Reading Reflections

John 15:1 - 8   Last Sunday, we heard Jesus speak of himself as the Good Shepherd.  He used that image against the Jewish leaders, whom he, by inference, characterized as bad shepherds, mere hirelings who are in it for themselves.  He, on the other hand, was the Good Shepherd who “lays down his life for his sheep.”  This is the only occasion in the Gospel of John where Jesus uses a human image as an analogy for himself.   This Sunday, we hear Jesus speak of himself in one [...]

Ordinarily during the Easter Season, I offer reflections on the Gospel first since the other two readings present the early Church after the Resurrection.  This week, however, I would like to begin with some reflections on the first reading since it includes an important Old Testament reference to Jesus and his mission among us.   Acts 4:8 - 12   This Sunday, we hear another portion of Peter’s speeches after curing the crippled man.  Last week, we heard a section of his speech to the Jewish people who had gathered [...]

Exodus 20:1 - 17 Last Sunday, we heard of God’s test for Abraham after he had made a covenant with him.  This follows the reading from the First Sunday of Lent, in which we heard about the covenant that God made with Noah and his descendents.  This week, we hear the commandments that God gives to his people at Mt. Sinai as part of that covenant. We read about the ratification of the covenant and Moses going up Mt. Sinai in chapter 24; let’s read that first to prepare us [...]

Jonah 3:1 – 5, 10 This Sunday, we will hear from the Book of Jonah. The passage was clearly chosen to prepare us for the Gospel, as we shall see.  We only hear from this book once every three years on Sunday – that is, this Sunday – so let’s spend some time understanding its genre.  It is listed as a prophetic book, but is unique among the prophets for two reasons: 1) it is not a collection of oracles, but a narrative; and 2) Jonah’s behavior is the opposite [...]

1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19 As we return to Ordinary Time, time that is ordered for our salvation, this Sunday we will hear about the calling of Samuel to become a prophet.  You may recall the birth of Samuel to Hannah, who had been sterile (cf. 1 Sm 1:1-28).  Shortly after his birth, Hannah dedicated Samuel to God by bringing him to the temple.  We begin the season of Ordinary Time with a classic vocation narrative. For those who know the story of his early life, Samuel’s call is not much [...]

Isaiah 60: 1 - 6 This Sunday, we will hear again from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.  The section we will hear is from the 60th chapter, so we know that it is from trito-Isaiah, which comes from the time when the people have returned from the Babylonian exile.  Whereas Isaiah’s prophecy is filled with warnings of impending doom, here we will hear a message of hope.  Those of you who have the Catholic Study Bible will want to check the footnote on these verses:  The Church makes use [...]