March 24, Fig tree: a Sunday Scriptures blog

This past Superbowl Sunday, a small plane crashed into a home here in California and killed five people watching the game. Why we have to suffer, and especially why innocent people suffer, is a question we all ask at some point in our lives. In today’s Gospel, people ask Jesus…

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March 17, Glory: a Sunday Scriptures blog

In all three cycles of our liturgical year, the Gospel for the second Sunday of Lent is the Transfiguration. The first Sunday of Lent focused on our present journey to holiness which includes overcoming temptations and their resulting sins. This second Sunday presents our final goal, not only for Lent…

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March 10, Temptation: a Sunday Scriptures blog

Lent is here again! Today’s Gospel from Luke is the familiar story of how Jesus is tempted by the devil. Luke took the very short version of Jesus’ temptations found in Mark’s earlier Gospel and expanded it to teach his Gospel listeners. Mark’s Gospel just says Jesus was tempted; Luke…

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March 3, Speech: a Sunday Scriptures blog

Do you like to read the advice columns or self-help columns in the newspaper? Parts of some Old Testament books called “wisdom literature” sound a little like them. These biblical writings give prosaic advice for ethical living in daily life. “Wisdom literature” was written in the centuries just before Jesus’…

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February 10, Calls: a Sunday Scriptures blog

Last week we heard God calling Jeremiah the prophet. This week our Hebrew Scripture reading describes the call of another prophet, Isaiah. In our second reading from Corinthians, Paul marvels at his call. Then in our Gospel, Jesus affirms Simon by choosing his boat for the “miraculous catch of fish”…

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Jan 20, Signs: a Sunday Scriptures blog

Some of our Protestant brethren do not use a lectionary. Instead their preachers select the text for preaching at the Sunday service. Catholics, and some non-Catholics like Episcopalians and Lutherans, use a lectionary, a selection of biblical readings arranged for a liturgical year. We Catholics have a three-year lectionary. This…

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