On Passion/Palm Sunday we celebrate the beginning of Holy Week and commemorate the Triumphant Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem which happens before his Crucifixion and Resurrection. We hear this short reading from Matthew (Mt. 21:1-11) oftentimes from the back of the church before the Entrance Procession and Introductory Rites. Some parishes even begin with a parade of parishioners carrying palms along with the scripture reading or hymns. Once the Mass begins and we continue to the Liturgy of the Word…..
In today’s readings we find signs of hope for the Resurrection and a new world order which many Christians profess to believe on a daily basis. From the prophet Ezekiel we hear the tale of his Vision of the Dry Bones (Ezek. 37:12-14). This passage was written during a time when the Judeans of the Southern Kingdom of Israel had been sent into exile by the mighty Babylonians. It was a time of grief and despair; the Temple had been…..
Today’s readings capture a theme which we see repeatedly throughout scripture beginning first with the prophets and then making its way into the New Testament. It is the concept of “eyes that do not see.” (Isa. 6:10; Jer. 5:21; Ezek. 12:2; Mt. 13:5; Acts 28:27; Rom. 11:8). The eyes in this metaphor are not meant to indicate the sensory organs which we use to visualize and perceive what is present and happening around us in our daily reality. Rather these…..
It is a well-known fact that water is one of the most essential elements on earth. No living organism could survive without it. In today’s readings we see how God provides this resource and, more so, the way in which Jesus enhances this fundamental gift of life. In the First Reading from the Book of Exodus (Exod. 17:3-7) we hear the grumbling of the Israelites as they journey through the Wilderness of Sin on their way to the Promised Land……
Last week we heard the familiar story of Adam and Eve and the original sin which led to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. This story is among many found in Genesis 1-11 which address the origins of the world and reveal certain fundamental truths about creation and the nature of humanity. From these narratives we find that God installs humans in a special manner as dignified beings formed in God’s image. Yet the human race falls into sinfulness…..
The readings for this first Sunday of Lent remind us of our fallen human condition and the plight of death as according to what we hear on Ash Wednesday – “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” In the First Reading (Gen. 2:7-9; 3:1-7) we read an excerpt from the second creation narrative which is found in the Book of Genesis. God creates the first man from the dust of the ground and breathes life into…..
For a third Sunday we continue to witness Jesus as the New Moses in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt. 5:38-48) as he speaks from his Sermon on the Mount. Thus far, it is one of the closest parallels to the laws found in the Book of Leviticus which Jesus brings to fulfillment. In the First Reading (Lev. 19:1-2, 17-18) we hear the LORD saying to Moses: “Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the…..
The First Reading for today from the Book of Sirach (Sir. 15:15-20) summarizes one of the main themes of the Old Testament: choosing whether or not to follow the Law of God. This is equated to choosing goodness and life or wickedness and death throughout the Books of the Hebrew Scriptures. The Law for the ancient Israelites originated with the Covenant at Sinai through the mediation of Moses at the time of the Exodus. After being freed from bondage in…..
Writing for a mostly Jewish Christian community, the author of Matthew goes to great lengths to present Jesus as a new Moses and teacher, one who teaches with great authority. In todays Gospel (Matthew 5:13-16) we get a small sampling of this teaching from the First Major Discourse of Matthew, the Sermon on the Mount. In the opening verse of this chapter we are told: “When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat…..
Today’s First Reading from the Book of Malachi (3:1-4) helps us get a better understanding of what is known as the Canticle of Simeon found in today’s Gospel (Luke 2:22-40). The first verse from Malachi sounds familiar: “Now I am sending my messenger—he will prepare the way before me” (Mal. 3:1a). Malachi later goes on to identify this messenger as the prophet Elijah returning to announce the coming of the LORD (Mal. 3:23). We hear these verses reiterated in the…..