Healing

When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.  And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, "Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean."  He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I will do it. Be made clean." His leprosy was cleansed immediately.  Then Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them."  Matthew 8: 1 – 4

Today’s Gospel always strikes me as one of great courage both on the part of Jesus and the man involved in the story.  The leper was an outcast and Jesus embraced his illness and was willing to cure him.  When the man asked Jesus to cure him he responded by stretching out his hand and curing him.  The man must have been filled with great joy as he realized that he had been cured.  Jesus, however, told him to do what the law prescribed.  As you ponder this encounter today perhaps it is a good time to look at the things inside of each one of us what needs healing and ask Jesus to help cure it.  Jesus is always ready to sooth our needs all we have to do is ask.

Pat Schifini, OSU

Sts. Peter & Paul

"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"  They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.  And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.  I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.   Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."  Matthew 16:13-19

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Sts. Peter & Paul.  This Gospel has always had special meaning for me as it is the one used at my religious profession.  Whenever I hear or read this Gospel I am brought back to that event.  Today this Gospel is used to honor Sts. Peter and Paul.  Peter who became the rock upon which Jesus built the Church and Paul who had been a persecutor of Christians turned out to be a champion for the faith.  He experienced a profound conversion and went from persecuting to defending.  They both had an experience of Jesus that changed their life forever.  Perhaps today is a good day to look at our own relationship with Jesus and answer the question, “Who do you say that I am?”

Pat Schifini, OSU

The Golden Rule

“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.”  This familiar verse is known as the “Golden Rule.”  It seems so simple yet it is also very complicated.  In St. John’s Gospel, we hear Jesus’ teaching that says to “love one another as I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” He goes on to say that this love is how everyone will know that you are following Jesus Christ.  Following Jesus’ commands seem relatively easy but are we able to do it easily.  As we follow Jesus’ commands to love it might be helpful to make a list of all the ways that Jesus has shown us love first.  I am sure that the list will be relatively lengthy.  Using that list as our guide we can see how we should share that love with others.  We all need to show unconditional love, forgiveness, concern, care, compassion and trust.  Let us try to live each day seeing the face of God in one another.

Pat Schifini, OSU

Pay it Forward

Every once in a while a story pops up on social media that causes me to stop and pause.  Yesterday, was one of those days when the priest at the mass I attended spoke of a story he had read.  It was the story of an ice cream drive thru where a father with his children were purchasing ice cream and he paid for the car behind him.  This caught on and some 160 cars later it was still happening.  Whether the story is true of not does not really matter what does is the spirit of this gesture.  Imagine if everyone took a moment to share a compliment or even a simple “hello” with someone else today.  I dare say our world would be a happier place.  Perhaps this simple story will encourage you to reach out someone else today.  Remember our deeds need not be great they should be done with great love.

Pat Schifini, OSU

Prayer

Jesus said to his disciples:  "In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words.  Do not be like them.  Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.  "This is how you are to pray:  'Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'  "If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."  (Matthew 6: 7 – 15)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray.  It is a prayer that is one that is so familiar to us all.  We often say it in times of need and distress.  I remember as a young child learning the Our Father.  My mother taught me the words by having me repeat them after her until I learned to say them with her.  I can imagine that the disciples learned it in much the same way by repetition.  Prayer truly is a conversation with God and is the way of building our relationship with God.  Our God hears our prayers no matter what form of prayer we use.   The most important thing is to listen as well as speak.

Pat Schifini, OSU

National Migrant and Refugee Day

Today we celebrate National Refugee and Migrant day.  Let us pray a prayer provided by the USCCB for all those who have been displace by war, violence and oppression.

Lord Jesus, when you multiplied the loaves and fishes, you provided more than food for the body, you offered us the gift of yourself, the gift which satisfies every hunger and quenches every thirst! Your disciples were filled with fear and doubt, but you poured out your love and compassion on the migrant crowd, welcoming them as brothers and sisters.

Lord Jesus, today you call us to welcome the members of God's family who come to our land to escape oppression, poverty, persecution, violence, and war. Like your disciples, we too are filled with fear and doubt and even suspicion. We build barriers in our hearts and in our minds.

Lord Jesus, help us by your grace,

To banish fear from our hearts, that we may embrace each of your children as our own brother and sister;

To welcome migrants and refugees with joy and generosity, while responding to their many needs;

To realize that you call all people to your holy mountain to learn the ways of peace and justice;

To share of our abundance as you spread a banquet before us;

To give witness to your love for all people, as we celebrate the many gifts they bring.

We praise you and give you thanks for the family you have called together from so many people. We see in this human family a reflection of the divine unity of the one Most Holy Trinity in whom we make our prayer: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Pat Schifini, OSU

Jesus' Challenge to Love

Jesus said to his disciples:  I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.  "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.  But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna.  Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.  Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny."  (Matthew 25: 20 – 26)

Today’s Gospel is one where we really see how difficult it is to follow in Jesus’ footsteps.  Jesus has raised the measurement of our love for one another for sure.  As I read it over this morning I was struck by the magnitude of what Jesus is asking of us.  If we take Jesus’ words literally then we are faced with the reality that Jesus is calling us to a complete transformation.  Jesus wants us to not just go through the motions of showing our love, he wants it to be real and genuine.  It is a task that becomes easier with God’s love for us.  It’s a simple yet radical way to live.

Pat Schifini, OSU

Peace

Peace can only come about when we learn to treat each other as brothers and sisters and recognize our shared vocation as children of God.

“Peace is not merely the absence of war; nor can it be reduced solely to the maintenance of a balance of power between enemies; nor is it brought about by dictatorship. Instead, it is rightly and appropriately called an enterprise of justice.”  Gaudium et Spes, Vatican II

As I reflected this morning I was struck by the recurring notion of peace and as the day unfolded it became more obvious how desperately we all need to embrace peace in our daily living.  The event in Virginia this morning has left a tremendous shock on our nation and further reinforces that violence is never the answer.  As we live this day in God’s love let us remember that we are meant to be bearers of peace and reconciliation and not hate and pain.

Pat Schifini, OSU

St. Anthony

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua.  For generations, Saint Anthony of Padua was the go-to saint for finding lost items. But what few realize is that this beloved Franciscan saint was a fiercely intelligent, holy friar who lived what he preached. He was a theologian, a teacher, and a holy religious who gave his life to God.  I have fond memories of celebrating this Feast on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx as a child.  We would go to the Feast Day Mass and then attend the procession before enjoying the games and food that was everywhere.  As the youngest in my family I have the fond memory of pinning a dollar on the St. Anthony statue that was being processed through the neighborhood.  It was a fun time, a family time and a time that centered around faith.  In recent years St. Anthony has definitely become my “go to person” for lost objects – “St. Anthony, come around, something is lost that must be found” is frequently uttered.  As we commemorate this great saint today let us remember that he was more than a great “lost and found!”

Pat Schifini, OSU

Trinity Sunday

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.  Our God clearly is a God of relationship.  God sent Jesus as a sign of his love for us.  There are so many signs of God’s abundant love for us – a newborn baby, flowers, a beautiful blue sky, a colorful sunrise, a cardinal or a butterfly.  God’s love overflows in our relationships with one another.  Our God is not a distant God who doesn’t care about us.  Our God is a loving and generous God who continues to show us his love and compassion despite our short comings.  God’s love will last forever and his faithfulness till the end of time because he is a God of love and compassion.

Pat Schifini, OSU

Two Great Commandments

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?"  Jesus replied, "The first is this:  Hear, O Israel!  The Lord our God is Lord alone!  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.  The second is this:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no other commandment greater than these."  The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher.  You are right in saying, He is One and there is no other than he.  And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."  And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God."  And no one dared to ask him any more questions.  (Mark 12: 28 – 34)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reaffirms the two great commandments – love of God and love of neighbor.  These are the two that we need to live to the best of our ability.  If we do this then we are doing what God has asked us.  Jesus makes it clear in these commandments that love is greater than sacrifice.  Let our love be great in these days where our world is suffering greatly.

Pat Schifini, OSU

We Remember

Today we commemorate the invasion of the allied troops on the shores of the beaches in Normandy, France.  Commonly referred to as “D-day” it marks one of the largest military amphibious assaults.  As we remember this day let us call to mind all the men and women who have served in our armed services through countless battles who because of their great sacrifices we may enjoy our freedom.  Let us take a moment to pray a special prayer for all those who have served or will serve.  Lord God, Almighty Father, creator of humankind and author of peace, as we are ever mindful of the cost paid for the liberty we possess, we ask you to bless the members of our armed forces. Give them courage, hope and strength.  May they ever experience your firm support, gentle love and compassionate healing.  Be their power and protector, leading them from darkness to light.  To you be all glory, honor and praise, now and forever.  Amen.  May we always strive to live in peace and harmony!

Pat Schifini, OSU

Pentecost

The Season of Easter concludes with today’s liturgical celebration, the Feast of Pentecost. On Pentecost, we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem; this event marks the beginning of the Church. The story of Pentecost is found in the Acts of the Apostles, today’s first reading. Today Jesus fulfilled his promise to send to his disciples a helper, an advocate, who would enable them to be his witnesses throughout the world.

Today’s Gospel reminds us that the Church is called to be a reconciling presence in the world. This reconciling presence is also to be a way of life for Christians. In situations of conflict, we are to be agents of peace and harmony among people.  St. Angela in her writings said to “spread peace and concord wherever you are” and to “remain in harmony, one heart, one will.”  She reminds us to continue the mission of Jesus in all that we do and say.  Let us live this day in peace and pray for those who were injured or killed in London yesterday.  May all violence cease.

Pat Schifini, OSU