Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Isaiah 58:7-10
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Matthew 5:13-16

Reflection:

The Gospel today follows immediately after the Beatitudes, which was proclaimed last Sunday. This positioning of the readings implies that the Beatitudes are not only to be lived but also be seen by others. Jesus uses a string of images. The true disciple is to be the salt of the earth, a light of the world, a city set on a mountain and a lamp on a lamp stand. What is the point of being baptized and being in a Christian community if we become completely invisible to others?

What does Jesus want people to see? A packed congregation? A magnificent church building with the latest technical equipment? Pilgrims overcrowding shines? Severe penitential exercises? Preachers who attract thousands of followers? All of these might be good, but our readings don’t mention them. Isaiah tells us to fight for justice, feed the hungry, clothe the naked and house the homeless. "Then your light shall break forth like the dawn…"  Ordinary acts of charity and compassion bring light into the darkness. We don’t perform these good deeds for ourselves, so that others will think well of us or say how wonderful we are. No, the only reason for us to be salt and light is that people may be drawn to God. Maximum visibility is not to shine the light on us, but to point people in the direction of the God who loves them and is the source of their ultimate happiness.

The second reading reminds us that we don’t need to have elaborate training or postgraduate degrees. The acts of kindness Jesus wants from us are within the reach of the most simple, even illiterate, person. It is not a question of passing on knowledge but of sharing our experience of a loving God. As God has cared for us, so we extend that care to others. Our lack of skills or influence, education or power, can never be an excuse to hide our light under a bushel basket. The apostle Paul discovered that in his weakness and through his weakness God’s power became most evident, became a light shining through him.

Candles melt; bulbs burn out; and the sun sets. Perhaps this is why Jesus declared: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." We are not self-ignited. We are not the source of light. We do not shine on our own. The flame comes from beyond us. Make sure that the ultimate source of light (the first day of creation, God said, "Let there be light.") is the source of your light. "So that your faith [good works] do not rest on human wisdom [strength] but on the power of God."

Come, Holy Spirit, blow like the wind, burn like a fire, kindle a flame of love in my heart.

 

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

 

Scripture:

Hebrews 13:15-17, 20-21
Mark 6:30-34

Reflection:

Mark’s Gospel has a real tender side which we can be appreciated if it is read slowly.  Just to sit with some of the images Mark uses can be pretty profound.  Mark says that Jesus saw the crowd.  Mark is telling us what Jesus sees.  That alone is quite special.  When Jesus looks at the crowd he sees them with his heart. He is not looking at them with his eyes.  He is not seeing a bunch of people physically wandering around lost.  But he is describing a bigger situation.

Jesus’ image of these people was that they were like sheep without a shepherd.  Because of this, Jesus’ heart goes out to the people of the crowd.  Sheep without a shepherd means he saw people who were psychically, emotionally and spiritually lost.  Lost sheep tend to scatter all over the place.  Lost sheep can be quick to follow anyone or anything.  Lost sheep, I suspect, feel quite insecure.  And Jesus’ heart goes out to them.  

I don’t know whether Jesus entertained the question of what has caused them to be lost?  Perhaps no one has accepted the responsibility to take care of them.  Would that not be a judgment back onto the religious leaders of the time?  Are those religious leaders taking care of their sheep?  Are they neglecting their sheep? If they were taking care of them, then they wouldn’t be so lost.  Jesus sees the need, names and proclaims it, and then he steps in and does something about the situation. 

Is this different than any experience we’ve all had?  I suspect all of us have been in situations of need.  And when something needs to be done, we have several choices.  Sometimes we can ignore it and hope that it goes away.  Other times, we roll up our sleeves, step in and do something about the situation.  And hopefully, we do this because it is the right thing to do, or it is a loving act of service.  If we do it for personal gain or monetary value, we certainly have missed the point.  When we look at the history of the Church, many of the men and women who have seen needs of the human family have stepped in and risen to the occasion.  They literally have rolled up their sleeves and sacrificed.  Why?  Out of their love of Christ, they choose to lovingly enter into a situation. Many of those in the Liturgical Calendar have stepped into difficult situations in caring ways to bring promise, justice, or hope to lost sheep.  The two biggest examples of this in Church history of course are the vast number of schools
and hospitals which were founded for the needs of desperate people. 

For Jesus this isn’t merely a one-time occurrence.  This is the pattern of his life.  This is his job description.  Mark will go on to add how Jesus’ heart is filled with pity for the people.  It is this sense of compassion which I truly believe is the divine energy of Christ.  And this compassionate energy has the ability to do miracles.  It doesn’t disappear at the ascension.  It is still with us and is manifested in those who choose to see it and act with it.

The scene in the last chapter of John’s gospel between Jesus and Peter continues on this theme.  Jesus knows that someone has to continue looking after the sheep.  "Peter do you love me?," Jesus will ask.  And then Jesus will commission Peter to keep doing what Jesus himself has been doing, "Feed my sheep."  

A couple of weekends ago we had a really powerful weekend retreat.  The retreat group allowed themselves to be the mystical body of Christ.  This group empowered one another with the gifts and talents each had.  There was a tremendous amount of love and mutual respect.  And in the time we spent together, I found it so beautiful how the body of Christ did what Christ does; it brought restoration, healing and empowerment to others.  Quite profoundly, there was the Lord feeding his sheep.

Lastly, in the first reading of the day, the letter to Hebrews speaks also about leadership.  He says it is the responsibility of the leaders to keep watch over the flock.  And this should be done with great joy, not burdening others.  I know Lent is still a few weeks away, but perhaps it could be a good Lenten practice to allow ourselves to "See" a little bit better with the eyes of Jesus.

 

Fr. David Colhour, C.P. is on the staff at Christ the King Passionist Retreat Center, Citrus Heights, California.

 

 

Scripture:

Hebrews 12:18-19, 21-24
Mark 6:7-13

Reflection:

Today the Gospel of Mark reveals the early invitation to evangelization, as Jesus sends out his Twelve.

I’m always a little amazed at how quickly Jesus has people began doing his work.  As a task oriented culture many of us would ask, "How, Lord, do you expect us to expel demons, or work these many cures?"  Jesus does not seem to be concerned with "how" this is done as much as the "whats" that are involved. " What you are to take with you; what you are to leave behind; what to do if you are not received.   The how questions are all resolved because he has given the Twelve authority (over the unclean spirits).

I just returned from a retreat for high school seniors.  I have never experienced reconciliation and healing to the degree I saw this week.  I was astonished at the number of people who had grudges against others, or who had judged others and would go up to the person who they had the grudge or the judgment against, confess their grudge or judgment, acknowledged a wedge had pushed them apart and a wall had separated them.  Instantly, walls turned into hugs and tears flowed—rivers of healing water. This behavior was manifested in individual one-on-one sessions, small group sessions, and large group sessions as well.  No one asked them to do this, nor did they ask "How should I do this?" They claimed the authority and took the initiative.  The "hows" were never a question because the "whats" were first dealt with.  And the rules around "what" included leaving behind the ipods, and the masks so frequently hidden behind.

In doing so they had a real encounter with Christ.  It was not, as the letter to the Hebrews would say, on an untouchable mountain, a blazing fire, or gloomy darkness.  Rather, it was to Jesus, mediator of a new covenant, whose blood speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.

 

Fr. David Colhour, C.P. is on the staff at Christ the King Passionist Retreat Center, Citrus Heights, California.

Scripture

Hebrews 12:1-4
Mark 5:21-43

Reflection

In our gospel today Mark shows us Jesus with a large crowd gathered around him, setting out to heal the daughter of Jairus but interrupted on his journey by a strange incident.  Thus we get two miraculous healings to consider, the first one occurring at this odd interruption.  Mark’s little sympathetic details give a clear picture: "She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors . . . ."   She touches Jesus’ cloak; he stops, turns, and asks who has touched his clothes.  You can see the disciples throwing up their hands in despair and saying, "Practically everyone is jostling you, and you ask, ‘Who touched my clothes?’  Oy veh!"  But Jesus had known at once that power had gone out from him.  He just didn’t know who had received it.  However, the woman knew, and she came forward to fall at his feet and tell everything.

"Power had gone out from him" – not felt by everyone around him, but only by this woman, so very much in need of it and who had sought it so ardently: "If I but touch his clothes, . . ."   What is this mysterious power that this very human Jesus exudes even through his clothes?  "Power had gone out from him."

Remember that in the readings five days ago Mark had described how Jesus taught his disciples by parables. Jesus told the parable of the lamp, not placed under a bushel or under a bed, but upon the lamp stand to send forth its light through the whole room. 

Today Mark shows us Jesus teaching not by words, but by action; not by parables but by the actions indicated in the parable.  He is the parable.  What is this mysterious power that goes out from Jesus?  It is light, it is compassion, it is healing: it is the love of God for us, dwelling in Jesus, made manifest by him – the great compassionate personal love that God has for this woman and pours forth upon her through Jesus.  Power went out from him, the Power of divine love.

An incident from over sixty years ago comes to my mind.  In my senior year after school I worked in a dry cleaning store.  During that year I got quite friendly with the Jewish druggist next door, where I would go for a break (every drug store in Brooklyn had a soda fountain-lunch counter in those days).  One day the druggist, Mr. Sands, talked to me a bit about his wife.  "When I am upstairs taking a nap and hear Mrs. Sands come in and start to move about, I feel a great peace come over me.  Everything calms down and I lie there perfectly content – just knowing she is there."  I thought it was marvelous – just her presence brought him perfect peace.   Power went out from her. 

Haven’t we often experienced something similar?  A smiling face, a smiling presence brightening our day, lifting up our spirits – making us feel it is good to be alive, good to be around that person, good to have that person around.  I am convinced that Jesus moved in Mrs. Sands and moves in us, pouring God’s love from one to the other.  Where do we get such power?  Like the woman who suffered from hemorrhages, we get it from Jesus.  We go to him, we contact him, we touch him, we sit in his presence – and his power goes out from him to us, enabling us, even when we are not aware, to bring his power to others.

 

Peter Fitzpatrick, CFX, is a Xaverian Brother living at Ryken Hiouse, Louisville, across Bear Grass Creek from the Passionist Community Sacred Heart Monastery.  

Scripture:

Hebrews 11:32-40
Mark 5:1-20

Reflection:

Do you ever feel driven by forces that seemed beyond your control?  In today’s gospel, a man driven mad by the evil force of a legion found hope and help in the one person who could set him free.

 A legion is no small force–it is an army of 6000 strong!  The devils inside this man from Gerasene had taken control of his life from him.  Like a person struggling in quicksand, this man had fallen deeper and deeper into his pit of isolation, violence, anger, and hopelessness.  It is bad enough in life to be driven by one demon, but this poor man was possessed by so many that when Jesus asked their name, the terrible answer came back, "Legion is my name.  There are many of us."

As Jesus passed by, the Gerasene prostrated himself and asked for help.  Jesus always hears the cry of the poor and He responds immediately.  Jesus cast out the man’s demons and left him in control for the first time in a very long time. 

While this story is about the Gerasene demoniac, it is also our story.  The demons that besiege us–whether they be an addiction, or greed, or lust, or any other evil force–they are powers that are often beyond our control.   Like the Gerasene, we too can be freed from these demons if we are willing to ask for help.

This is the kind of thing that happens when Jesus passes by!  Just ask:  the woman at the well, bartimaeus, the lame man at the pool of Bethesda, the leper, the blind man, saul of Tarsus, Aacchaeus, Lazarus-and me!  This is my story.  On December 5, 1982, my experience may not have been as dramatic a story as some of those mentioned above, but what a powerful difference Jesus made in my life when he passed by where I was on that day!

 

Deacon Brian Clements is on the staff at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.  [email protected]

Scripture:

Zephaniah 2:3, 3:12-13
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Matthew 5:1-12a

Reflection:

How many of you were born in a castle or a palace?   Hmmm…  I don’t see any hands.  How many of you were born into a wealthy family like the Rockefeller’s, the Kennedy’s, or the Walton’s?  Are there any mayors, governors or presidents in your family?  Are you a millionaire, a famous movie star, or a super-bowl hero?

I don’t qualify, either.  Well, chances are, without much money, power or fame, you and I are not going to make much of an impact on life here on earth, right?

Wrong.  As a matter of fact, if we listen carefully to Paul’s letter to us today, we will see that you and I are very qualified to do great things.  Let me explain.

Where was Jesus born?  Not in a famous city.  In the little town of Bethlehem.  And not in a castle.  In a stable, of all places.  His mother and father were not famous.  Mary was an unknown maiden. Joseph was just a carpenter.  Both from the humble town of Nazareth.  The message it that God often chooses unlikely people from unlikely places to do his work.

Okay, maybe it’s a stretch to compare ourselves to Mary and Joseph.  So let’s look at the apostles.  Who were they?  Anybody outstanding?  A few were fishermen.  One was a tax collector.  The others were so unknown we don’t even know what they did.  These were the kind of people God choose then.  These are the kind of people God chooses now.

And why?  So that, as Paul tells us, humankind can do no boasting before the Lord.  "Let him who would boast, boast in the Lord."  That’s what Mary did.  She saw that God was doing great things through her.  So we have her beautiful hymn, the Magnificat, in which she proclaims, "God who is mighty has done great things to me.  Holy is God’s name."   Paul did a lot of boasting "in the Lord," wisely giving God all the credit for the success of his ministry.

The "poor in spirit" mentioned in our gospel today are those who are conscious of their total dependence upon God.  Consequently they are open to learn, to receive, to achieve, and then give thanks.  If we can bow low enough, hang on!  God will do great things through us.  Holy is God’s name.

 

Fr. Alan Phillip, C.P. is a member of the Passionist Community at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.  http://www.alanphillipcp.com/

 

Scripture:

Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19
Mark 4:35-41

Reflection:

What are you afraid of?

Scientists say that all animals, including human beings, are hardwired with a "fight or flight principle."

That is when we are confronted by some threatening entity, real or imagined, when we are afraid, our natural reaction is to flee or to fight. This "fight or flight principle", this gift of being afraid, is the principle that determines the survival of species as well as individuals!

Today’s Gospel finds Jesus and his disciples on a boat. A tremendous storm comes up and the boat is filling with water. The disciples are in a panic. They have lost control. Whatever they are trying to do to keep the boat afloat does not seem to be working. Faced with the threatening power of nature, all they can think about is how to flee from the situation. All the while, Jesus, their master, remains asleep on a cushion in the back of the boat. They cry to Jesus. He wakes up. He says to the sea: "Quiet! Be still!"

The wind stops; the sea calms. And Jesus asks that pivotal question: "Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?"

What are you afraid of?

While I agree with science that all human beings as members of the animal kingdom are endowed with a "flight or flight principle," I think we as disciples of Jesus must remember the old adage of "grace overcoming nature." "Flight or fight" are not the only two choices we as believers have. There is third choice and that choice is Trust. Scholars say that there are two lessons that Mark wants to teach in sharing this story about Jesus. One is to show that this Jesus was not just a magician who could entertain the crowds with amazing party tricks, but rather that this Jesus is truly Lord of All Creation and Master of Nature. He is truly the off-spring of the Creator God of the Book of Genesis. Secondly, he is the perfect faith-filled human being. He does rage against the storm he cannot control. He does not cowl in fear against the elements unleashed. Rather like a child in the arms of her mother, he trusts in his Father who has only the best in mind for him. He shows his disciples how to live by grace.

What are you afraid of?

Often times as people who have chosen to follow Jesus, we are faced with situations and events in our life in which our natural reaction is to run in fear or fight in fury. Perhaps today you find yourself in such a situation. If so, take a moment, take a deep breath, step back and listen to the words of our Lord to you: "Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?"

What are you afraid of?  

Just trust.

 

Patrick Quinn ([email protected]) is the director of Planned Giving at the Passionist Development Office in Chicago.

 

Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas

 

Scripture:

Hebrews 10:32-39
Mark 4:26-34

 

Reflection:

Today’s Gospel includes one of the most well known of the parables-the parable of the mustard seed.  It is tempting to share thoughts on this beautiful parable.  But the last two lines of today’s Gospel are also worth contemplating. 

"With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private."

A parable is defined as the telling of a story to convey a message.  We often think of the parables as being only the Jesus’ parables of scripture, but I think we can find many great parables – or messages in everyday life.  I know a priest who takes great delight in going to movies.  And  in all the movies he sees, he looks for and almost always finds a moral – something he can use in a homily or in the counseling he does. 

Sometimes, when we are very quiet and listen, we can distinctly hear God’s message, God’s will for us.  At these times we are like the disciples, to whom Jesus explained things in private.  At other times, we need to search the world around us to find Jesus’ message.  Perhaps we walk down a tree lined street and see God’s care for all that grows and thus know that God loves us, or perhaps we see people involved in prison ministry and remember that all are called to practice justice and mercy.  Or perhaps we see a movie, read a book or even watch a TV show and find the kernel of morality there.  Maybe the reason Jesus uses parables, and the reason we should seek parables in our everyday life,  is partially because the time is taken to discern the message helps deepen and root the message in our hearts. 

Today is also the feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas, the great Doctor, philosopher and teacher of the Church.  Thomas changed our church with his profound writings and teachings.  I was recently reading of Thomas Aquinas’  love of poetry.  Since most poetry is a really a type of parable, perhaps we can assume that while God’s voice was undoubtedly heard distinctly by him, St. Thomas also listened  to and contemplated messages found in parables.

What parables do you find in your life?  And do you find time for quiet so that you can hear God’s voice?

 

Mary Lou Butler ([email protected])is the administrator of Christ the King Passionist Retreat Center in Citrus Heights, California.