Liturgical Bible Study Guide: 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A
1st Reading – 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a Second Kings deals mainly with the wars between Judah and Israel and the attacks on them from outside. The situation became even more critical when the Assyrians invaded, first in the 9th century B.C. and more vigorously in the 8th. Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom (Israel), fell in 721, […]
Liturgical Bible Study Guide: 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A
1st Reading – Jeremiah 20:10-13 Jeremiah’s prophetic career extended from his youth in 626 B.C. to a date considerably later than the ruin of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Thus he witnessed the brief renewal of the covenant people under Josiah; the latter’s death in 609 at Megiddo; the obstinate, weak, and futile resistance of Josiah’s successors to Babylon; […]
Liturgical Bible Study Guide: Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) Cycle A
Introduction Corpus Christi is a doctrinal feast established in honor of Christ present in the Eucharist. Its purpose is to instruct the people in the mystery, faith, and devotion surrounding the Eucharist. The celebration of the feast evolved during the 13th and 14th centuries. The Berengarian heresy of the mid-11th century (named after Berengar of Tours) taught that […]
Liturgical Bible Study Guide: Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) Cycle C
Introduction The feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ, recalls the institution of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday at the Last Supper. The prime thought during Holy Week is sorrow over the Passion of Jesus so this feast focuses our attention on the joy that comes from that event. This feast honors […]
Liturgical Bible Study Guide: Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Cycle C
Introduction The dogma of the Trinity has not always been clearly defined. In fact, the word “Trinity” does not appear in Holy Scripture (neither does the word “pope,” “purgatory,” or “catholic” for that matter; as our fundamentalist brothers and sisters will be quick to point out). It is not even clear how the doctrine was […]