Liturgical Bible Study Guide: 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A
1st Reading – Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 The name Isaiah means “Yahweh is salvation.” His book is the first of the books of the major prophets, majority being determined by the length of their writings. Although at the time of Christ the entire book was believed to have been written by Isaiah himself, more modern scholarship now sees three […]
Liturgical Bible Study Guide: 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A
1st Reading – 1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a The nineteenth chapter of 1st Kings is the Elijah story which has close parallels with the story of Moses on the same mountain (Sinai/Horeb). Both journey to the mountain to meet God; Moses while fleeing from the Egyptians, and Elijah while fleeing from Jezebel. Both even receive miraculous rations in route […]
Liturgical Bible Study Guide: Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord Cycle A
Introduction According to explicit accounts in the first three gospels (Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36), the Apostles Peter, James and John witnessed an unveiling of the divine glory of Christ, and the appearance with Him of Moses and Elijah. This event has come to be called the Transfiguration on the basis of the scriptural report, “He was transfigured […]
Liturgical Bible Study Guide: 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A
1st Reading – 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12 The books of Kings are the fourth part of what tradition calls the Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, 1st & 2nd Samuel, 1st & 2nd Kings). The division between the books of Samuel and the books of Kings is arbitrary and varies in ancient manuscripts. The division;between 1st and […]
Liturgical Bible Study Guide: 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A
1st Reading – Wisdom 12:13, 16-19 The Book of Wisdom, also called the Wisdom of Solomon, is believed to have been written in the first century before Christ by a Greek-speaking Jew of Alexandria in Egypt. The Egyptian rulers from Ptolamy VIII (116 B.C.) to Cleopatra (30 B.C.) were not well-disposed toward their Jewish subjects. The Jewish […]