Reading Reflections

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 [...]

Isaiah 40:1 – 5, 9 – 11 The first reading and Gospel passage this Sunday speak of St. John the Baptist, the last prophet of the Old Testament who would prepare the way for the coming of Jesus. Unlike last week’s readings, which focused on the coming of the Lord at the end of time, this week’s first reading and gospel focus on his first coming – and the preparation for his coming through John the Baptist’s prophetic proclamations.  For our first reading this Sunday, we will again hear from [...]

Isaiah 63: 16b – 17, 19b, 64:2 – 7 We begin Year B in the Sunday Liturgical Calendar this Sunday.  The Gospel featured this year is Mark; the oldest Gospel and the shortest.  And, as we do in year A, we will hear for the next three weeks from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.  This Sunday, it is from the chapters that are often called Trito-Isaiah (56 – 66) and most scripture scholars assign to the time after the people have been allowed to return to Jerusalem.  But, as [...]

As you may have noticed, I usually begin our Bible Study/Faith Sharing with the first reading and then review the Gospel; if there is time, I then reflect on the second reading.  I do this because the first reading is usually selected to prepare us for the principal message for the week which is found in the gospel.  This week, however, I would like to start with the second reading because it is through the lens of this reading that the other two readings make most sense.  As we approach [...]