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The Word today, W29B

  • Writer: Admin
    Admin
  • Oct 18, 2024
  • 3 min read


October 21 - October 26, 2024



Ephesians 2:1-10 Our reading contrasts our life apart from faith and our life now in Jesus. There is a great reminder of just who we are in the phrase “you are God’s work of art” (JB).


Luke 12:13-21 There is a prayer in the psalms which runs, “Lord make us know the shortness of our life.” Usually, we need no reminding, but, as we heart the Gospel, sometimes we do, as we listen to Jesus, the teaching of wisdom.


St John Paul II, bishop of Rome


Ephesians 2:12-22 It might seem that the concerns of this reading are confined to the first century: the communion of Jews and Gentiles in Christ. It is much greater than that: God was reaching out to all of humanity without distinction, showing us how much he loves us.


Luke 12:35-38 Parables of watchfulness are not uncommon but this one contains a major role reversal: the master will put on an apron, sit them down at table and wait on his own slaves. The story of the washing of the feet in John’s Gospel comes to mind as does another sentence from Jesus: “For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45).


St John of Capistrano, priest


Ephesians 3:2-12 Sometimes, we can be so at home in the faith that a sense of wonder and transcendence may no longer be present. Our reading today should restore our feelings of awe before the mystery of our life in Christ.


Luke 12:39-48 The Gospel reading—from the “gentle” Luke—is both comforting and uncomfortable. It is comforting: fidelity will be rewarded. It is uncomfortable: there are consequence to our choices. Originally, it was aimed at disciples who had become complacent about God’s mercy. This may well be a risk to day as well.


St Antony Mary Claret, bishop


Ephesians 3:14-21 The writer bursts into prayer—and what a prayer! The reading lifts up our eyes from the everyday to see just how marvellous our life in Christ really is.


Luke 12:49-53 There is a strange juxtaposition of images at the start of this Gospel: fire and water. Fire points to purification and judgement, part of the tradition proclamation of the Kingdom of God. Water points to Jesus’ own role in the coming of that Kingdom. The verses which follow reflect early Christian experience When a family member become a disciple, often this created difficulties with society in general and family in particular. This is becoming the case again today.



Ephesians 4:1-6 Even in earliest Christianity, conflict was the normal experience. Normal doesn’t mean acceptable and so the advice given here applies today as much as ever before.


Luke 12:54-59 The first part of today’s short Gospel is a clear invitation to read the signs of the times and not to miss the moment of grace. The second part is more of a puzzle. Why did Jesus talk about taking your opponent to court? Firstly, it does reflect culture of Palestine at the time. Secondly, it teaching that now is the time to accept the gift of reconciliation already achieved in Jesus.



Ephesians 4:7-16 What does it mean to be part of the body of Christ? It means enjoying the different gifts so that flourishing individually we may grow in love.


Luke 13:1-9 Again, we have a reading in two parts. The first part is severe warning: you cannot tell when you life will end. We know this for our own experience of the unpredictable. The second part is a parable of “second chance.” Again, it does speak of a second opportunity, but now is the time. See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! (2 Corinthians 6:2)


References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2024q, October 20). Twenty-ninth Sunday in ordinary time. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102024.cfm

-Sunday readings. (n.d.-s). Hearers of the Word. https://www.tarsus.ie/SundayReadings/


 
 
 

The Word today, W28B

  • Writer: Admin
    Admin
  • Oct 11, 2024
  • 3 min read


October 14 - October 19, 2024


St Callistus, bishop of Rome and martyr


Galatians 4:22-24, 26-27, 31-5:1 The argument here is dense. The main idea is that Christians are the spiritual descendants of the free-born wife (Sarah). Because she is free, her descendants too should be free from the Jewish Law. Hence the wonderful last line of the reading.


Luke 11:29-32 In true prophetic mode, Jesus takes on those who have not believed in him. He evokes great figures from the past, Jonah and Solomon. The word of condemnation are meant, not in the tone of grim retribution, but rather as yet another call not to miss “the day of salvation.”


St Teresa of Ávila, virgin and doctor


Galatians 5:1-6 Paul teaches that Christ has set us free from the burden of the Law; there is no going back. On the contrary, “what matters is faith that makes its power felt through love.”


Luke 11:37-41 Because we are followers of Jesus, we tend to side with him emotionally in the controversies of his ministry. But it is vital not to leave such stories in the past. Religious hypocrisy, like the poor, is with us always. The harsh words of Jesus are directed to us today.


St Hedwig, religious; St Margaret Mary Alacoque, virgin; St Gall, abbot and missionary


Galatians 5:18-25 Two ways of living are contrasted here, in graphic terms. No one is completely one or the other; nevertheless, the direction we should take is clear: “Since the Spirit is our life, let us be directed by the Spirit.”


Luke 11:42-46 There is a risk in all traditions that we focus on the marginal and miss the heart of the matter. This certainly seems to have happened with some Pharisees in Jesus’ day. It is likewise not unknown in church practice, alas!


St Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr


Because of features in the vocabulary and teaching and because of an evident dependance of Colossians, Ephesians is be appreciated as a Deutero-Pauline letter.


Ephesians 1:1-10 If we were to name all the gifts we have in Christ, how would we begin? In this prayer from Ephesians, the writer blesses God again and again for all he done for us in Christ.


Luke 11:47-54 In Luke’s Gospel, the primary “category” for Jesus is that of prophet—something very apparent from today’s Gospel. He himself learned from the destiny of the prophets, finally coming to appreciate that his ministry too would come to a tragic end. We can see something of the way in this furious scene.


St Luke, evangelist


2 Timothy 4:10-17 The reading is chosen for the feast because it mentions a certain “Luke.” This is unlike to be the same as the writer of the Gospel and Acts. However, the reading shows wavering support for the apostle or, in reality, for those sustaining the Pauline tradition in a later context.


Luke 10:1-9 The sending the seventy-two—unique to Luke and anticipating the wider mission in the Acts— portrays a picture of fleetfooted evangelisers, who travel lightly and without hindrance of any kind.


Sts John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, priests, and their companions, martyrs; St Paul of the Cross, priest and religious


Ephesians 1:15-23 Our reading today is a glorious, richly inspired prayer, which we can take away with us and reflect on later in the day. Our only response must be “amen, amen.”


Luke 12:8-12 The first saying is blunt challenge not to disown Christ. The third saying is a reassurance that the Holy Spirit will help us when we are threatened for our belief. Most mysterious of all is the “sin against the Holy Spirit” which, against all we believe about God, apparently cannot be forgiven. What can this mean? It does not mean any particular sin but rather the closing of the heart, in a fundamental way, to God’s grace in Jesus. That too, of course, can be forgiven—but only on condition that the closed heart has been opened.


References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2024o, October 13). Twenty-eighth Sunday in ordinary time. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101324.cfm

-Sunday readings. (n.d.-s). Hearers of the Word. https://www.tarsus.ie/SundayReadings/


 
 
 

The Word today, W27B

  • Writer: Admin
    Admin
  • Oct 4, 2024
  • 3 min read


October 07 - October 12, 2024


Our Lady of the Rosary


The letter to the Galatians is one of the most important Christian documents ever written. The presenting issue — how much of the Jewish Law should Christ-believers practice — triggers a passionate and highly personal letter. The best translation is the NET online.


Galatians 1:6-12 For the next week and a bit, we hear from the letter to the Galatians. Briefly, Paul had preached to the people of Galatia (in modern Turkey) and told them they need not follow the Jewish Law in all its details. After Paul left, preachers arrived who said they should keep all the law, including circumcision. Paul writes back—in this reading we can see how upset he was, livid, really!


Luke 10:25-37 The message of today’s parable is plain as a pikestaff…and yet we miss it, unless we open our hearts to our neighbour.



Galatians 1:13-24 The encounter with Christ was foundational for Paul and his being an apostle was a calling from the risen Lord himself, not some human authority. No one “authorised” him, so he really was independent.


Luke 10:38-42 Real hospitality goes beyond the material and the customary to a real encounter.


St John Henry Newman, priest and doctor


Galatians 2:1-2, 7-14 Eating with Gentiles was a big issue. The Kosher rules were seen a key to Jewish identity. Paul has a “go” at Peter, who has acted in a very hypocritical way. Paul writes with clarity (if not with charity!).


Luke 11:1-4 When the disciples asked to be taught to pray, they were not looking for a formula of words but a way of prayer. Although we treat the Lord’s Prayer as “a” prayer, in reality is a method of prayer.



Galatians 3:1-5 The new arrivals claimed to have enhanced the faith of the Galatians. Paul asks a penetrating question: did you receive the Spirit before these people came or after? The answer is clear. Just as Paul had his encounter with Christ long before meeting Peter and the others, likewise, the Galatians knew the Spirit before the arrival of those wishing to impose the Law.


Luke 11:5-13 Using ordinary examples and a good dash of humour, Jesus underlines the importance of persistence in prayer.


St John XXIII, bishop of Rome


Galatians 3:7-14 Our reading today is one of the most dense and difficult in St Paul’s writings. We bear two things in mind. (1) According to Paul, the promise to Abraham included the future salvation of everyone including Gentiles. (2) “Curse” here means to be outside the blessing of the covenant. Paul is saying that on the cross Jesus, whose ministry was to the excluded and marginalised, himself became one of them by experiencing the cross. By identifying with the outsiders, so to speak, Jesus brought them God’s salvation and so the promise to Abraham was fulfilled.


Luke 11:15-26 In some ways, this is a very distressing Gospel: contemporaries of Jesus were saying that he was in partnership with the forces of evil. On the other hand, the incident gives Jesus these chance to underline the struggle against evil in his ministry and in his death and resurrection.



Galatians 3:22-29 Eventually, Paul has to ask a hard question. If some major features of the Law are set aside in Christ and no longer apply to Christians, what was the point of the Law at all? He explains by using an image from everyday experience. In those days, children going to school were accompanied by a slave—called in our translation a guardian—who minded the children until they grew up. Once grown up, the minder is no longer needed.


Luke 11:27-28 Today we have the shortest of all gospel passages — a quick retort of Jesus, taking us to the heart of believing.


References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2024m, October 6). Twenty-seventh Sunday in ordinary time. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/100624.cfm

-Sunday readings. (n.d.-s). Hearers of the Word. https://www.tarsus.ie/SundayReadings/


 
 
 
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