Daily Scripture

Scripture:

Hebrews 7:1-3, 15-17
Mark 3:1-6

Reflection:

Barack Obama carries out his first full day of work as the President of the U.S. today.  His presidency represents a change in more than the usual sense of the term, when we speak of the change of watch that presidential succession entails.  For he is the first African-American to hold this office.  Quite a change!

And we expect corresponding changes from him in various areas of U.S. life, of which he allegedly said the very first thing to which he would attend, upon assuming the presidency, would be: the sick economy, the conduct of our two wars, the practice of torture and extradition, the reduction of taxes for the middle class, extended unemployment benefits, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, etc., etc.

The liturgical readings from the bible today likewise address change, leading us to ask whether the changes they describe portend anything above and beyond the obviously religious tenor we observe about them.  Hebrews looks to the ancient priest Melchizedec as a type or model of the priesthood Jesus represents: a new kind of priesthood, that is a change from the Aaronic priesthood that prevailed within Judaism up to that point in time: "…another priest raised up after the likeness of Melchizedec,…" (Heb 7.15).  And Mark describes an incident that Jesus instigated in the synagogue, on the Sabbath, healing the withered hand of a man present there.  In doing so, He changed the terms of the event from a Sabbath desecration to a: "Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil…?" (Mk 3.4)

These "terms of engagement" associated with Jesus: are they "only" religious, or do they suggest that any significant changes occurring in any venue must have a religious base?  We memorialize the young girl Agnes today: was not her death, even though religiously motivated, capable of shaking the foundations of the Roman Empire?  And are not the religious changes for which we pray during this octave of prayer for church unity capable of moving beyond the churches, and reaching farther, like the priesthood of Jesus, the keeping of the Sabbath, and the death of Agnes, right up to the desk of the President?

 

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

Scripture:

1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19
1Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20
John 1:35-42

Reflection:

"Here I am, Lord, You called?"

"Jesus,  I heard Your call and I ended up with  a sense of direction.  As I look back on my life there have been times that You have used others to get my attention.  That still happens in my life.

For instance, I know that fifth grade seems awfully young for a boy to "hear" what would eventually develop into a realization that You were calling me to take a look at priesthood.    Our collecting of pennies "for the foreign Missions" during our years in grade school got me thinking: ‘how about my actually going on the Foreign Missions to help these people?’  Then, a Passionist priest came to St. Lawrence grade school to thank our student body for raising funds for our Holy Family parish, made up of African Americans, in Birmingham, AL.  But I also heard that the Passionists had  missionaries in China!   "Here, I am, Lord, you called!"

 But more immediately my contact with the Passionist community in Detroit introduced me to a group of young Passionist religious in their college years who appeared to me as men, who are happy, have a great sense of humor, easy to relate to, …and wow, some of them can really play baseball!  That was a powerful message to me: they were quite human, easy to relate to, whether they were on a ball field wearing sports clothes accented by a baseball cap and a baseball glove, or walking around the monastery wearing the Passionist habit and sandals.  The person mattered.   ‘Here I am, Lord, You called!’ 

 So I entered the Passionist Seminary in my first year of High School and continued on with much support from my parents, brother and sisters, and my Passionist family there in the Seminary.   Jesus, I remain ever grateful for the interest, trust and challenges that were presented to me during my seminary days.   "Here I am Lord, You called!" 

Ordination to priesthood came in 1957 followed by a special year in writing sermons, practicing them and finally getting into the pulpit.  Remember, Jesus, we wrote a sermon (we called it a "common-fit all occasion" sermon that fit every weekend and so allowed us to preach the same sermon a number of times so we could feel comfortable and sneak a peek at the congregation.  So at the end of that year we received our assignments: ‘Dear Father Peter, you are hereby assigned to the Minor Seminary to teach Latin."   Whoops!  ‘Here I am Lord, but, forgive me, where are you?  The Passionists are a preaching Community, are they not?’ ‘ Indeed, you are.’ ‘ Walk your talk, Peter, among the High School Seminarians.’  I ended up preaching in a St. Louis parish on weekends.  No, by this time I was writing a sermon that fit the readings of the day!  The teaching was fine.  I enjoyed the young men.  I did this for nine years.  "There I was Lord, You called!"

And then, another series of calls via my Superiors:

please become the Director of Christ the King Retreat Center in Sacramento, CA [nine years][ sure you can take 9 months off for a sabbatical in Denver, CO];

please head up the Passionist Student Residence house in Northridge, CA[three years];

please be the Vocation Coordinator on the west coast[four years];

please go to Pittsburgh, PA as Assistant Novice Master [2 years];

please take over the Vocation Recruiting Office for the Province in Chicago, IL [four years][sure, you can take 9 months sabbatical at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkley, CA.][ I really didn’t know that my "yes" included a the heart attack while there!];

please, now that you have recovered and finished your studies, become the retreat Director of Our Lady’s Retreat Center in St. Louis [3 years];

please become associate pastor at the Passionist parish of the Immaculate Conception in Chicago, IL[4 years][again, that "yes" included time out for prostate cancer surgery];

and then, please become the Director of Holy Name Retreat Center[2 years] followed by 6 more years up to the present here in Houston, TX. [I am running neck and neck with Fr. Dennis McGowan, C.P. in Japan in counting stents in our arteries to keep our hearts functioning!] "Here I am, Lord, You called."

There has always been a deep peace within me knowing the Lord is, indeed, with me.  His calls have surprised me at times, finding me a bit queasy as to whether I would measure up to the call.  I gradually began to say to my Superiors and friends, "You know my gifts AND my limitations.  I will give it my best shot."   You and I know, Jesus, that a few shots have gone far afield!  And there have been both laughter and tears, successes and failures.

Looking back I realize that I was being called by You, Lord, to prepare myself for the future by many who were in tune with Your own wishes.  There is great value in having wise counsel when we are aware that we are being called by the Lord. 

Join Jesus at the table, talking over His calls to you.

 

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

Scripture:

Hebrews 4:1-5, 11
Mark 2:1-12

Reflection:

There is only one joy for me that equals the wonder and excitement of travel and that is…coming home. That first moment when I walk in the door after being away is like seeing real beauty for the first time. The walls may be worn, the cat may be cranky, the plants may be limp, but I’m home, and oh boy, it looks like heaven to me.

I wonder if Jesus ever got to walk in his house and just disappear and "regroup" for awhile. Today’s Gospel tells us it wasn’t the case at Capernaum. We know of Jesus’ excruciating journey to the Cross, but what must it have been like to carry the burden of souls, their wishes and shattered dreams, every day of His life, every moment? How in the world did He bear the weight of all those people seeking relief so desperately–the poor, the lonely, the lame, the sick, and the outcast?

"Child, your sins are forgiven." There is such heart-rending compassion, gentleness of spirit, and presence in those five simple words. Jesus didn’t take a nap when he got home, "take five," or promise to be in touch later. Jesus was there, as He always is for each of us, ready to forgive and heal. Moved by the faith of the crowd and despite the criticisms of the naysayers, Jesus proved that the lame can indeed get up and be freed from what cripples them. And, by breaking through our own walls that keep us from Christ, so can we.

I truly hope that Jesus laid down his sweet head to rest more than just when he was a baby in the manger.  But I suspect that his short life on earth was lived far less restfully, although certainly He lived it with open eyes, open hands, and a truly open heart.

 

Nancy Nickel is the director of communications with the Passionist Development Office in Chicago, Illinois. 

Scripture:

Hebrews 4:12-16
Mark 2:13-17

Reflection:

Our first reading today from the book of Hebrews begins; "The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account."

The word spoken of here can refer to the Sacred Scriptures, the written word of God or it can refer to the Word, the second person of the Trinity, made flesh in Jesus Christ. 

The penetrating power of the word/Word, is capable of doing a lot more than giving us a good facelift.  We are talking about the grace of God getting in between the soul and spirit, joints and marrow.  That is about as invasive a procedure as one can imagine.  It is more than something created, because it can even get into the human soul.

Why is such a powerful spiritual anointing necessary?  Because that is how deeply we can get wounded by our sins and the power of evil that swirls around us.  We can mess up our lives in a royal fashion.  The inner disorder and disorientation from God can be so overpowering that we need this "power greater than ourselves" to intervene. 

All of us are prone to addictions of one sort or another.  Some are mild and not too destructive, but others can get into the very fabric of our life and take control.

In his book, "Addiction and Grace", Gerald G. May, M.D. tells us that an addiction "uses up" our desire to love God and others. 

        "It is like a psychic malignancy, sucking our life energy into
         specific obsessions and compulsions, leaving less and less
        energy available for other people and other pursuits.
        Spiritually, addiction is a deep-seated form of idolatry.  The 
        objects of our addictions become our false gods.  These are
        what we worship, attend to, where we give our time and 
        energy, "instead of love".  Addiction, then, displaces and 
        supplants God’s love as the source and object of our deepest
        true desire.  It is, as one modern spiritual writer has called it,
        a "counterfeit of religious presence."

The word/Word of God can get to the heart of this woundedness, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow and heal addictions and make us whole.  Often, with great fear and trepidation, we must invite Jesus into these dark and powerful areas of our lives.   Jesus was able to take Levi, a tax collector, and turn him into one of his Apostles, Matthew.   To penetrate between his soul and spirit, Jesus went to Levi and his tax-collecting friends and shared a very intimate and vulnerable moment with them.  He ate a meal with them.  Jesus will join us in meeting our addictions head-on and help us to conquer them.

 

Fr. Blaise Czaja, C.P. is a member of the Passionist community in Detroit, Michigan.  His primary ministry is preaching parish missions and retreats.

Scripture:

Hebrews 3:7-14
Mark 1:40-45

Reflection:

This week began ordinary time. Liturgically we have stepped out of the wonder of the great Christmas season. Our hearts were touched by the infant in the arms of his mother, the challenges faced by the holy family, the mystery of wise men following the star, the heavens torn open, the dove descending and the voice of the Father: "You are my beloved Son". After experiencing all of this the first reading is asking us: "what kind of heart do you have?"  It notes that the Israelites also experienced the wonders of their liberation from the slavery in Egypt and yet many hardened their hearts. The reading spoke of erring, evil, and unfaithful hearts. We are warned that "the deceit of sin" can darken our vision to what is true and good.

We want our hearts to be on fire with the love of God and our neighbor, yet we are human and we fall short. Like the leper in today’s gospel we beg the Lord to make us clean.

 

Fr. Michael Hoolahan, C.P. is on the staff of Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, California.

Scripture:

Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7
or Isaiah 55: 1-11
Acts 10:34-38
or 1 John 5:1-9
Mark 1:7-11

Reflection:

No sooner did Jesus emerge from the muddy River Jordan, than the skies were torn in two, the Holy Spirit descended on him, and God the Father thundered from heaven "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased."   This is the moment when the divine identity of Jesus was revealed.

And yet, that booming baptismal declaration also concealed something – who Jesus is.  What does it mean to be "My son, the beloved"?

The answer unfolded slowly in the ensuing life of Jesus, when, filled with the Holy Spirit, he embarked on his mission, proclaiming the Good News, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, unshackling prisoners, taking up his cross.

What happened to Jesus happens to us at our baptism.  The first words in the Sacrament of Baptism come in the form of a question: What name do you give this child?  The priest or deacon isn’t seeking information for a certificate.  It is the Church asking the existential question: what is the identity of this child?  Who is this child?"  And when the parents announced for all to hear – his name is James; her name is Julia – at that moment the Church declared "I claim you for Christ."  Our identity was forever marked with the sign of the cross on our forehead.

At that moment, the Holy Spirit entered into us and, like a proud parent, God the Father again thundered his declaration: "This is my son, this is my daughter whom I love."  The Divine Parent has spoken.

But this baptismal declaration conceals as much as it reveals.  How we live our lives as beloved sons and daughters of God slowly discloses the answer.  It is revealed to the extent that we proclaim the Good News, as we serve our brothers and sisters.  Ultimately, it is revealed as we take up our cross.

 

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

Scripture:

1 John 5:5-13
Luke 5:12-16

Reflection:

Real fear is at the least unnerving.  More often, stomach knotting, hand freezing fear is debilitating and can give rise to spontaneous, maybe irrational, actions which can be valiant or destructive in nature, often with life changing consequences.  The news abounds with reports of teenagers "caught in the act" who lash out violently from fear; of soldiers and police and firefighters who, despite great personal fear, perform feats of heroism; of politicians and business executives who fear losing power, position and wealth and choose to lie and cast blame on others rather than admit to their own corruption, greed and criminal behavior. 

Today’s reading from the First Letter of John contrasts the relationship between love and fear.  "Love has no room for fear; rather, perfect love casts out all fear".  But, knowing the human condition, can we really take this literally and believe that love and fear cannot co-exist?  Or does John mean that natural human fear is the result of imperfect love?  Or, then again, is it our inability to understand and accept the totality of God’s love for us that leads us to fear? 

John refers to the fear that results from the certainty of punishment but for people sincerely trying to live abiding in the love of God, situations giving rise to natural human fear are much less threatening. When we know that we remain in God and God remains in us, then we, like Paul, realize that ultimately nothing can separate us from the love of God. Ultimately, we have nothing to fear.

However, even beyond the obvious fear of violence, there is much to fear in our country today with the worsening economy.  Jobs have been lost which can lead to severe family tension; endowments have plummeted in value leaving much good work that depended upon them vulnerable; retirement incomes are at risk.  But for people rooted in the love of God and trying to live in the awareness of that love, any fear will be overshadowed by the confidence and trust in the love that we know and believe God has for us.

 

Cathy Anthony is on the staff of St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat Center, Detroit, Michigan. 

Scripture:

1 John 4:19-5:4
Luke 4:14-22a

Reflection:

We are in the Christmas Season until Jan. 11^th. The Christmas story tells us that God loved us so much that he gave us his son. The readings invite us to allow God’s Spirit to love through us.

This Gospel reading is proclaimed at many ordinations, including my own. The call to priesthood is an invitation to love. We are anointed to love through our behavior, not just in word. As Passionists we love by preaching, counseling, serving and touching lives.  

Love is practical. There are many ways to express love. Christmas celebrates the giving of gifts. Perhaps forgiveness is the greatest gift we can offer. Another way is to spend quality time with someone. Encouraging and affirming someone is a way to love. Acts of service show that you care. Lastly, reaching out and touching someone physically or by phone or email displays love.

Our religion is one that has love as its hallmark. During this Christmas season we celebrate the wondrous love God has for us. Because we are loved so passionately we love God and others gratefully.  

 

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/