2nd Sunday of Advent – Year B

Welcome Back to Banquet of the Word!

Join us every week for background on this Sunday readings.
Our mission is simple: We want to help everyone in “pew-land” get more out of mass. Because it’s fun to feel smart about scripture.

As you know, we’re in Advent for 4 weeks. The church looks different during this season:

The church decor (and the border of this blog) is purple for weeks 1, 2 and 4 (purple signifies royalty); rose/pink for week 3 (pink signifies “joy”), and the “hope” of the Messiah to come.

If you have an Advent wreath, today’s the day to light your second purple candle. Consider involving children in this ritual and saying a short prayer as a family!

Fun Fact about St Mark:
We are now in year B – it’s all about Mark! Mark is dubbed “The Hollywood Gospel.” He moves fast and catches the highlights of Jesus’s ministry, his life, death and resurrection. He says “Immediately” a total of 41 times in his writing – that’s a lot!

Isaiah 40: 1-5; 9-11
(The 1st Reading is Old Testament. It always links to the Gospel.)

Oh what a beautiful reading this week! It’s one of Isaiah’s most “famous” – it begins, “Comfort, give comfort to my people.” I just love that line. Sit back and listen to the lector read this and just enjoy it’s beauty. You will hear:

• Themes of comfort. God wants to bring comfort to his afflicted people. He does this by bringing us Jesus.
• We hear what Christ will DO. He will make our winding roads straight again. He will fill in the valleys. The imagery here is beautiful. Just know that it is an analogy for our sins; with Adam, our covenant was broken. We once had a STRAIGHT PATH to God. When sin crept in, we make that road windy, unclear, full of stumbling blocks. The point here is that Jesus STRAIGHTENS that path. We must welcome Him this Christmas into our hearts and homes and families!
• We hear about a voice. One crying out from the desert. One shouting from the mountain tops. Whose voice is that? It is ours. It is also the people of Israel. We cry out for God’s guiding hand. Listen further for the power that God’s presence and word brings.

How do you need to hear the words “Comfort, give comfort to my child (insert your name here).” How can God give you comfort this season?

Psalm 85: Lord Let us See Your Kindness and Grant us Your Salvation:
(The Psalm is a “response” to what we heard in the 1st Reading)

See themes of “the voice” from reading 1 and what we hear. See themes of what we are to prepare (“the Way”):

I will hear what God proclaims;
the LORD—for he proclaims peace to his people.
Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him,
glory dwelling in our land.

The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and prepare the way of his steps.

2 Peter 3: 8-14
(The 2nd reading is usually from Paul’s letters. Today we hear from Peter. He too speaks to how the early church was built after Christ’s death and resurrection).

This is St. Peter’s 2nd letter, in which he writes just beautifully about what we are to expect when it comes to Christ’s promise and how we are to live until he comes again. Another reference here to a theme for today: PEACE.

I love the first line about 1 day being like 1000 years, and 1000 years like 1 day. Now that’s something to contemplate this week during your prayer time. Which of your bad days has felt like 1000 years? The death of a loved one, a spouse or child, a divorce etc. How has 1000 years felt like 1 day?

To me I can only think of our world and how it will remain broken until Christ comes again, no matter who is in power, no matter what political structure is in place. We act today like the unfaithful Israelites of 1000+ years ago.

Let us listen to the hope St. Peter gives:

Do not ignore this one fact, beloved,
that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years
and a thousand years like one day.
The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard “delay,”
but he is patient with you,
not wishing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief,
and then the heavens will pass away with a mighty roar
and the elements will be dissolved by fire,
and the earth and everything done on it will be found out.

Since everything is to be dissolved in this way,
what sort of persons ought you to be,
conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion,
waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God…

Mark 1:1-8
(The Gospel is the highest point of the Liturgy of the Word. That’s why we stand.
We are about to hear from and be instructed by Christ Himself.)

We are in the very first 8 verses of Mark’s gospel today, as the first verse notes:

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

It’s a really perfect reading for Advent. Why? It’s where our hearts should be. It references Isaiah (from R1) and it echoes those verses “Prepare the way, crying out in the desert). John the Baptist talks about how he is not worthy to baptize as Christ will; he isn’t even worthy to untie his shoes!

It’s just a time to stop and say, wow. We are preparing for something truly amazing this Advent: The coming of our savior.

How is your Advent preparation going? Don’t expect too much of yourself and set yourself up for disappointment. For example, if you need to carve out more prayer time and that’s a goal of yours this Advent, start small.

Each morning I try to pray 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and 1 Glory Be before my feet hit the floor. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. But on the mornings I do it, I feel happy I’ve “said Hello” to God and thanked Him for the breath in my lungs that day (before I turn my phone on to check messages…). It’s small, but it matters, and it brings me a sliver of peace for the day.

We still have 2 weeks before Christmas. Commit to one small action this week and THEN, ask God to help you reach it! As we heard on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception this week? “For Nothing is Impossible For God.” 🙂 Today’s gospel reading is below. God bless your week!

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
A voice of one crying out in the desert:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.”
John the Baptist appeared in the desert
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
People of the whole Judean countryside
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem
were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
John was clothed in camel’s hair,
with a leather belt around his waist.
He fed on locusts and wild honey.
And this is what he proclaimed:
“One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
I have baptized you with water;
he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

1st Sunday of Advent (Year B)

Welcome Back to Banquet of the Word!

Join us every week for background on this Sunday readings.
Our mission is simple: We want to help everyone in “pew-land” get more out of mass. Because it’s fun to feel smart about scripture.

Where are We Today?
We are in week 1 of Advent – happy new church year! Last year was Year A (Matthew); now we are in Year B. The vast majority of our gospels will be from Mark.

There is something cool about the fact that last Sunday we celebrated Jesus Christ as King of the Universe, and now we are circled back to ‘the beginning’ – back to waiting for him to arrive as a babe in a manger.

How long the people of God waited for Him to come. But indeed He did! Today is all about waiting and watching.

IS 63:16B-17, 19B; 64:2-7
(The first reading is Old Testament, it always links to the gospel.)

The first reading this week is Isaiah; we are at the tail end of this long and rich book. The 2nd half of Isaiah is called The Book of Consolation (the 1st half is the Book of Judgment).

Today we see a time in God’s relationship with his people where the lightbulb goes off – that is, the people finally (after generations go by) see they angered God. They finally want to recommit themselves to Him. 

For some time now, after tiring of trying to get the people to turn back, God has been quiet, silent. Today we hear the people calling him and asking to return.

They now want to be clay and let Him be the potter (putty in His hands). The Israelites want to renew the covenant God made with their father in faith, Abraham.

They are like the prodigal son coming home.

You, LORD, are our father,
our redeemer you are named forever.
Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways,
and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants,
the tribes of your heritage.

Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
with the mountains quaking before you,
while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for,
such as they had not heard of from of old.

No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you
doing such deeds for those who wait for him.
Would that you might meet us doing right,
that we were mindful of you in our ways!

Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful;
all of us have become like unclean people,
all our good deeds are like polluted rags;
we have all withered like leaves,
and our guilt carries us away like the wind.

There is none who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to cling to you;
for you have hidden your face from us
and have delivered us up to our guilt.
Yet, O LORD, you are our father;
we are the clay and you the potter:
we are all the work of your hands.

Psalm 80: Lord Let us Turn to You, Let us See Your Face and We Shall Be Saved
(The Psalm is a “response” to what we heard in the 1st Reading)

The psalm today is the people’s prayer to God that he will take them back. “Lord let us turn to you, let us see your face and we shall be saved.” On Christmas Day we DO see his face and we ARE saved.

O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.

Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.

 1 COR 1:3-9
(The 2nd reading is usually from Paul’s letters. Speaks to how the early church was built after Christ’s death and resurrection).

These are the first few verses of Paul’s letter to the Church in Corinth – it is basically the greeting.  Paul reminds the people God is ever faithful! This is like the “answer” to the Israelites in the first reading when they ask, God, can we come back? Can we return and RENEW the covenant?

Paul tells them Yes!!!

Do you feel you cannot return to God for some reason? Remember God’s infinite mercy. Go to him and tell Him you regret the decisions you have made. He wants you to return to full communion with Him! It is never too late! Recommit to God this Advent Season. Return to Him in the New Church Year.

Brothers and sisters:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I give thanks to my God always on your account
for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,
that in him you were enriched in every way,
with all discourse and all knowledge,
as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you,
so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift
as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will keep you firm to the end,
irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful,
and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

Mark 13:33-37
(The Gospel is the highest point of the Liturgy of the Word. That’s why we stand.
We are about to hear from and be instructed by Christ Himself.)

The gospel today is all about watching. We must watch! We know not the hour nor the day God will call us home.

We do not know when He will come again. Jesus tells us to stay awake, be ready, watch!

Both for the first coming (Jesus coming in the flesh, as a baby at Christmas) AND for the second coming.

Jesus is coming to us at Christmas. Are we ready? How are we preparing? How are watching?

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be watchful! Be alert!
You do not know when the time will come.
It is like a man traveling abroad.
He leaves home and places his servants in charge,
each with his own work,
and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch.
Watch, therefore;
you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming,
whether in the evening, or at midnight,
or at cockcrow, or in the morning.
May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.
What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”

The Feast of Christ the King (Year A)

Welcome Back to Banquet of the Word!
Our mission is simple:
We want to help everyone in “pew-land” get more out of mass.
Because it’s fun to feel smart about scripture.

Welcome Back and Happy “New Year’s Eve”! That’s right,  we’re at the end of the Church Year today – the Feast of Christ the King.

The end of cycle A readings (goodbye, Matthew). Next week we begin cycle A readings (hello, Mark). Next week is also the 1st week of Advent (goodbye green robes, hello purple and…”rose” robes).

Ezekiel 34: 11-12, 15-17
(The 1st Reading is Old Testament. It always links to the Gospel.)

Today we hear from the prophet Ezekiel, one of the 4 major prophets (the others being Daniel, Jeremiah and Isaiah). Ezekiel spends a lot of his book warning the Israelites that if they do not turn from their sinful ways, there will be a seige on Jerusalem. Which of course, does happen. Ezekiel brings a warning to the people – he is God’s mouthpiece to Israel – but they do not listen.

But as is the case with many books in scripture, the tone changes over the course of the book. By the time we get to chapter 34 which is today’s reading, Ezekiel’s tone is one of hope.

This is perfect for our feast day today, Christ the King. We are reminded that God is our shepherd, and that he will never let us stray. He will always look for us.

Thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep. 
As a shepherd tends his flock
when he finds himself among his scattered sheep,
so will I tend my sheep.
I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered
when it was cloudy and dark. 
I myself will pasture my sheep;
I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD. 

The lost I will seek out,
the strayed I will bring back,
the injured I will bind up,
the sick I will heal,
but the sleek and the strong I will destroy,
shepherding them rightly.

As for you, my sheep, says the Lord GOD,
I will judge between one sheep and another,
between rams and goats.

Responsorial Psalm 23
(The Psalm is a “response” to what we heard in the 1st Reading)
“The Lord is my Shepherd, There is Nothing I Shall Want.”

We finish Cycle A with the most famous psalm in scripture.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose.

Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.

You spread the table before me
In the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup overflows.

Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.

Reading 1 COR 15:20-26, 28
(In Ordinary Time, this reading is usually one of Paul’s letters. It speaks to how the early church spread the Word of Christ after his passion, death and resurrection).

From http://www.usccb.org: “Paul’s first letter to the church of Corinth provides us with a fuller insight into the life of an early Christian community of the first generation than any other book of the New Testament. Through it we can glimpse both the strengths and the weaknesses of this small group in a great city of the ancient world, men and women who had accepted the good news of Christ and were now trying to realize in their lives the implications of their baptism.”

 In the latter chapters of this letter, Paul talks about the resurrection of the dead and reminds the people of Corinth – and us – that Christ indeed rose from the dead to save us. We also hear “kingly” language today on the feast of Christ the King: “… when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father..” and the last sentence is what this Sunday and Feast Day is all about. Jesus Christ is King.

Not King of a city, a principality or a nation. Of the entire Universe, and of our hearts.

Brothers and sisters:
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 
For since death came through man,
the resurrection of the dead came also through man.
For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:

Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end,
when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father,
when he has destroyed every sovereignty
and every authority and power. 

For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
When everything is subjected to him,
then the Son himself will also be subjected
to the one who subjected everything to him,
so that God may be all in all.

Gospel MT 25:31-46
The Gospel is the highest point of the Liturgy of the Word. That’s why we stand. 
We are about to hear from – and be instructed by – Christ Himself.

Today’s gospel needs almost no explanation given that it is the Feast of Christ the King. This gospel is all about Jesus being King of the universe, sitting upon his glorious throne with all the nations before Him.

There will be a huge juxtaposition to this feast day in just 1 week, when we start the year all over again, preparing for this same King of the Universe to grace us with his human presence… as an infant. In a manger. Born in a stable. Where earthly kings will bring him homage.

Today we are reminded that our King has a servant’s heart. When we are naked He clothes us. When we are hungry He feeds us. When we feel a stranger, He always welcomes us Home.

And He asks us to do the same to others.

Beautiful isn’t it? Happy Feast of Christ the King!

Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.

And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’

Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’

Then they will answer and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?’

He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life.”

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Welcome Back to Banquet of the Word!

Join us every week for background on this Sunday readings.
Our mission is simple: We want to help everyone in “pew-land” get more out of mass.  Because it’s fun to feel smart about scripture.

Today’s theme – Stay Awake – the Lord is Coming!
(One more week in Ordinary Time and Advent is upon us!)

Why is Wisdom referred to as “She”?
First we must think, if there is a “She”, who is the “He?” The “He” is God (the Father), later Jesus Christ, who came as a man. This implies a male-female bond which is carried through scripture. This bond reflects God’s covenant relationship with His people. It is reflected in marriages today as well, and helps us understand why that marriage is between one male and one female:

1. God the Father speaks often of His beloved “Bride” – the people of Israel.
2. Jesus Christ (male) and His “Bride” the Church.
3. The Groom (male) and His Bride (female).

Many cultures personify Wisdom as a woman.

Wisdom 6: 12-16
(The 1st Reading is Old Testament. It always links to the Gospel.)

The seven books of scripture that are categorized as “Wisdom Literature” include Wisdom of Solomon, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Sirach, Song of Songs, Job and Proverbs.

The Book of Wisdom was written about 50 years before the coming of Christ.  This book tells us quite literally, of the wisdom of King Solomon. It’s as if someone sat down to write “the best of” when it came to Solomon’s wise sayings and perspectives. Wisdom – here personified as a female (“she”) – helps us try to grasp one of the greatest of the gifts of the Holy Spirit – Fear of the Lord. This is not “fear” as in to be afraid, but rather awe.

Resplendent and unfading is wisdom,
and she is readily perceived by those who love her,
and found by those who seek her.
She hastens to make herself known in anticipation of their desire;
Whoever watches for her at dawn shall not be disappointed,
for he shall find her sitting by his gate.
For taking thought of wisdom is the perfection of prudence,
and whoever for her sake keeps vigil
shall quickly be free from care;
because she makes her own rounds, seeking those worthy of her,
and graciously appears to them in the ways,
and meets them with all solicitude.

Responsorial Psalm 63: My Soul is Thirsting for You, O Lord My God.
(The Psalm is a “response” to what we heard in the 1st Reading)

Themes here – as in the first reading – focus on our never-ending thirst for God, for His infinite wisdom, for our desire to know and love Him fully.

O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.

Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
(The 2nd reading is usually from Paul’s letters. Speaks to how the early church was built after Christ’s death and resurrection).

Today we hear St. Paul talk about the need to stay awake and help those who have fallen asleep:

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters,
about those who have fallen asleep,
so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose,
so too will God, through Jesus,
bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord,
that we who are alive,
who are left until the coming of the Lord,
will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself, with a word of command,
with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God,
will come down from heaven,
and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive, who are left,
will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air.
Thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Therefore, console one another with these words.

We also hear one of the only hints in scripture that exists concerning the Resurrection and His Second Coming – the promise that we have the chance to live in Heaven with God forever if we follow His commands.

Matthew 25: 1-13
(The Gospel is the highest point of the Liturgy of the Word. That’s why we stand.
We are about to hear from and be instructed by Christ Himself.)

Today’s themes are about staying awake and not waiting until it is too late to ask God for entrance into the kingdom. We must have enough oil in our lamps for the entire journey of life. Where do we get this oil? From the sacraments, from our Church, from constant growth in our faith.

Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to:

• 10 virgins who took their lamps, 5 of them wise, 5 of them foolish.
• The foolish brought no oil, the wise did.
• When the bridegroom (Christ) called in the middle of the night, the foolish virgins asked to borrow oil from the wise.
• The wise refused to share, knowing it could lead to their own demise – not meeting the bridegroom.

I struggle with this reading, I confess. Aren’t we taught – from the time we are but toddlers – to share? Aren’t we supposed to give, be charitable, and serve others? Yes of course we are.

However.

Each virgin was given the opportunity to obtain oil. The foolish carelessly neglected to do so. For the wise virgins to share their oil, that means they might not meet the bridegroom (enter Heaven). Today the lesson is less about sharing and being charitable than it is about being prepared for Christ’s coming.

What are we doing to prepare? Do we have oil in our lamps? Are we frequent recipients of the sacraments? Do we love God above all else and love our neighbor as ourselves, as the gospel a few weeks ago commanded?

If the Lord comes tonight for us, are we ready with oil to great Him? Or would we be running hastily to clean up our houses – our souls – to be ready for Him? Are we saying to Him, “Yes Lord, I am ready!” Or “Wait Lord, just a minute! I just have a few more things to do before I go!”

Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight your path. (And stay tuned, that reading is coming up in Advent when we read Isaiah, who prophesied about that very thing!)

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.’
But the wise ones replied,
‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Welcome Back to Banquet of the Word!

Join us every week for background on this Sunday readings.
Our mission is simple: We want to help everyone in “pew-land” get more out of mass. Because it’s fun to feel smart about scripture.

This week’s theme is The Banquet. (Are you dressed and ready?)

Fun Fact:
God speaks simply to His people in scripture. He wants His people so they can grasp His ideas easily. Light and dark. Parables about sheep and vineyards, watchtowers and winepresses. And of course there’s food. The banquet. Bread and wine. The very substances God chose to transform himself into – these are central images. Today we ponder the Banquet.

Isaiah 25: 6-10A
(The 1st Reading is Old Testament. It always links to the Gospel.)

We return tto “Book 1” of Isaiah, the Book of Judgment. Chapter 25 is all about The Banquet. It’s a great idea to read just a few verses before the reading to get a sense of context. In chapter 24, we see Isaiah talking about the Lord laying waste to the land, to the vineyard, to His disobedient people. There are many verses about sour wine: “The new wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted groan. They no longer drink wine and sing;

• In chapter 24, we see Isaiah talking about the Lord laying waste to the land, to the vineyard, to His disobedient people. There are many verses about sour wine: “The new wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted groan. They no longer drink wine and sing;  strong brew is bitter to those who drink it.
• Chapter 25 shifts the tone. These verses praise God for carrying out his plan to destroy the enemy and to save the poor of his people. They announce the victory banquet to be celebrated in the Lord’s city.

Today’s reading is about Banquet, which foreshadows the Banquet of the Eucharist on the night Jesus was condemned.

It is also about the veil. The veil is a critical image when it comes to understanding our faith. In the temple, there hung a veil. It hung between the Holy of Holies (where the presence of God was) and the rest of the temple. It was a sacred dividing line that separated the people from their God.

As you may know, when Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple was split from top to bottom. Why? Becuase Jesus’s death gave us access to God in a new way. We were no longer separated from Him as in the Old Testament. It was the beginning of a new and better relationship with our God through his Church. 

On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
a feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
the web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.

What veil in your life separates you from God’s mercy and love?

What veil do you string up for others who want to know and love you better? How can you tear these veils from top to bottom?

Psalm 23: I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
(The Psalm is a “response” to what we heard in the 1st Reading)

The response today brings banquet language; it reminds us God is with us always. The house of the Lord is our church, where we celebrate the Banquet of the Eucharist with God, his saints and angels, and all the heavenly hosts:

You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

Philippians 4: 12-14, 19-20
(The 2nd reading is usually from Paul’s letters. Speaks to how the early church was built after Christ’s death and resurrection).

We are at the end of Paul’s “Letter of Joy.” He thanks his readers for caring for him while in prison. He sounds as if he’s speaking from his deathbed. His message is one of unity and rejoicing in the Lord. These are tasks he passes on to Timothy and Titus, bishops who succeed him. Today he speaks of the inner strength – that which can only be given by God – that carries him through every trial.

In every circumstance and in all things
I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry,
of living in abundance and of being in need.
I can do all things in him who strengthens me.
Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress.

My God will fully supply whatever you need,
in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
To our God and Father, glory forever and ever. Amen.

Matthew 22: 1-14
(The Gospel is the highest point of the Liturgy of the Word. That’s why we stand.
We are about to hear from and be instructed by Christ Himself.)

Linked to R1, Jesus tells the parable of the Marriage Feast. One of the relationships I found most fascinating throughout biblical school was that of the marriage covenant:

1. First, the covenant between God and Israel (through Abraham),
2. Second, the covenant reference of Jesus (the bridegroom) and His Church (bride), and
3. Third, the covenant many of us live, the one between a man and a woman in marriage.

We become intimately united with Christ at mass through the Eucharist. United in the same way these covenants unite the bride and groom.

The parable of the Marriage Feast is an allegory of salvation history culminating in Jesus Christ.

• The King is God. He prepares a heavenly banquet for his son (and for you and me).
• The first round of servants – this is cool – are the Old Testament Prophets. They are called to summon Israel. They call Israel and ask them to turn back to God.
• Some invited guests (the Jews) ignore the prophets. Others kill them.
• God will destroy their city Jerusalem and send a second round of servants, the apostles. They invite Gentiles (the not-originally chosen), both bad and good to the banquet.
• Those who lack proper attire are cast into darkness.

What can we glean from this image? To me it means we should Show Up. Show Up for God. Wear your best attire – not just your physical clothing, but what are you wearing on your soul? Gratitude or Envy? Kindness or Jealousy? Generosity or Judgment? Compassion or Injustice?

Show up for God this week. Be invited to His Banquet. This life we live is a dress rehearsal. Every week when we attend mass on Earth; the Banquet of the Eucharist. This my friends, is a dress rehearsal for the Heavenly Banquet where we hope to live forever in God’s glory.

Are we dressed for the Banquet? It’s not too late to put on our shoes and straighten our tie. It’s never. Too. Late.
God waits for us.

Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people
in parables, saying,
“The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants
to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then he said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.’
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests,
he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
The king said to him, ‘My friend, how is it
that you came in here without a wedding garment?’
But he was reduced to silence.
Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet,
and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’
Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

or

Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people
in parables, saying,
“The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants
to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then he said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.’
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.”

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Welcome Back to Banquet of the Word!

Join us every week for background on this Sunday’s mass readings.

Our mission is simple:
We want to help everyone in “pew-land” get more out of mass.
Because it’s fun to feel smart about scripture.

READING 1: ISAIAH 5:1-7

(The 1st Reading is Old Testament. It always links to the Gospel.)

A Look at Isaiah
Today we are in the first half of Isaiah, one of the major prophets in the Old Testament. Isaiah is divided into two great “books:” The Book of Judgment” (Chapters 1-39), and “The Book of Consolation” (Chapters 40-66).

It’s a little like a long conversation God has with His people Israel. In the first book he is warning them. They’re not listening at all, they aren’t following His commands. They’ve turned a blind eye. He’s telling them they will be judged for what they are doing. Chapter 39 ends with a tone of judgment when God says, “The time is coming when all that is in your house, everything that your ancestors have stored up until this day, shall be carried off to Babylon;^* nothing shall be left, says the LORD.”

But in Book 2, the tone changes. It happens in Chapter 40 and is marked with Consolation right from verse 1! You probably know the verse, “Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service^* has ended, that her guilt is expiated, that she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.”

Today’s Reading
Today we’re in Chapter 5, right at the start of the Book of Judgment. It is the end of the section scholars call “The Indictment.” That is, the Israelites are “being charged with their crime” of disobedience. Listen to the strong language as the reading comes to an end. A vineyard is the literary anchor here, which we’ll re-visit in the psalm and the gospel.

The rest of chapter 5 (which we don’t hear today) just keeps going. The people are in big trouble. A few verses later, we hear God put down his sentence: “Therefore my people go into exile for lack of understanding.”

Open your bibles and finish reading chapter 5 to read to the end (verse 30).

Let me now sing of my friend,
my friend’s song concerning his vineyard.
My friend had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside;
he spaded it, cleared it of stones,
and planted the choicest vines;
within it he built a watchtower,
and hewed out a wine press.
Then he looked for the crop of grapes,
but what it yielded was wild grapes.

Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard:
What more was there to do for my vineyard
that I had not done?
Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes,
did it bring forth wild grapes?
Now, I will let you know
what I mean to do with my vineyard:
take away its hedge, give it to grazing,
break through its wall, let it be trampled!
Yes, I will make it a ruin:
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
but overgrown with thorns and briers;
I will command the clouds
not to send rain upon it.
The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel,
and the people of Judah are his cherished plant;
he looked for judgment, but see, bloodshed!
for justice, but hark, the outcry!
 

Psalm 80: The Vineyard of the Lord is the House of Israel
(The Psalm is a “response” to what we heard in the 1st Reading)

Today the Church does something interesting and has us sing a verse that is from Isaiah 5 (the first reading), but the verses in between are psalm 80.

Whereas Reading 1 is God talking to Israel, the Psalm is the Israel talking to God (their “Response”).

A vine from Egypt you transplanted;
you drove away the nations and planted it.
It put forth its foliage to the Sea,
its shoots as far as the River.

The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
A vine from Egypt you transplanted;
you drove away the nations and planted it.
It put forth its foliage to the Sea,
its shoots as far as the River.

Phil 4:6-9

(The 2nd reading is usually from Paul’s letters. Speaks to how the early church was built after Christ’s death and resurrection).

This is Paul’s letter to the city of Philippi, and it is his letter of JOY. Interesting, right, since we just came out of all the judgment and exile from the first reading?

And to top it off, Paul is writing from a prison cell. But that cannot contain him, nor his joy. It’s pretty remarkable.

Are you feeling ‘imprisoned’ in some way today or during this season of life? Is someone or something holding you down or holding you back? Can you find the kind of joy Paul finds?

It really is a beautiful reading, and it’s right at the end of the letter, which is only 4 chapters long:

Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there is any excellence
and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.
Keep on doing what you have learned and received
and heard and seen in me.
Then the God of peace will be with you.

MT 21:33-43

(The Gospel is the highest point of the Liturgy of the Word. That’s why we stand.
We are about to hear from and be instructed by Christ Himself.)

The gospel takes us back to the image of “the vineyard” for the last time this month. After this, we’ll transition to gospels that lead us to the end of the Church Year, the Feast of Jesus Christ the King of the Universe.

We are in liturgical Year A right now (Matthew’s gospel), and at Advent we move to Year B (Mark’s gospel). Year C is after that (Luke’s gospel). Then we go back to A, and so on and so forth. This is why we’re hearing so much this time of year about what that Kingdom is like, and who is at its helm.

Today’s gospel is a pickup from the first reading, actually.
We’re at harvest time:

Let’s start with the story – the Gospel itself:

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
“Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. 
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. 
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned. 
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way. 
Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking,
‘They will respect my son.’
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
‘This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?”
They answered him,
“He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times.”
Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?
Therefore, I say to you,
the kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit.”

This happened to Jacob’s son, Joseph, back in the Old Testament – remember? (It’s the story told in the Broadway musical, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat?”).

Joseph’s 11 brothers seized Joseph – the chosen son of Jacob – and tossed him in a pit to die. There’s a connection there, since Joseph prefigured Christ.

Jesus is speaking similarly to his disciples today. “But surely they will respect my son.” But will they? Do they? Do we?

And then there’s this line for us to dissect: The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

When we stop and think, it’s quite simple and very cool:

Defined, the word “Cornerstone” means “An important quality or feature on which a particular thing depends or is based.”

Jesus is telling us today that He is the cornerstone of our lives. That He is the most important feature of our lives, on which we can and ought to depend.

What can we do this week to put Jesus into His rightful place as noted in the image above? Maybe it’s starting a habit of prayer. Or doing a “God sighting” for someone in need. Or saying you’re sorry, or forgiving someone. Whatever it is, let’s think about this beautiful gospel this week and do our best to put Jesus as our cornerstone.

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Welcome Back to Banquet of the Word!

Join us every week for background on this Sunday’s mass readings.

Our mission is simple:
We want to help everyone in “pew-land” get more out of mass.
Because it’s fun to feel smart about scripture.

Quiz question:
Q: Was Isaiah considered a major prophet or a minor prophet?
A: He – along with Daniel, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah – was one of the 4 major prophets. Four major prophets…four gospel writers. Coincidence? I think not.

Isaiah: 55: 6-9
(The 1st Reading is Old Testament. It always links to the Gospel.)

Often dubbed “the 5^th gospel,” Isaiah covers a ton of ground, does not write chronologically, and can be difficult to follow. Scholarly work on Isaiah to date could fill an entire library. Today we are in the last few chapters, and perhaps my favorite of all Old Testament verses (definitely in the top 5).

It is very helpful to know these broad strokes. Isaiah is broken into 2 major parts:
1) The Book of Judgment (ch 1-39) – Israel’s unfaithfulness to God
2) The Book of Consolation (ch 40-66) – Despite this, God has not and will not abandon you.

Today’s reading comes from the Book of Consolation, and its tone is just that. The first line reads: “Seek the LORD while he may be found, call him while he is near.” Near will be heard again several times in our psalm. Then we hear at the end, one of my favorites…

Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked his thoughts;
let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are my ways above your ways
and my thoughts above your thoughts.

How often we need to hear these words when things are not going “our way” or as we expected! What are you facing in life right now that makes absolutely no sense?

Read these verses again slowly and remember, let God be in the driver’s seat of life. He’s already there – just let Him do His job. 

Responsorial Psalm 145 – “The Lord is Near to All Who Call Upon Him.”
(The Psalm is a “response” to what we heard in the 1st Reading)

God tells us today that even when we don’t feel Him near,

“Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.”

Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a
(The 2nd reading is usually from Paul’s letters. Speaks to how the early church was built after Christ’s death and resurrection).

Today we hear about St. Paul – who feels “trapped” – trapped between wanting to live and wanting to die – so to be one with Christ. (He’s…between a rock and a hard place?):

Brothers and sisters:
Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. 
For to me life is Christ, and death is gain. 
If I go on living in the flesh,
that means fruitful labor for me. 
And I do not know which I shall choose. 
I am caught between the two. 
I long to depart this life and be with Christ,
for that is far better. 
Yet that I remain in the flesh
is more necessary for your benefit.

Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Oh that we might have the same great faith and love for Christ! Do you contemplate death in light of life?

Do you consider your death often, and then look at your life to see “how you’re doing?” While you are alive and in God’s vineyard, are you being a laborer, one who is trying to bear fruit?

Matthew 20: 1-16a
(The Gospel is the highest point of the Liturgy of the Word. That’s why we stand.
We are about to hear from and be instructed by Christ Himself.)

Today Matthew takes us into the vineyard with Jesus. We will be in vineyards for the next 3 weeks, so let’s define some terms. In Scripture:

• The Sower is God (in Old Testament scripture) or Jesus (New Testament)
• The Vineyard is The Kingdom of God
• The Laborers are you and me
• The fruit is the good we do for His kingdom and the People we bring into it

This gospel is about the reversal of the first and the last.  At different times throughout the day, laborers are hired to work the vineyard, some even up until “the 11th hour.” But the landowner pays them all the same wage, to the angry remarks of those who’ve been there since dawn. The landowner says,

I do not know which I shall choose.
I am caught between the two.
I long to depart this life and be with Christ,
for that is far better.
Yet that I remain in the flesh
is more necessary for your benefit.

The point is this: God freely offers salvation to those who appear to be last and least in the eyes of the world (the Church is called “a hospital for sinners”), as well as to those who welcome God’s generosity at the last moment of their lives.

The disciples needed to hear this parable. Rather than being resentful of people who didn’t labor long years as they did, Jesus tells them they should delight in God’s generosity.

How does this story relate to your life right now? Do you have resentment about someone or an event in your life? Is there a way to be gracious and thankful instead? What would God want you to see and feel instead of that resentment? Ask for his help to prioritize his viewpoint instead of your own.

Full reading is here:

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. 
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard. 
Going out about nine o’clock,
the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.’
So they went off. 
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o’clock, and did likewise. 
Going out about five o’clock,
the landowner found others standing around, and said to them,
‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.’
When those who had started about five o’clock came,
each received the usual daily wage. 
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage. 
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
‘These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’
He said to one of them in reply,
‘My friend, I am not cheating you. 
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 
Take what is yours and go. 
What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? 
Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? 
Are you envious because I am generous?’
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Welcome Back to Banquet of the Word!

Join us every week for background on this Sunday’s mass readings.

Our mission is simple:
We want to help everyone in “pew-land” get more out of mass.
Because it’s fun to feel smart about scripture.

He turned and said to Peter, “Get Behind Me, Satan.”

 

JER 20:7-9

(The 1st Reading is Old Testament. It always links to the Gospel.)

Jeremiah is one of the 4 Major Prophets. He tried desperately to tell the Israelites to return to the Lord, lest their city be destroyed and they be cast into exile by the Babylonians (which they were).

\A few verses earlier, Jeremiah shared a message from the LORD: “I will bring upon this city all the evil I have spoken against it, because they have become stubborn and have not obeyed my words.”

But Passhur, a chief priest of the house of the Lord, would hear none of it.

He threw Jeremiah in the stocks. Jeremiah doesn’t flinch – he tells Passhur the Lord names him (Passhur) “terror on every side.”

He says “You, Pashhur, and all the members of your household shall go into exile. To Babylon you shall go; there you shall die and be buried, you and all your friends, because you have prophesied lies to them.”

The next verse is our reading.  Jeremiah speaks to the Lord. It is his deep interior crisis. Hear his words. Consider how Jeremiah must feel. Then think about times when you’ve felt the same way. Jeremiah felt duped by the Lord, and he says so, right to God.

When a loved one dies or is diagnosed with terminal illness. When a child is sick or being badly bullied.  When your home and city are flooded beyond recognition. When you are battling poverty. Unemployment. Injustice. Abuse. Bankruptcy. Terror on every side.

You duped me, O LORD, and I let myself be duped;
you were too strong for me, and you triumphed.
All the day I am an object of laughter;
everyone mocks me.

Whenever I speak, I must cry out,
violence and outrage is my message;
the word of the LORD has brought me
derision and reproach all the day.

I say to myself, I will not mention him,
I will speak in his name no more.
But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,
imprisoned in my bones;
I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.

But wait! for King David is about to lift our souls to their rightful place… 

Psalm 63: My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
(The Psalm is a “response” to what we heard in the 1st Reading)

This psalm was written by David in the wilderness. Jeremiah was also in a wilderness of sorts, feeling abandoned by God. Even during these moments, our soul thirsts for the presence of God.

O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.

ROM 12:1-2

(The 2nd reading is usually from Paul’s letters. Speaks to how the early church was built after Christ’s death and resurrection).

This is Paul’s final section of the letter to the Romans (16 chapters in all). He gives some “moral catechesis”, teaching us how to apply the theology to real life.

He gives us a hint at today’s gospel when Jesus propehsies about the bodily death he will endure. Paul talks about what our bodies are truly for, according to God our Father: A living sacrifice, pure and holy.  How different from the world’s current opinion, don’t you think?

I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God,
to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.
Do not conform yourselves to this age
but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that you may discern what is the will of God,
what is good and pleasing and perfect.

MT 16:21-27

(The Gospel is the highest point of the Liturgy of the Word. That’s why we stand.
We are about to hear from and be instructed by Christ Himself.)

“Get behind me, Satan.” These are the words Jesus says to Peter when he tells Jesus, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”

Why is Jesus so direct?
Why does he call Peter “Satan?”
Peter becomes our first pope and just last week Jesus gave him the keys to the kingdom! What’s going on here?

Last week, Peter made his complete confession:
“You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

This week, Peter is the tempter:
“No such thing shall ever happen to you, Lord.”

Last week’s words were inspired by The Father. This week, Peter shows his human weakness. He stands in the way of Jesus’s path to the cross.

Jesus tells Peter to “get behind Him” – not because Peter should “go away” or “get out of here,” but so that Peter might follow. So that Peter might return to his rightful place and let Jesus lead.

This image is so powerful. Peter is the rock upon whom Jesus built His Church. A rock can be strong and mighty, powerful and heavy. It can also – when in the way – trip people, cause pain, and make people lose their way.

Let’s think about a total eclipse. Think about God as the Sun and Peter as the Moon (a huge rock!). When Peter gets in the way of God, darkness follows. But the light of the Sun, the light of God, will come again, and that is the light we are called to follow.

Jesus tells us all today, “Get behind me.” Let us ask ourselves: How am I in God’s way? Wow, what a question worth pondering.

If we are in a painful place in our lives as Jeremiah was, where do we need to “fall in” and let God lead?

Let us pray for the strength to tell Him: “Lord, You are the Christ. The son of the Living God. I don’t know where I’m going. But I will follow your lead. Even to the cross. The cross of salvation.”

Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,
“God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”
He turned and said to Peter,
“Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

Then Jesus said to his disciples,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory,
and then he will repay all according to his conduct.”

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

Join us every week for background on this Sunday’s mass readings.

Our mission is simple:
We want to help everyone in “pew-land” get more out of mass.
Because it’s fun to feel smart about scripture.

This week’s theme is about Kingdoms and Keys.

IS 22:19-23

(The 1st Reading is Old Testament. It always links to the Gospel.)

Scripture is one giant jigsaw puzzle. Some stories are more familiar than others, but all are important. At first glance and without some help, most of us have no idea what this reading is about. But it’s super important and worthwhile to crack it open. Let’s go.

Here’s the deal on these unfamiliar names, Shebna and Eliakim.

In the Old Testament, similar to today, Kings had “Prime Ministers” – or right-hand men. They were “over the house” when the king was not present. SHEBNA is this prime minister. He’s under King Hezekiah – one of the only good kings in all of scripture.

Hezekiah was good. Unlike other kings who leaned on other militia and neighboring allies for support when times were tough, Hezekiah trusted God completely.

If Shebna is the prime minister of a good king, why does God say he’ll toss Shebna out and fill his seat with this Eliakim guy? It’s because of this:

Armies were coming to destroy the kingdom. Hezekiah trusted God and asked his kingdom to also trust God. But his right-hand man Shebna didn’t trust God. Instead, as insurance, Shebna …. bought himself an expensive tomb in case he died. Just in case God failed them.

When God found out about this and saw the tomb Shebna bought, he said (just one verse before today’s reading), “What have you here? Whom have you here, that you have hewn for yourself a tomb here, Hewing a tomb on high, carving a resting place in the rock?” The LORD shall hurl you down headlong, mortal man!”

In other words, “What are you thinking, Shebna? I’m God. Trust in Me. All the way.”

So in today’s reading, God replaces Shebna with Eliakim, a trustworthy servant:

Thus says the LORD to Shebna, master of the palace:
“I will thrust you from your office
and pull you down from your station.
On that day I will summon my servant
Eliakim, son of Hilkiah;
I will clothe him with your robe,
and gird him with your sash,
and give over to him your authority.
He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
and to the house of Judah.
I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim’s shoulder;
when he opens, no one shall shut
when he shuts, no one shall open.
I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot,
to be a place of honor for his family.”

Let’s reflect: How are we doing with our complete trust in God? Are we more like Shebna, planning for God to be wrong – or is God pleased with our faithfulness, putting us in a place of honor for his family?

138: Lord, your love is eternal; do not forsake the work of your hands.
(The Psalm is a “response” to what we heard in the 1st Reading)

Read this verse again after you get to the end of the post. Sounds like it’s coming right out of Peter’s mouth (or Eliakim) after receiving the keys:

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,
for you have heard the words of my mouth;
in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;
I will worship at your holy temple.

ROM 11:33-36

(The 2nd reading is usually from Paul’s letters. Speaks to how the early church was built after Christ’s death and resurrection).

The reading today is short, so pasted below. St. Paul closes a major portion of his letter offering awe and wonderment at the greatness of God, saying it is unsearchable and inscrutable. Interestingly, he is basically paraphrasing a verse in Isaiah 40 that goes like this: “Who can fathom the Spirit of the LORD, or instruct the LORD as his counselor?” And truly, who can?

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord
or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given the Lord anything
that he may be repaid?
For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be glory forever. Amen.

MT 16:13-20
(The Gospel is the highest point of the Banquet of the Word. That is why we stand. We are about to hear from Christ himself.)

Today Jesus gives Peter the Keys to the kingdom. What we see here is the completion of the Old Testament imagery.

• King Hezekiah’s right-hand man = Shebna (then Eliakam). He sits over the house (The Kingdom).
• Jesus’s right-hand man (Jesus is also a King of course)= Peter, the first pope. He sits over the house (The Church) when the King (Jesus) is not present. So until the end of time, the popes sit over the Church because the King – Jesus – is not physically present (though He is present sacramentally).

Note that Jesus gave the keys to His Kingdom to Peter knowing full well he would deny Him at the cross. Not one denial but three. But Jesus knew Peter’s heart.

How many times do we need to be reminded that we do not need to be perfect to be loved by God? He just wants our HEARTS.

The other beautiful part of the story has to do with WHERE Jesus is when he gives the keys to Peter. They are standing near a huge temple built for Caesar that had been hewn into the side of a ROCK, near Caeserea Phillipi.

Jesus basically stood there and said 3 things:

• This temple hewn into the rock is NOT the rock on which I build my Church. I build it on you Peter, an admirable man. (The government of the time built that thing over there, but it’s an earthly temple.)
• The gates of Hell will not prevail against my Church. The Church over which Peter – and every pope after him – oversees. (It helps to know that at that phony temple built into the rock, a pit existed where human sacrifices were made, children were thrown to their deaths. A pit of Hell one might say.)  There would be no death of this kind in Jesus’s kingdom. The gates of Hell would lose every time.
• What do you need when you’re locked out of your house? Your car? Your safety deposit box? You need a key. My friends, Jesus tells us today that The Catholic Church is our key. The key that unlocks everything. And we all have access to the keys of Heaven! Jesus handed those keys to Peter, and through the Sacraments, He hands them to us. We can never be locked out of God’s love. Of His promises. We must only follow Him.

As St. Paul said today, “To him be glory forever. Amen.” Let’s use our keys this week!

Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter said in reply,
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus said to him in reply,
“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Then he strictly ordered his disciples
to tell no one that he was the Christ.

August 15: The Assumption of Mary

Greetings!
A special post today on our Holy Day of Celebration, The Assumption of Mary.  First, a definition of terms:

(a) To be “assumed” means “to be escorted up.” Mary was assumed into Heaven.

(b) Jesus “ascended”, going to Heaven on His own power. At the end of this post, we’ll just look at the Gospel in 2 parts: 1) The interaction with Elizabeth and 2) Mary’s Magnificat.

Even if you don’t read any further, one thing to know about Mary is that she is more special than any of the saints who have gone before her.

Mary is the only person who has been assumed BODY AND SOUL into Heaven.  

All of us will die. Our souls will go to an eternal place – Heaven, we hope. But our bodies stay on earth until Christ comes again at the Second Coming.

But Mary? She had no sin, no shred of a stain of sin. So, in Monopoly terms, she got to “pass GO, collect 200 blessings, and go straight to Heaven.”

Depending on your mood today, here are 3 ways to pray and honor Mary:

(1) If you’re in a serious, prayerful mood today, here’s a beautiful version of Ave Maria you can listen to that honors Mary our Mother.

~~~~~

(2) If you’re in a more playful mood, there are two important videos to listen to today, from the esteemed film, “Sister Act.”

My bet is on your church singing one or both of these songs today (ours does every year). If you don’t want to smile as you sing these in the pew, don’t watch them.

But it has become a family tradition for me and my kids to turn up the volume and honor Mary (and Whoopi Goldberg) with a smile. Hopefully, when they’re older and grown, every August 15, they’ll find their way to this video on youtube, and more importantly, get themselves to mass.

Here’s the bad version:

Here’s the rockin’ version:

~~~~~

(3) If you are in a scholarly mood today, read on and unpack the gospel with me. It is one of the coolest connections between the Old Testament and the New Testament. We can use the chart below and answer the very important question,

“How is Mary the fulfillment of the Old Covenant concept of the
“Ark of the Covenant?”

Gospel
Luke 1: 39-56

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb,  and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, 

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”

Let’s break the gospel down into 2 parts:

Setting:
Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said:

Below, we’ll break apart each phrase of the reading and compare it to the Old Testament King David, who was looking for the Ark of the Covenant. “Ark of the Covenant” = “The Dwelling Place of God.”

Event	Old Testament	New Testament
“Traveled to the hill country in haste”	David goes out to retrieve the ark of the covenant from the Philistines (who had stolen it). Ark = the dwelling place of God.	Mary is the new ark (the dwelling place of God). She leaves her home to visit Elizabeth.
Length of time in wilderness	3 months	3 months
What is in the ark?	Stone tablets (10 commandments), Aaron’s priestly rod, shew-bread (manna).	The Word Incarnate, The Great High priest, The Eucharist.
Where did they travel? Many prophets (Isaiah, Samuel, Jeremiah) declared the Christ would come from the line of David, which is the tribe of Judah	David goes to Baalejudah, a city of Judah (in the southern kingdom)	Mary travels to a town of Judah.
Who stands before the Ark	David	John the Baptist
Action of Leaping and dancing	Once David retrieves the ark from the Philistine army, he “danced before the Lord with all his might” (2 Sam 6: 14).	He “leaped for joy” in Elizabeth’s womb the moment the sound of Mary’s greeting met her ears.
The phrase “To cry out in a loud voice.” This is the Greek term “Exclaimed.”	Phrase only used 6x in OT. It is only used by Levitical priests when they are standing in front of the ark to Praise God. (see Ezra 3:12, Lev 9:24)	Elizabeth is a Levite. At the time of the visitation, it had been generations since the presence of God was in the temple. She uses this Levitical term for the first time in many generations. Later, Jesus “cries out in a loud voice” from the cross, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”

Elizabeth’s words:
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

Event	Old Testament	New Testament
“Blessed Are You Among Women” only used in reference to 3 women in the bible.	Prophetesses Judith and Jael both crushed the heads of enemy leaders in the Old Testament (Judith crushed head of Nebuchadnezzar’s army and Jael crushed head of Canaanite army).	In Rev 12, Mary strikes at the head of the enemy army (Satan). Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out “Most Blessed are you among women.”
“Mother of my Lord” A title last used centuries ago. A reference to the Queen Mother – this was the mother of the reigning King.	When David retrieves the ark, he says “How is it that the ark of my Lord should come to me?” (2 Sam 6:9).	“How is it that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Elizabeth bestows on Mary this royal title, noting that she is our Queen Mother.
Sound of a greeting	When Kings enter, trumpets sound, people cry for joy.	Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and recognizes that the sound of Mary’s greeting is like that of a royal entrance.
Relationship between the King and his people – a thematic comparison:	As a result of their wickedness, OT Kings proverbially “consumed” the people. God says through the prophet Micah 3:2-4: You who hate the good and love the evil, who tear the skin from off my people, who eat the flesh off their bones; who eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from them, break their bones into pieces and chop them up like meat in a kettle like flesh in a cauldron.”	As a result of God’s great love and generosity, this relationship is now reversed – The people will consume their King, their Shepherd, both in the banquet of the Word and in the banquet of the Eucharist – the Mass.

Part 2: This is Mary’s prayer today. It mirrors an Old Testament prayer spoken by Miriam (pasted below Mary’s prayer).

And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.”

Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.

Miriam (a name which means “Mary”) was with Moses after God freed them from the Egyptians, from the grasp of slavery. After He opened the waters of the Red Sea in the Exodus, Miriam sang to God in prayer. There are many similarities between these two prayers, and they are just beautiful reflections on the amazing gifts and goodness of God:

Miriam’s prayer of thanksgiving:

“I will sing to the Lord,
    for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
    he has hurled into the sea.

² “The Lord is my strength and my defense^[a];
    he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
    my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
³ The Lord is a warrior;
    the Lord is his name.
⁴ Pharaoh’s chariots and his army
    he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
    are drowned in the Red Sea.^[b]
5 The deep waters have covered them;
    they sank to the depths like a stone.
⁶ Your right hand, Lord,
    was majestic in power.
Your right hand, Lord,
    shattered the enemy.

⁷ “In the greatness of your majesty
    you threw down those who opposed you.
You unleashed your burning anger;
    it consumed them like stubble.
⁸ By the blast of your nostrils
    the waters piled up.
The surging waters stood up like a wall;
    the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.
⁹ The enemy boasted,
    ‘I will pursue, I will overtake them.
I will divide the spoils;
    I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword
    and my hand will destroy them.’
¹⁰ But you blew with your breath,
    and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
    in the mighty waters.
¹¹ Who among the gods
    is like you, Lord?
Who is like you—
    majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
    working wonders?

¹² “You stretch out your right hand,
    and the earth swallows your enemies.
¹³ In your unfailing love you will lead
    the people you have redeemed.
In your strength you will guide them
    to your holy dwelling.
¹⁴ The nations will hear and tremble;
    anguish will grip the people of Philistia.
¹⁵ The chiefs of Edom will be terrified,
    the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,
the people^[c] of Canaan will melt away;
¹⁶     terror and dread will fall on them.
By the power of your arm
    they will be as still as a stone—
until your people pass by, Lord,
    until the people you bought^[d] pass by.
¹⁷ You will bring them in and plant them
    on the mountain of your inheritance—
the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling,
    the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established.

¹⁸ “The Lord reigns
    for ever and ever.”