Author mattlselby

First Reading: Amos 6:1A, 4-7 Reflection: In this Sunday’s first reading, the prophet Amos proclaimed that the wealthy Israelites had become lazy and self-absorbed to the point that they did not even notice the collapse of their own culture. They… Continue Reading →

First Reading: Amos 8:4-7 Reflection: The prophet Amos preached to the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in the 8th century B.C., spreading a message of justice and compassion (the Northern Kingdom had split from the Southern Kingdom of… Continue Reading →

First Reading: Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14 Reflection: The famous incident of the golden calf, recounted in this reading, comes after Moses had been on Mount Sinai for a very long time. So long, in fact, that the people thought he had… Continue Reading →

First Reading: Wisdom 9:13-18B Reflection: The Book of Wisdom was the last written text of the Old Testament, being composed in Alexandria, Egypt around 50 B.C. This Sunday’s first reading focuses on the transcendent nature of God. In other words,… Continue Reading →

First Reading: Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29 Reflection: The book of Sirach was written in the second century B.C. by a wise sage in Jerusalem named Ben Sira (meaning son of Sirach). Sirach falls in the category of wisdom literature in… Continue Reading →

First Reading: Isaiah 66:18-21 Reflection: This Sunday’s first reading looks forward to the messianic age when the Lord would gather the nations to worship him. In the Old Testament, there was a clear distinction between Jews and Gentiles. The Jews… Continue Reading →

First Reading: Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10 Reflection: The Prophet Jeremiah lived during a tumultuous time in Jewish history. The southern kingdom of Judah was just about to be overtaken by the Babylonians, which would result in the destruction of Jerusalem and… Continue Reading →

First Reading: Wisdom 18:6-9 Reflection: This Sunday’s first reading from the book of Wisdom speaks of the passover, which was first celebrated during the time of the Exodus when Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and to… Continue Reading →

First Reading: Genesis 18:20-32 Reflection: The people of Sodom and Gomorrah were a very immoral people. Their sins were so great that God intended to destroy them. While this may seem harsh, it was completely in line with justice. As… Continue Reading →