The Passionists of Holy Cross Province

The Love that Compels

Daily Scripture, September 24, 2019

Scripture:

Ezra 6:7-8, 12b, 14—20
Luke 8:19-21

Reflection:

My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it. Luke 8:21

Jesus praises his mother for “hearing and doing the word”.  In the original Greek text, the words “hearing and doing” are placed together. Mary was first presented to us as hearing and receiving the Word.  “Behold, the bond slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.”  Lk 1:38   Hearing and doing the word is at the heart of our following Christ.

The critical question is where do we hear the Word?  God speaks to us in many ways.  The overwhelming beauty of nature eloquently speaks to us of the power and wisdom of its creator. “Every creature is a word of God.” Meister Eckhart “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”  Rom 1:20  “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made”, Ps 33:6

God’s word is especially experienced in Scripture.  It is the most precious and authentic way of hearing God’s voice!   “Your words were found and I ate them” Jer 15:16  We must have a big appetite when we encounter His Word.  We must have a passion to digest His word by study so as to know what He is speaking to us!  The SS often speaks of our hard hearts.  Our hearts are hard like a rock which resists any saturation.  Prayer is the great heart softener.

Prayer is essential to hear the word.  At its best prayer is speaking and listening to God.  It is “pondering the word” as Mary did in the Gospel.  “Mary treasured up all these things, pondering (sumballō in Greek to put together) them in her heart.” Lk 2;19  Again in Lk 2:51 we find Mary His “mother treasured (diatereo to deeply and carefully keep) all these things in her heart.” The word must get into our hearts.  The word brings a deep intimacy with God.  “Through the word of God to the heart of God” St Gregory the Great


Fr. Bob Weiss, C.P. preaches Parish Missions and is a member of the Passionist Community in Louisville, Kentucky.

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.”