In this coming 13th Sunday of Ordinary time, the gospel is taken from Luke. In yesterday’s post we looked at the consistent use of travel language by St. Luke. Today we look at one event along the way:On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, 53 but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. Continue reading
In the first reading for today we encountered one of the passages that, the first time I read it, I had to blink, shake my head to remove possible cobwebs, and then re-read. Did they just find “the book of the law” (2 Kings 22:8)? Were the first five books of the Old Testament, the Pentateuch, unknown to them? The books that are the most fundamental to letting Israel know who and whose they are; “the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD”; all were a revelation to the young King Josiah. Continue reading
When was the last time you used the word “iniquity?” Admittedly, it is not one of those words that leaps to one’s mind. It sounds somewhat archaic and perhaps reserved to a fire-and-brimstone preacher. Iniquity is not exactly the same as sin. Iniquity describes something as being wicked or immoral in nature or character. It is not an action like sin, but rather the character of the action”. We have a hint of that in the phrase “the iniquity of my sin” (Psalms 32:5). Iniquity can be described as the essence of wrongdoing or evil. Continue reading
In this coming 13th Sunday of Ordinary time, the gospel is taken from Luke. In yesterday’s post we explored the Elijah-motif of Luke’s narrative. Today we focus on Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem as a march toward exaltation (“to be taken up”) in fulfillment of God’s plan. The earthly journey of Jesus serves also as the framework for the progress of the church in the time after the ascension. We find ourselves on the way toward Jerusalem with the Lord. But the march to glory, as Jesus has already warned, is a path through suffering. The disciples must expect to be treated no better than the Master. The cost of Christian discipleship is clearly stated as the journey gets underway. Continue reading
In one of yesterday’s post we looked at the “Last of the Kings of Judah.” In the telling of the story you may have noticed that Israel and Judah had enemies. The Kingdom of Israel (the 10 northern tribes who broke away from the throne of King David) was conquered by Assyria (722 BCE) as neither the kings nor the people remembered or cared about the Covenant with God. And it wasn’t for lack of prophets being sent to let them know, repent or God will “clean house.” Continue reading
In this coming 13th Sunday of Ordinary time, the gospel is taken from Luke. In yesterday’s post we pointed out that our previous encounter with the Lukan narrative was back at the end of February with the 8th Sunday. We took a brief look back at the events in the Galilean Ministry (Chapters 4:14 – 9:51) in order to provide context for our gospel. As well we introduced some key themes that we will encounter as we travel on with Jesus. Continue reading
This week is the 12th Week in Ordinary Time. This year it happens that we have a number of special Masses that interrupt the flow of the first readings for the week: St. Aloysius Gonzaga, The Nativity of John the Baptist, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Without those specials feasts and solemnities, the week of first readings would have been from 2 Kings and, in part, covered the “last of the kings. The readings are: Continue reading
As promised, here is a post that gives an outline of the events of the Galilean Ministry of Jesus which comprise the narrative between the 8th Sunday of Ordinary Time and the 13th Sunday. Not all the events are part of a Sunday gospel, but it will give you a sense of St. Luke’s narrative mission. Continue reading
This coming Sunday the readings return to “Ordinary Time” and reading from the Gospel of Luke. We begin with the 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time. In case you were wondering, the last time we celebrated a Sunday in Ordinary Time was February 27, 2022. It was the 8th Sunday and the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. The gospel that Sunday was from Luke 6; our gospel this coming Sunday is from Luke 9. Both are with a section of Luke labeled as “The Ministry in Galilee” (4:14–9:50). It is a lot to cover so I will post an outline following this posting. Continue reading
Do you enjoy magic shows? I do – they are just a lot of fun. Many years ago, as part of a white water rafting trip, we spent several days in Las Vegas. I took the opportunity to see one of the big-time, over-the-top, oh-my-gosh-how-did-he-do-that magic shows. I am totally willing to suspend scientific inquiry long enough to accept the invitation, enter the moment, and be totally entertained. It is part mystery, part force of personality, coupled with flair, a sense of the dramatic, and showmanship that makes it enjoyable. Of course I was sitting next to a curmudgeon who kept leaning over to whisper, “I know how he did that.” Since he was unwilling to leave the realm of knowledge and disbelief behind, he was not inclined to accept the performer’s invitation, did not enter into the mystery, and was unchanged by it all. Continue reading
friarmusings 