Daily Scripture

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/

Scripture:

1 John 4:11-18
Mark 6:45-52

Reflection:

"God has loved us and sent is Son as an expiation for our sins. If God has so loved us, we must have the same love for one another. (I Jn 4:11) We see that love in our flesh in the crib and on the cross. That is the measure of God’s love for each one of us. We are caught up in a Divine Mystery – even in the Infinite Love that God is! Shepherds and Wise Men were called to know that Love, that Mystery – and so are we!

When we come to know the reason for our creation and view the cost of our redemption, it is not only a moment for song and exaltation. The Beloved Disciple draws the consequence. God’s love is poured out for us as individual persons precisely that we may surrender to that love, live it and share it with one another.

John is simply echoing the words he heard Jesus utter in his heart to heart message at the Last Supper – "As I have loved you so you also should love one another."

We are to see ourselves as beloved of God and in that knowledge overcome our selfishness, our quick negative judgments.

We are beloved of God and every neighbor is so loved. If he is clearly sinfully evil, the forgiving love of God is pursuing him. At least our prayers must be for his good, his salvation. Chicago is apparently the murder-capital of the country. But in the midst of this rampant evil, there have been people alive with the life of Christ and capable of a word of forgiveness and a prayer for those who have wounded them so deeply.

Most of us are not called to this absolute and heroic living of love, we can be caught up our petty antagonisms where another’s voice or mannerism irritates and we close that person out of our consideration, he or she just doesn’t exist for us. Love that person? You must be kidding! No,

The Lord was not kidding, he did not love us in jest in the chill of the manger, and the rough rasping of the cross. Neither was he kidding when he demanded we copy his love.

Feelings of aggression and opposition come upon us unbidden, but we do not need to yield to them and feed them. We can turn to the Lord Jesus and ask. You loved me and died for me – you have done the same for this person who incites my rejection – but you love us both, help me.

Share your love with me." That is one way of allowing the love God flow through us, one of the ways we can show ourselves as members of Christ. It is the challenge of Bethlehem and Calvary.

 

Fr. Fred Sucher, C.P. is retired and lives in the Passionist community in Chicago.  For many years he taught philosophy to Passionist seminarians.  

Scripture:

Isaiah 60:1-6
Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6
Matthew 2:1-12

Reflection:

The Gift of God’s Love Made Manifest

Today we celebrate the "manifestation" of God’s Love in the person of Jesus, the newborn Savior.  The earliest recipients of that manifestation were the simple shepherds, then the elder Simeon and the 84 year old widow Anna.  In today’s Gospel Matthew recounts the star-lit manifestation to the magi, whom we’ve come to call the kings or the wise men — noted as well for the special (and pricey) gifts they brought Jesus and the Holy Family:  gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Our current practice of Christmas gift-giving derives from the action of these "wise men".  Gifts can be practical, necessary, creative, simple, pricey, even fun – but the significance of the gifts is found in the meaning they bear.

I am remembering the familiar short story by the American author, O. Henry, called "The Gift of the Magi".  The story features a young married couple who were very poor but deeply in love.  The wife had long, beautiful, dark hair.  For Christmas her husband wanted to get her a set of expensive decorative combs to wear in her hair, and despite their poverty he was determined to get that gift for her.  The husband treasured a gold pocket watch handed down from his grandfather.  The wife found an elegant (and expensive) watch chain, and despite their poverty she was determined to get that gift for him.  Come Christmas eve, they both had bought their special gifts for the other.  In exchanging the gifts, they discovered that she had cut and sold her hair to a wig maker to buy the watch chain, and he had sold his treasured watch to buy the decorative combs.  After their initial "shock", they both broke into laughter and fell into each other’s arms, realizing that watch chains and combs mean nothing — it’s love that counts!

Today, the greatest "gift" for each of us and our world is Jesus himself.  Nothing is more perfect or more precious or more practical or more necessary.  He comes to us and our world revealing and sharing unconditional, eternal L O V E … Like the early Magi, may we do Him homage by faith-filled lives of love and service — rooted in simplicity, wisdom, and openness.  With the psalmist we pray, "may every nation on earth adore you."

 

Fr. John Schork is the local superior of Sacred Heart Passionist Community in Louisville, Kentucky.

Scripture:

1 John 2:22-28
John 1:19-28

Reflection:

Today’s Gospel passage focuses on St. John the Baptist.  It’s odd to have him appear on January 2!  We are accustomed to his presence in the midst of Advent, but now?  He seems out of place once we have celebrated the birth of Jesus.

Perhaps his presence in today’s reading will prompt reflection on our stance as Christians throughout the year we’ve just begun.

John the Baptist is a unique figure in the Gospels.  His sole reason for existence is as prophet of the Messiah; he lives only to point to Christ.  Nothing is more important for him than Jesus.  He will say "He (Jesus) must increase; I must decrease." (John 3:30)  John’s selfless commitment to Christ encourages us to make our own fearless surrender to the power of Jesus’ summons.

John’s commitment to his vocation is total.  He will be martyred by King Herod; his courage will cost him his head!  The Baptist challenges us to fearless dedication and absolute dedication to Christ and His Gospel.

Social commentators tell us that our age is characterized by a concern for "me".  Healthy self-regard is important, necessary and godly.  Yet, so much of our concern with self seems, instead, inappropriate, egotistical and relentlessly narcissistic.  Our recent financial crises seem rooted in an outrageous attitude of "me first".  A self-concern that blinds us to the presence and needs of others is hardly healthy, much less holy.

How refreshing is John the Baptist!  He is free, unfettered by the concerns of his ego.  His trust in the One beyond himself is complete, total.  May his example set the tone for us in 2009.  May we live totally for Christ, the True Light of the World proclaimed by the Baptizer.

 

Fr. Jim Thoman, C.P. is the director of St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center, Detroit, Michigan.