Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Acts 4:1-12
John 21:1-14

Reflection:

"There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved."  These words of St. Peter, which conclude our first reading today, thrill and disturb, depending at what point in history you are living.  For centuries, Europe and America prided itself on being "Christian" and readily accepted this belief.  But how things have changed!  Today, as some call all people to a "New  World Order," they are demanding that we give up these divisive beliefs of uniqueness and all go into a psychotic regression where we fall to pieces.  The "Big Daddies" standing by will then take the pieces and build a unified, look-alike human family.  Have you ever heard of anything so sickening and lacking in Gospel truthfulness?

When the early Christians moved into the Roman world, they were confronted with the same issues.  The Romans prided themselves on knowing how to create a unity and peace amid very diverse peoples and beliefs.  When this small, strange group of people called Christians came along, the Romans had the solution.  Their God was given a space on shelf 17, in the 23^rd spot among all the other gods.  The Christians said, NO.  There is but one God and we believe in this one God.  This immediately made the Christians troublemakers, disturbing the wonderful order established by the Romans.  This, along with other factors, like charges of cannibalism at worship services, brought persecution upon them.  Judaism lived peacefully in the Roman world even though it believed in one God.  The Romans had great respect for antiquity, so the Jews were well tolerated.

The defenders of the early Church tried to show that Christianity was but a blossoming of this antiquity and bringing it to its fullness.  I am not sure how well they sold this to the Romans.

With the conversion of Constantine, the great Christian era began.  This need to defend your uniqueness in a very pluralistic world subsided, until recent times.

We live in a world of movement and sound, that gets bored with silence and permanence.  Jesus was born as an actual human being, into history, into time and said certain defined things.  How Boring!!  This can get old very fast.  Wouldn’t it be better to have a religion defined by myths, which can change by addition whenever you desire.  Religion should have the changeability of a snake that sheds its skin and gets a new one.  Jesus is the same, today, yesterday and forever.  That sounds like one of those old bodies found in the frozen glaciers of Alaska.  The frenetic nature of the modern mind, which gets bored with its own boredom, can find it very difficult to believe that Jesus is the only name under heaven by which we can be saved.  There must be many ways, doors through which we can enter, many vines to which we can be attached and draw our spiritual life!  Toleration is the great virtue of today.  Truth is all things, opinions, well tolerated and kept down with a heavy does of antacids or should we say, the lack of reflection. 

St. Paul tells us that Jesus ascended so that he can fill the whole world.  Our Risen Lord is not restricted to time and space but he fills the world, radiating his Holy Spirit, calling all people to God’s life and love.  There may well be many who do not know the name of "Jesus" but who feel and respond to the call of the Risen Christ, the King of the Universe.  They are saved through Christ.  Others may dislike the imagined arrogance of the Christians, telling them how they are saved but then just think of all the absolute statements they make that we must let be.  The unity that God seeks is the community of diverse peoples, living with and respecting each other in a loving way.  He is not seeking a unity that comes from the psychotic dismantling of humanity and a new putting together based on human greed and idolatry. 

  

Fr. Blaise Czaja, C.P. gives parish missions and retreats.  He is a member of the Passionist Community in Houston, Texas. 

Scripture:

Acts 3:11-26
Luke 24:35-48

Reflection:

We are still in the midst of the octave of Easter, and yet today’s Gospel and the Reading from Acts both speak of doubt.  In Acts, the crippled man is cured and the people are amazed and they begin to praise Peter and John.  But Peter has to remind them that this man is not cured by them but by faith in Christ.  We wonder did they not hear the message?

And in the Gospel we hear of his very own disciples being overwhelmed by His appearance, even though they were just talking to each other about recognizing him in the breaking of the Bread.  Jesus seems to be trying to convince them that he is real and that all that he has told them would happen has happened.  But nonetheless, they are incredulous and he still needs to open their minds to understand the scriptures.  It is not through their own intellect or logic that they understand but only when Jesus opens their minds.  In fact, even though Jesus’ walks and talks, even eats with the Apostles after his Resurrection, their faith will remain weak until Pentecost when the Holy Spirit will fill them with the gifts they need to fully live their faith.

Easter week more than two thousand years later and our spirits are again filled with the commemoration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ.  We believe that Jesus died for our sins and that raised from the dead, he promises us eternal life. We celebrated the Last Supper, we walked the Stations, we listened to the Passion, we reverenced the Cross, and we sang the Gloria because Jesus who was dead has been raised.

But how strong is our Faith?  Do we live as though we really believe in all that happened this last week?  How would our lives be different if our Faith were stronger? 

Let us pray to grow in the gift of Faith during this Easter Season so that the Holy Spirit will fill our hearts and our lives and all that we do will be permeated with a deep Faith in the Risen Christ.  

 

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

Scripture:

Acts 3:1-10
Luke 24:13-35

Reflection:

"Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him."

 

Today’s gospel begins with two disciples on their way to Emmaus, a city some seven miles from Jerusalem.  Christ has just recently been crucified, and the two men are walking and talking about the terrible events that have come to pass.  There is a haunting quote about this journey to Emmaus by the writer Frederick Buechner:

Emmaus is whatever we do or wherever we go to make ourselves forget that the world holds nothing sacred: that even the wisest and bravest and loveliest decay and die; that even the noblest ideas that men have had-ideas about love and freedom and justice-have always in time been twisted out of shape by selfish men for selfish ends.  (Frederick Buechner, Magnificent Defeat, San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1985).

And that is where Jesus finds these two forlorn gentlemen, on the road to Emmaus-a road each of us knows well in our lives-a road filled with frustration and doubt.  It shouldn’t be lost upon us that Jesus comes to his disciples as they are journeying further into their sadness and disbelief at the loss of their Lord.  How annoyed they must have been when this stranger (Jesus) approaches who does not seem to be aware of the recent tragedy.

Now there are a ton of theological lessons in this gospel that I am wholly unqualified to discern.  Jesus gives the two quite a lecture on what was prophesied in the Jewish scriptures.  There is an important reminder about the necessity of Jesus suffering, not to mention the fact that Jesus appears literally as these two are "gathered" in His name. 

But there are two things that strike me most about this reading and what it means in my life.  The first is the inability of the disciples to recognize Jesus.  The passage says nothing about Jesus being in disguise or working some miracle to prevent them from recognizing him.  But wrapped up in their own fear, confusion and dejectedness, there was no way they could see Christ.  They were, for all intents and purposes, blinded to his presence. 

What’s even more startling-Christ was right there, in the flesh, walking and talking with them!  He is our true companion.  And He is present most especially at those low times in our lives when we don’t know where to turn.  Finally, this is not some theoretical presence.  He comes to us in concrete ways-perhaps even in people he may bring into our lives who we cannot recognize as Christ.  We must open not just our eyes, but our hearts and minds in order to see.

Finally, Christ is revealed to the men as they sit and Jesus breaks bread and blesses it.  This is when their eyes are opened!  When we are at a low point, do we seek Christ in the Eucharist?  Do we take this great gift for granted, that we are given the privilege of sharing in the body of Christ?  Once the disciples recognized Jesus in their midst, he vanished from sight.  But the miracle is that we know He was and is truly still present. 

 

Marlo Serritella is on staff at the Holy Cross Province Development Office in Chicago.

 

Scripture:

Acts 2:14, 22-33
Matthew 28:8-15

Reflection:

"Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples."

 

During this Octave of Easter (the eight day period from Easter Sunday until the Sunday following) the mystery of the risen Christ should penetrate our hearts with joy.  Without fully opening our hearts to the emotions of Easter we are in danger of losing the deep richness of the experience.

Life is enhanced by our emotions.  We all remember the days in our lives filled with great joy.  Maybe it was the birth of a child, or a marriage, sometimes our joy is tied to an achievement like graduation.  It can even be as simple as enjoying an ice cream sundae. We can also remember those days when we were overcome with immense fear.   Perhaps it was when we lost a loved one, or moved to a strange city to begin a new life.  If we were to view our lives as a series of events without any emotional reaction connected to them, we would lose the intense, indelible power of the experience.  Emotions are what make life worth living.  Mary of Magdala and Mary of James, also called the other Mary were fraught with emotions as they left the tomb.  Certainly the emotion behind their declaration to the disciples had to be extraordinary.

Easter is a time of celebration; it is the promise of new life, the heart of our faith, the richest of joyous events!  We can easily let the glory of Easter slip through our fingers as we worry about our secular duties.  Remember to open your heart and "Rejoice!" 

Angela Kwasinski, Planned Giving Director for Holy Cross Province Development Office.

 

Easter Sunday: The Resurrection of the Lord

Scripture:

Acts 10:34a, 37-43
Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8
John 20:1-9 or Matthew 28:1-10

Reflection:

Recently I visited the Gettysburg battlefield where General Reynolds was shot and killed.  He was the highest ranking Union general to be killed in the Civil War.  He was one of the Union’s most outstanding generals and only 43 years old.  His aids quickly removed his body so his men of the Iron Brigade would not see his dead body and get discouraged.   

During this Holy Week we have been doing the opposite.  We have been staring at the suffering and dead body of Christ so that we will not get discouraged!  We gaze at the crucified Christ trying to comprehend the awesome love that God has for us.

Now we await the "living One." (Luke 24:2)  We do infinitely more than looking at a statue of General Reynolds venerating his service and dedication to his country 148 years ago.   We experience now not just a past act of love, but a living Christ presenting this love to us made eternal  by his Resurrection.  In faith we encounter this non-dying, ever living, last full measure of devotion right now as much as the early witnesses of the death and resurrection of Christ.

This wonderful truth of our faith that "God lives in an eternal now" brings all the love expressed in the incarnation of Christ two thousand years ago ever present.   For God the Father the shout of Jesus on the cross and at his resurrection is still echoing in his ears!  It must also echo in ours today!  The past of Jesus is not dead, it is not even past!  In this blessed season we are invited as much as Thomas was: "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." (John 20:26)

Alleluia!  Happy Easter!

 

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

Holy Saturday
Scripture:
Genesis 1:1-2:2 or 1:1, 26-31a
Genesis 22:1-18 or 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18
Exodus 14:15-15:1
Isaiah 54:5-14, Isaiah 55:1-11
Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4, Ezekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28
Romans 6:3-11
Matthew 28:1-10

Reflection:

One of the things that has intrigued me about Holy Saturday before the Easter Vigil is the feeling of being "in-between." We have left our remembrance of Jesus’ Crucifixion on Good Friday, but have not yet arrived at celebrating His Resurrection on Easter Sunday. I have often recommended to people that they pray with Jesus in the tomb during the daytime hours of Holy Saturday, especially if they are at an "in-between" time in their lives. Sometimes we need to stay in the "in-between" until it becomes clear as to where God wants us to go.

When we come to that wonderful celebration of the Easter Vigil, with its symbols of light and water, and the reception of the elect into the Church, we hear many readings from the Hebrew Scriptures, as well as a reading from Romans, and a Gospel reading from Matthew. To have all these readings is unique to the Easter Vigil. They remind me of a family gathering, where one of the younger members says to the matriarch of the family, "Grandma, tell us the story about Great-Grandma coming over on the ship to America," or "Tell us the story about how you and Grandpa met." The story of Creation in Genesis, and the story of parting the Red Sea in Exodus are parts of our story as believers. And so of course, are Jesus’ Passion and death and Resurrection.

In the story of Jesus’ Resurrection in Matthew’s Gospel, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary find that Jesus is not in His tomb. Instead, they find an angel who says to them: "Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said." The implications for our story are profound. Jesus is not in the emptiness of despair or fear or hatred or anger. He has won the victory for us! And even if we are still experiencing our own Good Friday, we know Easter is coming. Thanks be to God, Alleluia!

 

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

 

 

Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion

Scripture:

Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9
John 18:1-19:42

Reflection:

Good Friday came alive for me the year one of my sons was an 8^th grader, and his class was acting out the Stations of the Cross. He was chosen to drive the nails in Jesus’s hands and feet. I had been pursuing a relationship with Jesus and was closer to Him than I had ever been in my life. When Jesus came by the pew I was sitting in, dragging the cross, He fell in the aisle right next to me, and I burst out crying. His falling hit me deeply because this was the first time I had gone through the events of Holy Week with Jesus as my best friend. It was all I could do to stay in my pew and not jump up to help Him.

Then when they finally got to the front of the church and my son had to nail Jesus to the cross, I lost it again. I felt ashamed that my son was the one inflicting that unspeakable pain onto Jesus and yet I was also convicted that I was the one nailing Him to the cross because of my sins. We all helped nail Jesus to the cross and we all need a savior. The most amazing thing about His sacrifice is that "He died for us while we were yet sinners".  He loves us so much that He chose to endure the pain of His passion and death because of His amazing love for each of us. Thank you Jesus!

As a mom, I was hoping my son would portray Jesus, and yet I think it was more powerful for me because he didn’t. Also, as a mom, it’s nearly impossible to imagine what Mary went through as she stood at the foot of the cross and watched her only Son die such a shameful and agonizing death. It seems to me that most moms suffer as much if not more when they have to watch their children suffer. And so we thank you too Mary, for your example of trusting in God’s plan, even when it seems hopeless and useless. May we all learn that kind of trust and cling to You, Lord when things in our own lives don’t make sense and life seems unbearable.

Lord we bow before you today and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your sacrifice and for your willingness to die so that we can live with You forever.

 

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 4. Visit Janice’s website at http://www.jcarleton.com/ or email her at janice@frcedric/org

 

Scripture:

Acts 2:36-41
John 20:11-18

Reflection:

The Gospel of John presents us with a striking story of Mary Magdalene’s grief. Her heart is broken and her grief at the loss of Jesus so intense, her only response is to be near the dead body of Jesus and weep. What else can she do! The angels seem to tell her to stop weeping; the gardener also repeats the advice. Interestingly, the worse advice we can give someone who experiences great loss is to tell them to stop weeping. The tears rolling down uncontrollably are actually part of a healing process. This needs to happen and should not be discouraged.

Is Mary’s identification of the Gardner a reference to the Garden of Eden? The world’s pain and sorrow began in a garden with the sin of Adam and Eve. Now a new and different life finds its beginning in a garden. Ironically, Mary was right in identifying Jesus as a Gardner. He is the Gardener who brings new life out of the soil of sin and death. "For if, by the transgression of one person, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one person Jesus Christ"  Romans 5:17.

Another point is that after Mary "turned around," she recognized Jesus. There is an interesting connection between turning around and the theme of repentance that Peter preached in the first reading. Repentance implies not just regret for past behavior but a radical change to one’s way of thinking and behaving. The Greek word "metanoia" (repentance) is best translated into English as "conversion," a turning around to a completely new way of seeing life. In turning around, Mary now sees the Glorified Jesus, not the Jesus she knew earlier. She cannot cling to the older image of Jesus but now must accept the new Jesus as Risen and Glorified. Mary does not find Jesus; Jesus finds her and brings new life, a new way of seeing. In the turning she moves from sadness to joy, from strangeness to recognition, from a sense of doubt and discouragement to faith

This Easter season is an opportune time of the year look at the garden of our life, to turn around and find Jesus in the people we ignore and the situations we avoid.

 

Fr. Don Webber, C.P., is Provincial Superior of Holy Cross Province and resides in Chicago.