Scripture:
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Luke 4:16-30
Reflection:
…so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom
but on the power of God. -1 Corinthians 2:5
This is the time of year when I am once again recruiting people to register for our upcoming retreats at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center in Detroit. There are no prerequisites for going on the retreat, for I know that whoever I invite to attend, from a casual searcher to a lifelong Catholic, that person will find something valuable for their spiritual growth. It amazes me sometimes how people with diverse experiences and worldviews all gather at the foot of the Cross and find nurture, while on retreat.
This is the gift of the Passionist charism lived out in the preaching at our retreat centers. In The Spirit of Passionist Retreat Centers, written in 2003, we find some explanation:
Passionists are highly educated men who grasp well the sometimes-subtle complexities of Scripture, theology, and modern culture. The “genius” of Passionist preaching, however, is found in an ability to interpret great truths in a manner comprehensible for ordinary Christian listeners.
And where does this ability come from? According to St. Paul the Apostle in today’s first reading, it is through the power of the Cross and God the Holy Spirit.
St. Paul the Apostle had tried rhetorical reasoning and lofty philosophical arguments in his preaching in Athens, and had failed, as recounted in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 17. In his letter to the Christian community at Corinth, Paul explains that his success in delivering Christ’s message to them, and their reception of His message, were due to his focus on Christ Crucified and the movement of the Holy Spirit, not to any great rhetorical skills or knowledge on his part. He says:
I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. -1 Corinthians 2: 1-2
Like St. Paul, Passionists experience the power of the Cross and the power of the Holy Spirit. And like St. Paul, we hope and pray that our faith and the faith of all those with whom we live and minister “might rest not on human wisdom
but on the power of God.” -1 Corinthians 2:5
Patty Gillis is a retired Pastoral Minister. She serves on the Board of Directors at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center in Detroit, Michigan. Patty is currently a member of the Laudato Si Vision Fulfillment Team and the Passionist Solidarity Network.