• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

The Passionists of Holy Cross Province

The Love that Compels

  • Online Masses
    • Passionist Online Masses and Services
  • 300th Jubilee
    • Opening Mass of the Passionist Jubilee Year
    • Video: 300th Jubilee – English
    • Video: Jubileo Pasionista – Español
    • Jubilee Icon Itinerary
    • Jubilee Resources
    • Jubilee Song
  • Pray
    • Lent 2021
    • Daily Reflections
    • Prayer Request
    • Sunday Homily
    • Passionist Spirituality and Prayer
    • Stations of the Cross
    • Prayer and Seasonal Cards
  • Grow
    • Journey into the Mystery of Christ Crucified
    • Celebrating the Feast of St. Paul of the Cross
    • Subscribe to E-News
    • Passionist Magazine
      • Passionist Magazine, Spring 2020
    • Passionist Ministries
      • Preaching
      • Hispanic Ministry
      • Haiti
      • Parish Life
      • Earth and Spirit Center
      • Education
      • Fr. Cedric Pisegna, CP, Live with Passion!
    • Retreat Centers
    • Passionist Solidarity Network
    • Vision Fulfillment Newsletters
    • Sacred Heart Monastery
      • History of Sacred Heart Monastery
      • A Day in the Life of Senior Passionists
      • “Pillars” of the Community
  • Join
    • Nicholas Divine, CP, Ordination to the Diaconate
    • Are You Being Called?
    • Discerning Your Call
    • Pray With Us
    • Passionist Vocation Directors
    • Lay Partnerships
  • Connect
    • Find a Passionist
    • Passionist Websites
    • Fr. Cedric Pisegna, CP, Live with Passion!
    • Passionist Alumni Association
      • Reunions
      • 2019 Passionist Alumni Reunion
      • Welcome
      • Letter from the Provincial
        • These Men We Call Our Brothers
      • Mission Statement
      • CrossRoads Bulletin
      • Alumni Enrollment Form
        • Alumni Survey
      • Reunion Photo Gallery
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Monthly Giving
    • Leave a Legacy
      • Giving Matters
      • Ways to Give
      • Donor Relations
      • Testimonials
    • Prayer and Seasonal Cards
    • Privacy Policy Statement
  • Learn
    • 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 Scripture, August 4, 2012

 

Feast of St. John Mary Vianney

Scripture: 

Jeremiah 26:11-16, 24
Matthew 14:1-12

 

 

Reflection:

Ministering God’s Love:  Zealous Charity

In today’s Gospel, St. Matthew recounts the death of John the Baptist at the crazy whims and jealousy of both Herod and Herodias.  John the Baptist gave his life for Jesus and His proclamation of the Kingdom of God.  God gave John the Baptist the power even to die as he witnessed to Jesus in his preaching and public ministry of the Good News.  What zeal, what strength, what love!

The reading from Jeremiah also tells of another earlier prophet who witnessed God’s love to the people of his day – and was threatened with death!  Jeremiah continued to be firm in his statements and prophesies, and God changed the hearts of those seeking to kill him; his life was spared and he continued to minister God’s love to even more people.  Again, what zeal, what strength, what love!

Today another example of faithful ministering of God’s Love is given us in  the example of the 19th century saint, St. John Mary Vianney.  He was a simple man with a humble background, an unsophisticated theology – and a zeal to spread God’s love!  He is especially known for his gracious and generous ministry of the Sacrament of Reconciliation at his parish in Ars, France — regularly spending hours sharing God’s love through the Sacrament with thousands of penitents who traveled great distances for those few graced moments with him.  His loving ministry flowed from an intense spiritual life based on prayer and mortification.  St. John Mary Vianney truly witnessed the age-old love of the Lord witnessed in the lives of both Jeremiah and John the Baptist.  In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI named him patron of all priests worldwide.

Jesus and St. John Mary Vianney pose some questions for our faith journey:  How zealous are we for our faith?  Do we offer forgiveness to those who threaten to hurt us?  How do we really listen to those who come our way?  Do we zealously and tirelessly give of ourselves in service to our sisters and brothers?  We have many great examples of zealous, charitable love of God and neighbor.

As we honor the "patron of priests", pray this day especially for priests — active, retired, deceased — and for those discerning a priestly or religious vocation:  for a deepening faith — and a greater, zealous love.

 

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

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 © 2021 | Log in