• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

The Passionists of Holy Cross Province

The Love that Compels

  • Laudato Si’
    • Making Room: Lent Reflection Series
    • Celebrating the Season of Creation
    • Passion of the Earth, Wisdom of the Cross
    • Ways to Live Laudato Siˊ
    • Small Grants to Implement Laudato Siˊ
    • Statement on Texas Elementary School Tragedy
  • Pray
    • Daily Reflections
    • Prayer Request
    • Sunday Homily
    • Passionist Spirituality and Prayer
    • Video: Stations of the Cross
    • Prayer and Seasonal Cards
  • Grow
    • The Passionist Way
    • Retreat Centers
    • Passionist Magazine
    • Proclaiming Our Passionist Story (POPS)
    • Passionist Solidarity Network
    • Journey into the Mystery of Christ Crucified
    • Celebrating the Feast of St. Paul of the Cross
    • Subscribe to E-News
    • Passionist Ministries
      • Preaching
      • Hispanic Ministry
      • Haiti
      • Parish Life
      • Earth and Spirit Center
      • Education
      • Fr. Cedric Pisegna, CP, Live with Passion!
    • Ways to Live Laudato Siˊ
    • Vision Fulfillment Newsletters
    • Sacred Heart Monastery
      • History of Sacred Heart Monastery
      • A Day in the Life of Senior Passionists
      • “Pillars” of the Community
  • Join
    • Vocation Resources
    • Father Phillip Donlan, CP, Ordination
    • Are You Being Called?
    • Passionist Brothers
    • The Life of St. Paul of the Cross
    • Discerning Your Call
    • Pray With Us
    • Passionist Vocation Directors
    • World Day for Consecrated Life
    • Lay Partnerships
  • Connect
    • Find a Passionist
    • Passionist Websites
    • Fr. Cedric Pisegna, CP, Live with Passion!
    • Passionist Alumni Association
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Monthly Giving
      • St. Gemma Circle of Giving Intentions
    • Leave a Legacy
      • Giving Matters
      • Ways to Give
      • Donor Relations
      • Testimonials
    • Prayer and Seasonal Cards
    • Privacy Policy Statement
  • Learn
    • Proclaiming Our Passionist Story (POPS)
    • Our Founder
    • History
    • The Letters of St. Paul of the Cross
    • The Diary of St. Paul of the Cross
    • Mission and Charism
    • Saints and Blesseds
    • FAQs
    • Find a Passionist
    • STUDIES IN PASSIONIST HISTORY AND SPIRITUALITY
  • Safe Environments

Daily Reflections

Daily Scripture, February 6, 2023

Scripture:

Genesis 1: 1-19
Mark 6:53-56

Reflection:

Recent research on the neurological effects of trauma and its healing reveals something psychotherapists have struggled with for decades. The restoring of wholeness to victims of trauma…whether major traumas suffered by soldiers, slaves or battered family members, or multiple micro-traumas like repeated bullying, ostracizing, discrimination or other forms of devaluation…occurs in relationship with a caring person who connects emotionally with the victim. The affective experience of being understood, valued and loved can begin to heal the neurological and emotional damage done by the trauma.

Further, current research focuses on how the body carries the hurt of trauma, resulting in physical as well as emotional illnesses.

The God-given authentic self, seen in fully alive people, becomes buried when people are damaged by shocking events and people hurting other people.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus comes ashore in the land of Gennesaret, a territory of Gentiles. There he connects with the suffering, the outcasts, the physically and emotionally sick. He cuts across class lines, religious lines, geographic lines and cultural lines to heal his fellow brothers and sisters.

But these healings upset the social order of Jesus’ time. He is drawing crowds to himself, no doubt because he carries with him the profound love and emotional connection he has experienced with his Father. It is a deep, penetrating love. The kind of love one experiences when understood, respected, nurtured and listened to in the core of the soul.

By his out-of-the-norm acts he also delivered a strong message to the Jewish establishment of his time. The keepers of the Jewish norms are the trend setters for their community, the ones who control the lives of the Jews by their interpretation of the Law, the ones who see themselves as chosen by God to interpret God’s will for the people.

Jesus is not obliged to their power games or their hypocrisy. He IS obligated to the will of his Father, which is to destroy the boundaries between people and heal the brokenness of everyone, including Jews and Gentiles.

He invites us to follow him in being radical in our love for everyone in our circle and outside our circle…the filthy rich, dirt poor, straight and non-straight, men, women, gender discerning, powerful, homeless, doubters, seekers, flexible, inflexible, self-assured, timid, angry, kind, bullies and saints. And especially those who suffer the deep internal bruises and bleedings caused by trauma of any kind.

He calls us to imitate him by paying close attention to one another. When someone wants to talk, whether a family member, co-worker, clerk, friend, enemy, outcast or ally, we put down our phones, turn from our computers and TVs, stop our rush to finish our task and look the other in the eyes, quiet ourselves and listen to what is being said. This seems to be a lost art in our noisy, distracting world of technology, but it is absolutely essential if we are to support the healing of one another from whatever hurt each of us carries.

Jesus assures us we will do greater things than he did, by God’s grace. We are healers too. It is up to us to choose to go out into the world and imitate the Great Healer.

Are you ready?

Jim Wayne is a board member of the Passionist Solidarity Network (PSN), and author of The Unfinished Man. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky.

Daily Scripture, January 27, 2023

Scripture: Hebrews 10:32-39Mark 4:26-34 Reflection: As a young child, I spent a lot of time in the country. One of my favorite memories is riding in my parent’s car, rolling » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, January 26, 2023

Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:1-8 or Titus 1:1-5Mark 4:21-25 Reflection: The gospel for today’s Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus is a familiar parable from » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, January 25, 2023

Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle Scripture: Acts 22:3-16 or Acts 9:1-22Mark 16:15-18 Reflection: Today is the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle.  And » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, January 24, 2023

Scripture: Hebrews 10:1-10Mark 3:31-35 Reflection: Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of God, he » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, January 23, 2023

Scripture: Hebrews 9:15, 24-28Mark 3:22-30 Reflection: In our Gospel reading for today, there are some scribes, who, apparently seeing or hearing about Jesus driving out demons, say, “He is possessed » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, January 22, 2023

Scripture: Isaiah 8:23-9:31 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17Matthew 4:12-23 Reflection: Lord, this is one of the gospels that really puzzles and challenges me. You walked along the shore of Galilee, passing by » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, January 21, 2023

Feast of St. Agnes Scripture: Hebrews 9:2-3, 11-14Mark 3:20-21 Reflection: Have you ever said or heard someone else say: “He or she is out of his or her mind”.  In » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, January 20, 2023

Scripture: Hebrews 8: 6-13Mark 3: 13-19 Reflection: I will put my laws in their mindsand I will write them upon their hearts.I will be their God,and they shall be my » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, January 19, 2023

Scripture: Hebrews 7:25-8:6Mark 3:7-12 Reflection: Whatever happened to all those people? In today’s Gospel, St. Mark goes out of his way to tell us that there were an awful lot » Continue Reading.

Daily Scripture, January 18, 2023

Scripture: Hebrews 7:1-3, 15-17Mark 3:1-6 Reflection: In our Gospel reading for today, Jesus is in a synagogue on the Sabbath, and there is a man there with a withered hand. » Continue Reading.

  • « Previous
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • …
  • 458
  • Next »

Footer

Facebook Feed

Support the Passionists

Contact the Passionists

The Passionists of Holy Cross Province
660 Busse Highway | Park Ridge, IL 60068
Tel: 847.518.8844 | Toll-free: 800.295.9048 | Fax: 847.518.0461
Safe Environments | Board Member Portal | Copyright © 2023 | Log in