Daily Scripture

Feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe

Scripture:

Joshua 24:1-13
Matthew 19:3-12

Reflection:

I write these few thoughts on today’s feast from our family home in St. Louis where I am visiting on vacation.  Were my father, James Aloysius, still alive today we would be celebrating his 100^th birthday.  Alas, or in truth joyfully, he celebrates this milestone not with us but with the rest of our family in his Heavenly home.  So, naturally on this special day as we remember a great contemporary martyr named Maximilian, my thoughts also drift to the life of another great one whose faith touched my own life, the guy we all called "Dad."  Now I don’t believe that Dad was as great and holy a man as was Maximilian, but, in his own way I have no doubt that he lived his faith in a heroic manner.  St. Maximilian witnessed his faith most fully by gladly offering his life in exchange for a fellow Auschwitz prisoner, Sgt. Francis Gajowniczek.  What a heroic moment that must have been when St. Maximilian stepped forward and, when asked by the commandant who he was, replied with the brief but powerful words: "I am a priest."  My father once lost a very, very good job working with a local and powerful company by the name of National Lead by standing up for the men working under him.  These sales men counted on commissions that were being denied them for the sake of making the administration and the books look better to the head office out of state.  My father protested unceasingly about this unjust and unethical treatment until the higher ups came to town and told him that if he did not desist he would be fired.  My father spoke some mighty heroic words himself: "Why, you can’t fire me.  I quit!"  He was over 50 years old at the time but had a great reputation in the business.  The next day another company hired him!  Still, he stood up to injustice and refused to be a part of something immoral.  I will never forget Dad’s action and the way he lived out his faith.

In our first scriptural reading for today’s feast we hear the Lord speaking through Joshua his servant at Shechem, reminding all of the forgetful people then and now, of the many wonderful things that the Lord has done for us.  Joshua proclaims this great reminder: "I gave you a land that you had not tilled and cities that you had not built, to dwell in; you have eaten of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant."   How generous is our God!  How can we ever forget?

Summer is drawing to a close very quickly.  Let’s remember on today’s feast the heroic action of St. Maximilian Kolbe and all the other great ones that the Lord chooses to place in our life.  Let’s never forget how great and generous is our loving God!

 

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

 

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Matthew 18:15-20

Reflection:

The hysterical shouting matches at town hall meetings to discuss health care in the United States have demonstrated once again that there is no shortage of people who honestly believe they alone have access to the truth and all others have gone astray. To the contrary, the Gospel suggests that we might find wisdom in listening to the perspective of others, even when they disagree with us. Truth is usually discovered in community.

We live in communities at various levels – family, church, society. Our everyday lives are inevitably intertwined. Yet few of us appreciate being told what to do by members of our family, church authorities, or civil statutes. "Mind your own business," is a standard rejoinder that crosses the mind when we are corrected. The individual ego typically has a strong sense of self-determination with little tolerance for being chided.

Abiding within the wisdom of the community does not mean mindless conformity. Rather, a healthy community is the wise product of people striving together, the strength of many helping each other, the real freedom of people able to listen to each other. Listening to another is not weakness, but a sign of humility and intelligence. In dialogue with other members of the community we have a better chance of discovering the truth.

 

Fr. Joe Mitchell, CP is the director of the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center in Louisville, KY.

See his website: www.earthandspiritcenter.org

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 9:6-10
John 12:24-26

Reflection:

My husband died suddenly when I was 25 and our son Carl was 7 months old.  When Carl was almost 5, God gifted me with Ken, who asked me to marry him.  Rather than being elated, I found myself faced with a tortuous decision.  I knew with a clarity borne of suffering that we were both going to die and there was a 50-50 chance Ken would die first.  If I said yes, if I gave my entire life and my whole heart to him, I risked going through this hell all over again.  

I prayed and agonized over my decision.  Could my heart survive being torn apart a second time?  Could I expose my son to the risk that he’d have two daddies die?  If I said no I would lose Ken anyway. Yet it would happen immediately, when our lives were not so intertwined and it was easier to say goodbye.  I could stay safe and avoid the potential of profound pain.

And yet, saying no meant I would miss the potential for great joy.  I would be safe, but I would not be stretched, remaining a seed that refused to be broken open by life.  I would deprive myself and my son of the depth of relationship that can only happen when one risks it all.  I would be saying no to the cross, and no to the fullness of life to which God calls me.  Is that what I wanted for myself?  And is that the model I wanted to give my son?

With quaking heart I said yes.  Carl now has two brothers, Ken and I will celebrate our 25^th wedding anniversary in October, and our family is rich in joy and love.  Yes, Ken will die, and there is still a 50-50 chance he will die first, but the pains of hell that follow will be more than worth it for the happiness we have shared.  In a very profound way, I had to lose my life, my sense of security, my desire for control, and the safety of the familiar in order to follow where God called. 

My decision of 25 years ago continues to inform my life as the challenge of risking, losing, and giving without measure is constantly present.  How often do I make easy decisions instead of stretching myself beyond what I think is possible?  In what ways do I try to control and hold onto my children instead of letting them grow away from me with freedom to become who God created them to be?  Of what situations, possessions, or attitudes do I need to let go?  How cheerfully do I give my time, acceptance, forgiveness, and love?  Where do I look for security, and how tenaciously do I cling when I think I’ve found it? 

I don’t know what the future holds, but I know these challenges will never cease.  I pray I have the courage to sow bountifully, give my heart fully, and lose the safety of my current life for the boundless love of Christ.

 

Amy Florian is a teacher and consultant working in Chicago.  For many years she has partnered with the Passionists.  Visit Amy’s website at http://www.amyflorian.com/.

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 6:4-13
Matthew 17:14-20

Reflection:

Jesus speaks about "mountain moving" faith in the Gospel. Sir Edmund Hillary was the first to ever climb Mount Everest. What few know is that he lost one of his men to death in a failed first attempt. Sometime later a group of reporters were questioning him about the climb. Behind the podium was a picture of the majestic Mount Everest. When Hillary saw the picture he spoke, "You have defeated me, but I will defeat you. You can’t get any bigger, but I can."

We usually use our words to speak about our mountains. We use statements such as these: "This is too hard." "It’ll never happen for me." "I guess my best days are behind me." "How can I ever overcome these obstacles?" In life it is easy to focus on the problems and difficulties and talk about them. Jesus challenges us to speak to them in a positive way. There is power in our words. The way we speak displays our hearts and can determine our destiny. 

Today is the memorial of St. Dominic who founded the Order of Preachers. Preachers are those who instill hope and faith in others through their words. As Passionists our primary call is to inspire faith and new possibilities through the use of words. Words are containers of power. Speak to your mountains and discover that "nothing will be impossible for 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 Transfiguration of the Lord

Scripture:

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
2 Peter 1:16-19
Mark 9:2-10

Reflection:

I could tell you that I don’t like brussels sprouts unless they have maple butter on them. You could quote me, saying, "He doesn’t like brussels sprouts." Obviously this is a quote out of context. Your quote suggests that I don’t like brussels sprouts at all, never, ever. Context is very important. In a piece of writing, or a speech, what precedes and follows a word or passage contributes to the full meaning of what is being said. The use of context gives a more accurate meaning to a statement.

Today’s Gospel reading is better appreciated in context. In the preceding chapter, before Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain, he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" After being pressed, Peter said, "You are the Messiah, the Christ." Before they could triumph in their close relationship with this "Messiah" and what glory that would bring them, Jesus reveals the future: suffering, rejection and death. This was such a terrible shock to the apostles; they couldn’t accept it. Peter cries out, "This cannot happen to you!" Jesus replies, "Get behind me, Satan."

It is in this depressing situation of misunderstanding and disillusionment that the Transfiguration takes place, six days later. On the mountain Jesus is suddenly transformed. Moses and Elijah appear to be talking with Jesus. The message is clear: Moses and Elijah fully endorse what Jesus is doing and saying and the future he has foretold about his suffering and death. Then a cloud appears and covers them. This was not simply a change in the weather. For a Jewish person, it represented the presence of Yahweh. A voice from the cloud declares: "This is my beloved Son; listen to him." A supreme endorsement of the Son by his Father. Yes, listen to him even when he says things that you don’t like, things that you do not yet understand.

This special moment of encouragement will help the apostles through the difficult days ahead, though they will not fully understand until after the Resurrection and the Ascension, when they will boldly proclaim the Cross and not hesitate to carry daily their own cross.

The second reading invites us to meditate on this event, "as a lamp shining in a dark place." May the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ be an encouragement to us to faithfully continue our journey, even when we don’t understand all that God is doing in our lives.

 

Fr. Don Webber, C.P. is Provincial Superior of Holy Cross Province and resides in Chicago.

Scripture:

Numbers 13:1-2, 25-14:1, 26-29a, 34-35
Matthew 15:21-28

Reflection:

Holy Frustration

Our Exodus story continues,  and  I’m feeling inside myself a tremendous amount of frustration. 

Before speaking of the frustration, this isn’t merely a historical story, leaving us detached and gazing at a historical event. We are connected to the story because these are our ancestors.  Moreover, the story of our lives is a journey story which has strong parallels with this Exodus story.  Let’s go back to the frustration.

Recall how this story begins.  It begins in frustration with our ancestors being slaves in a foreign country.  Through the events of liberation we move out of slavery but yet we end up moving into more frustration.  We grumble. We are hungry! We grumble. We are thirsty!  We grumble.  We are tired of this flaky starchy manna.  We grumble.  We even want to go back to being slaves.   Because even when we were slaves life was more predictable.  And we’re frustrated. This journey story has a lot of frustration.  After so many years, we finally learn how to live out in the desert, and to trust that God will give us sustenance, our children are born, our elders die, and finally we come to the Promised Land. If only it were that easy.  For before us is more frustration.  So today as we hear the reading we sit on the edge of the Promised Land gazing in.  And after all this time, we cannot enter.  We must wait some more time.  We must continue our journey.  But aren’t our feet tired and our bodies weary?

A couple of years ago we expanded our labyrinth here at the retreat center. A labyrinth is a walking journey prayer.  It moves one from the outside to the inside and there is only one path.  Retreatants frequently reflect back to me how quickly they think they are getting to their destination.  However, if one continues to walk the labyrinth they realize that just as you begin getting close to your destination, the path turns.  In the labyrinth you end up walking a path which leads you out, away from, and all around the destination you are trying to reach.  Retreatants frequently will say how this mirrors life.  The mirroring of life of the labyrinth is also the truth we see in this first reading.  Just when we think we are getting to where we need to be going, God gives us a detour. 

Do we not see the same issue in the Gospel?  Jesus is very clear of his mission.  His mission is "to the lost sheep of the house of Israel".  Those are his words.  Yet this woman, who is an outsider, refuses to take Jesus’ "no" seriously. 

One way of looking at this story is that the need and frustration of the woman lead her to Jesus.  Notice she is not disrespectful.  She honors him and pays him homage, even calling him, "Lord".    She does not accept Jesus’ "No".  Her frustration has led her here.  She stays in the frustration and keeps pushing Jesus.  She will even take Jesus analogy and throw out an argument simply because of her desperation. 

Have you ever had an experience of a holy frustration?  Perhaps it was around issues of finance, health, or the raising of your children.  If you have, I invite you to take some time today to allow these readings to speak to that experience. 

 

Fr. David Colhour, C.P. is on the staff at Christ the King Passionist Retreat Center, Citrus Heights, California.

Feast of St. John Mary Vianney

Scripture:

Numbers 12:1-13
Matthew 14:22-36

Reflection:

Foibles and Fear — Faith and Forgiveness

St. John Mary Vianney, today’s celebrated saint, was known for his generous ministry of the Sacrament of Reconciliation…many sought God’s forgiveness and encouragement through the pastoral care of the Cure of Ars!  Now, years later, our own sharing in the Sacrament of Reconciliation invites us to acknowledge our failures, overcome our fears, and faithfully seek God’s forgiveness and love.

Our readings highlight God’s continued outreach to us in our foibles and fears.  In the Book of Numbers, Aaron and Miriam mistakenly grumbled to God about Moses’ personal conduct; realizing the gravity of their mistake, Moses interceded for them and asked God to remove the leprosy which had afflicted Miriam.  The words of Psalm 51 are an inspired plea for God’s mercy, prayed by all sorts of saints and sinners.  Today’s Gospel selection from Matthew highlights Peter’s lack of faith as he tried to cross the choppy waters of the lake, and Jesus’ literal reaching out to him to save him from drowning.  In these scripture selections, "human nature" tried to get in the way of God’s loving plan for people – and yet nothing can hinder God’s fidelity and unconditional love for us.

God invites us to benefit from regular, in-depth reflection on our personal spiritual lives.  Are we growing?  Has personal sinfulness clouded our view of people and our world?  Is our faith strong enough to carry us over troubled waters?  Are we humble enough to reach out for the help that God offers us in so many ways, especially through the Sacraments?  Such questions and reflection are at the heart of our Passionist retreats, parish missions, and other ministries.

And, "Cheerleaders" abound for us in living the Christian life — Moses, Miriam, Aaron, Peter, John Mary Vianney, Paul of the Cross … to name just a few!  Their lives witness that our foibles and fears are divinely outmatched by God’s forgiveness and love, if we faithfully open our hearts to Jesus Crucified.  Indeed He awaits us with outstretched arms, a loving smile, and a warm embrace.

 

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

Scripture:

Numbers 11:4b-15
Matthew 14:13-21

Reflection:

The Word of God is so clear today and shines a bright light on our own challenges when we are faced with, seemingly, insurmountable difficulties. Personally, I work with another Passionist priest, Fr. Bob Crossmyer, C.P.,  and a team of laity who are doing everything possible to maintain the launching of a college preparatory high school that invites only students from low income homes ($40,000.00 combined income or less) to attend. They are welcome here, provided they are willing to: 1. work, once  week,-at  an entry level, corporate job where they earn 70% of their tuition, 2.  do homework and maintain good grades, and, 3. set their aim on going to college. This program actually breaks the cycle of poverty (raised in poor neighborhood,get  poor education,have poor job, resulting in living in a poor neighborhood).This is the work of Jesus who says to us in the "deserted place" of his day: "They need not go away; you give them something to eat…Bring them here to me."  "…here to me," in our case, is the Catholic school  system. It is the Body of Christ, the Church working in our midst.

One of the interesting spiritual phenomena in doing something about insurmountable difficulties in Jesus name is that we are changed and transformed in the process. God is going to do what God wills, and desires that we act according to the image of God. That is the shaping and forming that goes on. The image of God in Christ is a powerful  one of compassion, not doing miracles. I suppose that Jesus could have said something like "don’t worry guys, I’ve got these resources that will take of it." No, it was the power of compassion. I know the distractions of lack of funds, and, just cutting corners and making excuses are easy cop-outs to faithfully taking action through  compassion. Why is a team, a "body," so important? More often than not I don’t feel the compassion, the challenges can drain me. Moses had this issue when he complained to God; he had had it. God would subsequently gather 72 to share in the responsibilities which Moses bore. The compassion of another team member just gives everyone the impetus to follow through. Maybe that is what happened when the disciples began distributing the meager amount of food available and then collected "twelve baskets full" of leftovers.  Faith in the face of the insurmountable, through compassion, gets communicated somehow  through His Body on earth. It is a matter of paying attention.

 

Fr. Alex Steinmiller, C.P. is the president of Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School, Ensley, Alabama.