The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation during Lent Genesis 9:8-15 Background of the book Genesis 6-9 tells the story of Noah and the flood, a story that pre-dates the Jewish people. This is the first covenant in the Bible, and it’s important to note that God makes it with all of humanity and every living creature. READ MORE
Tag: Year B
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation during Ordinary Time Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46 Background of the book 13:1-14:57 is a section that deals with impurity caused by tzara’at. In the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), this was translated as the Greek word lepros from which we get the word leprosy. This word should not READ MORE
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation during Ordinary Time Job 7:1-4, 6-7 Background of the book This passage uses three metaphors for life, each of which was a proverbially wretched state of life in that culture: military service, day labor, and simple slavery. Job says that day-to-day living is a drudgery, wanting what you can’t have, READ MORE
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation during Ordinary Time This week’s theme is all about authority – who has it and where did they get it from? Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Background of the book 18:14-21 are all about the office of the prophet. For a Jew, there’s God (top) and then there’s Moses, only slightly below God. READ MORE
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation during Ordinary Time As is usually true during Ordinary Time, there are a variety of themes that emerge from the readings. The one I would like to highlight is that of the unlikely messenger. Jonah 3:1-5, 10 Background of the book At the start of the book of Jonah, God’s READ MORE
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B
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
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
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
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