Adult Faith Formation & Initiation

As with last week’s readings, this 8th Sunday of Ordinary Time is usually usurped by other feast days, but since Easter is somewhat late this year, we get to finish out this stretch of Ordinary Time with some readings we rarely get to hear during Sunday Mass: The Word for the 8th Sunday of Ordinary Time Sirach 27:4-7 Psalm 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16 1 Corinthians 15:54-58 Luke 6:39-45 Our first reading comes from the book of Sirach, also known as the Wisdom of Ben Sira, a great sage from Jerusalem who embraced the Wisdom tradition.  The work was originally finished around 175 BCE and was later translated into Greek by the author’s grandson sometime after 117 BCE during the Jewish diaspora that flourished in the later Ancient Greek Empire.  Since our earliest manuscripts for this book were found in Greek, it does not hold the same canonical status for Jews and Protestants, but more recent archeological finds have verified its Hebrew origins.  Like all Wisdom literature in the Bible, Sirach se

It is rare that we hear these readings for the 7th Sunday of Ordinary Time because our calendar usually has more important celebrations on this particular Sunday, but with Easter falling where it does this year, we have a unique opportunity to study and celebrate the readings selected for this the 7th Sunday or Ordinary Time: The Word for the 7th Sunday of Ordinary Time 1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23 Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 Luke 6:17, 27-38 We open with a reading from the 1st Book of Samuel with a rather interesting story about King Saul (the first of the Israelite kings) and his protégé and successor, David.  To understand this story, one needs to understand the relationship between Saul and David.  At the people’s insistence, and God’s acquiescence, Samuel anoints Saul as the first King of Israel.  But things are not going well for Saul.  After being chosen by God, Saul has turned is back on God and his prophet Samuel.  Because of this, Samuel is tol

Depending on the Liturgical calendar and the timing of Lent, we don’t always have the opportunity to celebrate the 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time.  But this year we have a chance to dive into some of the most important Christian teachings, which we will see have their roots in much older texts: The Word for the 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time Jeremiah 17:5-8 Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4, and 6 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20 Luke 6:17, 20-26 Our first reading comes to us from Jeremiah, that prophet who came to prominence under the great King Josiah, only to see the people turn back to idolatry and witness the inevitable destruction of Jerusalem and the fall of the kingdom of Judah.  This Sunday’s passage is from his oracles in the days of King Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son and successor.  Here he decries those who put their faith in men, and praises those who put their faith in God.  Those who trust in man are like a dessert whereas those who trust in the Lord are like a tree planted near a stream.  This theme is

If there’s an over-arching theme to the readings for these first weeks of Ordinary Time, it would be “a call to mission.”  It starts with Jesus answering the call through is Baptism and the beginning of his ministry.  We see this theme continue in this week’s readings as others now answer the call: The Word for the 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8 Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 7-8 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Luke 5:1-11 Our first reading is from the book of the prophet Isaiah.  Most of the stories of the prophets begin, quite logically, with the story of their calling.  The book on Isaiah, however, follows a slightly different construct.  It opens with his great oracle of indictment against the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah.  This continues for the first 5 chapters.  Finally, when we get to Chapter 6, we go from oratory to narrative history.  This is where we begin our first reading with the story of Isaiah’s calling.  This story is presented as a vision where Isaiah sees the Lord si