Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Isaiah 61, 1-3
I Corinthians 1, 17-25
Mark 6:7-13

Reflection:

St. Paul of the Cross, Founder of the Passionists, was born in 1694 in a small town called Ovada, in Northern Italy.  He was one of sixteen children, only five of whom survived infancy.  His father, Luke Danei, owned a small clothing and tobacco shop that barely supported his large family.  His mother, Anna Maria, was a faith-filled woman, whose devotion to the Passion of Jesus was the source of her courage and strength as she endured the grief and loss of so many of her children.

From his earliest years Paul, by the example of his Mother, had a deep devotion to the Passion of Jesus and at the age of 19 had a vivid experience of the depth of God’s love.  As a result of this experience Paul became determined to give himself totally to God.  Due to family need, however, he stayed at home, helping to support the family by working in his father’s shop.  At 22 he joined the crusade against the Turks though it took only two months for him to realize that the army was not for him.  Returning home, he once again worked in the family business.

When he was 26, the circumstances of the family became a bit better and Paul finally felt free to pursue his own personal dreams. Bidding good-bye to his family, he went to Alessandria, where Bishop Gattinara, Paul’s spiritual director and confessor, clothed Paul in a black tunic on the day of his arrival and then sent him to the parish of St. Charles in Castellazzo for retreat.  In the small sacristy of the parish church Paul made a 40 day retreat.  It was during those 40 days that Paul had the most extraordinary experiences of union with God and wrote the Rule of Life for the congregation he hoped to found.

After his retreat Bishop Gattinara sent him back to his home town where Paul lived in various hermitages for several years.  In 1721 Paul made his way to Rome in hopes that he could get his Rule of Life approved by the Pope.  He was turned away by a Vatican guard so Paul returned home, discouraged but determined.  On his return, his brother, John Baptist, joined with him to try living according to Paul’s Rule of Life.  Paul and John Baptist became well-known catechists and Paul was even invited to give spiritual talks by various groups.

In 1725, the brothers returned to Rome and this time Paul was given verbal permission to gather companions to live according to his Rule of Life.  Cardinal Corrandini asked the brothers to work in a newly established hospital there in Rome.  The president of the hospital was so impressed by Paul and John Baptist that he arranged for them to be ordained to the priesthood.

As more men joined with Paul and John Baptist, they moved the whole community to Monte Argentario, a promontory about 150 kms northwest of Rome, where they established the first Passionist monastery in 1737.

While contemplation and prayer were at the very heart of Paul’s life and the life of his new institute, Paul himself soon became a very famous popular preacher, spiritual guide, writer and mystic.  For Paul the Passion of Christ was the most vivid witness to God’s love for us and he constantly called upon his followers to remember the sufferings of Jesus.

During his lifetime Paul founded thirteen monasteries of Priests and Brothers throughout Italy as well as a monastery of Passionist Nuns.  Today the Passionists live and serve in 59 countries of the world and are enhanced by other religious and lay groups who find inspiration in the Charism of St. Paul of the Cross.

May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts.

 

Fr. Mike Higgins, C.P. is the director of lay formation for Holy Cross Province and lives in Chicago, IL. 

Scripture:
Romans 4:20-25
Luke 12:13-21

Reflection:
"Abraham did not doubt God’s promise in unbelief; rather, he was empowered by faith and gave glory to God and was fully convinced that what God had promised he was also able to do." Romans 4:20

Today, we celebrate the North American Jesuit Martyrs that included two laymen. These brave missionaries ministered in a territory that was later to be known as Canada and the United States. Their desire to evangelize the indigenous peoples of this "new world" and to establish the Church in this "new land" serves as a great example to us today. It also serves to inspire us to develop a bold faith, a faith that expresses itself in doing God’s work without counting the cost or looking for successful outcomes. St. Paul says in the opening line of the first reading for today’s Mass: "Abraham did not doubt God’s promise in unbelief; rather, he was empowered by faith and gave glory to God." Abraham and these Jesuit martyrs have much in common. As you may know, the Jesuit motto is: "For the greater Glory of God."

Faith is much more than the belief that God will work miracles for us when we are beset with personal sufferings and afflictions. This kind of faith will have us rushing to God when we become critically ill or when someone we love is experiencing a great personal loss. We will call upon family and friends to pray with us for a miracle and we will even turn to strangers to help us plead our cause before God. And if by God’s Providence, a "healing" of some kind takes place, we may be quick to say that it was our faith that was responsible for this turn of events.

There is no doubt that our faith calls us to turn to God when there is great need in our life. However, I am not so sure if this is the kind of faith that St. Paul was referring to in this first reading for today’s Mass, or the kind of faith that Abraham had in God’s promise or the kind of faith Jesus was asking of us when he said, "Have faith in God and have faith in me." (John 14:1) Jesus was demanding his disciples and the people who followed him to have faith in the God who sent Jesus into this world to save it and redeem it. Jesus is asking us to have faith in God’s Plan of Salvation, which included the Way of the Cross and the Crucifixion before Resurrection and Pentecost.

This kind of faith calls us to believe in a God of Life when all we see is death and destruction. It also calls us to believe in a God of Love when we are surrounded by hatred and loathing. It is the faith of the saints who walked in darkness and doubt when they prayed hours on end, like St. Paul of the Cross and Teresa of Calcutta. It is the faith of martyrs when their life ends violently after preaching a Gospel of love and forgiveness, like Sts. John de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues and their companions, the martyrs we celebrate today. It is a belief in a God who is more powerful and life-giving and loving than any expression of evil that we may encounter in our lives. God is able to bring light from darkness, life from death, and love from hatred. This, indeed, calls for some kind of faith!

 

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

Scripture:

Romans 4:1-8
Luke 12:1-7

Reflection:

I’m pretty sure that most of my fellow humans have, at some point, looked at a person who seemingly did nothing but somehow got ahead – got the job, got the girl (or the guy), got the promotion, got the recognition, got the life – and either scratched his or her head in disbelief or let out an internal howl at the injustice of it all. Some people just seem to be born with the "keys to the kingdom."

But it is God’s unconditional love that is the supreme balm for and leveler of all the human hierarchies and reward systems that tear apart, confound or stiffen our hearts and make us feel like we can never be, or have, enough.

With God, it turns out, we don’t have to work like a dog to gain His love; we don’t have to prove ourselves to get the reward. There is no spiritual quid pro quo in which if we do X (fill in the blank) then God credits us as a righteous person. No, the source of our goodness is not us or even our actions, but God. And it is through our belief in God that His goodness takes root in us and creates magnificence in the world.  What a relief it is to know that there is no Cosmic Ledger against which we will never measure up. Even, or especially, our sins are forgiven because we are loved; because, flaws and all, we hold onto our faith.

In the Gospel, Jesus reminds his own chosen disciples to beware the hypocrisy of the Pharisees who think they possess the "inside track" to the Divine. There is nothing secret, elusive or exclusionary about God.  If the smallest of God’s creatures is known intimately by Him, then how much more are we known to God? And by "we," I mean you and me.

The responsorial Psalm today says it all: I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation. The way to God and the truest reward is not for the other more fortunate guy or the one who does all the right stuff. It is for each of us who chooses, against all odds and often in pain, to go to God in our belief and our willingness to love.

 

Nancy Nickel ([email protected]) is director of communications at the Passionist Development Office in Chicago, Illinois.

Scripture:

Romans 1:16-25
Luke 11:37-41

Reflection:

Hand sanitizers are everywhere you look these days as we try to protect ourselves each other from the seasonal viruses that menace the land.  Today, as in Biblical times, the simple act of washing our hands is the easiest and most effective protection. 

Our Gospel selection for this day finds Jesus once again at the home of a Pharisee and in lively discussion about things ordinary and sacred.  The prescribed ritual of washing one’s hands before eating was, in fact, both ordinary and sacred.  This was another opportunity for Jesus to speak for integrity, transparency and consistency in all we do.  St. Luke often puts these dialogs between Jesus and the Pharisees in the context of a meal.  The Gospel context itself thus invites us to hear the challenge of Jesus as Eucharistic, where what is as ordinary as a meal, is really something so much more. 

The Eucharistic meal is a model of life itself for people of faith. We assemble ourselves around the table of The Lord as simply the people we are, without distinctions or exclusions.  No one is less clean or less worthy because The Lord has invited us all to the banquet.  Let us respond with faith again today invitation: "Come to the feast!"

 

Fr. Jim Strommer, C.P. is a member of the Provincial Council and lives in Chicago.

Scripture:
Wisdom 7:7-11
Hebrews 4:12-13
Mark 10:17-30 or 10:17-27

Reflection:
As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before him, and asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus, looking at him, loved him.

Jesus didn’t love him because he was good or because he knelt before him, or because he had been obedient from childhood, or because he was rich.

No.

Jesus just loved him.  He loved him with an agape, unconditional, love.

Jesus looks at us and just loves us. 

Running up to Jesus, we fall to our knees and ask the eternal question.  Jesus answers by revealing our attitudes, exposing our priorities, digging beneath layers that separate us from true discipleship – public piety, moral accomplishments, and political correctness.

He tells us the truth about ourselves, about what we lack and about the possessions that posses us.

 Jesus then invites us to follow him, to join him on the journey, to enter the Kingdom of God like a child, trusting, obedient and grateful to God.  If we follow, Jesus promises us the gift of eternal life.

Do we believe the promise?  Will we follow him? 

Or will we walk away in sorrow – dragging our pathetic possessions behind?

 

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

Scripture:

Malachi 3:13-20b
Luke 11:5-13

Reflection:

Two of the major themes highlighted by the evangelist Luke throughout his Gospel are prayer and the Holy Spirit. We have both of these present in our reading today. We hear Jesus encouraging us in our prayer to be persistent. I understand that the Greek here tells us to "keep on asking, seeking and knocking." Prayer is not a one time activity but a journey of faith and trust. Don’t let the lack of feelings or results stop you. One of the realities I love about St. Paul of the Cross was his persistence in prayer even when he experienced dryness. He endured into his old age and trusted all the way to the end of his life.

I get many prayer requests from people through my website because of my TV programs. Just yesterday I received a prayer request from someone unemployed, another for a son of theirs who has fallen away and another from a person about to undergo an operation. There are so many situations and a multiplicity of needs that people have. I certainly do intercede for these people daily. I know all of us are praying for our Fr. Jim Thoman recently diagnosed with cancer.

The thrust of this Gospel however, has more to do with intensifying our relationship with God. It was Matthew’s account of "ask, seek and knock" that was crucial in my own conversion at age 19. Luke further clarifies by changing Matthew’s "good things" that God will give us to "the Holy Spirit." What all of us really need is intimacy with God’s Spirit. It is the Spirit who invigorates us with passion, power and peace to live our vocations fully and achieve our potential. Most of all the Holy Spirit gives us what we all desire, a personal relationship with God. I invite you to be persistent and zero in on the person of the Holy Spirit. If you know how to give good things to your friends and family how much more will your Father in heaven pour out his Spirit on you!

 

Fr. Cedric Pisegna, C.P. is a missionary preacher, author of 12 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/

 

Feast of the Holy Rosary

Scripture:

Jonah 4:1-11
Luke 11:1-4

 

 

Reflection:

All of Catholic Europe prayed the Rosary when Sultan Selim assembled a great armada to overwhelm Italy and the West.  On October 7, 1571 the Christian fleet under Don John of Austria and Andre Doria smashed theTurkish threat at Lepanto.  Pope St. Pius V made that day the Feast of the Holy Rosary.

In our time Pope John Paul II inserted the Five Lightsome Mysteries into the Rosary for our contemplation.  For the Rosary is not a mumbling of Hail Mary’s.  It is an invitation to come to know and absorb the light and strength that Christ continues to share with us.  In the Rosary, we share Mary’s insights into the redemptive love of Christ.

Pope John Paul II suggested that we contemplate the Baptism of Christ as he embraced his call to be a victim for our sins.  At Cana he advances "his hour" at the request of his Mother.  He ministered to the multitude in the wearying work of proclaiming the Kingdom of God pouring out forgiveness and healing ills of soul and body.

The Transfiguration reminds us that the Lamb to be slain is truly the Son of God.  The Institution of the Eucharist gives us Christ our Life.  All these Mysteries give us light and hope as we see the Love of God poured out for us.  These events took place long ago in a far away land, but they become alive within us as we murmur our prayers.

"As I live, you shall live."  Jesus is totally present in each mystery. If the repetition of the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries have become a bit dull for us, perhaps probing these Mysteries of Light can waken us to the many ways in  which Christ loves us now as he did when he celebrated these events in Galilee and came to the aid of a trembling Europe at Lepanto.  The grace and power of Christ are there for us even amidst the new perils of the 21st century.

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

Scripture:

Genesis 2:18-24
Hebrews 2:9-11
Mark 10:2-16

Reflection:

To Love As Does Jesus

The Scriptures present the richness of God’s love:  the Genesis story of the creation of men and women, with its dose of the beauty of sexuality and human desire; the Gospel presents Jesus’ very direct teaching on marriage and divorce, plus his simple teaching on being childlike to enter the Kingdom of God. 

The selection from Mark’s Gospel presents Jesus’ teaching about the facts of relationships, love and life.  We easily recall the beauty of a married couples’ wedding day and their profession of faithful love for a lifetime.  Today we see that it doesn’t always happen:  the contemporary challenges of love and life can either bring blessed growth, or all too often, separation.

The Scriptures remind us that marriage is not merely a "body-thing", or a "social thing", or a "secular thing" – but a God-thing.  The Genesis reading teaches that God wants marriage to reflect God’s love for all people, a love which never fails, and which grows and promotes life.  Marriage and the relationship of man and woman is a challenge — God providing the example and encouragement to be patient, generous, thoughtful, enduring, forgiving, fruitful.

The last section of today’s Gospel highlights another dimension of marriage and life:  children.  People were happily bringing their children to Jesus that he might bless them, but the disciples tried to keep them away so as not to bother Jesus.  Jesus’ removed the human "barrier" and invited the children to come to him, reminding us all that parenting children is enfleshing God’s love (the Kingdom) by being life-giving and joy-filled (some parents may question the blessing of teenagers…).

Jesus is the model for the love of both spouses and parents.  As members of the Passionist family, we see Jesus promoting "Life" in gatherings as in today’s Gospel, and as we look to Him on the Cross of Calvary.  Sacrificial Love brings about life…in everyone!

Today, may we be grateful for our faith and our vocation in life.  May we seek a deepening of love in our lives, asking God’s blessing on the beauty of sexuality and relationships, God’s blessing of faithfulness and fruitfulness, and God’s blessing on children of all ages.

 

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