The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation during Ordinary Time Some Sundays in Ordinary Time lend themselves to picking out a theme. Today’s readings present a number of themes but I want to settle on one in particular: the idea of call and response. Keep this theme in mind as you read through these readings. What does READ MORE
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Jeremiah
I like the prophet Jeremiah. All the prophets wrote about the despair they sometimes felt in living out their mission but Jeremiah takes it to a whole new level. His despair is liberally sprinkled throughout this book and he also wrote the book of Lamentations. Jeremiah doesn’t shrink away from confronting the bad in life READ MORE
Ephesians
Author Ephesians was most likely written by a later disciple in the spirit of Paul. This disciple might have taken the core of something Paul had written but never sent, and then he expanded on it. Date Generally dated between 80-100AD Purpose To bolster the faith of the community and correct errors. General Observations Ephesians READ MORE
1&2 Chronicles
The name of these books is a misnomer – it’s not really “chronicles” in terms of a linear history. Rather, it’s a theological exploration of the history from Adam to King Cyrus with a particular focus on sin and the consequences of sin. Author and Date Basically, there are multiple authors and the writing is READ MORE
Feast of the Holy Family
The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation during Christmas The Feast of the Holy Family seems to want to present us with a picture of an idyllic family that has probably never existed in the history of mankind. The fact is, relationships can be messy, all the more so when they are in the context of closely READ MORE
Exodus
This book is part of the Torah – the first 5 books of the Bible. Date The oral tradition of this material is ancient, but it probably wasn’t compiled into written form until the exile or the return. Overview Exodus is not an independent book but is an integral part of the Torah, which narrates READ MORE
1 Peter
Author and Dating There’s much debate about the dating of this letter and, by extension, the author. Some scholars believe it’s a very late document, written in the early 100s by a disciple of Peter. This would put it more in line with 2 Peter. Others believe it was actually authored by the disciple Peter READ MORE
Genesis
This book is part of the Torah – the first 5 books of the Bible. Date The oral tradition of this material is ancient, but it probably wasn’t compiled into written form until the exile or the return. Overview The early chapters of Genesis grapple with some very fundamental questions: These are questions humanity has READ MORE
Leviticus
This book is part of the Torah – the first 5 books of the Bible. We only hear from this Old Testament book twice in the Sunday cycle. Date The oral tradition of this material is ancient, but it probably wasn’t compiled into written form until the exile or the return. Overview Leviticus contains most READ MORE
Job
the patience of Job You may associate this quote with this book. It actually comes from the New Testament book of James, where the apostle lauds Job for his patient suffering (James 5:11). If you think patience in suffering equates to quietly bearing your load without complaint, you’ll quickly see that Job was most definitely READ MORE