Daily Scripture

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 8:1-9
Matthew 5:43-48

Reflection:

“…I say to you…Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father…”

 These past few weeks we have been reading the famous Sermon on the Mount Discourse.  We come to the end and perhaps to the most central teaching of Jesus and the most difficult.

Throughout this Discourse, Jesus turns the Law upside down!  We should not be about the letter of the law, but the Spirit of the law.  Today, he tells us that to ‘love an enemy’ is to demonstrate that we are children of our heavenly Father.  God’s love is merciful, rises on good and bad, the rain falls on the honest and dishonest alike.

How well do we know Jesus?  Do we really believe how much He and the Father love us?  Do we allow ourselves to truly feel and accept that love?  To allow that very love dictate who we really are?

In her Way of Perfection, Teresa of Avila writes: “…Let us imagine that within us is an extremely rich place, built entirely of gold and precious stones…within us lies something incomparably more precious than what we see outside ourselves.  Let’s not imagine that we are hollow inside.”  The ‘gold and precious stones’ are the love of our Trinitarian God – the love that has the power to transform us and it is what enables us to ‘love our enemy’.

Love is what brings us to perfection – perfect as your father in heaven is perfect.  Love is what calls us to be whole – to grow into the person that God is calling us to be – one with Him, one as Brothers and Sisters of Christ, one with the very Spirit of God within us – can we trust this to show us how to love – even our enemies?  Do we dare to open ourselves to feel God’s love and trust that love to transform us?

Faith Offman is the Associate Director of Ministry at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center in Detroit, Michigan.

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 6:1-10
Matthew 5:38-42

Reflection:

“As your fellow workers, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
For he says:  In an acceptable time, I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.  Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

When I read these words from St. Paul writing to the Corinthians I find myself picturing this valiant disciple of the Lord feeling somewhat weary and filled with concern for the community of believers to whom he is writing.  It may be that in his own mind he is wondering, “when in the world are they going to get it!”  Now I must admit, I am one who is guilty of daydreaming a lot!  I tend, at times, not to live in the present, and do a lot of imagining about how things could be or even should be.  But then, when I read these words of St. Paul, I feel as if he is telling me to live in the present. 

The plan of salvation is unfolding now, not some distant time in the future.  God’s grace is sufficient now; God’s plan for me is taking place now; God’s calling is being announced now.  Live now; pay attention now; the Lord is speaking to me now!  So, I have to let go of my daydreaming sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes, and live in the present.  It was Dr. Martin Luther King who once said that God’s plan for me is bigger than all my dreams!  How true are his words. 

So, St. Paul is inviting me, and all of us, to hear the word of the Lord now.  This will be enough for us.  This very moment the Lord is revealing to us his plan of salvation and how we are to be a part of it.  Now is the time of grace and blessing.  And all we have to do is to say, Yes, Lord, thank you Lord, and carry on from there!

Fr. Pat Brennan, C.P. is the director of Saint Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center, Detroit, Michigan.

Scripture:

Exodus 19:2-6a
Romans 5:6-11
Matthew 9:36-10:8

Reflection:

Today’s Gospel gifts us three short vignettes as we see Jesus seeing and responding to a human need.  First Jesus has pity on the crowds of people coming to him.  Matthew’s descriptive image, as Jesus looks at the crowd, is sheep without a shepherd.   A striking image because the shepherd knows that the sheep will be lost without some kind of care or direction.  A shepherd’s job is to keep the sheep gathered together bringing a certain cohesiveness to the group.  A shepherd who doesn’t care about the sheep will lose the flock because they will slowly wander off into the wilderness and have to fend for themselves amidst the dangers of the wasteland.  Was this a judgment upon the religious leaders of Jesus’ day?  Jesus, who sees himself as a good shepherd doesn’t try to do it all himself, rather he gathers his disciples together and gives them not only a mission but also the authority to execute that mission. 

Then Matthew clearly shares with us the names of Jesus’ selected twelve before jumping back to the mission.    

Jesus entrusts to these 12 the very mission he himself was tasked to do.  In contemporary language, he empowers them with his job description.  The activities of curing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing lepers and driving out demons were all indications that the Messiah had come.  When Jesus asks his disciples to do this it was an empowerment of his mission and an indication, as Jesus instructed them to report, that the Kingdom of God is in their midst.

Is that any different than where we are today?  It doesn’t take holy orders to cure the sick or to cast out demons.  The medical profession heals the sick every day, and the kingdom of God is in our midst.  When a parent can speak to the negative voices of their children, giving courage and affirming their child’s self-worth, they cast out the negative demons and the Kingdom of God is present.  When you are listening to a friend and realize that this friend can’t move forward because of some particular fear within them, can you lovingly speak to that fear?  Can you bring enough authentic love to your friend’s anxiety to begin melting the fear?   These are examples of transformation and the Kingdom of God is near.   

I think one of the ways we do this is through the gift of compassion.  Compassionate people don’t ask how to accomplish the tasks Jesus set forth.  They simply bring compassion to precarious situations and the love and peace of Christ is made manifest and right before us is the Kingdom.   Sometimes we are on the giving side of this and sometimes we are on the receiving side.  Perhaps that is the gift we are to look at today.  Can we be more attentive to the numerous times we find the Kingdom of God right before us? Can we see it and give praise and thanks to God for it?

Fr. David Colhour, C.P. is the Provincial Superior of Holy Cross Province. He resides in Chicago, Illinois.

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 5:14-21
Luke 2:41-51

Reflection:

“This means that if anyone is in Christ,” Paul tells the Christian community at Corinth, they are “a new creation.” Those words, spoken nearly two thousand years ago, resonate with us today. They touch our hearts and rouse our imaginations. “A new creation” suggests new beginnings and fresh starts; it hints of being healed and made whole, renewed and liberated. It is such a vibrant, captivating image that even if we are not sure what it means, we want to be part of it. Paul continues his exultant proclamation by saying: “The old order has passed away; now all is new!”

How do we move from the “old order” to the “new”? The rest of this passage from second Corinthians lets us know. Paul says this “new age” and “new creation” are all the work of a gracious and merciful God who, “in Christ, was reconciling the world to himself.” Paul wants his early Christian community to know that they have been given new life and never-ending hope because through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the “old order” of sin and death has been overcome.

But what God began in the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus is to be continued by us. God “has entrusted the message of reconciliation to us.” Paul means this quite literally. To be a Christian, Paul says, is to be “ambassadors for Christ” by carrying on Christ’s work in the world. The most important way to do so is for Christians to commit to being agents of forgiveness and reconciliation, emissaries of Christ’s peace, every day of their lives in their homes, their workplaces, their churches, and their communities. Isn’t this what we commit to each time we offer one another the “peace of Christ” at the Eucharist?

In a world where there is so much estrangement, so much anger and bitterness, so many broken relationships, so many unhealed hurts, accumulated resentments, and hardened hearts, there is nothing more life-giving than to carry on Christ’s ministry of forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace. Whenever we do we fulfill our calling to contribute to God’s “new creation.”

Paul J. Wadell is Professor Emeritus of Theology and Religious Studies at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, and a member of the Passionist Family of Holy Cross Province.

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 3:15-4:1, 3-6
Matthew 5:20-26

Reflection:

During the pandemic, there were thousands of deaths from COVID alone, plus the “usual” deaths due to other causes. In my field, we face a tsunami of complicated grief. One cause of complication is the inability or, due to the suddenness of the illness, lack of opportunity to forgive. Dr. Ira Byock, a medical doctor and researcher of dying patients, labeled “I forgive you” as one of the four most important things people need to give and receive when they are dying.

I admit I’ve sometimes had trouble forgiving those who hurt me; I am struggling with one brother right now. I’ve also met people who held grudges for so long they no longer remember what the grudge was about in the first place. In a world ruled by revenge-fueled cries of eye-for-an-eye “justice”, forgiveness remains one of the thorniest aspects of discipleship. Yet it is precisely what Jesus calls us to.

Note the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. Reconciliation is mutual. Each party admits their wrongdoing, each repents and asks forgiveness, and both forgive. Then both sincerely engage in the difficult process of repairing the relationship and rebuilding damaged trust. Both people must want it, and the relationship must be worth it. Reconciliation isn’t always possible, especially in cases of abuse or dysfunction.

Forgiveness, though, can be unilateral. I can forgive even if the other person isn’t sorry. Forgiveness doesn’t condone the wrong or say it’s OK. Forgiveness doesn’t pretend it didn’t hurt, sometimes deeply. In serious cases, it doesn’t mean I give up on pursuit of justice or due consequences for the action.  What forgiveness does is free my heart from being imprisoned by someone else’s bad actions. I let go of the need for revenge, the need to hate, the need to “get even”, the need to see that person suffer as I suffered. It releases the hold they have over my emotions, sleep, appetite, and life. I take back my power, free my heart, and allow the Spirit to flow freely through me.  

The more grievous the hurt, the longer this process takes. Even after forgiving, something may happen that brings old hurts up again. Then I have to repeat the process and reaffirm the forgiveness, over and over again.

It’s tough stuff! But Jesus says not to come to the altar unless I’m doing it. And, as we’re finding out, if we don’t do it every day of our lives, death may rob us of the chance. So, this week I pledge to work harder on forgiving my brother. Because of his history of hurting me and likelihood of doing it again, I will never have a close, trusting relationship with him. I will, however, work through and then let go of the pain, hurt, and anger so he doesn’t control any part of my heart. Then perhaps I can go on to forgive someone else.

Is there someone you need to work to forgive? Is there a grudge or hurt that holds your heart bound? Perhaps along with me, you can bring that to Jesus and ask for the grace and strength to forgive. And do it now.

Amy Florian is a teacher and consultant working in Chicago.  For many years she has partnered with the Passionists.  Visit Amy’s website: http://www.corgenius.com/.

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 3:4-11
Matthew 5:17-19

Reflection:

Law 101

Law is something we absorb early in life. We learn what we are to do as well as the things we are not to do before we can ask, ‘why’, before we can understand the reasons for the ‘shoulds’ and ‘should nots’. How fascinating law is. I watched my youngest niece, who was 5, play a board game with her friends. When her fortunes took a dip, she announced that since she was the owner of the game, and it was being played in her house, she made the rules. A creatively new rule was introduced that turned her immanent defeat to a giant step toward victory.

Laws can corral us but protect us. The laws of the church, moral laws, perhaps every law can enable us to live positively and help us avoid what will bring harm to ourselves or others. There is that way of looking at law. The prophets spoke of a new law written in the heart. At the last supper Jesus gives a new commandment, to love as he loves. He modeled that new law as a ‘humble servant love’, washing the feet of the disciples.

For Israel law works as a sacrament works for the Church. Both are encounters with the mystery of God’s love in the events, people and things that make up our lives. In doing the good of the law Israel saw the face of God. The commandments were the signs of the Covenant God made with Israel. ‘I love you’, said God to Israel. ‘Love me back by loving others. Here are the laws of that love’. Psalm 119, the longest psalm praises God’s law. Each of its 176 verses contain the word ‘law’ or a word that means law, for example: statute, decree, revelation, ordinance, command, promise, and more. Read the psalm by substituting the word ‘love’ in each of the verses for the ‘law’ word, the psalm becomes a meditation on law as an act of God’s love for us.

But sometimes the devil makes us do it, or so we say. Augustine recalled being a teenager and stealing pears from an orchard. He didn’t want to eat them. He wanted to enjoy stealing them. There is an endless variety of ways that we can break laws and accompanying reasons why we should! Sometimes there are good reasons too. Jesus tells us that he comes to fulfill the law. His heart is love, so in his heart laws are transparent, seen as love. Some laws do not stand the test of time. As we grow some laws grow in wisdom or perhaps in wisdom they are dissolved as unnecessary?

On Sinai Israel received from Moses the 10 commandments. The story that gets Israel to Mt. Sinai begins when God speaks to Moses from the burning bush. God is now going to act on behalf of ‘my people’. Moses hears that this is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Then Moses asks, ‘ahem, umh, pardon, I must have missed it…but what is your name again?’ Is the name of God lost to Israel and to its new leader? We are forgetful about important things. We do need reminders. Sometimes even reminders written in stone.

Fr. William Murphy, CP is a member of Immaculate Conception Community in Jamaica, New York.

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 1:18-22
Matthew 5:13-16

Reflection:

In our Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples that they “.. are the salt of the earth” (v. 13). Salt adds flavor to an otherwise bland or tasteless food item. It simply makes it taste better. However, Jesus is telling them that they are the spiritual salt of the world. In this context we can understand his comments about salt losing its flavor. It would be tasteless and of no value. The same applies to spiritual salt, it can lose its flavor without care and attention focused on maintaining its freshness. This section of the Sermon on the Mount follows Jesus’ sharing of the Beatitudes, his teachings on how we are to live. To live those teachings, we must make our spiritual life a priority.

“Salt of the earth,” is a common phrase often used in referring to certain people we know. They are not salt; yet they add flavor to our lives in positive ways. These are people who are faithful, loyal, vibrant, dependable, and much more. One might say that “yes” to the spiritual life was present in them.

“You the light of the world (v.14).” If we placed a candle under a bushel basket, it would be extinguished and be of no value. Light is a metaphor for faith. If we hide it, it will surely go out. Yet, if we use the flame to light other candles, the light is not diminished. Similarly, faith, once shared, is increased. We are not diminished in the sharing.

Salt and light are necessary for life, and Jesus uses these as similes to relay his missionary message. I believe Jesus was warning the disciples—and us—to be careful to protect their spiritual life.

A healthy spiritual life allows us to spread that message liberally where we live and work.

In our reading from the Second Letter to the Corinthians, Paul’s words offer a similar message of commitment. “Yes,” was in Jesus. He fulfilled all the promises of God with a resounding “yes” poured out for us. We are wrapped in Jesus’ “yes” as a seal. In his “yes” we have been given the Spirit into our hearts. Can we protect our “yes” within us?

Being spiritual salt and light means our actions and words have meaning and bring life.

May we be salt for the earth, and light for the world.

 Like St. Anthony, whose feast we celebrate today, may we find our “yes” daily. Amen.

Jean Bowler is a retreatant at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, California, and a member of the Office of Mission Effectiveness Board of Holy Cross Province.