The First Sunday of Advent December 2 2007 marks the start of a new liturgical year when we will again use the readings from Cycle A of the Lectionary for Mass Most readers of America are certainly familiar with the basic structure of the three-year Sunday Lectionary in which the Gospel readin

In last week s second reading Paul held himself up as a model for imitation to the Thessalonians 2 Thess 3 7-12 For Paul imitation is neither the sincerest form of flattery nor a cheap copy but a means to model oneself in the life of Christ Paul holds himself up as a model of imitation st

I found myself wondering how 2 Thessalonians 3 7-12 fit with Malachi 3 19-20a often 4 1-2a in English translations and Luke 21 5-19 Apart from thematic fit I wondered how appealing Paul s call for diligence in daily tasks could have been and I am assuming Pauline authorship of 2 Thessaloni

The Sadducees and Resurrection from the Dead Luke 20 27-39 This blog is written for the person who wants to enter more thoroughly into the meaning of this conflict story Sadducees against Jesus than a brief homily can provide 1 The first reading today from the Book of Maccabees shows that

Roman Catholics can be spotted with eyes raised to heaven overheard to give thanks that we are not like certain others fundamentalists and such When I was once engaging in that self-congratulatory behavior I was helpfully challenged by John R Donahue S J familiar to readers of America who s

If you d like to read my earlier posts on this subject simply click on my name above The most substantial arguments against Pauline authorship are concerned with issues of increased institutionalization in the Church and questions regarding supposed differences in theology from Paul s genuin