The Good Word

The first reading for the Solemnity of All Saints is Revelation 7 2-4 9-14 what has been omitted from this reading verses 5-8 is simply the listing of the 12 tribes of Israel by name and the numeration of the 12 000 called from each tribe The reading as it appears in the lectionary begins with

No my title for this post is a good one and fair Michael Sean Winters writing at the In All Things blog has drawn readers rsquo attention to the Conservative Bible Project CBP The project is perhaps worse than he suggests The CBP first came to my attention through an e-mail sent by my co

Apocalypses have always been fascinating to decipher which is one of their attractions over the centuries Dense symbolism angelic mediators cryptic numerical references kingdoms which are presented as animals all presented as emerging in many instances from the hoary past pull the reader int

nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Mark has us at the end of Jesus journey fateful journey to Jerusalem nbsp The last story Mark chooses to tell is a story about the cure of a blind man nbsp In itself the cure is one more testimony to the immense power of Jesus a power which Peter had earlier claimed

The Gospel reading for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Mark 10 46-52 gains much of its strength from its location in the Gospel of Mark In the central portion of Mark Jesus three times predicts his passion with similar responses from his Apostles In 8 31-33 after identifying Jesus as th

The prophet Jeremiah preached so far as we can hear from the book bearing his name mostly harsh threatening and accusatory words urgently necessary in his day nbsp There are a few chapters of hope promise and joy as sampled in the first reading today nbsp The prophet exults to announce th

The first reading for the Solemnity of All Saints on November 1st is from Revelation 7 2-4 9-14 I thought that it might be worthwhile over the next two weeks to take a look at Revelation in particular and at apocalyptic thought in general For if it is true that biblical literacy in general is wa

The second reading for the Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time Hebrews 4 14-16 continues directly from last week s second reading and confirms the point I made last week that the fact that Jesus Christ knows our innermost thoughts and all of our deeds is a warning to amend our ways surely but

An overarching point of Hebrews chapter four is that we are destined for a sabbath rest so then a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God for those who enter God s rest also cease from their labors as God did from his Hebrews 4 9-10 NRSV This is a heavenly image especially for a wo

The second reading for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time raises a couple of questions even prior to an examination of content One is the reading itself as presented in the lectionary which omits what seems to be a crucial phrase from verse 9 Two is how the reading fits in the context of the Old Tes