Liturgical Bible Study Guide: 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A
1st Reading – Malachi 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10 The book of Malachi gets its name not from the author, who is unknown, but from the opening words of the book “An oracle. The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi.” Malachi is a Hebrew word meaning “my messenger.” We know nothing of the author’s life, but from […]
Liturgical Bible Study Guide: 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A
1st Reading – Ezekiel 18:25-28 The name “Ezekiel” means “may El (God) strengthen.” He grew up in a priestly family, in Jerusalem. He was familiar with the Temple, and must have known Jeremiah. During the second deportation to Babylon in 597 B.C., he was taken with others to Tel-Abib (near Nippur). He was married and had […]
Liturgical Bible Study Guide: 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A
1st Reading – Jeremiah 20:7-9 Jeremiah lived through one of the most troubled periods of the ancient near east. He witnessed the fall of a great empire (Assyria) and the rising of one even greater (Babylon). In the midst of this turmoil, the kingdom of Judah, then in the hands of deplorable kings, came to its downfall by […]
Liturgical Bible Study Guide: 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A
1st Reading – Isaiah 22:19-23 At various times we have reviewed the three author theory for the Book of Isaiah, the last time being the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time for this cycle. The first reading for this week comes from the first portion, that which has been attributed to Isaiah himself by all scholars. But are there […]
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 […]