Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Isaiah 10:5-7, 13b-16
Matthew 11:25-27

Reflection:

As I share this brief reflection on our readings for the day, there are two simple thoughts that come to mind.  In our first reading from Isaiah it is clear how foolish we can be when we think that all the good we do comes from our own hand.  Assyria, an "impious nation", believed that its victories were due to its own shrewdness and wisdom.  How foolish of this great nation to take itself so seriously and how quickly the Lord would humble this nation and people.  We are tempted to do the same aren’t we?  How quick we are to believe that even our small successes are due to ourselves; how easily we forget that the Lord is at work within us in all ways and at all times!  Still, we forget and the Lord has his way of reminding us later on in life.

The beautiful Gospel reading is one only too familiar to priests who have the precious opportunity of anointing the sick with the Sacrament of the Anointing.  In the Gospel of Matthew, today and tomorrow, we read the beautiful meditation that begins with Jesus’ prayer of praise to the Father and then concludes with the soothing invitation, "Come to me all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest."  There is no priest who, when he reads these gentle words, does not remember countless moments of anointing a dear soul in need of comfort, encouragement, and consolation.  What a sacred moment it is; what a great privilege to enter into such a moment standing by the bedside of someone in the midst of their suffering and reminding them that they are not alone.

Two very simple points for us on this day: remember that it is all the work of the Lord and we simply serve; and what a joy to serve, especially when we are able to bring the very compassion and kindness of the Lord to someone in need.

 

Fr. Pat Brennan, CP is the director of Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

 

 

Scripture:

Isaiah 1:10-17
Matthew 10:34-11:1

 

 

 

Reflection:

Jesus, Our Life-Giving Experience of God’s Love

"If we do not have a profound experience of and conversion to God’s love, and if Jesus is not the center of our lives, then we are inadequate and unqualified for carrying out Jesus’ mission, that is the Church’s mission of making God’s kingdom of love, justice, and peace present among our brothers and sisters here on earth."  This was the first impacting message I heard on the last weekend’s archdiocesan, Spanish vocation retreat ("Vengan y Vean") here at Holy Name Retreat Center in Houston, Texas.  In fact, the preacher made the above statement in reference to John Paul II’s Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Missio to encourage his audience, especially the young men and women who attended the retreat with the expectation of deepening their vocation discernment, to evaluate our experience of God’s love in our lives, families, and faith communities.  

Today’s liturgical readings pose the same vocational question to us. For they want us to know that God’s life-giving love and covenanting relationship with us is not fulfilled in our sacrifices and rituals, but in the good and justice we do to our brothers and sisters, especially the needy and helpless ones of our society. God indeed wants us to "redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, [and] defend the widow" with the vital help of his grace, for God’s "saving power" will be shown to those who go "the right way" proclaiming and bearing witness to his loving mercy.

If we refer to Jesus as "Prince of Peace," then, how are we supposed to interpret today’s gospel?  In light of the aforementioned, we may want to say that, to be an authentic disciple of Jesus, we have to love him more than anything and/or anyone else.  For being with Jesus and spreading the Good News of his life-giving presence in our lives and faith communities means that we are to speak not only of and about him, but also with him.  However, we cannot avoid the reality that not everyone accepts God’s incarnate word in their lives, which causes division in our families, our society, and even in our faith communities, because a faithful commitment to Christian discipleship situates Jesus and his mission above everything else. 

Our faith in Jesus, therefore, invites us to reflect on the following questions: Does my love for Jesus surpass everything else, even my own will and life?  Do I take up my cross and follow after him?  Do I lose my life for the sake of God’s kingdom of love, justice, and peace?  Do I expend my life doing what Jesus commanded us to do as witnesses of his paschal mystery? Do I make God’s redemptive love meaningfully present to others?  Am I adequate and qualified for carrying out Jesus’ mission?

 

Fr. Alfredo Ocampo, C.P. preaches and is a member of the Passionist Community in Houston, Texas.

Scripture:

Amos 7:12-15
Ephesians 1:3-14
Mark 6:7-13

Reflection:

In 1979, Immaculate Conception Parish on Chicago’s northwest side celebrated the 75^th anniversary of its’ founding.  One of its’ several Jubilee projects involved the grade school children and invited them to help in the construction of a time capsule which would describe life in the 3^rd quarter of the 20^th Century at I.C. Parish.  Some of the items they collected were a baseball with the names of the Chicago Cubs, a Chicago Tribune, a parish bulletin and a school uniform.  The capsule remains buried under a headstone in front of the school waiting for just the right moment to be opened again.  

Today’s Gospel is a kind of "time capsule" that captures an important moment in the history of the Church-when Jesus first entrusted his mission and healing powers to others.  No telephone.  No TV.  No radio.  No books.  No internet.  The only way the Gospel could get around was on foot, and this is what it looked like.  Twelve men sent out in pairs, each with one stick, one tunic, one pair of sandals.  No food.  No money.  No travelling bag. 

Marshal McLuhan, the communication guru of the 6o’s coined the phrase, "The medium is the message" or, "What you see is what you get."  But we don’t need Marshal McLuhan to tell us not to trust someone who arrives in a limousine wearing a Rolex watch and a diamond ring who tells us to live simply and poorly. 

What does the message of God look like when you meet it on the road?  Like Jesus, of course.  But also like the followers of Jesus. The mission of Jesus is not locked in a time capsule.  We too are invited to carry the message, and proclaim it powerfully by who we are and what we do.  May we be faithful to The One who sends us!

 

Fr. Jim Strommer, C.P. is a member of the Provincial Council and lives in Chicago, Illinois. 

 

Scripture:

Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19
Matthew 11:28-30

Reflection:

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says the Lord."
Matthew 11:28

 

These words have always brought us comfort and consolation. As a priest and a priest who is not actively serving in a parish, I find no shortage of suffering and pain. No matter where I have traveled this year, Vietnam, China, India, Italy or if I’m back in the States, I have come across people who are suffering or families who have loved ones who are facing painful situations. When we are in pain or undergoing great suffering, we want relief and we want to know what we did that was so wrong that caused us to have this terrible burden we carry. There is so many layers to our pain and suffering.

For many of us, there will be no relief to the pains and sufferings we are experiencing and there will be no explanation for the burdens we carry. We will cry, lash out in anger or frustration or maybe fall into a dark depression, shutting everyone out that comes close to us. This is not the kind of pain that a smile, a hug or even a sincere: "I love you" will take care of. And this is the kind of experience that will ultimately define us as a human being and as a follower of Jesus. No one can live this moment for us.

I have just come back from visiting a woman, wife and mother, in her sixties. Yesterday, she was placed in a hospice facility because the burden of caring for her at home had become too great. There is nothing more that medicine can do for her. I had anointed her about three weeks ago. She talked about the unbearable pain she suffers every once in a while. Yet, her smile, her banter and her stories about home life all say that she has found Someone who can help her carry her burden. The Eucharist and the Sacraments are helping her to deepen her faith in a God of Life who loves her unconditionally so she can carry those burdens and suffer those pains united to the Crucified Lord.

There is so much pain in the world today. There is personal pain, family pain, social pain, pain that we are responsible for because of bad decision and hateful attitudes and pain that we are powerless to prevent. No one escapes pain and suffering in this world. Sometimes our head aches and sometimes it’s our body and so many times it’s our heart. We cannot carry this pain by ourselves.

Jesus invites us to go beyond the physical, emotional and social pain and suffering that we are experiencing this very moment. There is no question that this requires a super-human effort, yes, a divine effort. God grants us this grace.

Our Entrance Antiphon says: "Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice; turn to the Lord and his strength; constantly seek his face." (Ps. 105, v. 3-4)

No matter at what point of our pain and suffering we turn to our God, the Jesus who takes up our burden will be there waiting for us. May it be sooner rather than later!

 

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

Memorial of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha

Scripture:

Isaiah 6:1-8
Matthew 10:24-33

Reflection:

There is a certain theme in the reading from Isaiah for the Mass today that I have always loved.  In fact, in some ways, this theme has become a part of my vocation as a Passionist and as a priest.  Forty-seven years ago today in a steaming hot prairie Church in St. Paul, Kansas, twenty-one young men, myself included, knelt on the old Church floor and professed our vows as Passionists.  For me it was an incredibly emotional moment in my life and, while I may have been terribly naïve, I did feel a certain determination that nothing would ever cause me to change my mind and that I would seek to live as fully as possible the four vows that we Passionists profess.  I know I have failed many, many times and have lived these vows imperfectly; yet, they have also been the source of strength and fidelity in living the life of a Passionist religious.

Accompanying this ceremony of vows there was in my heart a recurring prayer that we hear in the reading from Isaiah: Here I am Lord, send me!  That is precisely how I felt at that very moment and, while there have been many challenges, large and small over these forty-seven years, I carry that same aspiration in my heart: Here I am Lord, send me!  In fact, the words of Isaiah are fitting for each and every one of us today.  In the depths of our hearts I believe this should be one of our deepest longings, to seek to know and to fulfill the will of God for each of us day by day.  With Isaiah we can all cry out: Here I am Lord. Send me!

 

Fr. Pat Brennan, C.P. is the director of Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

Scripture:

Hosea 14:2-10
Matthew 10:16-23

Reflection:

In this time of election campaigns and the over 1 billion dollars that will be spent among the  contenders, our country continues to be divided among liberals and conservatives, Republicans and Democrats, those who care intensely for politics and those who have given up on it. It seems to be business as usual. In fear of losing votes to the other side, Democrats and Liberals do not want to criticize the Obama Administration for its failings, such as the list of people who have been and will be killed by drones because they have been labeled "enemy combatants" without bringing them to justice as our Nation and International Law demand. On the other side, Republicans will distract from conversation on Romney’s weaknesses by attacking the current administration because they do not want the other side to win. Everyone protects his own interest. Unfortunately, this creates apathy towards our political life among many of us, for there seems no alternative beyond the usual bickering and hypocrisy of the political cycle. Furthermore, the fear of social program cut backs or of the loss of our tax breaks, the fear of same-sex marriage or of restrictions on "reproductive rights", these issues make people feel like a sheep among the wolves. This constant bickering truly impoverishes our nation’s political discourse and dialogue.  Rather than a well-informed free decision, we will end up choosing our next leader out of our fear and confusion. 

In the midst of all of this, Jesus words in today’s Gospel challenge and also create an alternative possibility as we maneuver the through the politics of our nation and of the world community. Jesus invites us to be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. These characteristics can guide us as followers of Christ and as citizens. We are called to be astute in thought like a serpent. It is with critical reflection that we should wrestle with the complexity of our political life both at home and abroad.  Simple mental sharpness, however, is not enough.  Jesus also calls us to have tenderness of heart like a dove.  We must have the affective maturity to hold others, especially those with whom we clash ideologically, in compassion.

Let us continue to pray that, we, the Church, as well as all people of goodwill, may seek to become shrewd as serpents and simple as doves in order to enrich the political life of our country and give witness of the Reign of God in the World.

 

Fr. Hugo Esparza, C.P. is a Passionist of Holy Cross Province now working in Mexico with the Province of Cristo Rey.

Scripture:

Hosea 11:1-4, 8c-9
Matthew 10:1-7

Reflection:

I knew a catholic family who had five sons and three daughters. The parents came to the church regularly and worked hard. Their children were educated and had good jobs in different cities. Even though the parents had not been educated they made sure that all their children studied well, had good jobs and got married. When their parents got older and needed their children’s support to survive and help to meet their medical expenses, hardly any sons came forward to help them, even though the parents loved their children so dearly and gave everything for their good life. But their children had forgotten all the good things that they received from their parents.  They abandoned them.

In a similar way, we see in today’s first reading the Lord speaks about his love for his people whom he taught, cared for and loved. But they rejected him. At times, we too fail to realize God’s unconditional love for us each day of our lives – his protective hands safeguarding us and guiding us to a good life. At times, we fail to be grateful to God and to one another.

In the gospel, Jesus gave his disciples a two-fold commission. That is:  to speak in his name and to act with his power, so that we may continue to do the work Jesus did by bringing the healing power of God to the weary and the oppressed. To do his mission we need to trust more in him than in ourselves. We are called to continue to proclaim God’s Kingdom of love by our simplicity and to serve with charity and peace. As Mother Theresa beautifully said, "We all have a mission, a mission to love".

 

Fr. A. Justin Nelson, C.P. is a member of our Indian Vicariate and temporarily stationed at St. Mary’s Parish, Fairfield, Alabama. 

Scripture:

Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12
Matthew 10:1-7

Reflection:

Called to Mission

More than 2,000 years ago, Jesus called together an imperfect, improbable, implausible group of individuals, even called them by name, sent them out to proclaim the good news and to do his work.  We know little of the 12, except Peter.  Perhaps Jesus wanted the focus, not on his workers, but on his work.  His work: to follow Jesus, form community with him and carry out his mission by healing the sick and driving out demons.  His message: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand."  It is a message of hope.  The kingdom is not a place.  It is Jesus himself who is near, present in our midst.  Can we recognize him?

As with the 12, Jesus also calls us.  It is the three-fold calling of our baptism.

Jesus calls us.  In our baptism, Jesus welcomes us into his community, not because we are so holy or perfect or talented.  Hardly.  We bear a remarkable resemblance to the 12.  He calls us because he loves us, and in community Jesus wants us to love one another.

Jesus calls us by name.  In our baptism, the first words of the priest or deacon come in the form of a question.  "What name do you give this child?"  It is by name that God claims us as his own.  There is nothing generic, faceless or random when he calls us.  He calls us on purpose, for his purpose.  He calls us by our name.

Jesus sends us out to do his work.  No excuses, no hand-wringing about how sinful and inadequate we are.  He knows that better than we do.  It isn’t about us, the workers.  It’s about his work.  He will fill the cracks of our brokenness with his grace.  In the words of Henri Nouwen, we will be transformed into "wounded healers."  It is in our weakness that God’s power is revealed.  Our mission is to show compassion, to suffer with and help sustain the weak among us, those who may be dead in sin, to touch the so-called untouchables with our embrace.  But these actions must be accompanied with the message of good news or they mean nothing.  And the message is this: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand."  Take hope. Jesus is in our midst.  Can we recognize him?  In this world, he resembles us.

 

Deacon Manuel Valencia is on the staff at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.