Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Acts 19:1-8
John 16:29-33

Reflection:

The disciples of John the Baptist, many years after his death, were still out proclaiming John’s call to repentance.  They would baptize with water, symbolizing the cleansing of the sinfulness people were letting go of.   This kind of preaching called people to make a very good examination of conscience.  They were awakened to a deeper awareness of their sinfulness and they cried out to God to cleanse them of these sins.

Paul reminds some folk in Ephesus who had received the baptism of John the Baptist, that John himself spoke of one coming after him who would baptize with the Holy Spirit.  This person was Jesus.  To be baptized in the name of Jesus was not only a cry to be cleansed of sins but an opening to the great power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus has released.  This baptism not only cleansed the soul but brought it into union with God in a mighty way and empowered it for it earthly journey.

In the early church, to receive the Holy Sprit at baptism was not just a belief in an invisible effect.  It was an actual manifest experience.  People knew clearly whether or not they had received the Holy Spirit.  The gifts of the Holy Spirit were visible; "they spoke in tongues and prophesied."

For some years I was very active in the Charismatic Movement.  At the heart of this movement was the belief that we all have received the Holy Spirit at baptism.  However, so many of us put this mighty power inside a thick lead box and say, "Holy Spirit I want you to be with me.  But stay here and do not bother me."  The Charismatic Movement had as its goal, the "release" of this boxed up gift of God, the release of the Holy Spirit.  The initial release was so powerful in our age, that it set many, many lives on fire.  Initially it was "out of control" so to speak.  But, things settled down and hopefully the fire is burning deeply and powerfully inside the lives of many people today.

We are getting near the great feast of Pentecost.  Let us dare to pray for the release of the Holy Spirit in our own lives.  There will be no doubt that we have been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.    

 

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

Scripture:

Acts 7:55-60
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20
John 17:20-26

Reflection:

The readings today are powerful – and a little difficult for me to wrap my thoughts around – I think because they span a great distance: first there is the very real and painful depiction of the stoning of Stephen as described in Acts and then there are the timeless echoes of Christ’s presence as set forth in Revelation: "I am the Alpha and the Omega."

It’s as if our faith is rather schizophrenic – on the one hand, Christianity is rooted in a very real, flesh and blood experience of life in which people suffer and die, sometimes quite brutally. In this reality whose centerpiece is the Cross, we are constantly called upon to reach out, human to human, to ease one another’s burden in great and small ways and to find within our hearts the willingness to forgive those who hurt us.

And then, on the other hand, there is our experience of Christianity as being something quite vast, splendid and beyond our own humanity – a connection to a God who is Mystery itself, whose presence spans the ages, defies understanding, whose Son is the "bright morning star…the first and the last." Our faith feels epic, grand and beyond the constraints and sorrows of this mortal life.

What connects these two realities is Jesus himself, of course. In today’s Gospel as written by John, we see Jesus very present to the harsh reality that his own suffering and death are upon him, and yet he speaks to God not as one who is rooted only in the present moment, but who is confident in the infinite connection of himself to God and to each one of us.

Here is the line that stops me in my tracks: "Father, they are your gift to me."  There is so much love in that statement that it takes my breath away! We, who will put Jesus on the Cross, who will strip and scourge him; we, who disregard, forget, are ambivalent or downright dismissive of Jesus, we are God’s gift to HIM? Only a Savior who loves us beyond all reckoning could unite himself so completely to us and see beyond our failures in the present moment.

It is this love, then–of God for us and us for God–that moves us beyond the here and now with its pain, sorrow and confusion and into the place where the tree of life blooms.

"Amen," as the second reading says, "Come, Lord Jesus!" How fitting that these exuberant words of invitation into our hearts are among the last words of the last book of the Bible.

 

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

 

Scripture:

Acts 18:23-28
John 16:23b-28

Reflection:

Paul was certainly that larger than life figure who through his powerful preaching and many missionary journeys became known as the Apostle of the Gentiles. But this passage in Acts reminds us the Holy Spirit was using others to spread the gospel. Priscilla and Aquila, early converts of Paul, left Corinth with him to visit the community already established in Ephesus. When Paul left to visit other communities he left them there to support the Ephesian disciples. Apollos of Alexandria appears out of nowhere. He is depicted as learned in the scriptures and an eloquent preacher. We realize a surprising fact. Apollos had been instructed in the Way of Lord! He taught accurately about Jesus! This means the Holy Spirit was operating outside the Church. Already in Jewish communities in the Diaspora the teaching of Jesus were known and he was recognized as a Prophet and maybe even as Messiah! Apollos knew only the baptism of John, a baptism of repentance.

Priscilla and Aquila open to him the fullness of revelation. Jesus is Son of God and giver of the Holy Spirit.  Apollos then goes to Corinth and becomes a leader in that faith community. 1 Corinthians, chapters 3 and 4 underline the greatness of the missionary Apollos.

For us today this passage from Acts reminds us that the Holy Spirit is at work in the world and not just in the Church, the community of the baptized. He is at work in the hearts of Jews, Hindus and Muslims and any person of good will. Grace can be found everywhere! We have hope because when Jesus returned to his Father he poured his Spirit out upon the human family.

 

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

 

Scripture:
Acts 16:22-34
John 16:5-11

Reflection:
As Jesus prepared for his passion and death, he consoled his grief-stricken disciples.  He promised them that when he ascended to the Father, the Spirit would be sent to comfort and empower them.

But what did Jesus mean when he said to them "None of you asks me: ‘where are you going?’  Both Peter and Thomas had asked that question.  What did Jesus mean?

This passage took me back to Japan, to Ikeda and Mefu, cities my wife and I had recently visited.  The Passionists have a parish church and kindergarten school in Ikeda, and a retreat in Mefu.  They have been there since 1957.  And yet, despite their tireless work, the numbers of Catholics there have increased painfully slowly.  It appears the numbers may actually be declining.  And of the 178 children in the school, only 10 percent are Catholic.  I am embarrassed to admit that for a moment I thought that our presence there may have been for nothing.

One of the Passionists, one of the first to arrive so long ago, interrupted my thought, however.  This aging and saintly man said to me with a confident voice: "We are doing missionary work."

As I remember his response, I understand what Jesus meant.  Like Peter and Thomas, I was asking the wrong question.  My question had less to do with Jesus and more with my own concerns.  I was concerned about immediate needs, about fears of failure, about uprooting good men and sending them to a far away country to learn a new culture and language, and about the apparent futility of their efforts. 

But, Like Jesus, this Passionist knew why he went.  He was focused on the Kingdom and proclaiming the Good News.  He had no fears.  The Gospel is moving forward and the Advocate, the Holy Spirit is doing a great and mighty work.  Through these faithful Passionists, the Advocate is doing "missionary work."

 

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

The Ascension of the Lord 

Scripture:

Acts 1:1-11
Ephesians 1:17-23 or Hebrews 9:24-28, 10:19-23
Luke 24:46-53

Reflection:

"EVERY PARTING IS A FORM OF DEATH, AS EVERY REUNION IS A TYPE OF HEAVEN." – Tryon Edwards

Every type of human parting is difficult, painful, sad.  A 5 year old tyke is left by her mom or dad at the kindergarten door…tears….until mom says she’ll be back.  A husband and father has to be away from home during the week, the company needs him in a city 4 hours away…tears again, until the weekend comes!  The hardest of all…the parting which is death, from dad or mom or spouse, sibling, dear friend.  Many, many tears, perhaps a time of depression even, until the words of Jesus ring in one’s heart: "I am the resurrection and the life", or "I tell you most solemnly you will be weeping and wailing, while the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy."

In 1984, my cousin Laura developed a condition known as Wilson’s disease….which results in a toxic accumulation of copper in the bloodstream.  Thank God, she was able to receive a double-transplant, kidney/liver, which gave her another 14 years of life, fully lived.  She resolved to make the most of whatever time she had left and was able to make every family reunion and wedding during that time. After she passed away, while waiting for another liver transplant, her sister Kris asked God to give her some sign Laura was OK.

Kris told us that that same evening, she had a wonderful dream in which Laura was "dancing in the house of Asher" (one of the tribes of Israel).  She told us how that dream enabled her to live more fully.

It’s 2010, and we once more approach the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the feast of Pentecost.  Like the disciples, we wonder at times when we seem to experience Jesus’ absence more than His presence, whether it be through the terrible oil spill in the Gulf, the shaky world economy or something more personal. " But your sorrow will turn to joy." Not through magic, but by going through the very pain of parting which we think will tear us apart, do we "see" Jesus again.  These meetings can be sudden, always peaceful, when we sense the Lord.  It can be in the glory of nature, by ourselves, yet most often ’round the Table or other times of prayer with Jesus’ other friends.

 

Fr. Bob Bovenzi, C.P. is stationed in Houston, Texas.

 

Scripture:

Acts 17:15, 22-18:1
John 16:12-15

Reflection:

Some years ago, Mr. Suki Sivam, a Hindu motivational thinker, spoke about an experience he had when he was studying at a Christian school in Chennai. Once, a student was drawing a picture when the teacher was teaching in the classroom. The teacher got angry and asked him to stand outside the classroom as a punishment. Br. Anslem, the principal, happened to visit the classes and saw the boy standing outside the classroom door. He asked him what the reason was for this. The student responded saying, "I was drawing when the teacher was teaching in the class." The principle took him to the principal’s room and asked him to draw his picture. This boy drew a picture of principle so well that the principal was amazed. The principal appreciated this very much and even gave him some more sketches to draw. Then he said, "I ask you to do one thing, that is, not to draw during the class hour."  He took him back to the teacher and asked the teacher to excuse the boy this time. Bro. Anslem had a beautiful way of communicating with this boy and helping him correct his mistake. The student never drew pictures during class time again.

We see a similar thing in today’s first reading. Paul uses the shrine to the "Unknown God" of the Athens to speak about the God who has raised Jesus from the dead. He had a beautiful way of speaking about God’s creation of the world and humankind’s search for meaning in life. In the end though, only a few respond to his preaching, while the rest found it hard to accept the idea of the resurrection from the dead. In the gospel, Jesus too understands his disciples and encourages them by saying that he would send the Holy Spirit who would be a teacher guiding believers to the truth. God’s revelation likewise will unfold slowly in God’s own time. God is a gentle and patient teacher.

May the Lord help us to be always open to the Spirit.  May He guide us and lead us gently to the truth.

 

Fr. Nelson, C.P. is a member of the Indian Vicariate and is currently assigned to St. Agnes Parish in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

Acts 15:1-2, 22-29
Revelation ;10-14, 22-23
John 14:23-29

Reflection:

In the Gospel reading for today, Jesus says to His disciples after promising to them the coming of the Holy Spirit: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." In these times, it might be helpful to reflect upon the kind of peace Jesus gives.

What is the difference between how the world gives peace, and how Jesus gives peace? How does the world give peace? One of the ways the world "achieves" peace is by conquest. In almost any conflict throughout history, there has been a winner and a loser, and at some time the conflict is over, and this is considered peace. But all too often history shows us that oppression continues, even though those who oppress and those who are oppressed may change, and there is no real peace.

Another way the world "achieves" peace is by denial of the conflict. There may be upheavals in our lives, times of pain and sorrow, and we get sucked into trying to numb the pain or escape reality. This is not real peace, either.

The world also "achieves" peace by silent assent. It has been said, and I’m paraphrasing here, that evil triumphs when good people fail to speak up. We can sometimes turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to what is happening, and as long as there is no fuss, there is peace. Of course, the continuation of evil is not true peace.

How does Jesus give peace? In His love for us, Jesus gives us peace. Jesus’ love gives us peace because it leads us to put our trust in God. By His Sacrifice on the Cross, and His Resurrection from the dead, Jesus has freed us from the power of sin, and the fear of death! We know God is faithful! We know God is present, even when we can’t feel it. So when we may feel crucified at some time or another, we can look to resurrection! When the storms may be raging in our lives, we know Jesus can be our shelter! In the midst of upheaval, we can find real peace in Jesus.

As we grow closer to Jesus, and experience the peace that comes from knowing His love, we are called to share that love with others. We are called to make peace. There have been many in history, including Pope Paul VI and Martin Luther King, Jr., who have reminded us that to achieve real peace, we must work for justice. We are to work towards a world where all have the necessities of life, and all have the opportunity to fulfill their God-given potential.

That may seem too abstract and high-minded to be realistic. Perhaps one way we can begin to make peace is to reach across the barriers and divisions that people put between themselves. Maybe now is the time to reconcile with that former friend or loved one. Maybe now is the time to listen to those who are different. In our first reading from Acts, the apostles and the elders in Jerusalem needed to listen to those disciples who worked with the Gentiles. The needed to hear how God was working among those who were different. And so, in the power of the Holy Spirit, they discerned that the Gentiles did not need to become Jews first in order to be Christian. There was no absence of a conflict (you can read more fully from Acts about this, not to mention Paul’s version of things in Galatians!), but rather, an effort towards justice for all disciples. In other words, there was work towards real peace in the community.

As we have found real peace in Jesus, we are called to be peacemakers. The One to whom so much violence was done, did not return violence with more violence. Instead, He sacrificed Himself, and won the victory for us, and gave us peace!

May God continue to bless us all. May we find peace in Jesus Christ, and may we make peace in His name.

 

Fr. Phil Paxton, C.P. is pastor of St. Mary’s Parish, Fairfield, Alabama.

 

Scripture:

Acts 16:1-10
John 15:18-21

Reflection:

When I was 20 years old I often read the accounts of Paul in the Acts of the Apostles. I allowed my imagination to run wild as I thought about his travels from city to city. Reading about Paul’s journeys had a huge impact on my way of life. I developed the desire to live my life like his. The Spirit guided my life’s call through the Scriptures. Now I go from city to city preaching the Gospel.

One of the joys of my life was leading a pilgrimage to Greece and some of the cities visited by Paul. Because of a dream, Paul concluded that he was being called to preach the Gospel in Europe. Monday’s reading will continue with his odyssey as he meets a woman named Lydia in Philippi. I had the privilege of presiding at Mass at this riverside spot where the first baptism in Europe occurred. So many cities visited and multitudes touched, all because Paul was open to the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit.

As a province we are faced with many decisions as we delve into restructuring. The Spirit is at work in our council and gatherings. Last night 20 individuals assembled at our retreat center in Houston to discuss relevant issues that would lead to a new retreat theme. It was wonderful to see the Spirit guiding us as we shared. As individuals, we are faced with a multitude of choices every day. I constantly strive for new preaching inspirations, expansion of my TV ministry, and guidance as I write. Paul was sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. I pray for a deeper openness to the movement of God’s Spirit in us as a province, local community, and as individuals. As he did in the Acts of the Apostles, God’s Spirit continues leading and guiding apostles today.

 

Fr. Cedric Pisegna, C.P. is a missionary preacher, author of 13 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/