It’s quite easy to recognize the connection between the First Reading (Isaiah 8:23-9:3) and the Gospel for today (Matthew 4:12-23) because Matthew uses a direct quote from Isaiah as a fulfillment prophecy: “The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen.” In this passage Jesus has moved his ministry from his hometown Nazareth to the town of Capernaum near the Sea of Galilee where he encounters…..
If we compare the readings from today to those from last week, we see a strikingly similar theme. The First Reading is another of the Servant Songs from Isaiah (Isaiah 49:3,5-6) and the Gospel from John is another version of the story of the Baptism of Jesus (John 1:29-34). However, because the word of God within sacred scripture holds infinite meaning we can be assured that there is something new to learn from today’s message. In the reading from Isaiah…..
Today as we begin Ordinary Time in the liturgical year of the Church, we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This is a story which is found in all four gospels and thus believed by biblical scholars to be an event which can be traced to the historical life of Jesus. In this passage (Matthew 3:13-17) we encounter John the Baptist preaching a baptism of repentance near the Jordon River and Jesus approaching John to be baptized……
At first glance, the connection between the First Reading (Isaiah 60:1-6) and the Gospel (Matthew 2:1-12) for the Feast of the Epiphany seems to be very obvious. Isaiah pronounces that kings from foreign lands will follow the radiance of the Lord, a star in the sky, and bring gifts of gold and frankincense. In the Gospel what appear to be these same foreigners are the magi visiting the newborn babe and bearing said gifts, along with myrrh. However, by taking…..
Today’s readings on the Feast of the Holy Family offer advice for persons who make up the most basic unit of our society. They can help families discern the way in which the sage wisdom of Sirach can be applied to our own relationships as we examine the family dynamic of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The Book of Sirach, written some time during the Second Century, BCE deals with several ordinary topics which we encounter in our daily lives. Some…..
The readings for this Fourth Sunday of Advent are an example of the richness of biblical history and the use of Old Testament prophecy by the writers of the New Testament. The historical circumstances of the First Reading from Isaiah (7:10-14) depict a time of warfare and turmoil. The once united kingdom of Israel has been split into two parts – a Northern Kingdom which has retained the name, Israel, and a Southern Kingdom, known as Judah, in which is…..
The readings for this Third Week of Advent give us an indication of the importance of having a familiarity with the scriptures of the Old Testament in order to have a fuller understanding of the life and mission of Jesus. In the First Reading (Isa. 35:1-6a, 10), the prophet Isaiah is writing to the Israelites; Judeans who have been captured and sent into exile by the mighty Babylonians. Their beloved Temple, the dwelling of the LORD, has been ravaged and…..
On this Second Sunday of Advent we get an inkling of the elusive “here, but not yet” status of the Church as the Kingdom of God. In the First Reading the prophet Isaiah (11:1-10) is speaking to the Israelites who are being besieged by enemy nations much too strong for them to withstand. The nation is crumbling and the Davidic monarchy, the line of the great King David, has ceased to rule. It has been reduced to “a stump of…..
Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the Latin word for “coming.” Advent is a time when we recall the birth of our Savior over two-thousand years ago. More than this, Advent also represents the waiting period for the “Second Coming” or return of Christ in which we now live. In the Gospel from Matthew (24:37-44) Jesus describes what his second coming will be like. He uses imagery from the Book of Daniel where the Son of Man, the divine…..
Today we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. But do we really know why we call Christ the King of the Universe? The readings for today offer a nice scriptural background for our understanding. The First Reading from the Book of 2Samuel (5:1-3) describes an incident in the life of King David who was among the greatest kings of the Old Testament. David’s predecessor, King Saul has been killed in battle and recognizing the renown of David as a…..