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The Word today, W12B

  • Writer: Admin
    Admin
  • Jun 19, 2024
  • 3 min read

Updated: Sep 27, 2024



June 24 - June 29, 2024


The Birthday of John the Baptist


Isaiah 49:1-6 The mention of “forming in the womb”, a prophetic idiom, makes this a suitable reading for the feast, anticipating the Gospel. Ultimately, the reading points beyond John the Baptist to Jesus as the light of the nations.


Acts 13:22-26 It is not possible to tell the story of salvation, or indeed that of Jesus, without mentioning John the Baptist, as we see in this reading. Luke 1:57-66, 80 Our Gospel is devoted mainly to the naming of John the Baptist and the reaction to his birth. We too are invited to “treasure these things in our heart.”



2 Kings 19:9-11, 14-21, 31-36 The success of the war against Israel encouraged the Assyrians to attack the southern state of Judah. Hezekiah the king prayed and his prayer was heard. No doubt there was more to it, but the Judeans were truly grateful and felt themselves blessed.


Matthew 7:6, 12-14 There are three sentences here. The second two are easy enough to grasp. The first is odd. Dogs was terms used to to refer to Gentiles and so the sentences may reflect Jesus’ attitude in this God: go only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.



2 Kings 22:8-13; 23:1-3 This story of a old book coming to light —apparently a chance discovery— played a key role in the development of the Bible. The (re-)discovery of the covenant (probably the substance of the book of Deuteronomy) had a huge effect on them all and they committed themselves once again to the covenant with the Lord.


Matthew 7:15-20 Jesus, who grew up in a very small village in the countryside was a good observer of nature and used it in his teaching. There are always false prophets, seers and visionaries, driven by who knows what? Love alone counts.


St Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and doctor


2 Kings 24:8-17 In our history lesson today, we hear of the last days of the kingdom of Judah. Jerusalem was destroyed and the people deported. It would be hard to exaggerate the importance of this moment in the biblical story. It was a true watershed— something like the famine in Irish history. Things would never be the same.


Matthew 7:21-19 Dried riverbeds (wadis) are subject of flash floods. To build there is very obviously foolish.


St Irenaeus, bishop and martyr


2 Kings 25:1-12 Our reading today is meant to shock an it does. First of all, there is the brutality of the execution of king’s sons before his very eyes and then the blinding of the king. That horror leads to another: the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, erected by Solomon. It is the start of the Babylonian Exile, a watershed event for the ancient Israelites, forever held in their hearts and minds.


Matthew 8:1-4 There are three arresting moments in today’s short Gospel. The man’s plea is full of faith: If you want to… Then, Jesus touches him, breaking one of the purity laws about touching the ritually unclean. Finally, the Jesus of Matthew observes the Law, permitting the man’s re-entry into normal society.


Sts Peter and Paul, apostles


Acts 12:1-11 This symbolic tale reminds us that whatever the appearances, God protects his followers.


2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18 Not really from Paul, this is a good reflection back on life as an apostle. He is shown as an old man, full of faith.


Matthew 16:13-16 Peter did attain a special role in the early Church, initially at Antioch in Syria. This present story is unique to Matthew and often thought to be a post-Easter commission account. Given the miraculous birth of John the Baptist, this reading is perfect for the feast.


References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2024, June 23). Twelfth Sunday in ordinary time. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062324.cfm

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


 
 
 

The Word today, W11B

  • Writer: Admin
    Admin
  • Jun 14, 2024
  • 3 min read

Updated: Sep 27, 2024



June 17 - June 22, 2024



1 Kings 21:1-16 Our reading today tells the first half of a very nasty abuse of power by a king and his wife. The rest of the story will be heard tomorrow, when the culprits get their comeuppance.


Matthew 5:38-42 We are always tempted to meet violence with violence. Jesus’ alternative is radical.



1 Kings 21:17-29 This reading is the second part of the yesterday’s nasty story. The powerful monarch is reproved by the proclamation of the prophet, who does not mince his words. The king does respond and even repents…nevertheless, the wheels of justice are set in motion.


Matthew 5:43-48 Jesus quotes the usual attitude—love your neighbor, hate your enemy—and then gives a series of penetrating arguments to offer his alternative vision.


St Romuald, abbot


2 Kings 2:1, 6-14 This reading tells the very famous story of Elijah and his (underused!) chariot. Behind the drama stands a very ordinary question: when a great spiritual leader departs or dies, will anything of his leadership remain? Yes…but it all depends!


Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 These two paragraphs surround the Lord’s Prayer and represent a Jewish devotional triad: alms, prayer and fasting. Any attraction to showiness in religion is resolutely set aside.


The Irish Martyrs


Ecclesiasticus 48:1-15 The book of Ecclesiasticus was written long after the life and ministry of Elijah – perhaps some six centuries later. The ancient prophet was still admired and treasured. Today we have a poetic, even glowing account of his career.


Matthew 6:7-15 The introduction to the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew is central and helps us understand the prayer and its brevity. In reality, the Lord’s Prayer is not so much a prayer as a form of words but a method or series of steps in prayer.


St Aloysius Gonzaga, religious


2 Kings 11:1-4, 9-18, 20 Our story today is complex: a king’s mother tries to do away with all the surviving members of the royal family. It is not uplifting but also not uncommon in imperial families. Nevertheless, you will notice that there is one survivor, a baby, who ensures that David’s line continues. In this way, the writer tries to show that God’s own faithfulness to the house of David cannot be set aside even by unspeakable horror. The Psalm which follows captures the true meaning of this difficult reading.


Matthew 6:19-23 Our gospel is a challenge and at the centre of that challenge we hear the words of Jesus: For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also.


Sts. John Fisher, bishop, and Thomas More, martyrs or St Paulinus of Nola, bishop


2 Chronicles 24:17-25 Today we have once more a difficult story: a king who turns away from God to idols and even has God’s prophet put to death. The clue about the reading is in the Psalm which follows: even though the kings of Judah were sometimes very unfaithful to God, yet, God remained true to his promise to the house of David. There is some good news— Gospel—in God’s continued fidelity.


Matthew 6:24-34 This is a favorite passage from the Sermon on the Mount, prized by people well beyond frontiers of Christianity. The vision is Jesus is not “airy-fairy” detachment, but a costly choice of values and attitudes, grounded in faith in God. We might feel there’s risk of sheer impracticality but this is overcome by the general statement: “You heavenly father knows you need all these things.”


References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2024az, June 16). Eleventh Sunday in ordinary time. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061624.cfm

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


 
 
 

The Word today, W10B

  • Writer: Admin
    Admin
  • Jun 7, 2024
  • 3 min read

Updated: Sep 27, 2024



June 10 - June 15, 2024


St Ephraim, deacon and doctor


Kings 17:1-6 Our story is the first of three “testing's” of Elijah. In itself, the story is slight enough but Elijah was highly significant right up to the time of Jesus. As a result, some stories about Jesus ought to be read in the light of Elijah traditions.


Matthew 5:1-12 Even non-religious people are attracted by the vision and ideals of the Sermon on the Mount. The beatitudes make a great opening to the Sermon—after all, who does not want to be happy? And yet, the path to happiness is highly paradoxical, right from the very start. We know this is true to our experience, but often we do not recall such wisdom.


St Barnabas, apostle


Acts 11:21-26, 13:1-3 Barnabas is appropriately mentioned in today’s reading from the Acts. He was a close collaborator of Paul, until they had a major row and separated (Acts 15:39).


Matthew 5:1-12 Even non-religious people are attracted by the vision and ideals of the Sermon on the Mount. The beatitudes make a great opening to the Sermon—after all, who does not want to be happy? And yet, the path to happiness is highly paradoxical, right from the very start. We know this is true to our experience, but often we do not recall such wisdom.



1 Kings 18:20-39 Our reading today is a contest between idolatry and the worship of the one true God. Here we have a drama, with inherently comic aspects. It is, therefore, to be enjoyed and should be read aloud as such. For us today, with our many idolatries, the reading invites us to recognize that “the Lord is God.” The responsorial psalm picks up the same theme and enriches it.


Matthew 5:17-19 The first Christians were greatly exercised by one question: how much of the previous religious tradition should be retained and how much of it loses its importance in light of Christ. Paul is very liberal. Matthew—rather more traditional—seems to rein in such Pauline freedom. In Matthew’s mind, however, Jesus brings the law to completion (lit. fulfilment, an eschatological term). This takes us beyond mere repetition or observance to a new, radical view illustrated in the next verses.


St Anthony of Padua, priest, doctor


1 Kings 18:41-46 Our reading follows on yesterday’s and shows Elijah at the height of his powers, ending the drought. The last verse— Elijah as marathon runner—sustains the reputation of the prophet.


Matthew 5:20-26 Matthew’s Gospel is highly realistic when it comes to human behavior. For him, both forgiveness and reconciliation stand at the heart of discipleship.


St Davnet, virgin


1 Kings 19:9, 11-16 Today’s account is a favourite of many people on account of one line: “the sound of a gentle breeze.” The NRSV translation is more poetic and more paradoxical: “and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.”


Matthew 5:27-32 We hear today Jesus’ sharpening of the Law, moving from external acts to the internal movement of the heart.



1 Kings 19:19-21 This extraordinary scene is worth reading for itself and for its use in the Gospel. For itself: it looks forward to the time when Elijah will be dead and establishes Elisha as his prophetic heir. For its use in Luke’s Gospel: Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)


Matthew 5:33-37 Our Gospel continues Jesus’ radicalization of the ethical behaviour. The last line should speak to any culture of equivocation, where yes doesn’t always mean yes and no doesn’t always mean no!


References

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2024ax, June 9). Tenth Sunday in ordinary time. USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060924.cfm

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


 
 
 
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