Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
The first reading is from Isaiah of Jerusalem. His prophetic ministry was exercised mostly in and around the city from 742 to 701 B.C. It is possible that Isaiah lived on into the early years of the reign of King Manasseh, 687-642. In a document called “The Ascension of Isaiah,” (...Read full story »
Thursday, September 06, 2018
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
The first reading is from the Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy. It is the fifth book or scroll of the Torah, a Hebrew word meaning “The teaching” or “The Law” of Moses, to whom tradition attributes its authorship. Christians usually refer to the Torah as “The Pentateu...Read full story »
Thursday, August 30, 2018
Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
The first reading is from the Book of Joshua. Joshua was the lieutenant and successor of Moses. The Exodus from Egypt under Moses’ leadership can be approximately dated in the early 13th century B.C. The entry into Canaan under the leadership of Joshua may be dated about mid 13th century, abo...Read full story »
Thursday, August 23, 2018
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Book of Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings, maxims, or as the name indicates, a collection of proverbs. The first line of this document attributes the book to King Solomon, 961-922 B.C. It is quite possible that some of the collections of proverbs go all the way back to Solomon who had a...Read full story »
Thursday, August 16, 2018
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Two Sundays ago, on the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary time, this column discussed the cycles of stories about the ninth century B.C. prophets Elijah and Elisha. The stories are found in the First and Second Books of Kings. The first reading for that Sunday’s liturgy was taken from the cycle...Read full story »
Thursday, August 09, 2018
Eighteeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The first reading is from the Book of Exodus. Exodus is the second of the five great scrolls (books) which form the Torah – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. The Hebrew word “Torah” means “the Teaching.” The English word for the Torah is Pentateuch. ...Read full story »
Thursday, August 02, 2018
Seventeeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
In the First and Second Books of Kings, there are two major miracle-working prophets, Elijah and his successor Elisha. The First Book of Kings narrates a long cycle of the works, the sufferings, and the miracles of Elijah. The dates of his prophetic ministry are approximately from 869-849 B.C...Read full story »
Thursday, July 26, 2018
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The first reading is taken from the oracles of the Prophet Jeremiah. His ministry in Jerusalem lasted from approximately 626 to 580 B.C. The time of this oracle is shortly after the first deportation of king and people of the Kingdom of Judah into exile in Babylon (today Iraq) in 597. In the...Read full story »
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The first reading is from the Prophet Amos. He is the first Old Testament prophet whose oracles (sayings) have been handed down in the form of a book. More correctly, his oracles were handed down in written form on a scroll. His prophetic ministry took place in mid 8th century B.C., around 745 B.C....Read full story »
Thursday, July 12, 2018
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
This column for the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time explained the background for the oracles of the prophet Ezekiel. The dates of his prophetic ministry and his oracles are tentatively set at 593-573 B.C. As noted, Ezekiel was a young priest in Jerusalem who was taken to Babylon in the first...Read full story »
Thursday, July 05, 2018
