26th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for Ordinary Time More information can be found here. Ezekiel 18:25-28 See book background here.  Today’s readings continue to hound us on the topic of sin within the community. The first 24 chapters of the book of Ezekiel are oracles of judgment. The last half of the book takes a READ MORE

25th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for Ordinary Time More information can be found here. Isaiah 55:6-9 Isaiah I: shape up or else; exile is coming 1-39Isaiah II: Book of Consolation, comfort in captivity 40-55 Deutero Isaiah (suffering servant songs)Isaiah III: going home 56-66 Trito Isaiah; struggle for a new temple and new leadership 55:1-11 is READ MORE

4th Sunday of Advent Year B

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation during Advent Today we make a chronological move backwards but a theological move forward. John the Baptist pointed to Jesus as God incarnate and Mary is the agent of that incarnation, bringing to fulfillment in history what John the Baptist had predicted. 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8B-12, 14A, 16 Background on READ MORE

24th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for Ordinary Time More information can be found here. Sirach 27:30—28:7 Around 132BC, a man named Yeshua ben Eleazar ben Sira translated into Greek a book of maxims written by his grandfather about 50 years earlier. The grandfather had written these wise sayings in Hebrew or Aramaic. The grandson was READ MORE

3rd Sunday of Advent Year B

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation during Advent Today is Gaudete Sunday. The traditional entrance antiphon for today’s Mass comes from Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.” To use a musical metaphor: this Sunday is a crescendo of joy! We can ask what each of these passages have to say about READ MORE

2nd Sunday of Advent Year B

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation during Advent Today we continue our wait but perhaps on a slightly more hopeful note than last week. John preaches repentance, metanoia, a change of life. To turn one’s life around perhaps implies a certain amount of looking at where you are in preparation for turning a new direction and READ MORE

23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for Ordinary Time More information can be found here. Ezekiel 33:7-9 See background on this book. The book of Isaiah is largely consoling to the people. Jeremiah was just the opposite. Ezekiel is a mix. The book begins with oracles of judgment against Israel in chapters 1-24 and then the READ MORE

1st Sunday of Advent Year B

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation during Advent Today we begin to wait. We look back on our history (corporately, spiritually, individually) and see that many of our hopes remain unfulfilled. Think back to the beginning of this calendar year. What hopes did you have? What goals or resolutions did you make? How are those looking READ MORE

22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for Ordinary Time More information can be found here. Jeremiah 20:7-9 See background on this book here. On the 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time we read from this same chapter vv10-13. Today we back up and read the verses before that. All the prophets wrote about the despair they sometimes READ MORE

21st Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for Ordinary Time More information can be found here. Isaiah 22:19-23 Isaiah I: shape up or else; exile is coming 1-39Isaiah II – Book of Consolation, Comfort. People in captivity, discouraged and tempted to drift 40-55Isaiah III: going home 56-66 Trito Isaiah; struggle for a new temple and new leadership READ MORE