The Passionists of Holy Cross Province

The Love that Compels

Daily Scripture, July 3, 2019

Scripture:

Ephesians 2:19-22
John 20:24-29

Reflection:

“Brothers and sisters: You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him, the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him, you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Eph. 2:19-22

How fantastic that we are part of the household of God! We are brothers and sisters with the saints and holy ones, and together we are the place where God dwells in the Spirit. It’s hard to imagine that when we get caught up in our daily troubles or in the really difficult trials of life this side of heaven. But it’s true! How blest we are to have access to the communion of saints. We can learn so much from them! And they are at this very moment praying for us and cheering us on to the finish line.

One of my favorite saints is Francis of Assisi. I was fortunate to go on a pilgrimage and visit Assisi one year. We found a bronze statue of Francis laying on the ground hands behind his head gazing up into the sky. His sandals are near him in the grass. I knew we were kindred spirits at that moment. One day I will meet him and we will share this favorite pastime!

And in today’s Gospel, I love how the Lord responded to Thomas’s statement that he had to see before he could believe. He simply gave him exactly what he asked for so that he could believe. He didn’t berate him but loved him just as he was and he will do the same for us. We can take comfort and courage from the stories of our older brothers and sisters in the faith. Pick a saint today, read about their life, and then ask them to pray for you as you continue your journey toward meeting God and meeting them!


Janice Carleton and her husband Jim live in Bainbridge Island, Washington, and partnered with Passionist Fr. Cedric Pisegna in Fr. Cedric Ministries. She is the mother of 4 grown children and grandmother of 6. Janice also leads women’s retreats and recently published her second book: God IS with Us. Visit Janice’s website at http://www.janicecarleton.com/.

Ash Wednesday

On March 2, the Church celebrates Ash Wednesday. 

Most of us learned early in our Catholic lives that Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, and that is a time of special sacrifice in preparation for the Easter celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection.

Dear brothers and sisters, every moment of our lives is a time for believing, hoping and loving…. These words of Pope Francis, taken from his Lenten Message of last year, 2021, and echoing the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity, can still inspire our answer to the question: “What am I giving up for Lent?” 

We can draw our Lenten sacrifices out of our daily life: 

Share our faith in God’s presence by sharing in prayer with our family or with those in our parish community.
Share our hope in God’s promises by encouraging positive and respectful dialogue in our family circle and among our friends. 
Share the charity God has bestowed on us in the Passion of Jesus, with those whose sufferings are ignored or aggravated.

Let us pray for one another as we enter the season of Lent. Our Passionist “motto” can be our daily prayer during Lent, “May the Passion of Jesus Christ be always in our hearts.”