Monthly Archives: July 2024

The Prophet Amos

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Most of the first readings for this week’s daily masses are taken from the Prophet Amos. They are all powerful readings, but unless you familiar with the history of Israel, the readings are hard to understand apart from (a) the people of Israel are not examples of Covenant people, (b) all manner of sin is rampant, and (c) the King is simply put, a “bad” shepherd of the people. The net effect is that our readings are filled with prophetic warnings, condemnations, and descriptions of the punishment that awaits the people. Continue reading →

The Rabbi ?

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This coming Sunday is the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Jesus left Capernaum and traveled southward into the hill country until he came to the village where he had spent his youth and the early years of his maturity. While Mark does not name Nazareth, he has earlier indicated that this was the village from which Jesus came, and it is undoubtedly in view under the phrase “his own country.” Jesus returned to Nazareth as would a rabbi, accompanied by his disciples. The reference to the disciples is important, for during this period Jesus had been concerned with their training in preparation for the mission which Mark reports in 6:7–13. Continue reading →

Knowing One’s Place

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This coming Sunday is the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The stories and accounts of Jesus’ Galilean ministry have undoubtedly reached his hometown of Nazareth. We know from the gospel account that his reception and return is not exactly exuberant. While the text says that they were “astonished” in reference to his teaching in the synagogue, it is ambiguous in meaning. What kind of astonishment is amplified with the following verse: “They said, ‘Where did this man get all this?’”  Is the tone of the statement one of wonder at the marvelous exposition and wisdom just offered or is it amazement as in “who does he think he is coming here and trying to teach us – how presumptuous!” Continue reading →

The Voice that Disturbs

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If you lived in the northern part of Israel some 750 years before Jesus, you were living during the reign of King Jeroboam II. The economy is good, the neighboring countries are envious of your peace and prosperity – life is good. There is only one problem: the rabble rouser Amos. Have you heard his doom and gloom so-called prophecy? You’d think the enemies were at the gate and the dreaded day of the Lord would be turned upon Israel instead of our enemies. Not sure what he thinks he accomplishes other than to disturb my peace. Continue reading →

What comes before

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This coming Sunday is the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Lectionary Cycle B. During the two previous Sunday gospels we have heard accounts of Jesus’ miracles. First we encountered Jesus calming the stormy waters of the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:35-41) with his spoken command (literally: be muzzled).  The watery transit brought them into Gentile lands where Jesus casted out a legion of demons from a man – an encounter not used in a Sunday gospel. As the narrative continues into Mark chapter 5 Jesus and the disciples returned to Jewish land as they again crossed the Sea of Galilee, the literal and figurative boundary between Gentiles and Jews. Continue reading →