3 December 2023: First Sunday of Advent B

Reading 1	Response	Reading 2	Gospel
Is 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7	Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19	1 Cor 1:3-9	Mk 13:33-37
RCL: Is 64:1-9			RCL: Mk 13:24-37

Advent: the call to waiting and watchfulness

The First Sunday of Advent marks the start of a new liturgical year (Year B); the Sunday gospel readings change from Matthew to Mark; the predominant liturgical color is purple, a sign of waiting. Advent readings encourage the believing community to look back to Jesus’ historical incarnation, to look forward to Jesus’ parousia, and to look at our readiness now as disciples. The readings focus on waiting and watchfulness.

First reading (Is 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7)

The first reading is from the prophet Isaiah, specifically third Isaiah, who prophesied after the exiles’ return and during the rebuilding of Jerusalem (~515-480 BC). The interaction between the Holy One of Israel (God) and Jerusalem (the people of God) drives all of Isaiah’s narrative.

In today pericope, Isaiah laments for Jerusalem’s restoration. He tries to incite God to help Israel by recalling God’s past saving works, then by listing Israel’s current difficulties. Isaiah begins by singing about God’s care (“Father,” “redeemer”). Like the Exodus generation, the current people fail to keep God’s covenant (“wander from your ways”). The prophet calls on God to break into history again (“rend the heavens and come down”) and restore Jerusalem. No other god has ever done such powerful and saving deeds as God (“no ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen,” see 1 Cor 2:9). Isaiah recognizes the reasons that God delays restoration (“you are angry, and we are sinful”), but reminds God that God created all humans and called this people (“we are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands”). Despite the people’s failings, God remains “our father.”

The Lectionary editors chose this reading because it sets the Advent themes of God’s coming and of the people’s waiting.

Second reading (1 Cor 1:3-9)

The second reading is from Paul’s first letter to the Corinth ekklesia. Paul writes to real flesh-and-blood people working out how best to live their faith. Paul teaches disciples to reject any words, actions, or distinctions that disrupt the community’s unity and holiness. Love is the basis and context for community life.

In today’s pericope, Paul’s greets the Corinth ekklesia with “grace” and “peace.” “Grace” describes God’s actions toward humans; “peace” (from the Hebrew word shalom) describes the results of God’s actions: well-being and wholeness that come from God through Christ. Paul then gives thanks to God, who “bestows grace” and peace on the Corinthians. God blesses believers with every “spiritual gift,” especially in speech (“discourse”) and “knowledge;” the gifts are evidence (“testimony”) that the Corinthians have heard and believe the gospel (“Christ was confirmed among you”). While useful now in helping believers maintain faith (“firm”), God’s spiritual gifts point forward to Jesus’ return (“wait for the revelation of Christ”). Ending on a confident note (“God is faithful”), Paul calls the Corinthians to unity (“fellowship”) with Christ.

The Lectionary editors chose this reading because echoes the Advent themes of God’s past works (grace and peace), waiting, and Christ’s return.

Gospel (Mk 13:33-37)

Mark’s gospel is from Jesus’ eschatological discourse (Mk 13:1-37). In today’s pericope, Jesus’ parable of the doorkeeper speaks to events of his own time as well as the end time. Only the Father knows how and when God’s plan unfolds; disciples must continue their work, remaining ready and watchful.

• The parable in Jesus’ context. During his earthly ministry, Jesus uses the parable to criticize the religious leaders. The “house” is God’s temple in Jerusalem; the slaves or “servants” are the religious leaders “in charge” of God’s house. In Mk 13:14, Jesus quotes the apocalyptic prophet Daniel (“abomination of desolation,” Dn 9:27, Dn 11:31) to warn the unwatchful leaders of the coming Roman desecration and destruction of the temple. His parable urges the religious leaders to purify themselves before God returns in judgement. On God’s return, will God find the religious leaders and the people awake or asleep?
• The parable in Mark’s context. Within his believing community, Mark uses the parable as an eschatological warning. A family’s master is away, and the family anticipates his return. All household members, both family and family slaves (“servants”), continue their usual tasks (“each with his own work”). The doorkeeper watches for the master’s coming so he can gather the whole household to greet the master when he arrives. The parable reminds Jesus’ disciples that no one knows “when the time will come,” a reference to the end time. The son of man may arrive at any time (“evening, midnight, at cockcrow, or in the morning”); Jesus’ disciples must always be ready for his return.

Summary and reflection

This week’s readings ask us to think about God’s inbreaking in human history. Isaiah asks God to tear open the heavens and save the faithful ones. Paul thanks God for the grace and peace that Christ’s life, death, and resurrection bestows on believers. Jesus urges all to watch and to be ready for his arrival.

The Advent season readings require a telescope, binoculars, and a magnifying glass. A telescope lets us look back into the Hebrew scripture prophecies that promised a redeemer and the evangelists who described Jesus’ coming into human history. Binoculars let us look forward to the time when Jesus again breaks into human history at his glorious return. A magnifying glass lets us examine our discipleship now as we prepare to recall his historical incarnation and experience salvation’s mystery. What do we see in our own discipleship that we need to change for Jesus’ coming?

—Terence Sherlock

22 October 2023: Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary time A

Reading 1	Response	Reading 2	Gospel
Is 45:1, 4-6	Ps 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10	1 Thes 1:1-5b	Mt 22:15-21
RCL: Is 45:1-7		RCL: 1 Thes 1:1-10	RCL: Mt 22:15-22

Discipleship: loyalty to God alone

During Ordinary time the Lectionary presents stories and teachings from Jesus’ everyday ministry. This week’s readings focus on potential competing loyalties a disciple faces in living for the kingdom.

First reading (Is 45:1, 4-6)

The first reading is from Isaiah, specifically second Isaiah, who prophesied to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. This anonymous prophet lived in the sixth century BC (~550-539 BC). The interaction between the Holy One of Israel (God) and Jerusalem (the people of God) drives all of Isaiah’s narrative. Second Isaiah (chapters 40-55) offers hope for Jerusalem’s future beyond the city’s destruction and the end of the monarchy and national state.

In today’s pericope, Isaiah presents a new understanding of God. Isaiah believes that God will liberate Jerusalem, but he also knows that human agents’ actions will accomplish God’s plan. Just as God works though Abraham, Moses, David, and the prophets, God now chooses Cyrus, the king of Persia and a gentile, to liberate the Jewish exiles from Babylon. Isaiah names Cyrus as God’s “anointed” (מָשִׁיחַ/mâshîyaḥ or “messiah”), a title Hebrew scripture uses to this point to identify Israel’s kings. God’s intervention in human history (“opening doors,” “leaving gates unbarred”) allows Cyrus to “subdue nations.” God anoints Cyrus “for the sake of Jacob and Israel;” that is, the Jewish people who remain captives in Babylon. Cyrus captured Babylon in 539 BC and released the exiles to return to Jerusalem in 538 BC.

The Lectionary editors chose this reading because God acts in human history, using human leaders to fulfill the divine plan.

Second reading (1 Thes 1:1-5b)

The second reading is the first part of a five-week, semi-continuous reading from Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonica ekklesia. Paul wrote this letter, the earliest written document in Christian scripture, in 50-51 AD to encourage the Thessalonians’ faith and to answer questions about marriage, Jesus’ parousia, and believers’ resurrections.

In today’s pericope, Paul greets the Thessalonica ekklesia with “grace and peace.” “Grace” (χάρις/cháris) can almost summarize Paul’s gospel in one word; “peace” (שָׁלוֹם/shalom) reflects the greeting in Jewish letters. Paul thanks God for the Thessalonians’ faith, praising their dedication to others (“your work of faith“), the power of their hope (“endurance in hope“), and their response to the gospel (“how you were chosen“). Paul introduces themes of faith, hope, and election to prepare his hearers for his teaching and advice in the rest of his letter. He emphasizes that the good news came to the Thessalonians not simply in the missionaries’ words (“word alone”), but in divine power, specifically through the Spirit, whose outpouring resulted in the Thessalonians’ full conviction in the words’ truth.

The Lectionary editors chose this reading to begin Ordinary time’s semi-continuous reading from Thessalonians.

Gospel (Mt 22:15-21)

This section of Matthew’s gospel is from Jesus’ teachings in Jerusalem as his opponents question and challenge him. In today’s pericope, Jesus skillfully answers a trick question from the Pharisees and Herodians.

• Jesus’ opponents. The Pharisees were religious lay people who disagreed with the politically-appointed Temple priests’ actions and teachings. The Pharisees sought to restore the religious and theocratic kingdom of David. The Herodians were a political party who sought Jewish political independence. The Herodians sought to restore king Herod’s dynasty to Judea by collaborating with the Romans. The alliance of these two groups is highly unusual: the Herodians favored the tax; the Pharisees rejected the tax. In an honor/shame culture, the Pharisees act shamefully: rather than confronting Jesus directly, they engage spies and proxies to trap him.
• The question’s political context. The tax Matthew describes is the Roman census (κῆνσος/kēnsos) payment or “head tax” paid by every adult in the empire. When the Romans imposed direct rule on Judea in 6 AD, Rome required every man, woman, and slave between the ages of twelve and sixty-five to pay this tax in Roman currency. The tax amount was a Roman denarius, equal to a laborer’s one-day wage. Using this tax as pretext, Jesus’ opponents lay a trap. If Jesus opposes payment, he is an enemy of the state; if he advocates payment, he is a Roman collaborator.
• Jesus’ answer. Jesus recognizes the malice in his opponents’ question. Although he advises paying the tax, Jesus implies Caesar’s authority is relative and that a believer’s loyalty to God takes precedence. Although a few modern interpreters use this text as a basis for a doctrine of “church and state” separation, the text does not support that reading. Matthew’s point is to show Jesus’ skill in avoiding his opponents’ trap and to challenge his opponents to pay more attention to “God’s things.”

Summary and reflection

This week’s readings ask us to think about how we sort out our loyalties. Isaiah is clear that God, not Cyrus, acts to free the captives from Babylon. Paul reminds the Thessalonians that God’s power, not Paul’s words, stands behind their faith. Jesus criticizes his opponents for confusing God’s authority and power with Caesar’s human authority.

In a pluralistic society we can sometime be confused about who is in charge. As disciples we know that God alone deserves our attention and loyalty. Under the best conditions, God’s human agents simply fulfill the divine plan; under the worst conditions, human agents claim God’s authority as their own for their own purposes. Do we work to discern God’s acting in our lives and in the world? Do we test that leaders’ words and actions align with God’s justice and mercy? Do we grant human leaders only the authority they need, and remain loyal to the working out of God’s plan in all other times and places?

—Terence Sherlock

15 January 2023: Second Sunday in Ordinary time A

Reading 1	Response	Reading 2	Gospel
Is 49:3, 5-6	Ps 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10	1 Cor 1:1-3	Jn 1:29-34
RCL: Is 49:1-7			RCL: Jn 1:29-42

Discipleship: witness to God’s Word in the world

During Ordinary time the Lectionary presents stories and teachings from Jesus’ everyday ministry. This week’s readings focus on a disciple’s role as a witness to God’s saving work in the world.

First reading (Is 49:3, 5-6)

The first reading is from the prophet Isaiah, specifically second Isaiah, a prophet of the sixth century BC who foretold the exiles’ return and restoration. The interaction between the Holy One of Israel (God) and Jerusalem (the people of God) drives all of Isaiah’s narrative.

In today’s pericope, Isaiah announces that God has given him a specific mission: to bring God’s word “to the ends of the earth” (Is 49:6). God’s “servant” (either the prophet, or God’s people; the text is ambiguous) witnesses to God’s power in Jerusalem’s restoration. The servant’s mission and message, announcing God’s “salvation,” is not only to the Jewish people (“the tribes of Jacob”) but to all people (“the nations”).

The Lectionary editors chose this reading because the servant’s message of God’s salvation echoes the Baptizer’s witness to Jesus in the gospel.

Second reading (1 Cor 1:1-3)

The second reading is the first part of a six-week, semi-continuous reading from Paul’s first letter to the Corinth ekklesia. Writing to real flesh-and-blood people who were working out how best to live their faith, Paul urges the Corinthians to work for unity (“be united in the same mind and in the same purpose”) and to correct their wrong behaviors.

In today’s pericope, we hear the letter’s opening. Following first century letter-writing conventions, Paul first announces he is the letter’s sender, with Sosthenes as his co-sender. Paul describes himself as an “apostle,” that is, someone designated or sent for a specific mission; Paul is sent to preach to the gentiles. Paul then names the letter’s recipients: the “church,” or believing community (ἐκκλησία/ekklēsía) in Corinth, and describes this community as “sanctified” and “called to be holy,” in unity with other believers (“all those everywhere”) who follow Jesus. Finally, Paul greets the Corinthians in “grace” and “peace.” He prays for “peace” because the Corinthian community lacks peace. He prays for “grace” because the Corinthians misunderstand the graces or gifts they have. Paul will spend the rest of his letter correcting these misunderstandings.

The Lectionary editors chose this reading to begin Ordinary time’s semi-continuous reading from 1 Corinthians.

Gospel (Jn 1:29-34)

John’s gospel recounts the Baptizer’s witness to Jesus. In his prologue (Jn 1:1-18), John says that the Baptizer’s mission is to witness to (Jn 1:6-8) or testify about (Jn 1:15) who Jesus is. In today’s pericope, the Baptizer identifies Jesus as “Lamb of God” and “Son of God.”

• Lamb of God. The Baptizer imagines Jesus as the paschal lamb described in Exodus (Ex 12). The paschal lamb did not take away sin; it was a sacrifice whose blood is a sign of protection. Although the Greek word ἀμνός/amnós means only “lamb,” the Aramaic word talya (טָלֶה/ṭâleh) that the Baptizer used can mean “lamb,” or “child” or “slave/servant.” This Aramaic word connects Jesus’ title with Isaiah and the Servant song of the first reading. In this phrase, the Baptizer identifies who Jesus is: God’s servant, lamb of sacrifice, son of God.
• Son of God. The Baptizer refers to Jesus’ baptism, which happens offstage in John’s gospel. The Baptizer describes what he saw when he baptized Jesus: “the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and remaining with him.” God revealed to the Baptizer that Jesus is “the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit;” the Baptizer proclaims Jesus as “Son of God.” In this phrase, the Baptizer identifies who Jesus is: the preexisting Word (Jn 1:1) and the only Son (Jn 1:18).

Summary and reflection

This week’s readings ask us to think about the call to be a witness to God’s work. God tells God’s servant to be a witness not only to his own people but to all the nations. Paul greets the Corinthians with grace and peace to help them reclaim their witness to holiness and unity. The Baptizer testifies to Jesus with the titles Lamb of God and Son of God, highlighting Jesus’ witness as servant, sacrifice, and son.

Disciples witness through their words and actions. How do our lives within and beyond our communities reveal God’s works? Do our lives testify to our call to be holy by bringing peace and unity? Do our lives reveal that the Spirit remains with us and is alive in our community?

—Terence Sherlock