just show us….just show us!

Jesus is yet again, having to explain to the disciples…does he yet again have to explain to us?  Our challenge is the same as the disciples’ challenge – to confront the world with the Word of God and bring people to faith.   The disciples knew Jesus – the Word – of God.  We too know the Word of God – are we willing to share it?  Are we willing to allow it to transform who we are so that what we manifest to the world is his Love – his way of being present to the other, his way of seeing the presence of God in others, in all of creation; his way of noticing the presence of God in every situation – the wonderful times and events and the painful times and events.  Jesus introduced his Father not so much with words, but with actions, with presence, with love.  Can we do the same so that God can work miracles through us?

Faith Offman is the Associate Director of Ministry at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center in Detroit, Michigan.