Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Galatians 3:7-14
Luke 11:15-26

Reflection:

For some days now we’ve been hearing Paul teach about faith. In the strongest of terms (you stupid Galatians!) he wanted the Galatians to know that they received the Spirit and salvation itself through faith. Today he emphasized that faith is the way we must live our everyday life. "The just shall live by faith." (Hab. 2:4)

The virtue of faith is both a gift from God as well as our responsibility to choose it and exercise it daily. Faith is a positive energizing force within each of us. Abraham, whom Paul alluded to, was a wandering Aramean, our ancestor in faith. So too, we must "walk by faith, and not by sight." There is a difference between a journey and a pilgrimage. One is movement through life. A pilgrimage is travelling by faith.

As you read this today, I am off on another mission, another pilgrimage of faith in my life’s journey. I’m flying to Pittsburgh and a parish mission in Glenshaw, PA. I will encounter people whom I’ve never met, new situations and various challenging circumstances. I am required to meet all of these in faith. Whether I write books, create talks, TV or radio programs, I must initiate and establish them by faith. The just shall live by their faith. God doesn’t require that we be perfect humans, but that we live by faith.

Faith is adherence to and confidence in God. It is written that without faith, it is impossible to please God. (Faith is not so much believing that God exists, or course God does, but having confidence that he is with us and at work in our daily life.) Whenever I start any project or depart on any mission, I have confidence that God goes before me and will see me through victoriously. Faith opens doors for God’s wonder-working power to manifest itself. (Read the testimonies of Hebrews chapter 11.)

Once Paul the apostle was in a mighty storm and all hope was lost. His response? "I have faith in God." (Acts 27:25) Radical dependence in God is a must for our daily ordinary journey, but especially when we encounter misfortunes, sufferings and storms. Whatever opportunity, difficulty or trial you are facing right now, have faith in God. God will open a door. God will take you through. God will make a way. Our lives are in the gracious hands of our heavenly Father who always has our best interest in mind. Our responsibility is to exercise the gift of faith given us by thanking God beforehand and speaking positive realities out of our mouth. Praying, speaking positives and thanking God is how we exercise and "release" our faith.

The just shall live by their faith. This is the New Testament notion of discipleship. Give God something to work with! In your pilgrimage, exercise your faith, no matter what you are facing right now.  

 

Fr. Cedric Pisegna, C.P. is a missionary preacher, author of 14 books and creator of television and radio programs airing in many cities. You can learn more about his ministry at: http://www.frcedric.org/

 

Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary

 

Scripture:

Galatians 3:1-5
Luke 11:5-13

 

Reflection:

In 1571, all Europe trembled as the Sultan prepared a mighty  naval armada for a strong assault on the West.  Pope St. Pius V asked Christians to pray the rosary and on October 7th the Pope was given sight of  the victory of Don John of Austria and the Christian fleet at the Battle of Lepanto.

In our day Pope John Paul II renewed the plea for Catholics across the world to pray the Rosary.  We know that prayer is not simply a repetition of Our Fathers and Hail Marys.  It is meant to allow us to view the wonderful works of Christ through the eyes and heart of Mary, his Mother.

Pope John Paul gave us the Mysteries of Light – Five incidents in the life of Christ that have an uplifting meaning for us today.

We reflect on these grace-filled actions of Jesus and find their impact on our life today.  The mysteries we are invited to contemplate are: (1) The Miracle at the Wedding Feat at Cana.   The Jesus who supplied the best wine for the newly-weds is interested in all our needs and desires we can ask him through Mary.  (2.) Jesus is baptized in the Jordan.  He is sinless but embraces us with our sins.  Our baptism has power from his. (3) Jesus teaches and  preaches, he has words of eternal life  only if we listen.  (4) Jesus is Transfigured.  Yes, he is our brother, but he is also Son of God in our flesh, there is no limit to his power and he uses that power to give us a share in his  glory. That is our call, our meaning.  (5) The Eucharist,  "Jesus having loved his own who were in the world, loved them to he end."  In flesh and blood, divinity and humanity he pours out his love and life for us.  As we reflect on this mystery we can renew our thanks for our every Communion.

Mary’s chain of prayer brings us deeply into the love and life of Jesus.

 

Fr. Fred Sucher, C.P. is retired and lives in the Passionist community in Chicago.  For many years he taught philosophy to Passionist seminarians.  

Scripture:

Galatians 2:1-2, 7-14
Luke 11:1-4

Reflection:

This reading from Galatians reminds me of a long-standing practice in the Roman Catholic Church. Every bishop must render to the pope an account of the state of his diocese once every five years. This is called an ad limina visit, or a time for the bishops to visit the tombs of the Apostles, Peter and Paul, and to meet the Pope with a report on the state of their dioceses.

The apostle Paul is meeting again with Peter. It had been some time since their last meeting. In the previous meeting, both decreed that Peter, James and John would be the apostles to the Jews and Paul with Barnabas would be the apostles to the Gentiles. They all agreed that the Gentile converts did not have to be circumcised or follow all the ritual laws of the Jewish religion.

In Antioch we hear about a confrontation between Peter and Paul. Peter freely mixed with Gentiles and ate with them. But when some Jewish Christian came to Antioch, Peter refused to mingle with the Gentile Christians and refrained from eating their food. Paul became very angry at this compromising of an essential principle which had been worked out. Paul opposed Peter "to his face" and in the presence of everyone. Peter’s behavior was giving mixed signals and could result in dividing the Church into two communities which could not then celebrate the "breaking of the bread" together.

This incident reminds us that there is always tension in any organization, family or relationship. We need to adapt to changing needs, changing situations and a constantly changing world. No change means stagnation and ultimately death; too much change means loss of identity and purpose. It is difficult to keep a balance. At times we need a Paul opposing a Peter to their face. This is not to say that the "conservative" Peter is wrong and the "liberal" Paul is right (or vice versa). Truth usually lies somewhere in the middle.

Careful discernment is needed. A healthy sign to look for is that a compromise will promote unity. No individual person and no special group totally possess absolute truth.  Let us pray that as disciples of Christ we be fully involved in the task of making God’s Kingdom of unity a reality for all.

_________________
The Passionists celebrate today the feast of Blessed Isidore De Loor. Born in 1881 in eastern Flanders, he joined the Passionist Community at the age of twenty-six. Cancer was diagnosed and his right eye was removed. The cancer had spread throughout his body however and Isidore was given only a few years to live. He was then assigned to answer the front door. As World War I took its toll on Belgium more and more visitors prevailed upon the monastery for help, which Brother Isidore was only too willing to offer. He died of cancer and pleurisy on October 6, 1916. Among the religious and the laity, Blessed Isidore was admired for his charity and simplicity, his dedication to work and his spirit of prayer.

 

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

Scripture:

Galatians 1:13-24
Luke 10:38-42

Reflection:

The Two readings the church gives us today have strong themes of attentiveness.  In the familiar Mary and Martha story from Luke’s gospel Mary gets rewarded by Jesus for sitting attentively at Jesus’ feet.  Martha is attentive to the needs of hospitality, which also is important.  And it is Paul who is attentive to the voice of the Lord in the first reading.  

In Paul’s letter to the Galatians we hear Paul’s own account of his behavior, attitude and conversion. He acknowledges that his reputation had spread far and wide as a destroyer of the faith.  He affirms his call and conversion by the Lord, Jesus Christ, and it doesn’t stop there.  He goes so far as to start a lifelong journey to start telling people about his experience.  Yes Paul is clear about all three stages: persecution, conversion, and proclamation.  However, if you go a little deeper into Paul’s thoughts, you will see that it isn’t exactly this clear cut.  The lines between these fold over onto themselves.  For example, just because Paul is out proclaiming doesn’t mean his conversion is finished. Moreover, in the early days of his strong headed convictions, we see his conversion has already started.  How else could he be so passionate and zealous about persecuting Christians if he didn’t recognize a certain truth in a group of people who professed to be held together by the love of God.  Conversion started early in Paul’s life and he really wrestled with it.  

That is why I speak of attentiveness.  We can live with things for months or even years before we become attentive to them.  Mary is very attentive to the Word of God, while Martha is attentive to the needs of hospitality. Neither are wrong nor bad.  I would propose that Paul lived with his attentiveness his entire life.  In his early days he was a Jewish boy studying the law.  As he grew older he became a Rabi and teacher of the law.  In his struggle to understand this early community of believers, he was in internal conflict with the scripture and content he was taught. Even in this internal conflict he was attentive to something outside of his comfort zone.  In his famous conversion story, it is apparent that he was attentive to the light and the voice.  And in his proclamations, we can see how his conversion kept calling him into the mystery of the Resurrected One.  Indeed there was an attentiveness in Paul.

Prayer for the day:  take some time to tell the Lord how you are attentive to the Holy Spirit’s invitations.

 

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

Scripture:

Hebrews 1:2-3;22:2-4
2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14
Luke 17:5-10

Reflection:

It is Sunday, the day of celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the core hope of our mission journey through time. The integral "DNA" of the Catholic Christian, the paradigm or pattern out of which we live, and move, and have our being is the "PDR" – the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Living, dying, hoping.

The Sunday celebration brings to consciousness this pattern out of which we live.

At Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School there are two reminders the administration and faculty hold up to one another. First, that nothing which happens negatively, as in facing major obstacles, necessarily effects the carrying out of the mission that the "Spirit of God has given us." And, second, in the very weakness, limitation, frustration and fear that I endure, I make a conscious choice through the feelings, that these  indicators  tell me that "the Spirit God has given us is no cowardly spirit,  but rather one that makes us strong, loving, and wise."

Is it the ordinariness of our life that gets to us? Jesus recognizes that, and encourages us to recognize the same. The one, who would see that faithfully carrying out daily tasks is valuable, is that servant who is just carrying out his or her tasks dutifully. That is enough.

Convinced? Is my prayer request like that of the apostles? "Increase our faith."What is Jesus’ response? Take the smallest, tiniest (as in mustard seed) action in my life, and accept that this is "my job in God’s sight," and do with it what I can, not counting the consequences.

Is not this the meaning of stirring into flame the gift God gave you?

Let’s guard the rich deposit of faith, with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.

 

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

Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels 

Scripture:

Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17
Matthew 18:1-5, 10

Reflection:

The disciples approached Jesus and said, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?"  He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.  And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.

"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."

On September 29, we celebrated the feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.  On that day we remembered how the role of the angels in the Scriptures is always linked to the "messenger"-function explicitated in the word "angelos-messenger" in the Greek language.

The message is always the same, "prepare to receive the Holy One sent from God, your Lord and Savior."  Such a message is now fulfilled in the coming of Jesus Christ, and in the proclamation of the Good News, the Gospel of our salvation.

Since the reality of our faith has reach fulfillment in Christ Jesus, it is anachronistic to try to append to the roles of the angels the anticipation and the expectation of what was yet to come.

Since that first night of the angel’s song announcing the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem, the message and the role of the angels is now conjoined with the mystery of the incarnation and the redemption.

As Guardian Angels, the angels protect and oversee the gift of God’s indwelling in us that derives from Baptism.

In Guardian Angels, the presence of God is especially felt in those who are the most powerless and innocent of God’s creatures, the children.

By the Guardian Angels, our consciences are prompted to alert us to the entry of evil into our thoughts and actions; our Guardian Angels remind us that we belong to God and have been made members of the Body of Christ.

Today is a liturgical memorial of the reality of our spiritual selves.  What a loss if we should so forget that we are spiritual beings, that the role of the Angels in our lives should be nullified by our indifference.

Yet, what a blessing, if today we could ask God to bless us with a desire to acknowledge, to listen to, and to respect the guidance that is ours because we have the Angels to speak to us of God and of God’s love for us.

 

Fr. Arthur Carrillo, C.P.  is the director of the Office of Mission Effectiveness for Holy Cross Province.  He lives in Chicago, Illinois.

Memorial of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus

Scripture:

Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5
Luke 10:13-16

Reflection:

She was, by all measure of judgment and estimation, a remarkable woman. It was not due to longevity. Length of days, of course, has its place. Certainly we all aspire to it. But the quality of person and the depth of character trump longevity. She was, according to her own writings and the testimony of kin and kith, a fragile woman. Her health was never good. Born in 1873, Therese Martin lived with bouts of illness and TB. Death came all too soon. She was only twenty-four. Terribly sad! Such a gifted life cut so short. 

Therese Martin was born into a family steeped in piety and love. She entered the Carmel in Lisieux as a young teenager. Such a joy, she felt. To be the beloved of Christ. During these years she lived a consecrated life in the cloister. I say this because her parents lived a holy and consecrated life in the world. Unlike her contemporary, Bernadette of Lourdes, who saw visions of our Lady, Therese lived without notoriety. 

So why has she been so acclaimed as a saint? Why has she so influenced many Catholic women of my mother’s generation? Why was this contemplative Carmelite declared a patronness of the missions? Was this all fin de siecle French piety and saint-making propaganda?

I think there are two qualities that Therese, also known as the "Little Flower," embodies and exemplifies. First, she was a woman of extraordinary faith and profound love. Her intimacy with Christ in prayer, her devotion to God, and her living out of the consecrated life brought her to a depth quite remarkable for such a young woman. Love trumps longevity. Love is the goal. What kind of love? Self-emptying and self-donative. This kind of love is fashioned in the crucible of suffering, illness, and generosity. It manifests a discipleship formed in the heart of Christ Crucified.

The second quality, one that is enduring about Therese, is that she did the ordinary extraordinarily well. She paid attention to the matter at hand. She offered a "little way." She showed that living the challenge of daily life — attending to the beggar with coin and kindness, sharing a cup of soup with the homeless old lay, listening to a lonely, burnt-out teenager — made a difference. She inspired Dorothy Day. Dorothy wrote one of her longest pieces on Therese. Pretty good example of one saint influencing another, eh?!

Quite a woman! Quite a life! Quite possibly worth emulating, eh?!

 

Father John J. O’Brien is a Passionist priest living in Framingham MA. He teaches and writes, preaches and prays. He also serves in local parishes and prisons. 

 

Scripture:

Job 19:21-27
Luke 10:1-12

 

 

 

Reflection:

Poor Job.  Not only is he going through a lot of pain and sorrow.  His friends turn against him.  Job could have used the support and encouragement of his friends.  Instead they accuse him of sinning and deserving God’s punishment.   With friends like that, who needs enemies?

True friends are not judgmental but believe the best about us.  True friends stand by us to cheer us on.  They want us to succeed.  They want us to be happy.  In fact our pain is their pain and our joy is their joy, so closely do they identify with us.

In the book of Sirach we read, "A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure.  A faithful friend is beyond price, no sum can balance his worth. Sirach 6:14-15

Job realizes that his most faithful friend is God.  Job calls him "my Vindicator."  This vindicator will "stand forth upon the dust."  And Job can’t wait to se him.  "My inmost being is consumed with longing."

We learn about friendship at the foot of the cross.  Jesus said, "No one has greater love than this, to lay down ones life for one’s friends." (John 15:13)  He said it and then he did it.  Jesus raises the bar for friendship.

In our gospel Jesus sends out seventy-two disciples to preach the kingdom.  Will they succeed in reaping a great harvest?  Only if they befriend, that is, love the people they are sent to.  That means they must die to selfishness.  That means they must sacrifice self-focus in order to be to keenly present to the other.  That means they must respect, affirm and believe in the people they serve.  …It was not easy for them, nor is it for us, to be a disciple of Jesus.

 

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