Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Ezekiel 37:21-28
John 11:45-56

Reflection:

"Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before Passover to purify themselves.  They looked for Jesus…."

When I first read today’s Gospel, the phrase that immediately caught my attention was: "They looked for Jesus…." 

As human beings, I believe that we were created to be in relationships: relationship with God, relationship with other people, and in a sense, relationship with ourselves–to become the person God created us to be and to celebrate who we are.  When all three of these relationships (God, self, and others) are in harmony, we are most fully human.

Whether we realize it or not, it seems that we are all on a journey to find that certain something that will bring meaning, fulfillment and purpose to our lives.  We may spend many years in this pursuit.  There appears to be a vacuum created inside of us that yearns to be filled and we may try many different possibilities in our attempt to fill that "hole in our soul."

This was certainly true in my life.  I spent many years trying to fill that hole by "looking for Jesus" in all the wrong places–in the acquiring of material possessions, in the desire for honor and prestige, and ultimately in the comfort of various addictions that caused damage in all of my relationships.  None of the options that I tried ever came close to filling that hole.  It wasn’t until I finally surrendered and acknowledged my need for help, that I discovered the Person of Jesus. 

Further along in John’s Gospel, chapter 15, verse 16, Jesus reminds us; "It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you."  I think God creates that vacuum within us that only He can fill.

Jesus continues to seek a personal relationship with each of us and it is through His love that we experience a sense of connectedness, a deep intimacy that brings serenity, inner peace and joy into our lives.  Jesus restores right relationships in all areas of our lives as we "look for Jesus" in the faces of all those we encounter each day.

 

Deacon Brian Clements was formerly a member of the staff at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, California.

Scripture:

Jeremiah 20:10-13
John 10:31-42

Reflection:

Jesus makes the statement which would have him condemned to die. "I am God’s Son." Are we not reminded constantly that we are God’s image? Well, here it is, Jesus is pointing out to the Jewish leaders, "Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods?’" "The Father is in me and I am in the Father."

This is a meditation in itself, I am the image of God today, in public. The scandal? The blasphemy? How can the Almighty "fit" in our weak, limited flesh? Is that in itself a "faith question" for me? Do I accept the Loving Presence of God within me? Do I act in the confidence that God is in me, through Jesus’ name? Am I willing to be treated as He is?

But is there something even more significant to what is going on here in the discussion with these leaders? In public, Jesus had just healed a young man born blind on the legally, sacred Sabbath. And then, in public, he describes himself as the Good Shepherd, who lays down His life for his flock.  Is that too much to hear and to bear? The willingness to sacrifice all for the other’s sake? The willingness to put others’ welfare before my own?

In taking up my responsibility, daily, to image God publicly, the words of Jeremiah are right on!

 

Fr. Alex Steinmiller, C.P. is president of Holy Family Cristo Rey High School, Birmingham, Alabama.

Scripture:

Genesis 17:3-9
John 8:51-59

Reflection:

"The Lord remembers his covenant forever." 

I take comfort in the covenant I have with the Lord described in today’s readings.  The comfort comes from knowing I am in a "relationship" with God which lasts forever and spans the months and miles which make up my life.  In a real sense, this covenant love relationship has lasted all my life.  In simple terms, God and I go "way back".

From the moment of my Baptism, God and I have been in a grace filled relationship, punctuated by the occasional experience of my sin but always underlined by God’s forgiving and loving presence.  Maybe Question Number Twelve from my old Baltimore Catechism sums it up! 

12.  Does God see us?

 Answer:  God sees us and watches over us with loving care.

I have been through many changes in my life.  The one wonderful constant is that God always has taken care of me.  God is always with me and never forgets His covenant with me; just like Abraham and Jesus in today’s readings.  Even when I experience suffering in myself and others, ministering as a member of the Passionist family, God’s unending love is always present.

Last week I had the high honor of working with survivors of the Henryville, Indiana F-4 tornado for the American Red Cross.  I met suffering folks standing in rubble who had lost everything.  They had every reason to wonder whether God "remembered them".  Yet these same people, suffering and in great pain, spoke through their tears about their faith in and relationship with God!  Time and again I heard "I’ve lost everything, but I know I’ll get through this because God is with me."

The power of the tornado could not stand against the power of their relationship with God.  Indeed, God does see us and does watch over us with loving care.

Today, let us remember and smile when we recite the verse "The Lord remembers his covenant forever."  Because He does…

 

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

Scripture:

Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95
John 8:31-42

Reflection:

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that if we are to be disciples, we are to make His Word our home.  How do we do that?  We find Jesus’ Word in the Gospels – and His Word makes the way clear.  His Word gives us the commandment to love God and love our neighbor.  His Word gives us the Beatitudes.  His Word tells us to forgive.  His Word tells us to care for the widow and orphan, to feed the poor and care for the sick.  His Word gives us the example of sacrificing everything, even our life, for others. 

He goes on to say this truth will set you free. The Jews who were following him were shocked that He would imply they were slaves.  They didn’t understand that there is more than one kind of slavery.  In our Western culture, we certainly seem to be enslaved by many, many things.  We are enslaved by our "stuff", by our work, by TV shows, by sports, by fashion, by our electronic gadgets, by our egos, by alcohol, by sex and the list goes on.  And here is the thing – we become enslaved since we can’t ever get enough.  We keep wanting more and more.  We keep trying to fill up and there is never enough to fill us up because these are not the things that our soul is seeking.

But if we live the message of the Gospel, if we live His Word, we will be set free.  When we feed the poor, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, care for the sick and dying, visit the imprisoned – then we will be free.  He promised it.

Try it.  Before this Lent is over, replace some of your quest for more by giving away.  Give of your resources and give of your time to reach out to someone in need.   Volunteer a few hours in a soup kitchen, or a homeless shelter, visit someone in your parish who is homebound or sick, console someone who is grieving.  

Warning though: once you try it, you’ll want to do more.  But here’s the difference, now you will be filled up.  You’ll be filled with God’s love and your soul will be satisfied.  He promised it. 

 

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

Scripture:

Numbers 21:4-9
John 8:21-30

Reflection:

Sociologist Peter Berger writes, "It seems plausible that folly and fools, like religion and magic, meet some deeply rooted needs in human society."

 

What is it about folly that stirs our inner worlds?  Ancient monarchs all had their court jesters. Even their clothing betrayed the folly; they were attired in clown-like vibrant colors, and their hats were floppy with three points, each of which had a jingle bell at the end. Yes, their role was to entertain the king, but also to speak to the king’s heart. The jester was the king’s friend and he alone was permitted access to the king’s inner chamber, for he played prophet to the king’s soul.

King David once listened to Nathan, his court prophet or clown. He once entertained the king with an anecdote about a village and two men – one very rich and one very poor (2 Samuel 12). The poor man had a little ewe lamb whom he loved; he even shared his food with the lamb. And one day, Nathan explained, the rich man had a friend visit him, so rather than take from his own enormous herd, he slaughtered the poor man’s sole little ewe lamb as a banquet for his guest. King David flew into a rage thundering, "That man should die!" Then the jester Nathan tells King David, "That man is you." For it was David who had Urriah the Hittite killed in battle as he had taken his wife, Bathsheba, for himself.

In today’s reading we hear of Moses holding before the people… grumpy and irritable, tired and miserable… a bronze serpent, a symbol of their sinfulness (remember the icon we use for physicians?)  While the serpent has always been a symbol of Satan, it’s venom is also a symbol of the healing power for our woundedness. As if he were holding a mirror before the Israelites, Moses holds the bronze serpent. Don’t deny or project, don’t blame others or rationalize or psychologize away your sinfulness. Acknowledge it. Admit it. Only then will you be healed.

Years ago a television show entitled "All in the Family" captivated the hearts and imaginations of many of us. The protagonist, Archie Bunker, would sit in his living room armchair and shout violent diatribes against his Polish son-in-law. We’d slap our knee in amusement and giggle our way through the narrative until about three quarters through the show when suddenly we realized that Archie is ME!  I’ve again been hooked, indicted, by my own complicity.

Maybe this Lent is a time to embrace my need for God’s healing, to acknowledge my sin and celebrate God’s unconditional love and forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance. Got a clown in your life?

 

Fr. Jack Conley, C.P. gives Passionist missions and retreats and lives in Chicago. 

Fifth Sunday of Lent

Scripture:

Jeremiah 31:34-34
Hebrews 5:7-9
John 12:20-33

Reflection:

In our Gospel reading from John (12:20-33), when Philip and Andrew tell Jesus that there are "some Greeks" who want to see Him, He does not respond to their request. Instead, He says, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." What does it mean to be "glorified?" This is what Jesus says: "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life." Jesus is glorified by His sacrifice.

Later on, another reference is made to glorification. Jesus admits he is troubled by the thought of His coming death. But He asks, "Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name." And then, the Father responds. A voice comes from heaven, saying, "I have glorified it and will glorify it again." God is glorified through the sacrifice of the Son, and the sacrifice is vindicated by the Resurrection!

This is what our faith tells us. And yet, we can fall into the temptation to seek glory according to how the world defines it. We want others to take notice of what we do. We seek the applause. We yearn for the exaltation of self. Maybe we’re trying to prove our worth to others and even to ourselves. But our worth does not lie in worldly fame and recognition. It lies in God’s love for us! And so Jesus tells us that unless we can die to self, we will not be able to bear "much fruit." We are called, then, to forsake the world’s understanding of glory, and take on the Gospel’s understanding of it. We’re called to give thanks to our loving God. We’re called to love and sacrifice for the sake of others. We’re called to be like Philip and Andrew, and bring others to Christ.

For it is in Christ that the prophecy we hear from Jeremiah (31:31-34) in our first reading is fulfilled. Through Jeremiah, God promises His people a new covenant: "I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. … All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the Lord, for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more." God reveals Himself in a most direct way in Jesus Christ. God gives us a way to know Him and to know His love for us. As Jesus was "lifted up" on the Cross to free us from the power of sin, and was "lifted up" in the Resurrection, to give us the promise of everlasting happiness, God shows us how much we are loved. Christ, in the words of our second reading from Hebrews (5:7-9), is "the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him."

So, if we are to seek any kind of glory, it is the real glory of everlasting life in God. We attain that glory, neither by pushing others to the margins, nor by domination or violence, nor by promoting ourselves to the exclusion of everyone and everything else. We attain the glory promised by God not by any means of our own, but by humbly sharing what God has given us – love in Jesus Christ.

 

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

Scripture:

Jeremiah 11:18-20
John 740-53

Reflection:

In today’s Gospel guards were sent to arrest Jesus.  They came back empty handed.  "So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, ‘Why did you not bring him?’   The guards answered, "Never before has anyone spoken like this man." (John 7:46)  They were spellbound by the word of Jesus. We are very blessed by the gift of faith to be able to hear these very words of Jesus in the Gospels.  When the bystanders saw how Jesus cured the paralytic by a word they exclaimed: "What a word!"     We also can be mesmerized by his voice in the Sacred Scriptures.   God’s word does not just give information but effects what it says.  "And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light." ( Genesis 1:3) When we see the sun rise we are experiencing a concrete realization of his word.  

When we are at prayer the Sacred Scriptures should never be far from us. Things happen when we experience his voice. St Paul of the Cross, that great man of prayer, used to take his Bible out into the woods of Monte Argentario, and ponder for hours trying to perceive those riveting words of Christ!  It is no surprise that Adam after his sin ran and hid from the voice (khol) of God in the garden. "Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account." (Hebrews 4:12)   

Sin deafens us to the word.  St. Augustine asks God to shatter his deafness.  May God grant us his grace to hear his beautiful word that we might experience its hypnotic effect as it did to those guards in today’s Gospel so long ago!

 

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

Scripture:
Exodus 32:7-14
John 5:31-47

Reflection:
"Let me alone, then, that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them… Let your blazing wrath die down; relent in punishing your people… So the LORD relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people." Ex 32:10,12b,14

Anger is a dangerous thing. We can do things we would never think of doing when we are mad about something. We have lots of cats in our neighborhood and many of them have adopted our yard as their kitty litter box. I personally like cats, but I’m not interested in cleaning up after the neighbor ones. I get especially irritated when I am digging in a flower bed and am met with a very unpleasant odor and a gloveful of something that isn’t dirt!

One day I was in my kitchen, and noticed one of the cats in the flower bed. I rapped on the window and told the cat to take his business elsewhere. He didn’t move a muscle. He stared at me defiantly asking, "So, what are you going to do about it?" Well, I showed him – I pounded on the window at which he jumped and ran, but at which also the window broke into several pieces. It wasn’t fun telling my husband how the window broke, let alone having to pay  $100 to get it fixed!!!

Too bad Moses wasn’t here to calm me down before I did the damage! Breaking a window is nothing compared to wiping out your people, but I’m sure you see my point. Anger left unchecked is not a good thing. And how incredible that God would allow us to stand in the gap for someone! Just as Moses talked God down so to speak, we can pray for others who may be in danger of God’s judgement. Don’t ever underestimate the power of your prayers!!!

Keep praying for your kids and grandkids and neighbors (and neighbor cats), and if you have a prayer left, say one for me to learn to let the Lord calm me down before I do another stupid thing.

 

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].