Daily Scripture

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Scripture:

Revelations 11:19a, 12:1-6a, 10ab
1 Corinthians 15:20-27
Luke 11: 27-28

Reflection:

The Solemnity of Our Lady’s Assumption is "the summer feast" for those of us in the Northern hemisphere.  I remember as a young boy, this feast, followed closely by the State Fair, marked the high point of summer activities and began to turn our minds to the things of fall.  Fittingly so, the Assumption is a gentle movement forward. 

The Gospel passage chosen by the Church for this feast is Luke’s story of the Visitation.  Though not Mary’s final passage to heaven as commemorated in this feast, there is movement in this story which has the same energy and excitement as her final journey into glory.  In Luke’s lively choreography, Mary appears to dance across the fields to share the news with her cousin Elizabeth.  At their meeting, the child in Elizabeth’s womb leaps with joy in response to Mary’s surprise.  Elizabeth sings, "Blessed are you…"  And Mary "proclaims the greatness of the Lord".   

Mary is always our best and most authentic response to God.  She is also the best paradigm of God’s eternal caring for us.  It is all a journey for Mary and for us.  Sometimes it’s as slow and easy as summer giving way to fall.  Sometimes it’s as exciting as the gift of new life.  And finally, of course, it is as unimaginable as being taken up in glory into the arms of our Loving God. 

"The Almighty has done great things for me and Holy is His Name!"

 

Fr. Jim Strommer, C.P. is on the Provincial leadership team and lives in Chicago, Illinois.

Scripture:

Ezekiel 28:1-10
Matthew 19:23-30

Reflection:

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus talks to His disciples about the difficulty of the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Some people interpret the image of "the eye of a needle" as a low or narrow passageway. But as others scholars say, we should accept the image at face value. Jesus is telling us that it is as difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven as it is for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye.

We can be tempted to gloss over how radical this statement is. The disciples themselves are astonished and ask,"Who then can be saved?’ When we get caught up in amassing wealth or material possessions it can be tempting to try to fit the Gospel into sanctioning our desires, and so it becomes easy to pass over Scripture passages such as the one we read today.

But if we take the time to listen to what Jesus is telling us, we see that what He says is true. Often our possessions can distract us from what is really important. Often having a lot leads us to wanting more, not less. When we hear, "The one who has the most toys at the end, wins," it almost seems reasonable.

The best way out of being seduced into a false notion of wealth and possessions bringing us happiness and security is turning to God in gratitude. When we are grateful for what God has given us, and we realize that all is a gift from God, the desire to have more has less power over us, and we are more attuned to the kingdom of heaven and God’s will for us. May God give us the grace to pursue His kingdom instead of the world’s riches.

 

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

Scripture:

Ezekiel 12:1-12
Matthew 18:21-1-:1

Reflection:

There are times when we feel we are accomplishing very little with our lives.  We get "down" on ourselves, and appreciate any "upper" that might give us a sense of our dignity and worth.

We have such help in today’s biblical readings.  The prophet Ezekiel is trying to impress on his fellow Jews the enormity of their offenses against God (a back-handed way of letting them know that they are capable of "great" things–unfortunately so) by engaging in a series of symbolic actions.  They all center on his mimicking an exile-in-process–a foretaste of the affliction God has in store for them, unless they "shape up".

And Jesus adds to this magnifying of our exploits in terms of our ability to forgive.  Using hyperbole, he responds to a questioner that we should be ready to forgive another 77 times, just as God does us.  He illustrates this in two ways: first, by a magnificent gesture on the part of an offended person (representing God), then, by a mean, small-minded refusal of a similar gesture on the part of another.

Our capacity for great things, whether evil (exile-deserving sin) or good (generosity in forgiving), finds expression in the deed of Maximilian Kolbe, who voluntarily gave his life to save that of a family man while both were imprisoned at Auschwitz, during WW II.

Greatness lies within our reach, and is the basis of our dignity.  Made in God’s image, we mirror His greatness, and so share in His dignity.

 

Scripture:

Habakkuk 1:12-2:4
Matthew 17:14-20

Reflection:

Today’s Gospel tells the story of the disappointed man who brings his mentally ill son to the apostles for a cure.  Because of their little faith, Jesus says, his disciples were not able to help him.  Then Jesus challenges them all.  "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed you could move a mountain.  Nothing would be impossible for you."  Perhaps we have heard the story too many times to still be amazed!  How small is a mustard seed?  And how large is a mountain? 

Today the Church holds up the example of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, more familiar to us as Edith Stein.  She was born in Poland to Jewish parents in 1891.  In her teens she stopped believing in God and abandoned her Jewish faith to enter the world of academia.  She excelled in her pursuit of philosophy and earned a doctorate in 1916.  But along the way she discovered the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila and began her spiritual journey that led to her baptism at the age of 31.  Twelve years later she took the name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross when she professed her vows as a Carmelite nun.  Eventually she transferred to a Carmelite monastery in Echt, Netherlands.  In 1940, under the occupation of the Nazis, she was arrested and sent to Auschwitz, where she died in the gas chamber on August 9, 1942. 

Edith Stein, Sr. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, stands as a dramatic example of mountain moving faith, humble as a mustard seed.  In his homily at her canonization Mass in 1998, Pope John Paul II, speaking to young people gathered for the occasion said, "Your life is not an endless series of open doors! Listen to your heart! Do not stay on the surface but go to the heart of things! And when the time is right, have the courage to decide! The Lord is waiting for you to put your freedom in his good hands."

May we too live this day with God’s gift of mighty faith!

 

Fr. Jim Strommer, C.P. is on the provincial leadership team and lives in Chicago, Illinois.

 

Scripture:

Ezekiel 9:1-7,  10:18-22
Matthew 18:15-20

Reflection:

Jesus said to his disciples:
"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church.

Do we hurt others?  Do others hurt us?  Yes.  No doubt about it.  Jesus is trying to get us to address the faults or hurts that occur between two people.  It may very well be that the one who hurts someone simply does not know or realize or even more seriously, does not want to admit what happened. You and I can be bearing faults that occurred sometimes, unfortunately, in our early years.  They have never been resolved.  Doing nothing, results in solving nothing.  How wise of Jesus to remind us that faults do need to be addressed.  No sweeping them under the rug. 

Isn’t it interesting that we are encouraged to deal first of all with the person who inflicted the fault.  If that doesn’t work, get several concerned people to sit in on the attempt at reconciliation.  I honestly think that He would have no problem if we turn to the professional councilor or psychologist or psychiatrist.  We may also realize that there is a larger group out there.  In this instance Jesus is asking help from the faith community, the Church.  How often I have encouraged people to attend the Eucharist celebration on Sunday.  Would Jesus recommend the various 12 Step programs, too?  Yes.  How many rediscover their God or Higher Power. Getting to know these people at Church or in the various support groups can put us in touch with a lot of wisdom and love. The A.C.T.S groups that are forming around the country are seeking to deepen the sense of community support and love which is found in the faith community, the local Church.  Loving support does enable us to deal with the faults that we have experienced or inflicted. 

Jesus has made it very clear that all of us are faced with a lifelong challenge: "You shall love the Lord, your God, and your neighbor as yourself."  Love myself?  Isn’t that selfish?  The obvious answer is: Loving yourself means that you need to take care of yourself.  Being able to say ‘no’ at times in order to take care of yourself is just fine. Loving yourself gives you the ability to nurture your spiritual and your human side.  And it insures that it’s okay to have boundaries. 

Is it always the other person’s fault?!  Will you get together with someone whom you have hurt?  When unjustly hurt, will you stand up for yourself?  Can you protect your boundaries?

 

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

 

Scripture:

1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a
Romans 9:1-5
Matthew 14:22-33

Reflection:

One of the ways Gospel teaching unfolds is through Jesus’ use of contrast. Whether it’s the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:10ff) or Lazarus and the Rich Man (Luke 16:19ff), the intent is not so much to separate and categorize, however, but to remind us that we are both/and, (not either/or), to encourage us to embrace our own shadow. Remember the weeds and wheat from two weeks ago? In a parallel way, today’s readings are filled with wonderful words of reassurance! God is present in the "tiny whispering sound" (another translation says "still, small voice") as well as the ferocious storm at sea.

Scripture scholars offer various interpretations for today’s Gospel of the miracle of Jesus walking on water, but all agree that the boat is a symbol of the early Church, being tossed about on the rough seas of persecution and apostasy. For most the meaning of the story centers around our hesitation to risk and trust. My preferred explanation is that St. Peter is chided by Jesus ("O, you of little faith, why did you doubt?") not because he failed at walking on water, but because he "jumped ship" – i.e., he abandoned the Church to try to stick close to his personal and limited experience of Jesus.

More and more I believe that "spirituality" without "religion" is impossible. The Latin word "religio" means to tie fast or hold together. What is holding me together at this time of my life? How grace-full it is to have a community to pinch my pride, to bump against my ego. Seeking to develop human consciousness and grow spiritually is simply not possible if I fail to tether myself, commit myself, to community.

 

Fr. Jack Conley, C.P. is pastor of St. Agnes Parish, Louisville, Kentucky.

 

The feast of St. Dominic

Scripture:

Nahum 2:1,3, 3:1-3
Matthew 16:24-28

Reflection:

As today the Olympics begin in Beijing, China, the Church celebrates the life of one of its "Olympians":  St. Dominic helped the Church "run the race" in the late 1100’s and early 1200’s, and has challenged countless others to know Jesus, and to follow Him.

            Today’s feast day scriptures highlight our charge as disciples to personally know Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and to willingly proclaim that Good News in both spirit and power.  The gospel portrait of Jesus pictures him calling his disciples, encouraging them to let nothing stand in the way of their discipleship, not even their most treasured relationships. 

            St. Dominic followed Jesus as a simple yet eloquent itinerant preacher, combating heresies and winning over hearts for Jesus.  As his preaching bore more fruit, others were attracted to his style of life and preaching, and "leaving all things behind" St. Dominic and that early band founded the Order of Preachers in 1215.  They sought to link everyday life with God through study and prayer, leading to a ministry of salvation by the Word of God.  He invited others to join him and his new community in both contemplation of God’s salvific work, and then focused activity to build up God’s Kingdom.  His insights and efforts were blessed, the Church grew, and today Dominican men and women span the globe in service of the Good News.

            We may not be Olympic athletes or formal members of the Dominican family; our daily lives may be filled with all-too-much activity and too-little time for quiet moments (much less serious contemplation!).  God continues to call each of us to follow Him in the complex reality of 21^st century life.  Can we "run the race"?  Can we be free enough to leave everything else behind to focus on Jesus Crucified?  Can we "preach" by our lives, if not by formal wordy sermons? 

            St. Dominic’s life faithfully proclaims that it is possible.  May we each respond "Amen!" to God at work in our world.

 

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

 Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Scripture:

Dn 7:9-10, 13-14
Mt 17-19

Reflection:

Today’s Gospel tells us of Peter, James and John being led by Jesus to a high mountain where they are given the extraordinary gift of witnessing the transfiguration of Jesus and the appearance of Moses and Elijah, their spiritual ancestors. What a heart-pounding, exalting, strange yet wondrous experience this must have been for the three. Perhaps it was frightening in addition to being exhilarating; maybe they wanted to shout their experience from the mountaintop even though Jesus asked them not to speak of their experience to anyone.

For most of us, in times of doubt or suffering, we may wish that God would reveal himself so radiantly to us as He did to Peter, James and John. What a comfort it might be to see Jesus right before our very eyes, transformed and transforming us from doubters to believers. 

Or maybe, even when we are blessed with a deep spiritual experience, we may want it to last, to assume a concrete permanence that we can return to as we wish. Peter says to Jesus, "If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  Who can’t relate to Peter’s very humble and heartfelt wish to make a home for His Savior, to remain with Jesus "up there on the mountaintop" in the grip of a spiritual experience that is life-changing. 

But faith is not lived on the mountaintops, and we cannot control our experience of it. For most of us, faith is lived daily in the ordinary stuff of life — in the big and small kindnesses we do for others, in our frail but deliberate attempts to reach out to God, in our embrace of the mysteries of the Spirit. And often our spirituality is not something we can even describe to others. How frustrating it must have been for Peter, James and John to be asked not to share their experience!  But Jesus guides them, like He often guides us, to hold our experience of God in our own hearts; to be with it in quiet until more is revealed at the moment of God’s choosing.

What stands out is Jesus’ gentle touch reminding them, "Rise, and do not be afraid."  That is the spiritual gift we can hold onto. Whatever our spiritual experience is, we are not alone and we need not fear. We have only to trust and be open to those God-given moments when the Spirit is revealed to us.