Fourth Sunday of Advent
The first reading, the Responsorial Psalm, and the gospel reading of this Sunday are tied together by an important Old Testament name – David. Our four gospels, Acts of Apostles, two of Paul’s Letters, and the Book of Revelation connect Jesus to King David, who lived a thousand years ea...Read full story »
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Third Sunday of Advent
For the first reading, we return to that part of the Book of Isaiah called Third Isaiah (chapters 56-66). This prophet was active in Jerusalem about 530-520 B.C. The original context of these prophetic oracles: a proclamation of the credentials of this unknown prophet, a kind of mission state...Read full story »
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Second Sunday of Advent
As on the First Sunday of Advent, the readings begin with a selection from the Book of Isaiah. Last Sunday we experienced oracles of Third Isaiah. That prophet’s name is unknown but his oracles, chapters 56-66, were collected and placed by editors in the Book of Isaiah. The same must be...Read full story »
Thursday, December 07, 2017
First Sunday of Advent
The beginning of the Year of Grace is marked each year by the season of Advent. In the history of its origin in the dual official languages of the Roman Empire, “Advent” was a technical term for the visit of an important imperial official or of the emperor to a city or kingdom of the em...Read full story »
Thursday, November 30, 2017
The Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ the King
The Solemnity of Christ the King permanently replaces the Thirty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time in all three liturgical years, A, B, C. Originally this celebration of Jesus’ kingship was set on the last Sunday of October. When Bl. Pope Paul VI, 1963-78, reformed the liturgical calendar, this...Read full story »
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
One of the parables Matthew attaches to his version of Jesus’ final discourse is the Parable of the Talents. There is no doubt that this parable belongs in Matthew’s catechetical teaching on the end of time and the return of Jesus. The opening sentence of the parable reveals it. Before...Read full story »
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Sunday liturgies of Year A, when most Sunday gospel selections are taken from Matthew, entirely omits Matthew 24 – Jesus’ final discourse or sermon. The author of Matthew’s gospel lifted most of his version of Jesus’ last discourse from the Gospel of Mark. After this fin...Read full story »
Wednesday, November 08, 2017
Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
In Matthew 23, the author of this gospel has reached the peak of his wrath against the leadership of Judaism about the year 85 A.D. Some of the opinions voiced by the author in this chapter, and attributed to Jesus himself, are a considerable hindrance to ecumenical understanding between Christians...Read full story »
Thursday, November 02, 2017
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Last week’s comments on the Sunday gospel selection explained in some detail how the author of the Gospel of Matthew not only used the Gospel of Mark as a source, but frequently changed Mark’s version of a given episode. One trend of Matthew’s style is to disparage the Pharisees w...Read full story »
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Confrontations in Jerusalem continue between Jesus and the religious authorities. We have three versions of the confrontation or argument or debate over whether or not a pious Jew should pay tribute (taxes) to Caesar (the Roman government then ruling most of the Middle East). Mark’s version i...Read full story »
Thursday, October 19, 2017
