Daily Scripture

Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi

Scripture:

Nehemiah 2:1-8
Luke 9:57-62

Reflection:

Bold Discipleship

Today’s Gospel recounts Jesus inviting people to share his mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God.  Some made great professions of faith as they joined Jesus; others put conditions on their discipleship response – seemingly honorable deeds of burying deceased parents or saying farewell to families at home.  And yet Jesus asks for the full commitment of his disciples…nothing hindering a person’s 100% response! 

That bold challenge spoke to the heart of the well-known 12^th Century saint we celebrate today, Francis of Assisi.  Francis heard that personal call of Jesus and ultimately gave himself wholeheartedly to Jesus in a life of praise, sacrifice and service.  The Scriptures came alive for Francis of Assisi.  His carefree youth was radically changed by the Jesus’ call; he renounced his possessions and redirected his life to evangelical poverty and preaching.  Francis’ life was truly charismatic, compassionate, and loving of all God’s creation.  God used Francis to call others to lives of radical discipleship; so many responded that Francis wrote a “rule of life” and established a number of men’s and women’s religious communities.  In the 44 short years of his life, he shared the joy of those early disciples of Jesus and sparked a spiritual renewal and vitality that continue to inspire men and women today – especially our own Pope Francis!  “Rebuild my church” challenged St. Francis – and Pope Francis today, precisely as the men and women of the Church meet in the 2023 session of the Synod of Bishops.

Jesus and Francis of Assisi challenge us to generously live and promote God’s Kingdom!  Our global family is dramatically challenged by “disasters” of all types and intensities: violence & war, selfishness, poverty & hunger, climate change, injustice, disease, etc.  How do we respond today as faith-filled disciples?  How do we respect God’s presence in people, nature, created things, the daily events in the lives of our worldwide sisters and brothers?  How do we reflect the life-giving simplicity and humility of Jesus and Francis in our lives?  How do we best proclaim God’s mercy and compassion amid our world’s suffering and hopelessness?  Today’s Scriptures, the life of St. Francis, and the example of our contemporary faithful encourage us to say “yes”, leaving all behind to join Jesus in proclaiming God’s love by word and deed.

Today, in the spirit of Francis of Assisi:  May we be simple, faith-filled, joy-filled, compassionate disciples of Jesus!  May we treasure our “Common Home” and be channels of God’s peace!

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:

Zechariah 8:20-23
Luke 9:51-56

Reflection:

The gospel today highlights the deep commitment of Jesus to the will of the Father- symbolised in the journey itself.

By this I mean, that our text today highlights the determination of Jesus to stay with the moment – to focus his energy on the journey itself and not to be distracted by his opposition, let alone raw instincts like striking back at one’s opponents. How much Jesus knew of what lay ahead might well be debated by scholars – certainly Jerusalem had a reputation for rejecting prophets and doing violence to them. What we can say is that it represented danger and potential harm to go there and to proclaim a message that while only revealing God’s deep love for the poor, disposed and vulnerable, was nevertheless a message that disturbed power structures and challenged the accepted orthodoxy of the day.  Jesus does journey towards danger, but the passage today places emphasis on his deep convictions, unwavering determination and courage.

We see our saviour here today as the one who having discerned what God was asking, then turned to follow that path no matter the cost.

Follow the path that resonates with our deepest sense of human kindness, that is in accord with the example of faith given by so many before us, and that is guided by the inner voice of Gods own Spirit. 

Perhaps that is the lesson for us today. Live life as a calling, follow the path of Jesus, live with gratitude as one’s core response to God, and live in anticipation of transformation into eternal life.

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

Scripture:

Zechariah 8:1-8
Matthew 18:1-5, 10

Reflection:

See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.  -Matthew 18: 10

Sometimes when someone has helped me in a special way, I have said to them: “You have been my angel”. It really didn’t matter what type of help was given; it could have been financial assistance or emotional support. What made the assistance I received so special was the loving spirit in which it was given. I felt guided rather than controlled; accepted, rather than judged. The person who had helped me rebuild my life had also renewed my faith in other humans, in myself, and in God. That’s why I called him or her an “angel.”

And when I remember those who have been “angels” for me, most have been people of faith. Their care for me was an expression of their faith—I found out later that their assistance came along with many silent prayers, sometimes prayers of intercession for my needs, and sometimes prayers for guidance as to how to best help me. In other words, my “angels” were focused on me, but their eyes were also on God.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that children have angels in heaven. And these angels always have their eyes on God. Jesus says: “their angels in heaven look upon the face of My heavenly Father.” In 2018 on this feast of the Memorial of the Guardian Angels, Pope Francis encouraged Christians to pray and speak to their guardian angel who “is not only with us but also sees God the Father. The angel is the daily door toward transcendence, to the encounter with the Father,” Pope Francis said. “The angel helps me walk along the path because he looks at the Father who knows the way. “

On this feast of the Memorial of the Guardian Angels, let us do as Pope Francis asks: pray and speak to our Guardian angels, who help us on our path, our journey, for they guide the way.

And we might also want to thank God for those humans in our lives who have been like angels to us!

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:

Ezra 18:25-28
Philippians 2:1-11
Matthew 21:28-32

Reflection:

Anyone who has raised, taught or just been around children can relate to today’s readings.  How often have we heard children cry, “It’s just not fair!”, or had them agree to a parent’s request but not follow through?  As tempting as it is to explore those behaviors for children or adults (!), they simply set the stage for the theme of today’s readings: the blessings of conversion to God.  Today’s responsorial psalm, Psalm 24, ties together the readings with a simple meditation on spiritual conversion.

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me; teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior.

Ezekiel assures the Israelites that by turning away from their sins they will live.  The path for the Israelites was faithfulness to the Law. For us Christians we are commanded to love God and one another.  We are sent teachers, such as John the Baptist, who will show us the way, but our hearts must be open to hear the message.

Remember that your compassion, O LORD, and your love are from of old. The sins of my youth and my frailties remember not; in your kindness remember me, because of your goodness, O LORD.

We are imperfect humans and likely to stumble along the path. When that happens, we cannot accuse God of being unfair simply because the path is too difficult. We must ask whether God is the problem or is it us!  God is willing to forgive as long as we are trying.  Jesus commended the tax collectors and prostitutes for opening their hearts to the Baptist’s message, unlike the Scribes and Pharisees who heard John’s message but closed off their hearts.

Good and upright is the LORD; thus he shows sinners the way. He guides the humble to justice, and teaches the humble his way.

St. Paul says to humbly regard others as more important than ourselves.  How do we learn humility?  Christ is our perfect model:  humbling himself as human, not expecting to be treated as God, becoming obedient even unto death on the cross. 

Jesus, you have shown us the path to conversion.  Please grant us the grace to remain faithful to your ways.

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:

Zechariah 2:5-9, 14-15a
Luke 9:43b-45

Reflection:

‘Pay Attention’ Jesus tells his disciples and us!

I used to teach RCIA sessions at Saint Agnes.  Each week the inquirers, team and sponsors gather in the prayer circle to check-in and pray.  Our prayer includes sharing where we have seen or experienced God in the past week. Oftentimes, the sharing is slow in coming as we all ponder our ‘God moments’.  Each week I remind everyone to begin to ‘pay attention’ to the ways God is being manifest in our lives and the lives of those around us.  In our busyness, we often miss these moments when we aren’t paying attention and it is good to be reminded of how even the smallest incident or encounter can become a ‘God moment’.

When we ‘pay attention’ to how God is working in our life, our hearts are opened and we are challenged to take more seriously our call to discipleship.  On a recent trip home to Michigan, I was blessed to enjoy many ‘God moments’ with family and friends and nature.  I was also reminded of the importance of taking time to listen and hear the stories and laughter as well as the respite of a beach walk and a Lake Michigan sunset!  It was easy to ‘pay attention’ and savor these God moments.

Sometimes it is more challenging to ‘pay attention’ to how God works in our life when the message is one that challenges us or calls us to do something we don’t necessarily want to do. As I remember the return to the busyness and blessedness of parish ministry, my heart was sad and my spirit lagged as we began the process of changing leadership. Our parish had been blessed to have a pastor who faithfully listens and pays attention to God’s call and I have been blessed to be a part of a pastoral team that continues to embrace the gifts that each brings to ministry.

It is my prayer that in the days and weeks ahead I will have the courage and faith to ‘pay attention’ to how God is calling me to live out the paschal mystery as it unfolds before me.  I pray that I will not miss the many ‘God moments’ that I know will come.

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

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels

Scripture:

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
John 1:47-51

Reflection:

Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him.     

-Daniel 7:10

Depictions of angels can be found in most specialty shops, catalogs and art stores in the forms of small, medium and large statues, pictures, on prayer cards, garden art and numerous other objects. They can be found in stain glass windows and statuary of the great cathedrals of Europe and around the world. We grow up knowing the guardian angel prayer and hope we haven’t frightened ours off by the time we have “grown up”. In the Catholic faith there are the nine choir of angels beginning with the lowest to highest ranking; Angels, Archangels, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Dominions, Thrones, Cherubim and Seraphim. In the Church we celebrate the archangels, Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael who are mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments. Michael’s name means, “Who is like God?” We have a prayer calling on St. Michael for protection. This archangel is best known for his battle with evil, as in the Book of Revelation. Gabriel is known as the messenger angel who announced to Mary that she was going to bear God’s Son. Gabriel’s name means, “God is My Strength” and is known as the Archangel of Wisdom, Revelation, Prophecy, and Visions. Raphael’s name means, “Healing Power of God”. We find this Archangel in the book of Tobit. He was sent in an answer to Tobit’s prayers and the prayers of his daughter. In this book of the Old Testament, Raphael is companion, guide, and heals Tobit of his blindness.

In today’s Gospel reading from John, Nathanael has come to see if what Philip said of Jesus is true. He discovers that Jesus knows exactly who he is and so he proclaims that Jesus is the “Son of God”. Jesus’ response is a reflection of Jacob’s ladder with, “you will see the heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man”. He also seems to be foretelling what will transpire at his Resurrection.

Angels are spiritual beings who assist God with those tasks on earth and in heaven. In the readings today we read that, “Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him.”(Dn 7:9 – 10) What a sight that must be! All of those spiritual beings tending to God and doing what God commands. As I picture it in my mind’s eye it seems as if Heaven is a very busy place. During the Triduum I have pondered what the angels were doing as Christ went through his Passion, death and Resurrection. I can imagine Michael standing ready with an army of angels, waiting for God’s command. Gabriel watching with great sadness and Raphael wanting to heal broken hearts. And then great joy with Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension. And most likely they too understood the plan that God had in mind and tended to Christ on the day of Resurrection and the Ascension.

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

Scripture:

Haggai 1:1-8
Luke 9:7-9

Reflection:

Cost of Discipleship!

Jesus said to his disciples in relation to discipleship:

                        “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.”
                        “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”

Today as we celebrate the feast day of Saint Lawrence (Lorenzo) Ruiz and his companions we reflect on the cost of discipleship.  St Lawrence Ruiz, also called Saint Lorenzo was born in Manila of a Chinese father and a Filipino mother, both Christians.  He grew up learning Chinese as well as Tagalog, language spoken in the Philippines from his parents.  He studied under the Dominican friars.  He was a member of the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary. He became a professional calligrapher and worked as a clerk for the Binondo Church.  He married and was the father of two sons and a daughter.  His comfortable life took a change after he was falsely accused of killing a Spaniard.  He sought asylum on board a ship bound for Japan with the help of the Dominican friars.  Upon arrival in Japan where there was a massive persecution of Christians, Lorenzo and his companions were arrested and thrown into prison.  Over the next two years they were underwent brutal torture which led to their death because of their refusal to renounce Christianity.

Saint Lawrence was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1987, making him the first Filipino saint.  He is revered throughout the Philippines as the country’s protomartyr.

Discipleship calls all of us to accept the challenges that may come our way when we commit to being a follower of Jesus Christ.  We may not suffer the consequences of the brutal martyrdom that Saint Lorenzo endured, but we are called to persevere in living out the gospel message in the way we live our everyday lives.  We live in a world where we are faced with injustice, violence, apathy, discrimination and many other isms that challenge our faith.

Jesus promises to walk with us as we strive to make a difference in small ways as we preach his message of love and peace in our faith communities, families and neighborhoods. May the faith that Saint Lawrence (Lorenzo)lived and died for continue to inspire us to ‘Keep on Keepin’ on as the faithful disciples we are called to be.  Saint Lawrence, Pray for us!  Amen.

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

Scripture:

Ezra 9:5-9
Luke 9:1-6

Reflection:

Our readings today give us a great summary of discipleship and what it means to be church. In our first reading Ezra is overcome with the guilt of his people, and acknowledges that guilt before God, describing what happened to the people in exile after the Babylonians conquered Israel and destroyed the Temple that Solomon had built.

But Ezra also acknowledges that even though the people were in exile as a consequence of their sins, God had not abandoned them! And so, after the Persians conquered the Babylonians, they allowed the Israelites to go home. As Ezra says, “Thus he has given us new life to raise again the house of God and restore its ruins. God has shown mercy and given new life to the people to rebuild the Temple.

Even though God may let us suffer the consequences of our actions, He does not abandon us! God shows us mercy time and time again, and continually offers us new life. But this new life is not meant to be lived just for ourselves. In our first reading the Israelites were to rebuild the Temple. In our Gospel reading, Jesus sends out the Twelve to proclaim the Good News and drive out demons and cure diseases. He tells them to take nothing for the journey except themselves, and so rely on God for what they need. In a way, Jesus is sending the Twelve out to do what the Israelites did earlier. He sends them out to help people not rebuild the Temple, but rebuild their lives. If there are some who are not ready to be healed or refuse to have their lives restored, they are to simply move on and shake the dust from their feet as testimony.

God has given us not openly a second chance, but a third and a fifth, and maybe even a hundredth chance, and we are called to be instruments that God uses to give others another chance as well. May we be about building up, not tearing down, and may the Good News be always proclaimed through us!

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P., is the local superior of the Passionist Community in Birmingham, Alabama.