Daily Scripture

Scripture:

2 Timothy 4:10-17b
Luke 10:1-9

Reflection:

“…The harvest is abundant…I am sending you…into whatever household you enter, first say, Peace…”

I am not a big gardener, my parents did not have a flower or vegetable garden – there wasn’t space nor time.  Over the years I have begun to ‘dabble’ a bit with gardening – a few flowers and vegetables here and there.  Self-taught along the way.  Whenever I hear this Gospel, the harvest is abundant…I always think of squash – zucchini, spaghetti, acorn – once planted it leafs quickly, and you watch, and watch and watch – you don’t see anything, then all of a sudden – you can’t pick them fast enough! 

The harvest is abundant…the world is ready… for the Good News of the Gospel!  Words of hope, love, forgiveness…words that assure us that there is a way to live together, to trust that we are truly a connected people – brothers and sisters in Christ.  The world is ready for the despair of today to be turned upside down – ready for transformation.

And God sends us!  Those who have heard the Word, who have cultivated an intimate relationship with God, those who live in hope!  God sends us to be his presence in the world – to preach with our person, our attitudes, our hopefulness, our very presence.  God sends us!  Whatever our message, whatever our actions, whatever our demeanor…we need to be sure that it is of God and not of us.  We are vessels for God’s peace to enter our world.

The world is ready, keep watching, look beneath the surface, lead with peace – you just may be surprised by the yield – you may need help harvesting – you may even be able to share the excess…

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

Scripture:

Romans 1:16-25
Luke 11:37-41

Reflection

Our gospel today zeroes in on the dangers of “limp religion,” an approach to religion that is easy, reassuring, and even uplifting, but so focused on the trivial that it lacks the power to take us anywhere good. All limp religion can do is offer false consolation. No truth, no life, no salvation can be found there because limp religion is impotent when it comes to changing hearts and reconstructing lives.

The sparks begin to fly in today’s gospel story when Jesus is invited to dinner by a man who, unbeknownst to himself, is about to have a very unsettling evening. The poor Pharisee feels the brunt of all of Jesus’ chagrin for reducing religion to nothing more than intricate but lifeless practices like cleansing cups and polishing dishes. The Pharisee is so obsessed with custom and ritual that he is completely unaware that the cleansing and polishing that needs to take place is in the depths of a soul that greed has made decrepit. Jesus’ point is that the outside looks fine, but something altogether different and dangerous is unfolding within. Nothing has come from all the ritual practices the Pharisee has performed so zealously for years. Nothing he has done religiously has had the slightest impact on his soul because he is still greedy and blind.

This gospel story is timely because it reminds us how easy it is to become experts at limp religion. We can “play” at religion that way, keeping all the rules and following all the regulations, but we don’t grow, and we never change. When limp religion rules our lives, we become experts at standing still. But there is hope, and it comes in a surprising form. At the end of his blunt exchange with his dinner host, Jesus tells the Pharisee that if he gives what he has as alms, “all will be wiped clean for you.” Apparently, a simple act of justice to the poor is enough to break the spell of limp religion and put us back on the path to life.

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.

Scripture:

Romans1:1-7
Luke 11:29-32

Reflection:

Jonah the prophet, with great hesitancy, preached against the people of Nineveh. He was angry that Ninevites repented, and that God repented of the evil He threatened. The people of Nineveh respond to God’s call for conversion. The queen of the south also went to great lengths and distances to hear the wisdom of Solomon. However, Jesus notes both times, “Something is greater is here.” Yet, this evil generation does not respond.

Pope Francis released an addendum to his great encyclical Laudato Si’ this month on the environment. Pope Francis understood where Jesus was coming from. His own call to care for the environment has not been heeded. Instead, confusion, resistance, and power structures reign supreme. Pope Francis’ message echoes in our hearts.  “Reality, goodness and truth do not automatically flow from technological and economic power.” Rather the dignity of the human person is the supreme worth.

We are called to open our eyes, ears, and hearts to the words of the Gospel. Catholic social teaching calls us to be prophets and see the signs of the times. We are invited to see, to judge, and to act. The people of Jesus’ time do not see Jesus for who he is. The gospels constantly challenge us to answer the question of who Jesus is. We pray Lord, “Show us!”

Fr. Phillip Donlan, CP, is the Associate Director of Ministry at Christ the King Passionist Retreat Center in Citrus Heights, California.

Scripture:

Isaiah 25:6-10a
Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20
Matthew 22:1-14

Reflection:

What does heaven look like?  Jesus never gives a direct answer.  Instead, he compares it to something earthy, something real, as he does in today’s gospel.  “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.” And Jesus continues his parable.  All have been invited.  But, strangely, some respond with indifference, others seem to resent the intrusion of the invitation, and even respond with hostility and violence.  Sadly, tragically, in rejecting the royal invitation, they have rejected the king and his son.

Nevertheless, the king does not give up.  Why?  Because as Isaiah tells us in the first reading, God generously wants all to share in his eternal banquet.  And so, Jesus continues with the parable about the kingdom.  Off go the servants, to the highways and byways “and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests.”

Even so, like some in the parable, there may be times when we refuse the royal invitation to the banquet.  Why? Because we are too wrapped up, consumed by our consumerism and the need to accumulate material goods.  We may be distracted by our busyness, our wariness.  We may be indifferent to matters of the soul, of the ultimate purpose of our existence of who we are – abiding in God – we lose sight of what is eternal.

How have we responded to God’s invitation to the banquet – the Eucharistic banquet of bread and wine, of celebration and community?  That is the challenge Jesus repeatedly gives us.  That is what Jesus preached throughout his earthly ministry; that is the good news.  “Get ready!  The Kingdom of God is at hand.”

What does heaven look like?  The closest we can get at an answer is this: The kingdom is here among us, but not yet.  It is somehow earthy, but not quite.  And when we accept the royal invitation, when we gather at the table of the Lord, we will catch a glimpse of the kingdom.  We will experience a foretaste of the royal celebration, the Messianic banquet in the Kingdom.  It is around the table of the Lord, in community, that we will find our deepest identity, of who we truly are.  The kingdom of God looks like that.

Deacon Manuel Valencia is on the staff at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.

Scripture:

Joel 4:12-21
Luke 11:27-28

Reflection:

In the prophet Joel’s account, we can choose to find ourselves grateful for God’s glorious design of the earth and the earth’s climate.

• The harvest is ripe.
• The wine press is full.
• Vats overflow.
• The mountains shall drip new wine.
• The hills shall flow with milk.
• The channels of Judah shall flow with water.
• A fountain shall issue from the house of the Lord to water [valleys].

The psalmists deliver similar poetry.

• The mountains melt like wax before the Lord.
• Light dawns for the just.

Let us lift our eyes from those pages and thank our heavenly father for another day to absorb his presence in the natural world that surrounds us.

Other messages in today’s readings ask us to observe the word of God. If we do, God will protect us from our enemies, and we will be blessed.

We can’t help but think of our Hail Mary prayer when Jesus asks us to “hear the word of God and observe it” rather than dwell on the praise of saying, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” How many times have we repeated, “Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus”? Providentially, we immediately repeat “Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.” Is it possible that the ecclesiastical authors of the final draft of that prayer knew we needed Mary’s intercession to pressure us to observe God’s word?

Jack Dermody is the editor of the CrossRoads bulletin for the Passionist Alumni Association and a member of the Migration Commission for Holy Cross Province. He lives in Glendale, Arizona. 

Scripture:

Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2
Luke 11:15-26

Reflection:

Both of today’s readings express a sure and solid belief in God’s providence for his people. God’s power is mightier than an invasion of locusts or an unclean spirit. God is on the side of humanity—our advocate.

We hear only four verses from the prophet Joel and taken out of context, we might assume that it’s the usual prophetic lament for repentance resulting from another infraction against God. Joel writes after the exile in a time of restoration and celebration. It was a time of peace for the inhabitants of Israel. The darkness and gloom refer to a locust invasion—a natural disaster. These locusts are like military might, too numerous to count. It affects every part of their lives. From food and water to their animals’ survival, and even their temple rituals; all are at risk. The verse just before our text says, “Yes, our joy has withered away from among mankind”(v.12c). It is a catastrophe of epic proportions that robs their joy and puts fear in its place. Joel likens this situation to the end of the world. “The Day of the Lord.”

He calls upon every section of the population to do penance as an offering to God for their safety and survival during this invasion. Later in the book, we hear about God’s providence in restoring the land and their lives. They celebrate God’s blessings and saving help. His power is mighty.

The text from the gospel of Luke is situated within the same chapter as his version of the “Our Father” prayer (v.1). Jesus then invites his disciples—and us—to pray for what we want, “ask and you will receive; seek and you will find…” (v. 9-10).

Just before our reading, Jesus drives out a demon from a mute person. When this person speaks, the crowds are amazed (v.14). We take up the story as Jesus is accused by “some” to be working for the powers of darkness—Beelzebul. Luke states that Jesus’ power is mightier than evil. It is stronger than the man who “guards” his home. In chapter 3, John the Baptist refers to Jesus as “one mightier than I” (v. 16). We must place our trust in the power of Jesus to overcome every obstacle for our good. However, this does not happen without our consent. Like the one who finds healing from an unclean spirit, we must fill that empty space with God.

In hearing our scriptures today, what do they offer to us? The prophet Joel tells of a catastrophe befalling the people; can we relate to that situation? Perhaps it is not an invasion of locusts, but real challenges are happening today. In our world, in our communities, and in our families. Wars in Ukraine and Israel, violence in our cities, and the pain of broken relationships only break the surface of our troubles and crosses. All these situations can bring us down and usher in hopelessness. Joel doesn’t succumb to those tendencies; he names them as potential disasters and invites the people to offer penance. Would that we could do the same. Luke further invites us to reflect that true power sits in our prayerful relationship with God and united faithful communities. Division will only break us down.

May our joy never wither and may fear be stripped away by faith and trust.

May the power of Christ fill the empty spaces within each of us and spread out to all the world. 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.

Scripture:

Malachi 3:13-20b
Luke 11:5-13

Reflection:

Once again Jesus is trying to teach his disciples (us) that God cherishes persistent prayer.  “He will get up and give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.  Jesus reminds us that we should pray every day, and every day, and every day and every day just as he did.  What a compelling example he set for us.

But many complain that “God never hears nor answers my prayers.” Don’t we hear that frequently?  That is unfortunately a self-indulgent attitude.  The fact is that God’s will is not the same as my will.  God is God and I am who I am.  God knows my needs far better that I do.  Isn’t the true power of persistent and daily prayer the transformation of my own will to make it more compatible with God’s will?  Only in that way can my prayers be answered. 

We should also challenge the idea that God does not answer prayers, even in our own lives.  Faith informs us that God consistently answers prayers; however, perhaps in ways that we do not understand or realize.  Consider for example. the miracles that he performs in our lives every day.  Do we pay attention to those miracles?   Perhaps an encounter with an old friend who we have been thinking about lately; perhaps an unexpected delay in a meeting in Oakland, CA that prevented us from being on our scheduled return to a hotel on the Nimitz freeway which collapsed during the 1989 San Francisco earthquake; perhaps an unexpected call from an estranged child, as happened to my wife and myself yesterday; the list goes on and on. Those who appreciate those daily miracles understand that God is responding to their prayers every day, perhaps by answering a specific request, such as the cure of an illness or the healing of a relationship, or perhaps in ways that we don’t expect but are nonetheless beneficial to us.  Obviously, God isn’t going to ring a bell every time he interacts with us in our daily lives.  We must pay attention.

Should we not also await answers to our “persistent” prayers more patiently?  It takes time for God to conform our wills to his; not because he cannot do so more quickly but perhaps because our own wills are more inflexible than we think they are.  

So let us continue to pray persistently and patiently every day and every day and every day and every day.  We know by faith that he will hear and answer “all” of our prayers: “ask and you will receive; seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you.’    

Bill Berger has had a life-long relationship with the Passionist Family.  Bill and his wife, Linda, are currently leaders of the Community of Passionist Partners (CPPs) in Houston,Texas.

Scripture:

Jonah 4:1-11
Luke 11:1-4

Reflection:

The Other Lord’s Prayer

We are all familiar with the Lord’s Prayer – the “Our Father” – in the Gospel of Matthew.  His is the prayer we pray at Mass, in the Liturgy of the Hours, in the Rosary, and in so many other moments of worship.

There is, however, the other Lord’s Prayer, a less familiar version.  This is the prayer in the Gospel of Luke.  The “Our Father” in his gospel is shorter, and quite frankly, not as memorable as Matthew’s.

The two prayers do share similarities.  As with Matthew’s prayer, Luke’s consists of praise and petition, and for the coming of God’s kingdom, God’s reign.  Both are prayers of community.  Both are eschatological prayers.

Luke’s version, however, contains a significant difference.  Where Matthew’s gospel reads “Forgive our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Mt 6:12 NAB), Luke employs clearer and more explicit language.  “Forgive us our sins,” the gospel strongly petitions, “for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us” (Lk 11:4 NAB).

Luke’s prayer makes a powerful point.  Just as Christ died in forgiveness of our sins, so too, are we to forgive others.  Therein lies the Good News in the other Lord’s Prayer.  We who have been forgiven know first-hand the need for forgiveness.  Pray like this, Jesus tells us.

Deacon Manuel Valencia is on the staff at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center, Sierra Madre, California.