Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Amos 8:4-7
1 Timothy 2:1-8
Luke 16:1-13 or 16:10-13

Reflection:

"The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones." 
                                                                     -Luke 16:10

It seems to me that everyone has those moments of betrayal when growing up. I once felt betrayed by a classmate who decided not to work with me in a project. Not only did I lose trust that one person, I also began to wonder if other people felt the same way about me. That experience did stir up within me the desire to be trustworthy in all things, but it also left me wondering if maybe others did not think of me as trustworthy. To live a life worthy of trust is not an easy in today’s world. Neither is it easy to learn to trust others, especially when those others have betrayed our trust.

There is no doubt that the readings for today’s Mass challenge us to be trustworthy in all of our dealings with others: God, our family and our neighbors, which includes every living person on earth. If we are not worthy of trust, then we will never be able to enter into loving relationships with anyone else. And others will not be able to enter into lifelong loving relationships with us. Trust is the basis for our faith.

One of the easiest ways to lose other people’s trust is to cheat them of what is their due. Many of us have come across people who are very good at cheating others of what rightly belongs to them. And the poor are easy targets. Over the years, we have had scandals involving Saving and Loans institutions, Banks, Fortune Five hundred companies, Wall Street Firms that have robbed billions and billions of dollars from ordinary people, only to see very few wrongdoers go to jail. The Prophet Hosea could have very well taken his script from Congregational records or court cases.

Some of us may be surprised by Jesus’ example of what some texts call the "unjust steward." That’s because we didn’t live during Jesus’ time. Administrators, tax collectors, stewards and managers would set their own price for the goods they sold on behalf of their bosses. These people would charge much more than what the product was worth. They would keep as much of the profit as they could, and then give the rest to the owners. Apparently, his boss caught him charging too much money. What the unjust steward did was to reduce his profit considerably so that the buyers could come back to buy from his owners. Like Zacchaeus, the tax collector, it seems that this dishonest steward was beginning to make restitution. I think this may be why Jesus praised him.

Jesus’ words about serving God or serving mammon leaves us all re-examining our lives and our priorities. In our desire to become more secure, to gain more wealth or to become very rich, we can trample on the poor, the less fortunate and the powerless of our society. We sometimes do this by actually cheating them when we do not pay our taxes, look for loop holes that favor us or provide a very poor service. Other times, we harden our hearts to the plights of the people who have less than we do or who have suffered great tragedies for no fault of their own. This is when we know that we have allowed our love for money to be dishonest with our brothers and sisters in need. We have, in that very moment ceased to be trustworthy. It is when we remember that no disciple can serve two masters that we can be transformed into trustworthy people!

 

Fr. Clemente Barron, C.P. is a member of the General Council of the Passionist Congregation and is stationed in Rome.

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Luke 7:36-50

Reflection:

What must it have been like in Jesus’ time to be "the sinful woman?" Can you imagine how painful it must have been to have your worst action, the most vulnerable part of your humanity, be the name by which you are known and called? You are not Judith or Rachel or any other name, but the whore, the prostitute, the sinner.

The shame must have been indescribable. Perhaps the sinful woman hardened herself in order to withstand the judging looks and spiteful comments; maybe she protected herself with cynicism or feigned arrogance or even aggressiveness. Maybe she hid in the shadows.

We don’t know any of that for sure, but we do know that in the presence of Jesus the woman wept like an innocent child. A world of hurt poured out as she bathed his feet tenderly with her tears, wiping his feet dry with her hair. How much she must have cherished the one who did not judge her, did not objectify her, did not view her as a "thing" to be cast out, but as a person who is loved-and forgivable-in God’s eyes.  

This is the Savior we believe in; the One who does not recoil or remain remote from us in our brokenness, but who looks into our hearts with compassion when we approach. Our life may be in tatters; we may be holding onto our faith by a fingernail, but we are welcomed by a God who is intimate and loving and unaffected by the world’s harsh judgments.

Which brings me to "a certain Pharisee." Ultimately, reflexive judgments, harsh criticisms and growing fears are isolating, damaging and painful, too. May God help us trust and find in others the same goodness we want God to see within us.  May we be forgiving and forgiven. May we all go in peace.

 

Nancy Nickel is director of communications at the Passionist Development Office in Chicago.

 

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

Scripture:

Hebrews 5: 7-9
Psalm 31
Stabat Mater
John 15: 25-27 or Luke 2: 23-35

 

 

Reflection:

Once again the Church gives us great scriptural riches to nourish our appreciation of Mary. This particular feast finds its roots in the Middle Ages in Europe. It is not a devotion that is found in the eastern churches. The first liturgical texts go back to the early fifteenth century. Up until the reform of the liturgical calendar after Vatican Council ll there were two feasts dedicated to the sorrows of Mary: one on the Friday before Holy Week and the current feast that was originally granted to the Servites in the 17^th century. When the Passionists were founded in the 18^th century they too celebrated the feast in a special manner. In the early 19^th century the feast was extended to the whole Church.

The first reading from Hebrews and Psalm 31 center us on the suffering of Jesus.  The moving hymn, Stabat Mater, and the gospel from John or Luke

focus us on Mary. The obvious conclusion is that what Jesus suffered in mind and heart were suffered by Mary his mother as well. This is also the rhythm of the liturgical calendar. Yesterday we celebrated the Triumph of the Cross. Of course the Passion of Jesus goes on in the world today. Like Mary we need to let it change our minds and hearts.

Psalm 31 is a prayer for hard times. Maybe you are experiencing one of those times now. Financial hardship or a serious illness might be weighing on your spirit. Sometimes all we can do at such times is to pray as the psalmist and Jesus prayed: "into your hands I commit my spirit". So if you are in trouble pray this psalm. As you do, you will notice how the final four verses express complete confidence that your prayer will be heard. 

 

Fr. Michael Hoolahan, C.P. is on the staff of Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

 

Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross

Scripture:

Numbers 21:4b-9
Philemon 2:6-11
John 3:13-17

 

Reflection:

On this feast of the Holy Cross we are once again invited to remember how even in the Cross of Christ, once a symbol of defeat, ignominy, and death, we are called to hope and trust in the Lord.

What fills my heart this day is the memory of attending the funeral Mass just two days ago of a young woman I had the privilege of knowing while journeying with a group on pilgrimage to the shrine of our Lady of Lourdes.  The young woman, Wendy, a mother of three children, ages 7, 5, and 3, and wife of a great man, Orlando, was suffering from a rare cancer that caused the development of tumors inside the body.  For Wendy it was a three year long process that ultimately took her life after the chemo became toxic and the tumors simply filled her lungs until she was unable to breathe on her own.  Isn’t it so very sad that this young woman, so beautiful, vibrant, and loving should have to leave her family that still needs her so very much?  Even more piercing was the moment at the end of the Mass when we were preparing to process back to the Church entrance.  I was standing on the aisle just next to Jacob, Wendy and Orlando’s 3 year old little one, so beautiful to look at with dark hair and even darker eyes.  Jacob leaned up to me and cried, "Where’s my mommy?"  How the Cross of Christ comes even into the lives of God’s littlest ones.

On the feast of the Holy Cross we are invited to remember that it is in dying that we are born to new life.  Life dares us to believe that even when it deals out its worst, we are still mighty in our faith and not defeated.  The Cross of Christ has won the ultimate victory for us and all we can do is to imitate the Lord who emptied himself in obedience to the Father’s will and who now sits at God’s right hand.  Wendy knows this great truth this very moment.  What a joy for her!  What peace and happiness dear Wendy has now and forever!  And for Jacob and all of us who still know the sadness of a life snatched away through the horror of cancer, well, we too must empty ourselves of doubt and grief by trusting that God will raise us up too.  He will be faithful to us just as he was with his beloved Son.  Jacob will see his mommy.  He will hear her sweet voice once again!  So shall we all!

 

Fr. Pat Brennan, CP is the director of Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

 

Scripture:

Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14
1 Timothy 1:12-17
Luke 15:1-32 or 15:1-10

Reflection:

In Sunday’s Gospel reading from Luke (15:1-32), we hear Jesus tell three famous parables: ""The Lost Sheep," "The Lost Coin," and "The Lost Son." Jesus tells these parables to the Pharisees and the scribes who complain that He "welcomes sinners and eats with them." In the parables of "the Lost Sheep" and "The Lost Coin," Jesus is trying to show the Pharisees and the scribes that "there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents." He is trying to show them that He, in the words of our second reading from 1 Timothy, "came into the world to save sinners."

The same can be said of the parable of "The Lost (or Prodigal) Son." In that parable, a father rejoices over the return of his younger son, who goes away with his share of the inheritance, spends it all on a "life of dissipation," finds himself in "dire need," when the country he is in suffers a "severe famine," comes to his senses, and comes back home. When the older son discovers that the father celebrates the return of his brother, instead of punishing him or rejecting him, he gets angry, and will not join in the celebration. The father pleads with his older son, but Jesus does not include in the parable what the older brother ultimately does. All Jesus tells us is that the younger, or prodigal, son repents of his sin, comes back to his father, and is welcomed back with open arms.

In the parable, the younger son recognizes that he is indeed, "lost." He realizes that his selfishness and his desire for self-gratification has led him astray from where he was supposed to be. The older son, however, even though he did not leave home, is "lost" but does not recognize it. He is lost because he cannot see the love the father has for him. His lack of trust in his father’s love has led him astray. And the Pharisees and the scribes, for whom these parables were intended, are also "lost," but do not acknowledge it. They have been led astray by their arrogance, which has led them to deny their own need for mercy and forgiveness, and to look down upon others, whom they consider "sinners.".

Are we willing to acknowledge that we are in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness? Are we willing to concede that there are times when we have been "lost?" We can see from the example of the Pharisees and the scribes who complained about Jesus, and from the parable of "The Lost Son," that there are many things that can lead us astray, such as pride and lust and lack of trust in God. The remarkable thing, however, is that no matter how far we have gone astray, we can always go back! We can always repent and turn back to the God who loves us so much!

Perhaps it is a good time, then, to examine where we are in our lives. Are we lost? We need not be afraid to admit it. Are there attitudes and behaviors that lead us astray from where we’re supposed to be? By the grace and love of God in Jesus Christ, we can let those attitudes and behaviors go. We don’t have to be stuck where we are. Instead, we can follow Jesus, and be "found," once again, awash in God’s grace.

 

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

Scripture:
1 Corinthians 10:14-22
Luke 6:43-49

Reflection:
The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.

Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!"

Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling;
I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.   Ps. 116: 3-4,7-9

A day to remember and pray for all who died on 9-11.

 

Deacon Manuel Valencia is on the staff at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

 

Scripture:

1Corinthians 8:1b-7, 11-13
Luke 6:27-38

Reflection:

It is exactly 400 years since Peter Claver, SJ arrived at his mission assignment in Cartagena, Columbia in 1610. His discernment to minister in the New World was helped by the urging of Alphonso Rodriquez, a Jesuit lay brother, who would be canonized on the same day as Peter, in 1888. Cartagena was a slave trade center. Peter would meet the boats and care for the ill, and disoriented, he would follow them to the salve pens with food and medicines, and when possible, visit the mines or farms where they toiled. He ministered for 44 years, then disappears from public view the last few years of his life due to illness. But in death his good deeds were remembered and his funeral became a state funeral. His goodness has been remembered ever since.

Peter is an icon of today’s gospel. Jesus has given us the Beatitudes, now he addresses his followers about how to love. Love your enemies and those who hate, bless those who curse and pray for those who look down upon you. Followers are called to go beyond the norm. Peter Claver desired to do this. Perhaps it was the Latin word, ‘magis’ (more) familiar to the Jesuits that inspired Peter, because he strove to do ‘more’ for the Glory of God. 

Luke’s teaching on love is drawn from the love of God that we see in the Covenant. God first loves us; this love we do not earn, it is freely given, it is Gift. It is a love that we see revealed in many ways, and so a love revelatory of the mystery of God’s love for us. God loves the unjust and the wicked. This is the love we are given, the gift we are called to give to others. When we do this we will be known as children of the Most High, daughters and sons who exercise their inheritance of love in daily life.

"Be compassionate as your heavenly Father is compassionate." Peter when a young priest was heard to say that he would be "a slave of the Negroes for ever." He taught the slaves to pray, "Jesus Christ, Son of God, you will be my father and my mother and all my good. I love you much. I am sorry for having sinned against you. Lord, I love you much, much, much". So the man who lived the "more" as a Jesuit, taught the poorest whose bodies were taken from them in this life to say, "Lord, I love you much, much, much."

The gospel ends today: by the measure you use to measure you will be measured in return. Peter you gave more and taught others to love much. What a magnificent way you show us to go against the norms that hold us back from true freedom. And it was ‘true freedom’ that was the gift given you by God through your work with those who had no freedom!

 

Fr. William Murphy, CP is pastor of St. Joseph’s Monastery parish in Baltimore, MD.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

Scripture:

Micah 5:1-4a or Romans 8:28-30
Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23, or 1:18-23

Reflection:

I write this at a retreat center in Lake Charles, LA. I am here creating my new talks for the fall season of missions. On my bedroom wall hangs a portrait of the annunciation. A radiant angel stands before Mary. Her posture is one of humble submission. It is the moment of surrender. She says "yes" to God’s plan for her and humanity.

I believe surrender is the fundamental act of the Christian life. More than praying a prayer, it is a posture from which we can live our life. Surrender is an abandonment of our person and will to God who always wants the best for us. Living a surrendered life is far from being passive or resigned. It was because of Mother Teresa’s daily surrender that she ministered to the poorest of the poor. Maximillian Kolbe’s surrender impelled him to give his life in the place of a married man in a concentration camp’s starvation bunker. It is through surrender that people who are bound come into recovery. People who live surrendered lives are among the most proactive, passionate people alive.

There were two memorable moments of surrender in my life. One was lying prostrate in the sanctuary at Immaculate Conception Church as the litany of the saints was being sung. That occasion was my ordination to the priesthood in 1991. The other was proclaiming my vows to the passion, poverty, chastity, and obedience to God on this day 25 years ago. Peak moments of surrender help shape our lives and define the way we live each day. 

God is so worthy of all that we are. As we heard in the readings, God chooses the lowly. He predestines us for glory in love. God works through our family tree to bring about good. God is gracious, kind, and merciful. God never forces our surrender but captivates us and allures us to freely give ourselves fully in the context of a love relationship.

Today we celebrate the birth of the one who’s "yes" would change the destiny of humanity. Our daily "yes" will affect people too.

 

Fr. Cedric Pisegna, C.P. is a missionary preacher, author of 14 books and creator of the TV program Live with Passion! airing in many cities. You can learn more about his ministry at: http://www.frcedric.org/