First Reading: Isaiah 7:10-14 Reflection: Ahaz was the Davidic king of the southern kingdom of Judah in the eighth century B.C. The exchange given in this passage can be precisely dated to 733 B.C. when Ahaz was in process of… Continue Reading →

First Reading: Isaiah 35:1-6A, 10 Reflection: In this Sunday’s first reading, the Prophet Isaiah uses the symbolism of a “desert,” “parched land,” and “the steppe” (which is a grass-covered plain) as representations of desolation. But these barren places “will bloom… Continue Reading →

First Reading: Isaiah 11:1-10 Reflection: In this passage, the Prophet Isaiah speaks of a time when the Davidic kingdom would be restored and fulfilled. The “stump of Jesse” refers to the royal line of David, for Jesse was David’s father…. Continue Reading →