Welcome to my annotated commentary on Sunday’s readings. The purpose of this commentary is threefold: to give you
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the background for each reading;
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a better understanding of its message; and
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the message that all of the Sunday readings together provide us.
I hope you find it helpful!
TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (Year A)
OPENING PRAYER: Isaiah 24 Isaiah 45:1, 4 - 6 This Sunday, we will again hear from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. Since it is from chapter 45, we know that it is from Deutero-Isaiah. We recall that Deutero-Isaiah prophesied 587 – 539BC, during the Babylonian exile. During this time, the political scene in the Ancient Near East changed dramatically as a result of the rise of Cyrus II (the Great). Until he came into power in 559BC, the great powers controlling the Ancient Near East were usually Semites, [...]
TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (Year A)
Isaiah 55:6 - 9 This Sunday, we will hear from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. Seeing that it is taken from chapter 55, we know that it is part of Deutero-Isaiah, dealing with Israel during its Babylonian exile. It is at the very end of the Babylonian captivity and we should read the opening verses of the chapter since they speak in anticipation of how the Persians would allow the exiles to return. The Book of Ezra opens with the decree of Cyrus that called the exiles to return [...]
TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Sirach 27:30 – 28:9 This Sunday, we will hear from the Book of Sirach, one of the very last books of the Old Testament. It was written between 200 and 175BC by a man who identifies himself as Jesus, son of Eleazar, son of Sira (cf. 50:27). Some of your Bibles identify the book as The Wisdom of Ben Sira. This is actually the earliest title of the book; the “ch” was added when the book was translated into Greek. It is an excellent example of Wisdom literature, filled with [...]
PENTECOST SUNDAY (Year A)
On Pentecost Sunday, you will see that different readings are prescribed for the Vigil Mass than for the Mass on Sunday. I will reflect on the readings for the Sunday Masses, so don’t be surprised if you attend the Vigil Mass and hear different readings. John 20:19-23 If this reading sounds familiar to you, it is because you heard it just a few weeks ago. On the Second Sunday of Easter, the Gospel reading is the same in all three years of the Liturgical Cycle – John 20:19 - [...]
SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER (Year A)
John 14:15 - 21 This Sunday, we hear a continuation from last week of Jesus’ address to the apostles at the Last Supper as presented in John’s Gospel. As you will remember from your footnotes, most scholars consider the section of 13:31 – 17:26 to be Johannine compositions, modeled on farewell discourses found in Greek and Hebrew literature of that time. As we quickly approach Pentecost – it’s only two weeks away – we hear Jesus speak of the coming of the Holy Spirit. I invite you to put [...]
FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER (Year A)
John 14:1 - 12 This Sunday, we hear a portion of Jesus’ address to the apostles during the Last Supper as presented in John’s Gospel. In this Gospel, it is presented as our Lord’s farewell discourse to his disciples in anticipation of his death. Most scripture scholars consider this section (chapters 14 – 18) to be a Johannine composition, modeled on farewell discourses found in contemporary Greek and Hebrew literature. You will notice that the only action in John’s account of the Last Supper is the washing of the feet [...]