TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B Isaiah 53:10-11; Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22; Hebrews 4:14-16; MARK 10:35-45  The first reading is part of the last of four poems embedded in the second part of the Book of Isaiah. Because of these four poems, and especially because of the fourth po...
Read full story »

TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B Wisdom 7:7-11; Psalm 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17; Hebrews 4:12-13; MARK 10:17-30  The first reading is from the Book of Wisdom. For those who hold on to these columns on the Sunday readings, some detail about the origins and purpose of the Book of Wisdo...
Read full story »

TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B Genesis 2:18-24; Psalm 128:1-2, , 3, 4-5, 6; Hebrews 2:9-11; MARK 10:2-16  The first reading is from the Book of Genesis. Within the Book of Genesis it is part of the second creation story. The first creation story is a hymn in which God creates a...
Read full story »

TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B Numbers 11:25-29; Psalm 19:8,10, 12-13, 14; James 5:1-6; MARK 9:38-43, 45, 47-48  The first reading is from the Book of Numbers. It is the fourth book or scroll of the Torah, or in our usual terminology, the Pentateuch. The English title, “Num...
Read full story »

TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B Wisdom 2:12, 17-20; Psalm 54:3-4, 5, 6-8; James 3:16-4:3; MARK 9:30-37   The first reading is from the Old Testament Book of Wisdom. This column gave a detailed ex-planation of the origin and purpose of the Book of Wisdom on the 13th Sunday in Ordin...
Read full story »

TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B Isaiah 50:5-9a; Psalm 116:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9; James 2:14-18; MARK 8:27-35   The first reading is from the Book of Isaiah the prophet, from the part called Second Isaiah, chapters 40-55. The oracles of this unnamed prophet are known as the Book of C...
Read full story »

The first reading is from Isaiah of Jerusalem. His prophetic ministry was exercised mostly in and around the city from 742 to 701 B.C.  It is possible that Isaiah lived on into the early years of the reign of King Manasseh, 687-642. In a document called “The Ascension of Isaiah,” (...
Read full story »

The first reading is from the Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy. It is the fifth book or scroll of the Torah, a Hebrew word meaning “The teaching” or “The Law” of Moses, to whom tradition attributes its authorship. Christians usually refer to the Torah as “The Pentateu...
Read full story »

The first reading is from the Book of Joshua. Joshua was the lieutenant and successor of Moses. The Exodus from Egypt under Moses’ leadership can be approximately dated in the early 13th century B.C. The entry into Canaan under the leadership of Joshua may be dated about mid 13th century, abo...
Read full story »

The Book of Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings, maxims, or as the name indicates, a collection of proverbs. The first line of this document attributes the book to King Solomon, 961-922 B.C. It is quite possible that some of the collections of proverbs go all the way back to Solomon who had a...
Read full story »