Adult Faith Formation & Initiation

Through our Baptism we are called to be Prophets, because just like Jesus, our baptism consecrates us as priests, prophets, and kings.  Being a prophet means speaking God’s truth, but when it comes to speaking that truth, especially to authority, we can find that our message is not always well received.  As our readings will show this week, being a prophet has its difficulties… The Word for the 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19 Psalm 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15-17 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 or 1 Corinthians 13:4-13 Luke 4:21-30 Our first reading comes from the book of the prophet Jeremiah with the passage that describes his calling to become a prophet.  Jeremiah began his mission under the much-revered King Josiah but was eventually witness to the fall of Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah to the Babylonians.  Jeremiah understands the dangers that can befall a prophet, so in his calling the Lord reminds him that his foes will not prevail over him – that he has the protection of

“In the beginning there was the Word…”  These are the dramatic opening lines from the Gospel according to John, and though we will not be reading from John’s Gospel this Sunday, these words ring true for our readings for this 3rd Sunday of Ordinary time.  The people are in the midst of something new, a new beginning that, as our readings will show, begin with The Word… The Word for the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10 Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15 1 Corinthians 12:12-30 (or 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27) Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21 Our first reading is from the book of the Prophet Nehemiah.  Nehemiah, along with the priest/prophet Ezra, are the architects of the Restoration of Israel.  Their great Exile in Babylon is over and through the grace of the Persian King Cyrus the Great, Israel is free to return to their land, to rebuild the Temple and to rebuild their lives as the people of God.  In an effort to guild them in this new beginning, Nehemiah and Ezra gather the peo

 New beginnings.  This is the promise of the New Year.  We bid farewell to the troubles of the previous year and approach the new year in front of us fresh with enthusiasm and hope.  Our new year’s resolutions are a common expression of those new beginnings.  As we enter into Ordinary Time we appropriately focus on this idea of new beginnings with our readings for this Sunday… The Word for the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time Isaiah 62:1-5 Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 John 2:1-11 Our first reading is from Third, or trito -Isaiah.  Here the followers of the original prophet Isaiah foretell of a new beginning for the people of Israel.  Their Exile in Babylon is over!  Israel’s sins have been expiated and her vindication will become a beacon to all the other nations.  Where God was once someone to be feared (as in the earlier Mosaic texts), He now seems giddy with delight over his people, so much so he refers to the people as his bridegroom.  Isaiah uses the marriage cove

What better way to bring the Christmas season to a close than with the celebration of the moment where Jesus was consecrated to his ministry – the celebration of The Baptism of the Lord.  Whereas Advent is a season of expectation and preparation, Christmas is the season where prophecy and expectation are fulfilled – born to us is the Christ, the one we have been waiting for is here! The Word for The Baptism of the Lord Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 (or Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11) Psalm 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10 (or Psalm 104:1b-2, 3-4, 24-25, 27-28, 29-30) Acts 10:34-38 (or Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7) Luke 3:15-16, 21-22 This Sunday’s celebration offers us two possible sets of readings, so I have chosen the alternate readings for this commentary since these are the ones we have used recently most often. Our first reading, from Second Isaiah, is a prophecy of hope for the people of Israel held captive in Exile in Babylon.  To our Christian ears, however, it also sounds a lot like John the Baptist preaching the comi

If Easter is our highest holy day, the Epiphany is rightly the second.  It is the celebration of the realization that through Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection that God's salvation is a gift for all people, everywhere.  It is this feast that defines us as Christians, revealing not only that this child, Jesus, is the Christ, but that the grace of reconciling the people to God is not exclusive – it is a universal invitation for all people. The Word for the Epiphany of the Lord Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13 Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 Matthew 2:1-2 Our first reading comes from the later chapters of Isaiah (third or trito -Isaiah).  Here the prophet sees a glorious vision for Jerusalem:  The city shall be radiant and become a beacon for all the nations.  And that is the key point of this reading today – That all people, all kingdoms, will see Jerusalem, God's city and God's people, as the light and life, and be drawn to her and the glory of the Lord.  These la

The first Sunday after the Nativity of the Lord is always celebrated as the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.  Since the Christmas season is a celebration of the Nativity, it seems only appropriate that we focus on the family into which Jesus was born.  It should be no surprise then that our readings focus on parental and family themes… The Word for the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 or 1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28 Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5 or Psalm 84:2-3, 5-6, 9-10 Colossians 3:12-21 or Colossians 3:12-17 or 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24 Luke 2:41-52 Our readings for this Sunday offer quite a variety of options from which the presider may select, so those of us in the assembly will want to listen carefully.  Since most presiders select the first of the options, that is what I will unpack for us here: Our first reading comes from the Wisdom of Ben Sira, which is  known as the Book of Sirach.  This ancient catechism comes from a Jewish sage from J