Daily Scripture

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 15:12-20
Luke 8:1-3

Reflection:

When reading this section of St. Paul’s letter to Timothy, a memory of years gone by when I was working as an assistant pastor with Fr. Denis McGowan, C.P. at our parish in Ikeda, Japan, came to mind. Every Thursday evening we would go to visit and have supper with our Retreat House Community in Mefu. In the midst of our busy lives in the parish, it was a chance to have some peace and quiet together.

When we went through the main gate and continued up and around the long shaded driveway leading up to the monastery entrance, we passed a simple statue of the Sacred Heart that was covered with a blend of soft green moss and the chalky white of the stone. It was a natural place to stop and rest, with perhaps a quiet sigh of relief. Often as not there would be a Japanese couple, young or old, a family or an individual, quietly standing in front of the statue in quiet reflection with head bowed. This presence continued year after year, season after season.

As time passed I came to realize that the people I saw at the gate were almost never Catholics or Christians. Sometimes they didn’t have any particular religion at all. Like St. Paul mentioned to Timothy, they seem to have found great contentment and gain, in a moment, a presence that they identified as holy and peaceful. In one sense they hoped to hold onto that solitude for awhile and yet in another sense they brought it with them in the disposition of their hearts.

Sometimes we become too focused on our position in, or our relationship to, the turmoil that we find ourselves surrounded by. The nature of the commotion might be political, religious, or social. In any case it can be easy to be distracted by what is on the surface or by what is really optional rather than essential. Many of us would surely benefit by avoiding the squabbles of daily life in whatever the area of distraction might be. Pausing long enough in the quiet solitude within the presence of God just may bring us the faith, love, patience and gentleness to recognize who we are with and who we really are.

 

Fr. John Patrick Day, C.P. is pastor of Holy Martyrs of Japan Parish, Sullivan, Missouri.

 

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22b-27
Luke 6:39-42

Reflection:

At the recent Beijing Olympics, Michael Phelps added drama and excitement to the games by winning eight gold medals with stunning performances in the swimming pool. He and other Olympians are currently on a three week whirlwind tour which includes appearances at Walt Disney World, Buckingham Palace, and on The Oprah Winfrey Show. While at the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday, commodity traders went berserk as they greeted Phelps and his teammates with a hero’s welcome.

Like our culture, the world in St. Paul’s time was immersed in the thrill of athletic competition. The first Olympics began in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece. We know from archeological evidence and historical accounts that participation in the ancient games was considered to be a great honor. Not only would Olympic athletes be revered at the closing ceremonies of the games, but they would be treated as heroes by their city-states. 

Paul uses images of athletic competition to illustrate and explain the nature of the Christian life. The Greek word for a victor in the games is agnoistes, from the root word agon, as in our English word agony. The spirit of the ancient Olympic games was not just about drama and entertainment; they displayed the struggle and labor to overcome the limitation of our human nature.

In today’s first reading from I Corinthians, Paul encourages Christians to engage their spiritual life with the same regiment and discipline of athletes preparing for the games. "Run so as to win.
Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I drive my body and train it."

Christianity is not a spectator sport. Paul prods religious couch potatoes to get up from their comfortable sacred lounge chairs and pursue the values of the Gospel with diligence and discipline. The athlete knows during training that toil and struggle will doubtlessly be encountered. But they do not let the agon, or agony, dissuade them from devotion to their cause.

The cause, as Jesus explains in the Gospel, is not to change other people’s behavior or perspective, but to remove all the obstacles which prevent us from perceiving the Kingdom of Heaven within. Through disciplines such as meditation as works of social justice, we can move beyond the ego’s fallacious sense of being an isolated separate self. Then we will discover what Paul advocates: the glorious, imperishable crown of being a child of God.

 

Fr. Joe Mitchell, CP is the director of the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center in Louisville, KY

 See the website: earthandspiritcenter.org

 

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 8:1b-4, 11-13
Luke 6:27-38

Reflection:

Our Gospel passage today continues Luke’s "Sermon on the Plain," as it is called in contrast to Mathew’s "Sermon on the Mount."  The two writers appear to choose the physical setting of the stories they tell with great care.  Thus their opposing metaphors powerfully reinforce their two unique theological perspectives.  Matthew has Jesus speaking like Moses from the mountaintop-delivering the New Law with all the authority of the God of their ancestors as spoken by the prophets. Words from the mountain come from the mouth of God.  But here in Luke we notice that a similar event of Jesus speaking to a large crowd takes place not on the mountain side but on level ground.  "He came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.  And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said…."  Jesus, in Luke, stands equal with the people, and in fact, humbly raises his eyes to speak.  He is no less God, but he is truly a brother. 

This passage is all about precisely that.  Jesus tells us, and in fact shows us what it means to live as brothers and sisters.  "Love your enemies.  Do good to those who hate you.  Offer the other cheek.  Do to others as you would have them do to you."  Such a radical message!  These are the kind of words that are only believable when they are actually lived. 

Mahatma Gandhi, the great Indian prophet of modern times was once asked what he thought of Christianity.  He said he believed in Jesus and would definitely be his follower if those who called themselves Christian lived like Jesus did.  Today we hear the call to radical discipleship spoken gently to us by a brother who humbly bows before us.  Let us hear His words and speak them to one another in what we this day.

 

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

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Luke 7:36-50

Reflection:

Simon, the Pharisee, somehow missed the "menu" for the supper to which he invited Jesus.  He stands watching Jesus who is reclining at the table.  The woman standing behind Jesus was clearly seen as a prostitute because of her long hair. Simon sees that.  How could Jesus not see that?  He did.  But unlike Simon he sees and experiences something far deeper.  She is crying.  Her tears fall on Jesus’

feet dirtied from walking the unpaved roads.  She washes his feet with her tears and then dries them with her hair.  She bends to kiss his feet.  Simon can’t believe his eyes. "Doesn’t he know who she is?  He’s supposed to be a prophet."

Jesus spotted what was going on in Simon’s head.  And so he presents Simon with the little story of two men who owned money…one, very little, whereas, the other, quite a bit.  "Who will be most grateful?" asks Jesus. "The one who is forgiven the greater debt."  "Simon, much is forgiven this woman because she loves much."

Would you find yourself saying: Simon, you didn’t get it.  This woman came to your house because of a hunger for forgiveness.  She had heard that Jesus would be here.  She needed to see him.  He didn’t turn her away.  He didn’t object to her presence.  He didn’t call the waiters to get rid of her.  She was hungry.  Oh, so hungry.  "Your sins are forgiven.  Your faith, your trust in me, has saved you.  Go in peace."

Are there times when "we don’t get it?"  Picture a family gathered around a table set with the best of food, a parish family present at a Eucharistic celebration or a classroom of students and teacher settling in for the day or a gathering of men and women in a work situation.  All may look good on the outside.  But how many go away hungry.  How different it would have been if there was love, acceptance, forgiveness, the offer to help, or just to listen.

   How often do I send people away hungry. A full tummy doesn’t feed a hungry, yearning, hurting heart and soul. 

 

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

 

Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross 

 

Scripture:

Numbers 21:4b-9
Philippians 2:6-11
John 3:13-17

 

Reflection:

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.

Today we celebrate the feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross, a feast important to the universal Church and one which is very special to all Passionists and especially those of us who are privileged to be members of Holy Cross Province. In John’s Gospel we find an extraordinary verse that is often flashed on handheld placards at various sporting events as "Jn 3:16".  In this single verse we discover the very heart and summary of the proclamation of our salvation.  We are loved by God and we are saved by God’s beloved Son so that we might not die but live forever.

It doesn’t get any better than that when we speak of the Gospel as being the Good News of Jesus Christ, does it?  Yet, dear friends, in our readings for this wonderful feast, there is another message that we would do well to ponder.  In the Book of Numbers we see how the seraph mounted on a pole is transformed from a symbol of death and misery into a sign of healing and deliverance.  In a similar fashion the Cross itself, that very instrument by which the Savior is to be lifted up, becomes transformed from something that wields death to something new and wonderful, a source of salvation and eternal life.

But one of the things that I always find fascinating on this special feast is the message in the reading from Philippians that we find neatly placed in between the exceptionally graphic events in the Book of Numbers and John’s Gospel.  In this reading we are given a remarkable glimpse of how it is that the suffering and death of Jesus our savior actually brings about healing and salvation.  Paul, who is imprisoned, writes his inspiring letter to the Philippians encouraging them to love more deeply as Christ does.  The heart of Paul’s message is that in order to make love victorious we must empty ourselves of ourselves – just as Jesus the Christ did in his embrace of the Cross and in his obedience to the will of the Father.  Suffering and death is transformed; the Cross is no longer a symbol of death but signifies, instead, a victory over death.  Yet, all of this is accomplished by means of an emptying instead of a grasping; the greatest feat in human history is accomplished by the Lord who does all and accomplishes all in the name of Love and in the name of the God who has so loved each and every one of us. 

 

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

 

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 6:1-11
Luke 6:12-19

Reflection:

This reading from the Gospel of Luke is filled with symbolism but also includes some unexpected challenges.  The mountain in scripture has traditionally been the location of theophanies – close, intimate experiences of God.  Jesus spent the night on the mountain in prayer, in deep communion with God.  Prayer in anticipation of a major decision was the fabric of his life and would be repeated often during his ministry. At daybreak Jesus called his disciples up to the mountain and chose twelve from among them to be his Apostles.   They then came down from the mountain to meet many more disciples who were with a large crowd of people seeking to be in the presence of Jesus.

Much preaching has been done over the years on the call of the Apostles and the naming of the Twelve.  But I have never heard a homily focusing on "Those Skipped Over" or "Those Not Called" or "I Was Number Thirteen".  The Twelve obviously represent the Twelve Tribes of Israel and are symbolic for the fulfillment of God’s reign.  But we know that the term disciple and even apostle is much more expansive and inclusive and even women were present within those groups.  Many women, mostly unnamed, were followers of Jesus and cared for him out of their own resources. How much fuller the Gospel would be if some of their stories had been included.

 When we use the term Apostle how often do we envision only the Twelve? When we picture the "disciples" whom do we see?  Then as well as today there are many people, men and women, who are essential but taken for granted and invisible. What is it like to be present but unrecognized or unseen?  To contribute and be unacknowledged?  To be skipped over through no apparent fault of your own?  To be essentially anonymous, unnamed except as part of the "others"? The annals of history, secular as well as Church, name relatively few women as individuals to be remembered for the ages. But in reality, few of us, men or women, will be remembered much after our deaths. 

Yet each of us is known and remembered by God.  We are called by our name and loved as individuals, unique and precious.  Our challenge is to recognize and treat each other as such, recognizing that even in crowds of thousands of  anonymous people, each person has a unique life story, is known and loved by God.

 

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

 

 

 

Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Scripture:

Micah 5:1-4a
Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

Reflection:

We celebrate a Jubilee year dedicated to St. Paul the Apostle in our church. Today’s reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans is my favorite of all. First, God makes all things work to good. No matter what you are going through, God can turn it into good. God writes straight with crooked lines. Secondly, our call and destiny is to be "conformed to the image of his son Jesus." God is purifying us and changing us through our life experiences. God desires that we become Christ-like.

September 8^th is the birthday of Mary in the Church’s calendar. God worked in the twists and turns of Mary’s life to bring about an amazing good. Mary’s destiny was to be shaped into the image of her own son. The genealogy in the Gospel points to Jesus’ birth, not Mary’s. Mary’s life was always pointing towards her son Jesus. She said "Yes" to God’s plan and God worked through her "fiat" to save the world.

On this day 23 years ago I, along with 7 others, publicly professed our vows as Passionists. We surrendered ourselves to God and the Church through our commitment. We said "Yes" to God’s plan for our lives. God works through our surrender. He transforms us into the image of Christ. He makes all things work to good. God uses us to impact and influence others.

Like Mary we are all invited to live our lives "according to God’s will." God has predestined you for glory. Surrender your life right now and watch how God will turn your "yes" into good.

 

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:

Ezekiel 33:7-9
Romans 13:8-10
Matthew 18:15-20

Reflection:

Correction & Mending Hurts

The gospels do not gloss over the human failings of the apostles. Jesus corrects and instructs them time and again. James and John, sons of Zebedee, try to stake out privileged positions in Christ’s Kingdom. They were informed this could not be granted. The rest of the twelve let their anger and scorn be known and Jesus had to instruct the whole group. "… whoever wishes to be greatest among you will be your servant." (Mk 10:43)

Another time, Peter suggests he is being big-hearted to forgive injury seven times; Jesus answered "seventy-seven times" – no limitation – so stop counting!

The Last Supper and the farewell words of Jesus are all part of a Love Banquet. But it begins with the washing of the feet – the humble approach called for in winning back to Community one who has offended.

The Lord well knew his Church, his People would have their difficulties getting along with each other. Even Paul and Banabas had a dispute concerning Mark that ended their cooperative ministry.

Corinth seethes with divisions. They pretend to follow particular leaders. And there are outright violations of justice. Paul is outraged that these Christians ignore the directive of Christ to first seek a one-on-one reconciliation, then take two or three members of the Community and try again – and then seek the help of the larger local Community! That early Church was not up to putting Christ’s directives into practice! They preferred Roman magistrates!

Neither then, nor now is it easy to end an injustice or correct a failing to live a Christian Life! To venture into what spiritual writers call "fraternal correction" demands genuine humility and courage! Acting as one’s brother’s keeper can make matters worse, it can deepen the wounds and prolong the separation. On the grand scale schisms and anti-popes have plagued not only Rome, but local churches down the centuries.

The Evangelist Matthew may have been concerned about such wounds coming to his local church and for that reason incoporated Jesus’ warnings and directives. In our day, we need to heed the words of Jesus as we find them in the Discourse on Community for our personal conduct and for our adherence to the Body of Christ, his Church.

 

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