Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Isaiah 58:1-9a
Matthew 9:14-15

Reflection:

We are just a few days into the Lenten Season.  As is customary during this period of spiritual preparation, many of us have made the commitment to give up something pleasurable for the 40 days until Easter arrives.  Such a decision should be a personal, meaningful promise between each individual and our God. 

But, I wonder how many of our co-workers and friends already know what great sacrifice we are making?  In how many instances have we already complained of having to do without this comfort, whether it be some food or other superficial luxury like television or coffee?  Or perhaps even worse, what sort of bargain have we secretly made with ourselves that in giving up one thing we may over-indulge in something else?

Today’s readings reflect common themes in Jesus’ teachings, but ones that are particularly relevant as we prepare for the Resurrection of our Lord.  In Isaiah, the Israelites are dutifully offering penances and observing days of ritual fasting.  On the surface, such supposed respect and devotion might seem like the mark of a pious and faithful people.  But the prophet tells us that while making these offerings, they are constantly looking for recognition from above, "Why do we fast and you do not see it?  Afflict ourselves and you take no note of it?"  We might ask how righteous could the intent of their actions be if they are so preoccupied with the reward?

Lest we think we can somehow fool our Lord by these outward signs of devotion, we must remember that our hearts are fully known to Him.  While the Israelites offer up rituals and fasts, they also "quarrel" and "fight," oppress their workers and exploit the poor.  They make sure that their sacrifice is known to their neighbors by hanging their heads and adorning themselves in "sackcloth and ashes."  But this is not the type of offering that our God asks of us. 

Clothe the naked.  Feed the hungry.  Shelter the homeless.  Care for your family.  Free the unjustly imprisoned.  Thus says the Lord, "This is the fasting that I wish."  Lent is far more than mere observances on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.  It is healing the "wound" of our sinfulness by living our faith of love, compassion and respect.  Only then will our light shine, will we be vindicated and will our Lord answer resoundingly, "Here I am!"

In the Gospel, Jesus admonishes those who question his disciples’ failure to fast, saying ""The attendants of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they?"  The disciples do not fast because God is in their midst.  The time for fasting will come when "the bridegroom is taken away."  With these few words, Jesus reveals the true intention of such ritual offerings-searching and longing to be closer to God. 

Perhaps the greater lesson here then is about where we find Jesus-where is he present?  He is not present in the hypocrisy of showy, outward acts of piety with no substance.  He is in the pain and suffering of the sick, the naked, the homeless and all those in need.  This Lent, let us seek to find him there.

 

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

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Luke 9:22-25

Reflection:

In this world of possibility that we live in today, we often find it appealing to believe that we have many choices.  We are told, "the world is at your fingertips" or "sky is the limit."  But, then a crisis comes along, and things begin to crumble.  Choices of the past painfully effect the present and future. 

This year, I believe that we need Lent more than ever.  In Lent, we simplify.  In Lent, we go back to basics. In Lent, we walk with Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem and follow the Way of the Cross.  In Lent, we get honest and face our struggles and pains and embrace the heart of our faith as revealed in through the passion and death of Jesus Christ.

In today’s reading from the Gospel according to St. Luke, we join Jesus as he begins his journey to Jerusalem.  Jesus explains to his disciples from the outset that he must endure great suffering and rejection before he is killed, and then he will be raised on the third day.  Jesus was not telling them that he might, could, or should endure this painful journey, but that he must. 

Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem also points the way for our lives as disciples. During Lent, we too realize what we must do. We too must walk the road to Jerusalem and accept our suffering.  Ultimately through embracing the passion and death of Jesus Christ, we too are invited to new life-in this world and beyond.  We must die to our selves that we may know this new life. 

Life through death…this is the choice that Jesus presents to us.

What will you choose this day and throughout this Lenten Season?  Will you choose life by confronting your struggles, conflicts, misunderstandings, betrayals and suffering?  Will you place your faith and hope in the Lord that this journey-often filled with disappointment, pain and obstacles-will ultimately lead to greater peace and a new union with God and everlasting life?

The choice is ours and as disciples we must follow. 

See you on the road to Jerusalem.  It is nice to have companions on the journey!

 

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

Ash Wednesday

Scripture:

Joel 2:12-18
2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Reflection:

In this passage Matthew has Jesus emphasizing the religious practices of Alms, Praying and Fasting.  Jesus teaches motivation is what counts, not doing these practices for merit.  Christian life is lived for God, not for others. 

To give alms or mercy is an act of God.  The word "mercy" comes from the word "womb.’  The disciples are to extend mercy, and thus be as close to like God as possible.  It is a preeminent act of religion.  We are to offer alms modestly.  It preserves the dignity of the person who receives alms, and insures the authenticity of the Christian. 

Fasting is to be done as not to draw attention to one’s self.  The practice of not oiling one’s hair, leaving it uncombed, or not washing one’s face were practices that the whole person was engaged in the act of fasting.  Jesus says by all means fast, but don’t attract attention to yourself.  He says the "hypocrites" do this.  The word for hypocrites is "actor" one who receives a "reward" for what they do.  The word for "reward" is a commercial term meaning "receipt."  In other words they have been "paid in full."  The Christian’s reward will be given by God.  Therefore, "rend your hearts and not your garments."       

These instructions on Christian piety are appropriate as we enter into Lent.  The Law of Moses required people to fast on the Day of Atonement.  Pharisaic practice increased the practice to Mondays and Thursdays.  In the early Christianity fasting was observed 24 hours then 36 hours before Easter.  Eventually this extended to every Wednesday and Friday of the year, and then to the six weeks of Lent. Lent became such an important preparation for Easter that law courts were closed, hunting was forbidden, and even wars were suspended during this holy season. With this tradition in mind let us embrace this season and all the blessings it brings to us, so that we can rejoice whole heartedly at Easter. 

 

Fr. Kenneth O’Malley, C.P. is the archivist at Catholic Theological Union and lives with the Passionist community in Chicago, Illinois.

Scripture:

Sirach 2:1-11
Mark 9:30-37

Reflection:

God’s Love for little Ones.

"And he took a child, and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms…" Mark 9:36

Two times Jesus is said to take someone in his arms in the Gospels.  Both of them were with little children. We must become like children to feel this embrace of Jesus.  Children have not lived long enough to have accomplished anything. We have a tendency to think that God has to be impressed with our accomplishments before He can love us.  We forget a mother or father is head over heals in love with their babies.

od primarily loves us because we are his babies.  Little children do little for their parents except to demand total attention and service. Still they have the total love of their father and mother.  And so it is with God and us.  We are his children.  He desires our obedience and being conformed to the image of His Son.  But always at the heart of his affection for us is that we are his children.

This is the basis of his love for us.   At Baptism we were made his children in a very special way. George Burns and Gracie Allen wanted to adopt a child.   They were shown a room full of healthy, beautiful babies.  They had their choice of any one they wanted.   One of the babies was terribly ill and for three months they were not sure if it would live or die. George Burns when he first saw it said it was the ugliest baby he had ever seen.  He said it looked like Winston Churchill.  

Long after Gracie’s death, George said Gracie picked their son Ronnie rather than the other healthy babies in the room because he was the one that needed her the most.   Maybe, at the heart of God’s love for us, is our terrible condition.  Humility draws God’s love to us, whereas our pride and arrogance repeals God.  "He took the children in his arms, and blessed them, laying his hands upon them." Mark 10:16

 

Fr. Bob Weiss, C.P. preaches Parish Missions and is a member of the Passionist Community in Detroit, Michigan.

Scripture:

Isaiah 43:18-19, 21-22, 24b-25
2 Corinthians 1:18-22
Mark 2:1-12

Reflection:

…your sins I remember no more. IS 43: 25

God’s love is so amazing. He offers us His mercy brand new every morning! He even says that He doesn’t remember our sins! Never doubt God’s forgiveness. He always invites us back with open arms. This is a story of that gift.

Just as I was starting my freshman year of college, I found out I was pregnant. I had dated one guy all through high school and right before I left for college, we got drunk and I slept with him (3 years of firm resolve out the window in one night). We went to Planned Parenthood because I didn’t know how to tell my parents. We were told it was just a blob of cells and that my problems would be over quickly. I didn’t see any other option, so I shut off my emotions and just went ahead with it. Little did I know that the "quick fix" would cause many other problems, which would last for years.

The weekend after we aborted our baby I went home with my roommate. Her mother was ranting and raving and threw a magazine down on the table for us to see. It was the picture of an aborted baby at 10 weeks. It was a picture of my baby. I almost got sick. I couldn’t believe what we had done. I went straight to confession, but I didn’t feel forgiven. I just couldn’t believe that God could forgive such a horrible thing. I was convinced that He would never forgive me and that no one could love me if they knew what I had done.

After that, whenever the topic would come up, I would spiral into a place of self-hate and fear of God’s judgment. Finally, eight years later, when I went to a priest for the umpteenth time to confess my sin, he explained to me that God had forgiven me the first time I went to confession. He said that I just hadn’t forgiven myself. He read me this verse from Isaiah and helped me to believe that God could and did forgive me. It was the beginning of my healing and of finding peace. What a wonderful day that was!

I think it’s very important for people to be careful how they talk about this subject. Let’s help women (and men) find healing, not heap condemnation on them. Many people believe that God can’t forgive the wrong they’ve done, but He can and He will and He does! Don’t let your past or present mistakes rob you of God’s total forgiveness and love for you. Believe the truth and let it set you free!

 

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.

Solemn Commemoration of the Passion

Scripture:

Isaiah 53:1-12
I Corinthians 1:18-25
John 19:17-30

Reflection:

Today we Passionists celebrate a very special feast, The Solemn Commemoration of the Passion.  This is the titular Feast of our Congregation and we celebrate it each year on the Friday before Ash Wednesday.  St. Paul of the Cross instituted this feast as a celebration of the great love that Christ has for us as witnessed by His self gift in the Passion.  We are forgiven our sins and have eternal life with God because of Christ’s great love for us.

The first reading, taken from the Prophet Isaiah, describes how complete was the Suffering Servants self gift.  "He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, one of those from whom men hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem."  Ultimately, he is destroyed.  Yet, because he was innocent and had given his life for others, God, recognizing the love at the heart of his sacrifice, overcomes the guilt of us all.

Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, testifies to the power of Christ’s sacrificial love and reflects on how different the wisdom of God is from that of men. 

In the Gospel we hear again the stark re-telling of the final events of Christ’s life: his painful struggle to Golgotha with the burden of his cross, his crucifixion and death on the cross, the witness of the soldiers and the gift of his Mother to us.  The final brutal death accepted with gentle love that expresses so eloquently Christ’s desire to bring all of us to life.

The details are hard to hear, but the overwhelming message of God’s love for us shines through clearly.  How grateful we are to be so completely loved by our saving Lord.

 

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

Scripture:

Genesis 8:6-13, 20-22
Mark 8:22-26

Reflection:

Jesus, whenever I read of your curing of the blind man I am reminded of a visit to the Shrine of Our Lady in Lourdes, France.   It was at the grotto that Mary appeared to St. Bernadette.  I joined the many pilgrims were present there. Everyone there was praying either for themselves or for others who were ill.   There was a prayerful atmosphere which was very tangible. 

I went to the baths, was totally submerged in the pool of water and prayed for by a priest and layman. I don’t think I have ever heard such fervent prayers, begging for healing.  A young crippled boy was brought in by two men.  As the little fellow was placed in the pool of water he let out a little scream of surprise…the water was not that warm!  Watching and listening to the priest and layman again, you knew that this little guy was their sole attention, begging for a miracle. 

I wandered around the grounds afterwards.  Approaching the old church I saw a piece of statuary, depicting a woman sitting on a stretcher placed on the ground while two men stood at either end.  They were stretcher bearers.  I looked at the woman and noticed that around her head, covering her eyes was a piece of cloth.  I didn’t quite understand what that meant.  Then I looked down and saw an inscription on the side of the stretcher.  "I came here seeking sight for my eyes, and left with sight for my soul."  I have never forgotten that line.  It has given me a broader picture of what prayer is all about. 

Never would I tell anyone not to pray for a healing, for a miracle. The people in the gospel narrative for today brought the blind man to You.  He wanted to see, and You healed his blindness. . 

What comes to mind is that all of us are asked to be open to the answer You give to us.  Any loved one or friend is often challenged by a request that starts, "I want…."   That’s honest.  But not the total picture.  Isn’t the need I have the most important part of any request.  And that need that I see might also have to be filtered through "…but I leave it in Your hands as to what I really need."  Jesus, You said in Your own words, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, but not my will but Yours be done."   I wish that I could say that this was easy for You.  It wasn’t.  But neither were You alone.  The Father was with You.  

Can I/you who are reading this put into the Father’s hand my/our need when we pray…"Our Father, who art in heaven…Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…"

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

Scripture:

Genesis 3:9-24
Mark 8:1-10

Reflection:

Talk about a packed feast!  Today we celebrate the hearts and flowers feast of Valentines Day across America and, at the same time, in our liturgical life, we celebrate the feast day of two brothers, saints Cyril and Methodius.  Cyril was a monk (but not for very long in actuality) and Methodius was a bishop (with a very stormy tenure to say the least!)  And in addition to these already colorful themes of the day, we have very dramatic readings from the book of Genesis and the Gospel of Mark which give us amazing images of God who is both a generous giver of good things as well as the sole arbiter of what is good and evil.  Let’s look at some of the images for this special day, February 14^th, 2009.

Of course, Valentines Day is meant to be a time of sharing notes of love and friendship with special people in our lives.  As commercialized as this day may be, it is still a great day that gives us all a chance to say "I love you" to a few or even many people who come into our lives.  But where can you find a Valentine greeting any better than the message found in the Gospel of Mark where Jesus, "heart moved with pity", sees the needs of his hungry people and miraculously provides an abundance of food for them, and all from only a few fish and seven loaves of bread?  Now there is a Valentine that says "I love you" and in which we can really place our trust!

For me, personally, however, it is the Genesis account of the "great fall" of our "first parents", Adam and Eve, which really captures my attention this Valentines Day.  Through his creation and the offering of a blissful life in the Garden, God shows how great his love and hopes are for us, his beloved children.  Yet, we sin even against a God who is so generous and gracious; we eat the forbidden fruit; we suddenly become aware of our nakedness with uncharacteristic self-consciousness; and we know for the first time what it means to be embarrassed, ashamed, and sorrowful.  Milton captured this moment so dramatically with his great masterpiece, Paradise Lost.  How terribly true: by turning away from God in our pride and sin we have lost Paradise and the joy of the Garden.  We will never be the same again and the snake will forever crawl on his belly!

Of course, we are wiser now!  We discover that we cannot give up on ourselves because God has chosen not to give up on us.  A Savior is promised, a Messiah is awaited.  And just maybe, if we really try to do it right this time, we will rediscover the promise of the Garden and find passage beyond the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword.

 

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