Daily Scripture

 

Scripture:

Acts 14,21-27
Psalm 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13
Revelation 21:1-5a
John 13:31-33a, 34-35

 

Reflection:

Today’s readings, which you will have an opportunity to explore with the homilist at Sunday Mass, have a very strong and single message, which flows among them and out to us.  It is this: The body of the Risen Christ is incarnate in the body of the Church, and it is this message that Christ asks the Church to give witness to in its missionary/evangelizing efforts.

When Christ died on Good Friday, the Apostles and the faithful disciples of Jesus were at a loss, the only Jesus they had known and loved had become a victim of an execution; he was killed and buried.  Imagine their joy at the Easter proclamation of His Resurrection.  So much began to become clear to them; words that Jesus had spoken they now could make their own message; actions that Jesus had demonstrated to them, they had the courage to repeat in the name of Jesus; and the challenges he had given them when their realization seemed not very likely, become the challenges they will face and overcome in spreading the life of the Church across the face of their world.

The missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas is commended to the Grace of God by their disciples, and at the end of their great missionary circuit, they come home to Antioch to praise God for the success they have realized.  It is the greater a success because their journey has been to preach to the Gentiles. The die is cast, Christ shall be received into the Gentile communities without their first converting them to Judaism.  The universality of the call to conversion is affirmed by the thousands of Gentiles who come to be baptized into the Risen Life of Jesus.

This is the affirmation that is echoed in the reading from the Book of Revelation: "God’s dwelling is with the human race", which is the New Jerusalem.  No longer is God’s revelation of his plan for salvation an expression of Jewish faith, now all that has preceded gives way to a new heaven and a new earth in which to fashion a new people, who themselves shall be the dwelling place of God.

The words of Jesus at his last supper with the apostles, "This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another…." are verified in the name by which the followers of Jesus the Nazarean come to be known in Antioch, "Christians". 

May we also be so much of Christ that our lives will be an Easter witness to the life now lived in and among us by the Risen Lord.  May we convey the love of Christ to one another.  May we acknowledge and revere the life of Christ which is lived in His Body today, the Church.

 

Fr. Arthur Carrillo is the local leader of the Passionist Community in Houston, Texas. 

Scripture:

Colossians 3: 14-15
Matthew 13: 54-58

Reflection:

"Is he not the carpenter’s son?" … and they took offense at him (Jesus). (Matt: 13:55, 57)

 

Today we celebrate St. Joseph the Worker, Joseph the carpenter, Joseph the hard-working, honest provider for his family: Jesus and Mary. 

As I reflected on St. Joseph the Worker and the conditions of families and workers then and now today, what came to mind was a class I once took on John XX111’s Encyclical, Peace on Earth. So, I went to the Introduction and Part One of this great document and suggest that we all go back to this great work, ponder and pray over "…how the community of all peoples should act towards each other,… (and how) the establishment of such a world community of peoples is being urgently demanded today by the requirements of universal common good…."

"… Any human society if it to be well-ordered and productive, must lay down as a foundation this principle, namely that every human being is a person, that is, his/her nature is endowed with intelligence and free will. By virtue of this, he/she has rights and duties of his/her own, flowing directly and simultaneously from his/her very nature which is universal, inviolable and inalienable.

If we look upon the dignity of the human person in the light of divinely revealed truth, we cannot help  but esteem it far more highly; for men/women are redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ; they are by grace the children and friends of God and heirs of eternal glory.

Beginning our discussion of the rights of man/woman, we see that every one has a right to life, to bodily integrity, and to the means which are necessary and suitable for the proper development of life; these are primarily food, clothing, shelter, rest, medical care,

and finally the necessary social services.  Therefore a human being also has the right to security in cases of sickness, inability to work, widowhood, old age, unemployment, or in any other case which he/she is deprived of the means of subsistence through no fault of his own…."

I suggest we all find time to read again, ponder and pray over this entire encyclical written in 1963, shortly before Pope John’s death. It was significant then and is possibly more so today. 

Peace!

 

Marcella Fabing, CSJ, Christ the King Retreat Center, Citrus Heights, CA.

 

Scripture:

Acts 12:24-13:5a
John 12:44-50

Reflection:

This week is one of those times when the wisdom of the sequence of our readings offer us a superb message.  From Sunday through Tuesday, we have heard the 10th Chapter of John’s gospel, telling us that Jesus is the good Shepherd.  Today, we jump ahead to Chapter 12 where we learn just how Jesus acts as shepherd.  Today, Jesus tells He is the light that will dispel the darkness.

What comes to your mind when you think of darkness?  When I was a very small child, I was accidentally locked in my grandparent’s garage.  While my family was searching high and low for me, I was sitting in the dark garage, rocking in my little rocker, too scared to even answer as my name was frantically called out. 

It is difficult in our world today to truly experience darkness, but if you have been camping in a desolate place, perhaps you have felt the momentary confusion and fear of being in an unfamiliar place with no light to guide you.  Then perhaps a candle was lit or a flashlight was turned on or a garage door was opened!   This is the picture Jesus is drawing for us of his role.  He is that light.  When our world seems darkest, hopeless and we can’t seem to find the right path, turning to Jesus will bring light; Jesus will care for us and show us the way –  just as the shepherd cares for his sheep.
Jesus also tell us in this Gospel that he came to save the world- to be light for all!  

The first reading, from Acts, tells how Jesus’ light, the Word of God, goes out to all.  Jesus calls us to take the light that He has given us and share it with those who can’t see it, who don’t know there is a light.  We are told that Saul and Barnabas are sent off to proclaim the word of God.  So too we are called to proclaim the word of God by living that Word.  And we live the Word by loving God and loving and caring for one another.

 

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

 

Scripture:

Acts 13:13-25
John 13:16-20

 

 

 

Reflection:

"Don’t Shoot the Messenger!" 

We have all heard the saying "Don’t shoot the messenger" whenever some news has been delivered that we don’t want to hear. I wondered if St. Catherine of Siena had those same thoughts at times, in Italian of course!

Her biographer states that Catherine was a precocious child and became an even more unusual individual as she grew into an adult. In a society where women were often treated as one step lower than the prized livestock, Catherine defied convention. Born in 1347 at Siena, Italy as the youngest of 25 children, she never received any formal educational training. And yet her deep spiritual insights made her sought after by priests, princes and Popes. Taking the habit of the Dominican Third Order, she freed herself from her father’s desire to marry her off in order to bring wealth and status into the family. Her mystical experiences of God’s overwhelming love were so powerful and the message she spoke about them so relevant to the violent society she lived in that she soon gathered companions around herself. Again, defying convention, most of her most ardent companions were men!

Perhaps the greatest achievement of her short life was persuading Pope Gregory XI to leave Avignon, France and return to Rome. When the Great Schism occurred and the Church had not one, but three claimants to the Chair of St. Peter, Catherine persuaded the warring factions to choose Urban VI as Gregory’s true and only successor. Can you imagine this humble, uneducated woman standing before the powers that be pleading with them for the unity of the Church…? Sharing with them what Jesus communicated to her in her mystical prayer? What a dynamic force this woman of God must have been!

Both Paul in the reading from Acts and Jesus in the Gospel today tell us that the strength and validity of the messenger lies in the fact of who he or she re-presents. Paul makes clear that the message and mission of Jesus came from the God of Israel whom his people worship. Jesus makes clear in John’s gospel that whoever receives him receives the God of Israel who identified himself to Moses as "I AM."    

What type of messenger of the Gospel am I? And how do I hear the messengers that God sends to me in my life? If the messages are words of personal challenge or messages that defy convention, do I just dismiss them, ignore them, or worse ridicule them? Or do I really listen to them through the filter of God’s word?

Given all this, should we not pray today: "Don’t shoot the messenger – embrace her!"

 

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

 

Scripture:

Acts 11:19-26
John 10:22-30

Reflection:

I was talking to a friend about today’s gospel.  This is a person who knows far more than me about theology, Biblical translations and  philosophical nuances.  He was making lots of arguments and pointing out linguistic discrepancies from the original text.  I’ll be honest, at one point I almost used a line from this reading, "speak plainly"!  It was, as Oprah would say, an "aha" moment for me.  We don’t need a PhD in religious studies to find meaning in God’s word.   As members of Christ’s flock, the words have meaning because they come from Jesus.  If this sounds a little circular in the logic, let me explain.

Would it surprise you if I said that Charlie Brown came to mind when I was pondering this week’s reading?  The Jews gather around Jesus and implore him, "If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."  But hasn’t he been doing that all along?  He even says, "I did tell you, but you do not believe."  Of course, Jesus spoke in parables and sometimes cryptic, figurative language in his preaching.  But his message is clear.  In fact, prior to this passage in John, Jesus cures a man who was born blind.  Does such a miraculous deed-especially for those who witnessed it first hand-seem confusing? 

This is where Charlie Brown comes in.  Remember what Charlie’s Brown’s teacher sounded like when she spoke?  Can you hear it in your head-kind of like "wonk, wonk, wonk."  You knew she was talking, but the words were just not coming in clearly.  I think that’s what the doubters and the dissenters and skeptics must be hearing from Jesus.  Jesus makes a blind man see, yet the message is somehow "wonky."   In fact, for those folks, I don’t know if it would have mattered if Jesus told them exactly what they wanted to hear about his divinity and relationship to the Father in the most obvious and comprehensible words.  They just don’t hear Jesus. 

But for those who call themselves Christians, we have heard Jesus’ voice and like a beacon we are drawn to it.  "My sheep hear my voice.  I know them and they follow me.  . . . No one will snatch them out of my hand."  Generally I would be insulted if someone called me a sheep, but here it is the highest compliment  Even sheep don’t follow their shepherd blindly.  They wander off, they get lost, they get tempted away by distractions.  They are vulnerable to all sorts of evil.  But they always know their shepherd.  They can hear his voice in a sea of noise and chaos leading them back to the flock.  He rounds them up and brings them back to the fold. 

When we are lost, when we have fears and doubts, we are still a part of Christ’s flock.  We hear Jesus’ voice.  We may drift off and get turned around like sheep sometimes do.  The wolves may come, they may be waiting for one of us to be weak and alone.  But no real harm could ever come to us because with Jesus as our shepherd, we are promised eternal life.  He will never let us go.  Nothing can snatch us away. 

 

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

Scripture:

Acts 11:1-18
John 10:1-10

Reflection:

Abundant life…for all!

Today’s Gospel highlights Jesus as "shepherd", caring for the sheep of his flock.  The shepherd’s care results in life for all the sheep…and not just basic living, but life in abundance!

The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles recounts Peter proclaiming this message of Jesus as Savior of all people, even the Gentiles!  In the early Church it was first taken for granted that Christianity was for Jewish people only; thus when some Gentiles converted and "joined the sheepfold", objections were raised.  Peter explained the vision he had of a large sheet being lowered from the sky with all sorts of animals in it…and he being encouraged to slaughter and eat them; a voice from heaven reminded him that all animals are clean; no one can hinder God’s love for all people, the sheep of His flock.  Peter’s preaching changed the reluctant hearts, and objections ceased — and God was glorified.

We struggle today with issues of immigration, refugees, health, peace, the just sharing of the world’s resources, etc.  Prominent world figures fall on both sides of these ageless issues, presenting all sorts of reasons.  Those struggling today share in the Passion of Jesus in a very special manner.  And Jesus, Good Shepherd, again says He cares for all the sheep, and invites us His followers to live and promote that same life-giving message.  God’s Shepherd-Love, manifested in Jesus Crucified, is rich, deep, and unconditional, all-inclusive.

As Easter People, may the dynamism of Jesus Risen encourage us to reach out to all people with Jesus’ message of a shepherd’s love for all members of the flock…Life in abundance!

 

Fr. John Schork, C.P. is the local leader of the Passionist community in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Scripture:

Acts 13:14, 43-52
Revelation 7:9, 14b-17
John 10:27-30

Reflection:

One of the favorite images of God we possess is of the Good Shepherd.  We know that underlying this image is a truth that is a source of faith.  The importance of sheep in the life of the Hebrew people can not be underestimated.  Sheep are most mentioned animal in the Bible.  They are referenced over four hundred times.  The image of the shepherd is also mentioned over one hundred times.  The qualities of sheep make them a very apt metaphor for our spiritual realities.    The qualities of a shepherd make it a very apt metaphor for God.

Sheep survive on a minimum of water and grass.  They are totally dependent upon the shepherd for protection, grazing, watering, and shelter.  They are singularly unintelligent.  They need to be led to "still waters" otherwise they could die of thirst even near running waters. They get lost very easily.  So frequently a goat is introduced into a herd, who will lead the way for them. 

Ironically, the shepherds though critical for Israel survival were often considered outcasts, and unworthy of the least respect. But it was shepherds who welcomed Jesus at Bethlehem.  It is the image of the shepherd Jesus himself chose as a metaphor for his Messiahship. In fact, in spite of the lowly regard society had for shepherds the greatest leaders of Israel were shepherds:  Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David and Amos.  Like sheep, Israel was completely depend on God, the Good Shepherd for protection, food, water, and shelter  while they trekked through the Sinai desert.

In today’s scriptures Jesus is celebrating the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple, or Hanukkah.  It is the feast that celebrated the victory of the Maccabaeus over the Syrian occupation.  It is such an important feast it lasted eight days.  It is the only place in John’s Gospel where he is asked directly if he was the Messiah.  He says that He is and God has given him sheep to care for and no one can take them away.  No one can frustrate Jesus purpose which is eternal life for those who believe. 

  

Fr. Kenneth O’Malley, C.P. is the archivist at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.  

Scripture:
Acts 8:26-40
John 6:44-51

Reflection:
"The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, ‘Get up and head south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route.’ So he got up and set out." Acts 8:26

I love this part of the first reading. How many of us get such explicit directions from angels? I would love to be led me that way, but it doesn’t happen very often. Most of us probably think that would never happen today… but why not? All things are possible with God. Maybe we just need to listen more closely?

Years ago a friend of mine was going through a very hard time and sensed the Lord was calling her to get away for awhile. She was raising 5 small children and her husband had been unfaithful. She continued to love him and eventually he chose to break up with his girlfriend and stay in their marriage. As things got back to normal, she packed an overnight bag; asked him to watch the kids for a few days and started driving. Just like the reading above, God directed her, and she knew which way to go at every crossroad. She ended up that evening in a big city four hours from home in front of a building. She was reluctant to go to the door, but knowing God had led her there, she did. When the person opened the door they said, "We’ve been expecting you."

How amazing is that?!?! The Lord had directed her to a prayer group and as they had been praying that night, the Spirit told them that a woman was coming who needed their love and care. She stayed with one of the members for several days and was ministered to and felt healed and renewed when she went back home. God provided all that she needed to forgive her husband and to be able to have a wonderful life with him. Thank you Lord!

I know this story is extreme, but I believe God wants to guide us in smaller ways too. How often do we make plans and then ask the Lord to bless them; rather than praying first and asking the Lord to help us make our plans? We are so used to relying on ourselves for everything that we may not even think of including God until something goes wrong. I think God cares about EVERY part of our lives, and will be involved to the degree that we invite Him in. "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." Prov. 3: 5-6

 

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 2, soon to be 3. Visit Janice’s website at http://www.jcarleton.com/ or email her at janice@frcedric/org