Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Ephesians 4:32-5:8
Luke 13:10-17

Reflection:

"Hypocrites!"  This is certainly not a label that any of us would dare lay claim to.  The evil of hypocrisy is a popular theme in our Lord’s lessons to his followers.  Today’s gospel, along with Paul’s letter, serves as an important reminder of Jesus’ instruction on how to live a life as a true disciple of Christ, with harmony between word and deed.  

Luke tells that while teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath, Jesus encounters a woman who had been crippled for eighteen years.  Described as "completely incapable of standing erect," we can only imagine this feeble and downtrodden woman in such agony that she was incapable of standing upright.  She is not given a name.  In fact, according to Luke’s account, she herself does not even ask for healing.  And yet so significant is her plight, Jesus immediately frees her from her bondage of suffering. 

Forever on the lookout for an opportunity to persecute Jesus, the synagogue leaders admonish Christ for his brazen act of curing this woman on the Sabbath, a clear breach of Jewish law.  For shame!  How sinful of him to perform this supremely good act on the day we are supposed to be honoring God with rest!  Of course, our Lord knows that curing this sick woman takes precedence over the letter of the law-a lesson lost on the synagogue head.  Christ does not mince words when he points the finger at these leaders, "Hypocrites!"  These are the same men who would lead their animals to water on the Sabbath without a second thought and yet they would leave this woman to suffer because of improper timing?  Jesus recognizes that it is in fact fitting to "set free" this woman on the Sabbath day.  

In healing her, Jesus also makes a point to name her as a "daughter of Abraham."  Abraham is the father of Israel.  In a holy covenant, God promised Abraham that through his descendants, all the nations of the world would come to be blessed.  Here standing before these scribes and elders is a daughter of their father, Abraham.  Is she not then, also an heir to God’s promise and their sister?  And if this simple, crippled, nameless woman is a daughter of Abraham, then is not the least among us also a worthy child of God? 

This question is answered definitively in Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians where we are given the blueprint for a Christian life: "be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.  So be imitators of God . . . and live in love . . .  ."  We are told to be nothing short of Christ-like in our treatment of others.  But how often have we refused forgiveness to our neighbor out of anger, stubbornness or spite?  And yet, how many more times have we gone to our Father with the hope of being forgiven for some truly detestable acts?  Perhaps we have more in common with the hypocrites of Luke’s gospel than we would care to admit. 

Society looked at the woman in the gospel story and saw "bent," "incapable," and "crippled."  Jesus looked at her and saw "daughter."  Let us look at those in the world around us and see our brothers and sisters as our Father does-as sons and daughters created in His image and likeness and heirs to God’s great promise of salvation.  

 

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

 

Scripture:

Exodus 22:20-26
1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10
Matthew 22:34-40

Reflection:

Our Sunday readings invite us to the core of our call as Christians-a core firmly rooted in our Jewish heritage.  The first reading from the book of Exodus provides some of the Jewish code of behavior and ethic, a code that is clearly grounded in compassion.  In Jewish tradition and practice, the 613 laws that make up the Covenant ensure Israel’s relationship with their God.  A few years back I joined a Torah study group at a local synagogue to learn more about this tradition.  What I learned from my experience was that the Law is fundamentally our response to the goodness of God.  To reach that knowledge, I was posed with question upon question.  Every time I answered a question, my Rabbi would present me with a new question.  The posing of questions is clearly foundational to Jewish pedagogy. 

In today’s Gospel from Mathew (our most Jewish Gospel), Jesus is presented with the most challenging question of all-he is asked to choose the most important of the commandments.  This incident in the life of Jesus appears (with nuances) in all of the Synoptic Gospels.  For Jesus, the greatest commandment is expressed in the unity of two-the love of God and love of neighbor as one loves self.  To summarize the crux of Jesus’ response, I am reminded of the words of Bishop Gordon Bennett (a native of my region of Southern California) who states frequently in his preaching on the Christian journey, "The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart."  The Bishop always pauses in reverence after saying this line…and then slowly repeats it again, "The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart." 

After my mother passed away, my father purchased a condominium and the seller was a wonderful Jewish couple.  Visitors to my father’s home, aware of his deep Catholic faith, always ask if he is going to remove the mezuzahs that adorn his front door and that of his master bedroom.  My father always responds that he is delighted to have these prayerful reminders of our relationship to God and the Jewish roots of our faith.  Indeed, the Shema, the confession of love for God, is a beautiful meditation for all of us. 

In Richard Rohr’s new book "Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality", he states "How we relate to God always reveals how we will relate to people, and how we relate to people is an almost infallible indicator of how we relate to God and let God relate to us." 

What we learn today from the wisdom of Jesus is that the core of our faith must be the triad of loving relationship that we are called to embrace-the love of God-the love of neighbor-and the love of self.  This is the same love that St. Paul is calling the Thessalonian Christians to embrace.  What a beautiful and challenging dance of love it is! Is it not the "Dancing with the Stars" that our world truly needs today?

 

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

Scripture:

Ephesians 4:1-6
Luke 12:54-59

Reflection:

If one were to write a reflection on what things bothered Jesus the most when he preached, you would have to mention his deep concern for hypocrisy.    Over 20 times Jesus speaks strongly against it.   The word comes from the Greek krino which means to cut into something, or in this case, to interpret.   It is used for acting or interpreting literature.

For Jesus acting religious and not being sincere is honoring God with the lips while our heart is far from Him.  Why is Jesus so vehemently disturbed by hypocrisy?    True religion is to love God with one’s whole soul and heart and mind.     A hypocrite is one who acts or dissembles as one who loves but really does not.  Their concern is what they look like to others.    If I look good to others than I am good, even if I am filled with corruption like a white washed tomb. Their religion is directed to humans not to God.  

An actor is very good when he or she looks like the person they are presenting.   In real life they might be the opposite.  Sir Lawrence Olivier said that a good actor is a good liar.  I remember when I was young Ingrid Bergman acted as Joan of Arc in a popular movie.   Later, when she had a child out of wedlock people were all upset.   How could a saint do such a thing?   In reality Bergman was not even a Catholic, but she was an excellent actress.

In the last analysis it is a form of idolatry.   Idolatry is the ultimate sin of worshiping the creature rather than Creator.    Pure religion is of little interest to them because their mind is with the self.   They use religion to look good.  Their concern is the outside appearances and not with pleasing God.   They use God to advance their self worth in the eyes of others.

 

Fr. Bob Weiss, C.P. lives in the Passionist community in Detroit, Michigan.  His primary ministry is preaching parish missions. 

Scripture:

Ephesians 3:14-21
Luke 12:49-53

Reflection:

In today’s Gospel reading from Luke, Jesus says some startling words: "Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division." This does not sound like the Prince of Peace!

First of all, we must remember that when Luke’s Gospel was written, deciding to be a Christian often did bring division within families. In fact, there are places in the world where that is true even today, and people literally risk their lives by professing their faith as Christians.

In the U.S., where there is not so much religious persecution, there can still be conflict within families over faith, and over which denomination people may choose. But for me, Jesus is speaking about something deeper than family disagreements about religion. To follow Jesus involves taking a stand. To be a Christian often involves going against the grain of conventional wisdom or popular culture. For instance, worldly wisdom will often take an absence of tension for peace. But, as those like Martin Luther King, Jr. have said, true peace is not simply an absence of conflict. Sometimes our faith leads us away from "going along to get along." To forego violence in a world that often uses violence to resolve conflicts may lead us to conflict. To forego seeking our own pleasures for the sake of others in a world that is constantly seeking more and more gratification may earn us some strange looks.

Fear of conflict makes it difficult to be Christian. We do not seek to impose our beliefs on others, or force them to do what we  want, but to follow Jesus means to live out our faith, no matter where we are. It means to love freely, as Jesus does. It means to share our hope, even in the midst of crisis. Living out our faith may bring division, but we will come to know, "with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth" of Christ’s love, and we will find real peace.

 

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

Scripture:

Ephesians 3:2-12
Luke 12:39-48

Reflection:

"God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior. With joy you will draw water at the fountain of salvation." Isaiah 12: 2-3

When I was growing up my family took a trip each year to Salem, OR to go to the eye doctor. You only got to go on this trip if you couldn’t see very well, so I remember the year I finally got to go. I was in 7^th grade, and couldn’t see the black board at school anymore, so it was time for me to get glasses. On the way to Salem we passed a billboard that I will never forget. It said, "Where will you spend eternity?" It scared me, because I didn’t know the answer to the question!

I was being raised catholic, and was a very good student at catechism classes, which I loved. But somehow in those classes I caught the notion that I had to earn my way to heaven. As the years went by and I grew up and went on to college and then married and started a family, the message on that billboard continued to haunt me. I was living my faith, but I sincerely believed I might go to hell.

Finally, in a women’s bible study, I heard on a tape, "Salvation is a free gift. There is nothing you can do to earn it." I said, rewind the tape, play it again! They did, and I heard again words that set me free: "Salvation is a free gift. There is nothing you can do to earn it." As the truth of those words began to sink in, I found such relief! I learned that Jesus paid the debt for me, and that my part was to receive that gift and then live my life in gratitude for such an awesome gift!

We can’t earn our way to heaven, but we are still called to strive to be holy and to live a life of compassion and service. I do good deeds not to gain merit, but out of love for the one who gave His life and His all for me. Thank you Lord for the amazing gift of salvation. May we rejoice everyday and live the abundant life that Jesus died to give us!

 

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.

Scripture:

Ephesians 6:1-9
Luke 13:22-30

Reflection:

Geography is important to the Gospel writer Luke. Notice in this passage that Jesus is making his way down through towns and villages to his ultimate destination, Jerusalem, where he will face his own suffering and death. It was during this trip that someone asks him a question many who believe in God have asked themselves before and since: "Lord, will only a few be saved?" Jesus responds: "Strive to enter through the narrow gate…For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

While at first glance, we may have preferred a more direct "Yes or No" response from Jesus; I think the tone of the passage, as well as the story Jesus tells deserves a prayerful look. 

Jesus tells the questioner to "strive." Luke uses the Greek term "agonizomai" which originally meant to "engage in an athletic contest" or "to fight, struggle." So what is the "striving" Jesus is talking about? He makes it quite clear that evil doers will not be able to enter, nor those who claim friendship with him due to eating and drinking in his presence. Not even those who knock and cry out: "Lord, open the door to us." In fact, in a startling ironic twist, Jesus says that those who will recline at table in God’s Kingdom will be the least, the last, and the lost.

In this parable, the good guy (or gal) finishing last, actually does win!

And they win because they possess the key to open the door. And that key is one of "metanoia" – repentance- striving daily to change ones heart and mind to Kingdom based values and actions, rather than those based on ego, power, wealth, and prestige.

For those who strive in this way, the last line of today’s gospel is truly "good news" – "some who are last will be first and some who are first will be last."

 

Patrick Quinn is the director of Planned Giving at the Passionist Development Office in Chicago.

Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr 

 

Readings:

Eph 1:11-14

Lk 12:1-7

 

Reflection:

Being a Christian is not for the faint of heart. Although our contemporary American faith life may only expose us at its worst to painful disagreements with children, relatives or politicians, we can be fairly secure in knowing that our Christianity will not lead us to death or exile.

 

But that was not the case in Jesus’ time, it was not the case for the martyr St. Ignatius whom we honor today, and it is even not the case today in India and Iraq where Christians have been killed or are fleeing for their very lives.

 

Last night I heard a Jesuit priest speak about his personal commitment to the non-violent Jesus. He has been arrested 75 times for civil disobedience and has served time in jail for his actions.  I listened intently, hanging on every word, wishing I could possess that kind of bravery and clarity. But inside me there was also that voice which summoned up all the injustices in the world and said, “Yes, but what about when such and such happens, and there seems to be no other choice…”, and then again, “but what about the need to confront bullies…”, and my internal qualifiers to non-violent actions continued.

 

It is Jesus Himself who has called upon us to turn the other cheek. It is Jesus who tells us in today’s Gospel, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more…” St. Ignatius was brought to the Coliseum in Rome to be killed and eaten by lions. “Suffer me to become the food of wild beasts, through whom I may attain to God. I am God’s grain, and I am ground by the teeth of wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of Christ.”

 

I went home last night knowing I would not have to face down lions. But I also knew I must face down a different "beast." I must have more faith in non-violence even in difficult world arenas, and I must ask myself personally in what corners of my heart am I angry and hurtful, impatient and judgmental? How does the lion inside me wound others? How do I act, even in a small way, with violence in my heart? And is it possible for me to have the courage to speak up against violence without engaging in it myself? 

 

Perhaps today with so many people suffering from hostility and oppression in our world, we can say a humble prayer for non-violent action and for peace, and in the words of the song we have heard a thousand times, “Let it begin with me.”

 

Nancy Nickel is the Director of Communications for Holy Cross Province

Feast of St. Paul of the Cross, Founder of the Passionists.

Scripture:

Ephesians 2:1-10
Luke 12:35-38

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