Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Acts 8:1b-8
John 6:35-40

Reflection:

On the wall of every chapel of the Missionaries of Charities
throughout the world is a Crucifix. Next to that Crucifix there are painted two
words: I THIRST. The words are spoken by Jesus in the last throes of agony as
recorded by the gospel writer John. Mother Teresa (now Blessed Teresa), founder
of the Missionaries of Charity, took those words in the gospel to heart. She
believed that those words were more than just the agonizing cry of a crucified
man, but rather the yearning cry of a God so in love with us that even in his
passion this infinite thirst for souls could never be quenched. But quench it
Mother Teresa tried. She founded the Missionaries of Charity to work with the
poorest of the poor, not necessarily those just financially challenged but
rather all of us who somehow think our God is "too holy," "too good," "too big"
to be interested in us and love us so passionately. The words, painted on every
chapel wall of the Missionaries of Charity are a clear sign, a clarion call if
you will, to the purpose of each sister’s and brother’s vocation.  

 This emphasis on Jesus’ compelling thirst is not something
new. Its origins go back to Biblical times. In the same gospel of John, Jesus
tells the Samaritan woman at the well that, "Everyone who drinks of this water
will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them
will never be thirsty." (Jn 4:13) St. Catherine of Siena, Doctor of the Church, describes from
her own mystical experience of a God "crazed with love, drunk with love."

This quenching of the thirst of Jesus is not in itself an
end, however. It is rather a means to an end. By satisfying Jesus’ thirst by
our gift of self to Him, a transformation can take place. The more we give
ourselves to God, the more God gives Himself to us. And the more we become like
Jesus.

 There is a power in that transforming love. Blessed Teresa
of Calcutta knew it; St. Catherine of Siena knew
it; our Founder, St. Paul
of the Cross knew it. In writing to one of his spiritual daughters Paul of the
Cross states: "…relieve your thirst from the chalice of Jesus. But the more you
drink, the more you will thirst." One’s thirst for God and God’s kingdom, once
experienced, is never satisfied.

 As we continue these weeks of Easter celebration, let us try
to quench the thirst of the Risen Jesus. Let us act as people who have truly
been redeemed, as souls yearning to share the good news of a God who loves us
to distraction!

 

Patrick Quinn is the
director of planned giving at the Passionist Development Office in Chicago. 

 

 Scripture:

Acts 3:13-15
1 John 2:1-5a
Luke24:35-48

Reflection:

Today’s reading from the Gospel According to Luke recounts
the appearance of Jesus to the disciples in the Upper Room in Jerusalem. 
We know the scene.  The two
disciples who had encountered Jesus on the Road to Emmaus have rushed back to Jerusalem to share
incredible news. They have seen the Lord and recognized him in the breaking of
the bread.  The faithful, gathered in the
privacy of the Upper Room, are now putting all the pieces together-sharing
other eyewitness stories of the resurrection of Jesus.

Then, without warning, their mood shifts from joy to
fear.  To their great surprise, the Lord
appears in their midst and proclaims "Peace be with you." Jesus, observing that
they are distressed, asks "Why are you troubled?"   Jesus then shows the gathered his hands and
feet.  And, to further demonstrate that
he is no ghost, he asks for something to eat. 
Fish is what is available on the table, which He eats to the full. Now
the disciples know that this is no ghost! 
(One of the earliest symbols we see for Jesus in the catacombs in Rome is that of the
fish-a symbol that continues to appear on jewelry, bumper stickers and
screensavers.) 

Once again, just as Jesus had done while walking with the
disciples on the Road to Emmaus, He points the gathered back to the Scriptures
which foretold His death and resurrection-and the revelation that "repentance,
for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations,
beginning from Jerusalem."

With this powerful preaching on repentance and forgiveness
of sins, let us now consider our First Reading from the Acts of the
Apostles.  In this reading, we witness
Peter fulfilling Jesus’ call to preach repentance–beginning in Jerusalem.  Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter preaches
with vim and vigor the message of the Risen Lord and the need for
repentance.  It should be noted that
Peter can relate to this need for repentance from his own personal experience.
He knows what despair and emptiness comes from denying Christ.  Clearly, to be a good preacher of repentance
and a life in Jesus Christ, we must be willing to repent our own sinfulness.

In this Easter Season, let us focus on our ongoing
conversion and renewal in faith-that we too may join in active discipleship and
preach in action and words our belief in the power of Jesus Christ.  To strengthen our faith and knowledge, we
must take time to break open the Word and recognize Jesus in "the breaking of
the bread."  And, we need to do all of
this in community-just as the disciples did while gathered in their Upper
Room.  Like the disciples, we too may
experience times of fear or confusion. 
Nevertheless, if we remain faithful to our call, we can and will
experience the power of the Risen Christ in our lives. 

Godspeed!

 

Angela Howell is a
retreatant and volunteer at Mater Dolorosa Passionists Retreat Center in Sierra
Madre, California.

 

Scripture:

Acts 5:27-33
John 3:31-36

Reflection:

In our Gospel reading from John, Jesus testifies about Himself: "The one who comes from above is above all…He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy…The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life…"

Very often in John’s Gospel we hear Jesus contrast what is from above with what is earthly. I don’t think the intention is for Jesus’ disciples to have their "heads in the clouds" all the time, as it is for His disciples to follow the ways of God rather than the ways of the world. As Peter and the Apostles say to the Sanhedrin in our first reading from Acts, "We must obey God rather than men." In the Gospels, Jesus often goes contrary to worldly wisdom. His Passion and Resurrection are proof of that!

As disciples, we are called to testify to what we have seen and heard. In the upper room, Jesus said, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you." (John 20:21) If we look at our own lives, we have experienced Easter in many ways – when a loved one recovered from illness, or was relieved from their suffering and taken home to God; when one job was terminated and another one opened up; when an obstacle was overcome, or when a crisis led to something better on the other side. All these things tells us, those who are attuned to things "above," that God is trustworthy, and that Jesus is risen! We have been sent to spread the hope we have in Jesus’ Resurrection. As Jesus also says in our Gospel reading, God "does not ration the gift of the Spirit." May we follow the Spirit given to us, and share the Good News of Easter!

 

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

Scripture:

Acts 5:17-26
John 3:16-21

Reflection:

"I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears." Ps 34: 5

I used to be really afraid, especially at night. When my kids were little, Jim traveled one week out of every month. Those weeks were very difficult because I didn’t get much sleep when he was gone. I would wake up in the middle of the night and feel the terror begin to take over. I would break out into a cold sweat and be paralyzed with fear. I couldn’t even reach the telephone to call someone to pray for me. It was no fun!

One night I even saw a shrouded figure standing at the foot of my bed. He said "I have total control over you. There’s nothing you can do." I was afraid to tell anyone what I had seen, because I thought they would think I was crazy. But finally, I told my bible study leader, and she started to teach me about spiritual warfare. She taught me that demons are real, and that there is a battle going on! I learned scripture verses that I could speak out loud when the fear would threaten to overcome me.

Verses like these:

"When I lie down I will fall peacefully asleep for You oh Lord bring security to my dwelling." Ps 4: 9 "Through the night watches I will meditate on You; that You are my help…My soul clings fast to You; your right hand upholds me." Ps 63 7-9

"I set the Lord ever before me; with Him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed." Ps 16: 8

Now when Jim was gone, I had a night light on, the radio tuned to a Christian station, and my bible open on his pillow, ready for me to grab and read if I woke up in the night. I was learning to trust the Lord and to believe that He really meant it when he said, "Be not afraid." I was confused though by the verse "Perfect love casts out fear." I thought I had to have perfect love, or I would always be afraid. But God showed me that He is the perfect love that casts out fear, so my job is to cling to Him. When I keep my eyes on Him and His word on my mind and in my heart I have victory over fear.

I am still tempted to be afraid, but I seldom fall into the trap. God’s promises are not just words. When we claim them for our lives we will see that they are true. Thank you Lord!

 

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

Scripture:

Acts 4:32-37
John 3:7b-15

Reflection:

Now that Jesus’ credentials have been established by His rising from the dead, the church re-introduces us to some elements of His teaching, a second time around, on the supposition that we’ll appreciate them better this time (during the eastern season).  This seems to be the tenor of some of the biblical readings she presents us during this post-resurrection time, which, for the neophytes, just introduced to the church at the Easter Vigil, is called a period of mystagogy during which a deeper examination of the gospels is pursued.

So we join poor Nicodemus in the gospel account today as we struggle to grasp the tenor of Jesus’ remarks about being born again-apparently into a reality where the wind blows-a wind descriptive of the Holy Spirit Who can instruct us about Jesus’ identity as the Son of Man (twice mentioned here), especially established by His being lifted up (on the cross).  We’re duly instructed in all of this now.

This time around, Nicodemus (and we) may begin to get the idea Jesus is presenting about Himself.  We’re born again into a new level of understanding/mystagogy, and are now equipped to begin living a life like that described in the Acts of the Apostles today, a communal life of sharing, explicitly described here as their way of giving witness to the Resurrection.  Who knows?  Perhaps by this time Nicodemus had made his transition into this new Christian community, and was one of those sharing their possessions among those who had need.

If so, Nicodemus would have finally gotten Jesus’ message about being born again, and being sensitive to the blowing of the wind.  At this point, recognition of Jesus as Son of Man would have come spontaneously to him and his fellow-Christians in that early community.  This is the title by which Jesus wishes us to know Him.

 

Fr. Sebastian MacDonald, C.P. is a member of the Passionist formation community at Catholic Theological Union, Chicago. 

Scripture:

Acts 4:23-31
John 3:1-8

Reflection:

When Jesus was alive, it seemed that the Apostles never understood his true mission.  They came to believe he was the Messiah but were blinded by their assumptions about what the Messiah was to be about.  They were thinking about an earthly kingdom and worldly power.  Jesus challenged them over and over to think beyond their preconceptions but they managed to cling to their expectations right up to the arrest and death of Jesus.  However, that experience dashed all their hopes and killed their tightly held expectations!  They ended up locked up in an Upper Room filled with fear and darkness.

The resurrection of Jesus caught them totally unawares and changed everything.  After a little confusion at the beginning few days, they quickly took up the new life and vision Jesus offered them.

In today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles we see them carrying on the mission Jesus had given them with commitment and confidence.  The chief priests and elders had chastised and confined both Peter and John because they kept proclaiming that Jesus was alive.  Yet they were not intimidated or cowed.  They returned to their own people and affirmed that though "Herod, Pontius Pilate, together with the gentiles and the peoples of Israel" had "stood against the Lord’s anointed One," they themselves would continue "to speak the word of God with boldness."

The Word of God they continued to speak was not condemnation for the evil acts of the people and their leaders, but rather a word of healing, recalling the signs and wonders done through the name of Jesus.  The Word of God is a Word that brings life to those who hear it and take it to heart.  There is no place in the hearts of the early Apostles for revenge or recriminations.

As disciples of Jesus, we, too, are called to speak the Word of God to our generation.  To do so faithfully our hearts must also be filled with the same love and compassion that is so clear in the life of Jesus and the lives of Peter, John and the other Apostles.  May God continue to open our hearts to his Word of love so that we speak that Word clearly and boldly as did Peter and John.

 

Fr. Michael Higgins, C.P. is the director of lay formation for Holy Cross Province and is stationed at Immaculate Conception Retreat in Chicago.

Scripture:

Acts 4:32-35
1 John 5:1-6
John 20:19-31

Reflection:

The drama of Holy Week and Easter continues in our readings for today’s liturgy. A key phrase for me is taken from the second reading, the letter from St. John: "The victory that conquers the world is our faith. Who indeed is the victor over the world, but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"

Thomas, the apostle, believed in Jesus of Nazareth, his mission, his gospel, his work on earth. He probably believed that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the one Promised by God, to bring salvation to Israel. In fact, Thomas loved Jesus so much that he was willing to go with him to Jerusalem and die with him. (John 11:16) Thomas got his wish. He followed Jesus to Jerusalem, was with him as Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, reclined at table with him at Passover and accompanied him to the Garden of Olives. Up to that point, Thomas’ faith in Jesus was absolute, unshaken and without measure.

Then his faith was tested, tested beyond his human endurance. The unthinkable happened. He stood in shock as Judas came with heavily armed guards to take Jesus prisoner, as he prayed in the Garden. His heart stopped. Fear for his life overcame him. The only thing he could think of was to run away, run away so fast and so far that they could not find him.

So where was Thomas all this time? Was he with family? Was he hiding out? Did he go back to his old ways before meeting Jesus? We know that he was not with the disciples when they came back to that upper room, as they gathered in fear for their lives, on that first Sunday night, when Jesus first appeared to them. As the days went by, he felt overcome with shame. He had allowed personal fear to triumph over his faith in Jesus. He needed to come back. He needed the kind of community that the first reading for today’s Mass describes, a community of believers of one heart and mind, a community where he could feel accepted and loved, even though he had sinned. He believed his friends, the apostles and the women followers of Jesus, was such a community. It took a while, but he finally went back and found them in the upper room, behind locked doors.

The community welcomed him with open arms. Then came the news: Jesus is alive! Jesus is raised from the dead, and has appeared to them, in the very room where he is standing! Jesus spoke of peace and forgiveness, and He gave them the power to forgive sins. Thomas did not know what to think. He hit a wall. He could believe in Jesus, the Master and Teacher, Jesus the Messiah. Could he come to believe in Jesus, as His Lord and God?

Thomas’ moment of truth came when he saw the wounded, Resurrected Jesus standing before him, wounds of death on his hands and feet and side, but now so healed that one could touch them, even caress them without fear of feeling the pain that open wounds bring. Thomas did not realize how wounded he was when Jesus approached him. He covered up his wounds of betrayal by focusing on the wounds of Jesus. As Jesus stood before him, Thomas took that leap of faith. No longer was he seeing Jesus the Man, Jesus the Master, not even Jesus the Messiah, but he was now seeing Jesus, the Son of God. He was no longer unbelieving.

Many of us identify with the "doubting" Thomas. We even take some pride in being one. When we find ourselves there, we may well be blinded to the Resurrected Jesus as He stands before us, His wounded hands and feet and side within reach. Thomas was not blessed because he remained unbelieving. Do we have the courage to go beyond our wounds and say to the Resurrected Jesus before us: "My Lord and My God?"

 

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

Scripture:

Acts 4:13-21
Mark 16:9-15

Reflection:

Dear Jesus, I can see and hear Mary Magdalene and the two Emmaus bound disciples being pushed aside by the Disciples.   To their excited report, "We’ve seen Him.  He has risen from the dead," they hear, "You’ve got to be kidding.  Jesus was killed.  He was buried.  That’s that." 

What a sad moment for me in Mark’s account to see You appear to the Disciples and scold them for their hardness of heart and refusal to believe.  Once again, You expose the Disciples, stretch them to the big picture: "Go now into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel, the good news, to every creature." 

What is so refreshing, Jesus, is that Peter, James and John, and the whole group will finally unlock the door of the Upper Room.  There will emerge a group of people who move beyond their fears and are willing to a person to lay down their lives for their belief. 

Jesus, during this Easter season of 2009 be with us as we allow the depth and consequences of what Your love embodies to grow within us.  Don’t let me or any of us go backwards.  It is today, this year as it continues to unravel that the consequences of my love, our love for You, for one another, and for our individual selves that will reveal the depth of who I/we are.

How easy it would be if I/we could just automatically have this happen.  The awesome truth is that we have the challenge to continue in light of Your life, death and resurrection to grow. 

I want to close this reflection with a quote from the Vatican II document on the Church.  It is so appropriate!

"The Church, ‘like a stranger in a foreign land, presses forward amid the persecutions of the world and the consolations of God,’ announcing the cross and death of the Lord until he comes (cf. 1 Cor. 11:26).  But by the power of the risen Lord she is given strength to overcome, in patience and in love, her sorrows and her difficulties, both those that are from within and those that are from without, so that she may reveal in the world, faithfully, however darkly, the mystery of her Lord until, in the consummation, it shall be manifested in full light."  [Dogmatic Constitution on the Church – Lumen Gentium, Chapter1, paragraph 8].

Fr. Peter Berendt, C.P. is on the staff of Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center, Houston, Texas.