Daily Scripture

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 4:1-5
Luke 5:33-39

Reflection:

Would you ever consider cutting apart a section of a new jacket and using it as a patch on an old jacket?  This seems slightly ridiculous.  Or again, would you ever consider going to a wedding and
not entering into the eating, celebrating, and rejoicing festivities?

In the gospel today we find certain religious leaders coming to ask Jesus why his disciples don’t fast and do penance. Perhaps it is one of those situations that no matter what you do, there will always be
someone to criticize you.   Jesus’ disciples don’t behave like the disciples of John the Baptist or the disciples of the Pharisees.  This certainly implies that there is a code of behavior by which a "disciple" should follow. Jesus’ answer is quite remarkable. For he doesn’t pass judgment on the question
directly.  Rather, the examples he uses make his point without explicitly being judgmental.  Who would go to a wedding banquet and fast?  Why would you cut up a new jacket simply to patch your old
jacket?  If you’re making wine, why would you go to all that work simply to put it into a wine skin which is old and worn out, knowing that it would rupture before the wine ages?  And lastly speaking of
wine, why would you want to drink new wine that hasn’t aged properly?

All of these questions leave you with a light bulb going on that says, "Oh, that makes a lot of sense!"  What Jesus is trying to do is to get people to think about their religious practices.  The Pharisees believe they know the behavior for every practice.  Yet for Jesus many of the Pharisaic practices simply are meaningless.  Jesus allows the question to be asked and then answers it with another
question thus heavily implying empty religious practices are meaningless.

  I think today’s Gospel has huge implications for us as Catholics.  For we frequently have a lot of behaviors we rarely think about.  It’s easy to go through the motions because that is what we
were taught.  We spend a lot of time with the "shoulds".  We make judgments on others simply based on their religious behaviors.  We also make judgments on ourselves which are quite burdensome and can
lead to negative energy.    But Jesus’ strategy is geared toward illuminating those who want to understand.   He never judges the person, nor does he comment on the quality of the question.  Judgment is subject to those who refuse to reflect.   Paul understands this as well as he speaks in the first reading, the letter to the Corinthians.  "The Lord is the one to judge me, so stop passing
judgment before the time of his return."  He continues to speak of how the Lord will bring to light what is hidden.   Perhaps today that bringing to light is an invitation to reflect on some of our religious practices and the meaning which they have.  If this is the case, then we are left with these two specific questions.  Are you attentive to what your religious behaviors are? And do you know why you do them?  If we choose not to reflect on this, then are we not spending energy on something
un-meaningful, a logical… what’s the purpose?

 

Fr. David Colhour, C.P. is on the staff of Christ the King Passionist Retreat Center, Citrus Heights, California. 

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 3:18-23
Luke 5:1-11

Reflection:

A fish story!  A faith story!  What a gift for these days of Indian Summer, as we transition from summertime to the beauty of Fall.

The crowds were pressing in on Jesus, and he resorted to a boat nearby on the lake — to best teach the large crowd.  Then Jesus directs Peter to put out into the deep waters and lower the fishing nets for a catch…  Hmmmm…

Even though we might not be fisherfolk ourselves, we can sympathize with Peter – the professional fisherman.  He knew the waters of the lake, the best times and places for fishing; it was critical for his livelihood.  Along comes Jesus the Carpenter, who tells him to go fishing in the deep water at the wrong time of the day.  Peter’s protest, "…we’ve worked hard all night long and have caught nothing…" was immediately followed by his profession of faith in Jesus: "…if you say so, at your command I’ll lower the nets."  The results:  a boatload of fish — and the call from Jesus to leave everything and follow him.

Both scripture readings remind us that God’s ways are not always our ways.  God’s wisdom is what makes the world go ‘round, and we best leave the running of the universe to God (with our cooperation!). 

Jesus invites us as well to be "fishers of people", prompting our response to say "yes" to Him, and "no" to the parts of life that move us in another direction than His Love.  How am I responding to the Lord this day?  Am I willing to "lower the nets" and say yes like those first disciples?  What is my relationship to others who have likewise received a vocational call from Jesus?

Jesus, I have my opinions and even some doubts at times, but with St. Peter I say "here I am.  Send me."

 

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

Feast of Saint Gregory the Great, pope and doctor of the Church 

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Luke 4:38-44

Reflection:

To take up the Cross means "I take responsibility."

Today’s Word encourges us to imitate Jesus in our daily responsibilities, no matter in which situation we find ourselves. Even when He was not actively looking for the needy, He would cross their paths, responding with prayer, curing and healing. St. Paul of Tarsus challenged a dysfunctional community with whom he was not able to work. He addressed their lack of response by remarking that, "I fed you with milk, not solid food for you were not ready for solid food." There is power in the cross, in the choice to carry the responsibility that often means suffering and sacrifice. It is "only God who gives the growth."

Today, the church remembers a saint who took up his cross in the most remarkable of ways and in the most difficult of times for the church .

In the 6th century, the Roman world surrounding the church had fallen into ruin. Rome had been sacked four times in a century. Civil administration was in a state of collapse. There was a sense of hopelessness and despair.

Gregory, belonged to a famly which had provided two previous popes to the church . He had avowed to become a civil servant in Rome. By thirty years of age he was in charge of the office of prefect of Rome.

When his father died, Gregory took the opportuntiy to put aside the concerns of the world. He turned his family’s home into a monastery, and created an additional six residences. But he did not remain in the cloister, as he was elected Pope and he assumed the leadership of Rome, as well! He had to develop a balance between his contemplative nature and his desire to make a difference in the world. This included his initiation of a commission to take the Word of God to the English, through the help of  St. Augustine.

We cannot forget that we are God’s field, God’s building for today.

 

Fr. Alex Steinmiller, C.P. is the president of Holy Family Cristo Rey High School, Ensley, Alabama. 

 

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Luke 4:16-30

Reflection:

Have you ever noticed that when you hear something over and over again you tend to stop listening and not hear it?  Frequently I find we do this with the scriptures.  And here in the first reading, when Paul is speaking to his friends in Corinth,  he reminds them that he didn’t try to trick them, nor use any kind Greek philosophical wisdom, nor was he at all eloquent.   He simply spoke of Jesus and how Jesus was crucified on a cross.    I think sometimes we hear this so much that we stop cherishing the depth of it.  For us it is not new information and therefore it is easy to dismiss in a quick, "Yes, I know that". 

Backing up for just a moment, the Greeks had strong, authoritative, influential gods and goddesses.  These deities were to be an inspiration to the people.  And the strength and influence of the deities almost implicitly suggested the people should follow with the same qualities.  So when Paul is in Athens and he begins to speak about one who was crucified, the orators of Athens laughed at him.  For why would any deity ever be crucified?  That is not a god;  certainly not according to Greek expectations. 

The events and manner of Jesus’ death are far from the way that human beings would have written the script.  And we can say the same about Jesus’ birth.   Both the Christmas and Easter stories remind us that God does things differently than we would expect.  On one level we know this.  But when it comes to day-to-day living, it frequently is hard to apply this in practice.  Today is one of those days, as we see this in the gospel.

The setting takes place in a familiar place.  Not only is it in Jesus’ home town of Nazareth, it is also in the sacred place of the town— the temple.  The people had seen Jesus there thousands of times.  They’d watched him grow up, knew his family and all kinds of things about him.  And here today as he opens the scroll and reads from the prophet Isaiah, ecstatic ears delight in hearing his eloquence and insights.  Scripture says they, "marveled at his appealing discourse".  Yet when Jesus goes just a little further, he mentions two "outsiders",  first, a widow of Zerephath and second, Naaman (2 Kings 5). What is wrong with these two?      They are both outsiders, people  who have no status.  Why would God side with anyone such as these when the Jewish people were supposed to be "the chosen race".   So on this day when Jesus begins his public ministry in Luke’s gospel, we see the people transformed from singing Jesus’ praises to taking him outside to throw him off the edge of the cliff, all in the course of six verses. 

Perhaps the lesson learned is that if we are truly called to follow Jesus,  and we say yes to following him, Jesus is going to take us where we don’t want to go.  Jesus will challenge our opinions, attitudes and actions.  He’ll continue to call us to be honest and people of integrity.  This is conversion.  It frequently is difficult.  It is a whole lot easier not to listen.  If we simply say, "Oh yea, I’ve heard that before"  it gives us an excuse simply to dismiss it and continue on with what we want to hear. 

Word of God,  speak!!!

Fr. David Colhour, C.P. is on the retreat staff at Christ the King Retreat Center, Citrus Heights, California.

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 2:10b-16
Luke 4:31-37

Reflection:

In this season of feverish political activity we daily view candidates for office seeking dramatic ways to communicate their ‘platform’.  They compete for our attention seeking a claim on our minds and emotions.  The vast sums of money and time expended in these endeavors remind us just how high are the stakes!

Today’s Gospel reading is an opening moment in Jesus’ salvific campaign!  Situated at the very start of his public ministry, we see how his public teaching electrifies the crowd and seizes their hearts with joy.  We can scarcely imagine the follow-up: the Lord confronts and vanquishes a demonic power that has held a beloved son of God in bondage.

By highlighting the amazement of the crowd, St. Luke points to the dynamic freshness of Jesus’ Gospel.  Bearing God’s own Spirit, his personality and action create something brand new – the assurance of victory over evil and a description of God-given direction that will not fail.  This moment opens the ongoing battle between the Lord and the powers of human sin and demonic violence that will climax on the Cross.  In that ultimate power struggle – the stakes could not be any higher – Jesus will prevail.  And we are free!

Staying amazed at the words and deeds of Jesus is vital for quality Christian living.  Just like gazing on the face of a loved one or hearing again a favorite song, attention to the Lord’s ‘platform’ can both energize and comfort us.  May our daily prayer dwell upon his Gospel and enable us to live His holy will.

 

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

 

Scripture:

Jeremiah 20:7-9
Romans 12:1-2
Matthew 16:21-27

Reflection:

All of our Scripture readings for today speak to us about how we as Christians are to follow God’s ways and not those of the world. In our first reading from Jeremiah, as much as the prophet wants to resist proclaiming God’s Word, because it brings him "derision and reproach," he cannot resist, and God’s Word is proclaimed.

In our second reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans, Paul exhorts his fellow Christians to "not conform yourself to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God…"

In our Gospel reading from Matthew, Jesus predicts His own Passion and Resurrection, but Peter will have none of it. Just after he confesses that Jesus is the Messiah, Peter shows that he does not understand what it means to be the Messiah. For him, the Messiah is not to undergo any suffering or what seems to be defeat at all. And so Jesus has to tell him, "Get behind me, Satan! You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

Then Jesus continues with a description of the conditions of discipleship: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." Talk about being counter-cultural! Deny ourselves?! The wisdom of the world tells us to indulge every desire. Take up our crosses?! Our society usually runs away from pain at all costs. Follow Jesus?! The world often considers Jesus to be a nice man who had no understanding of the real world.

But if we believe with Peter that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, we must be willing to accept the wisdom of the Gospel, and not the wisdom of the world. The more we do that, the more we will see for ourselves that it is the wisdom of the Gospel that is most in touch with reality, and that it is truly life-giving. May we take the risk, and follow Jesus so we can "come after" Him and return to the Father.

 

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

 

Memorial of the Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 1:17-25
Psalms 33:1-2, 4-5, 10-11
Mark 6:17-29

Reflection:

The story of the martyrdom of John the Baptist as related by Mark could be one taken directly out of a Hollywood movie (and yes, I know, it has been part of many of them!)

It is a colorfully tragic story filled with intrigue, deceit and duplicity. The early church historian Eusebius of Caesarea confirms the story, not only by referencing the Gospel of Mark, but also by invoking the ancient Jewish historian Josephus. Josephus adds to our knowledge of the tale by telling us that Herod Antipas’ lawful wife was the daughter of King Aretas IV of Petra (located now in present day Jordan) and that due to this unlawful divorce, King Aretas went to war with Herod. As a result of the turmoil, the Romans overseers stepped in and forced Herod and Herodias into exile, stripping Herod of his kingdom, and installing a Roman governor instead.

However while on the surface all of this is interesting, I think Mark, as the recorder of this incident, wanted to express a deeper truth than just laying out the facts bare. One of these insights might be that telling the truth is far different that embracing the Truth!

It is obvious from the all the sources we currently have available that John the Baptist told people the truth about life, their lives. And he did so in an exceptionally challenging way! However, it wasn’t just enough for John to tell people the truths about themselves. He also asked them to embrace the truths about themselves, the good and the not-so-good and to do something about the latter. His call to baptism – a ritual cleansing of sin – committed the person to a new, more positive direction in their lives, opening them up to the message of Jesus. Truly John was the forerunner to Jesus – a Jesus whose proclamation of God’s reign inaugurated a new relationship between God and humankind as well as among humans themselves.

The sad and tragic part of today’s gospel tale then is not necessarily John the Baptist’s martyrdom, but rather Herod Antipas’ inability to embrace his truth and accept the Truth.

He found John’s words interesting and even listened to him after John’s arrest. But could not, would not, effect the change needed to bring his life back into relationship with God.

As Bede the Venerable says in today’s Office of Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours: "blessed John suffered imprisonment and chains as a witness to our Redeemer…His persecutors had demanded not that he should deny Christ, but only that he should keep silent about the truth…Therefore, because John shed his blood for the truth, he surely died for Christ."

The challenge for us believers today is to embrace the truth of the totality of our whole lives and offer this to Christ, knowing that by doing so, we embrace the Truth, Christ himself!

 

Patrick Quinn is the director of Planned Giving, Holy Cross Province.  He lives in Chicago.  

 

The Feast of St. Augustine

Scripture:

1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Matthew 24:42-51

Reflection:

Matthew’s Gospel boldly proclaims the words of Jesus:  "Stay awake!  For you do not know on which day your Lord will come."  What a dramatic warning:  could the Lord come to us today in fear or terror, or with a message of love, joy, and peace?  Oh the challenge to be a faithful and prudent servant!

Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Augustine, a great figure in the history of the Church.  In his 76 years of life, he began with a very "pagan" lifestyle (oh, how his mother St. Monica prayed for her wayward son) and ended with dedicated service of the Faith as bishop of Hippo.  His conversion and later baptism by St. Ambrose in 387 set him on a road to service and greatness in the Church, especially in his writings and sermons…his "Confessions".

Our 1^st reading, Paul’s 1^st letter to the Corinthians, begins with thanks to God for the grace bestowed on the Corinthians:  gifts of discourse and knowledge, lacking no spiritual gifts.  The response of Psalm 145 then draws us into the praise of God forever.  Both selections from Scripture tie into the life of St. Augustine:  the truly human, gifted man of God, whose eloquent discourse and down-to-earth wisdom has impacted the lives of other disciples…you and I, sinners and saints-in-process.

Today, we 21^st century disciples are encouraged to "stay awake" and receive the Good News of Jesus, plus the Good News of our older brother St. Augustine — even the Good News of God calling each of us the events of our day.  We’re challenged:  How can we more faithfully tune-in to Jesus working in our lives?  How can we serve our brothers and sisters, the Church? 

We may not have the talents of the evangelist Matthew, or the bishop and Doctor Augustine, or the persistence and love of the mother St. Monica……but we do have Jesus Himself, challenging us to be awake, to be grateful, and to say "yes" to His presence and action in our lives.

We will praise your name forever, Lord!

 

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