First Reading: Jeremiah 20:7-9 Reflection: This first reading can sound very perplexing and discouraging at first glance. Why would the prophet Jeremiah believe the Lord has “duped” him? In order to understand this reading, we must take it in context. First,… Continue Reading →

First Reading: Isaiah 22:19-23 Reflection: This account from the Prophet Isaiah may seem unimportant at first glance, but when taken in correlation with this Sunday’s Gospel reading, it becomes incredibly enlightening. During the reign of King Hezekiah, Shebna was removed by… Continue Reading →

First Reading: Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 Reflection: The words of the Lord here reveal that God intends for all nations to come to Him and participate in His kingdom. In the time of the writing of Isaiah, the Gentiles (non-Jews) were often… Continue Reading →

First Reading: 1 Kings 19:9A, 11-13A Reflection: In this passage, the great prophet Elijah has a profound encounter with God on Mt. Horeb (better known as Mt. Sinai, where Moses also encountered God). If we read the context, we see that… Continue Reading →

First Reading: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 Reflection: The book of Daniel conveys visions that the prophet Daniel had of heaven. In this account of a vision, we hear about “the Ancient One who took his throne.” Clearly, the Ancient One refers to… Continue Reading →

First Reading: 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12 Reflection: If you were given the opportunity to ask something of God with the assurance He would give it to you, what would you ask for? Many of us would probably ask for something involving… Continue Reading →

First Reading: Wisdom 12:13, 16-19 Reflection: The book of Wisdom was likely written in the first century B.C., making it the last written Old Testament book. It was likely composed in Alexandria, Egypt in Greek. There is evidence that the book… Continue Reading →

First Reading: Isaiah 55:10-11 Reflection: In this passage and this Sunday’s Gospel reading we hear agricultural illustrations about the life of faith. In the First Reading from Isaiah, the Lord compares His word to the “rain and snow” that water the… Continue Reading →

First Reading: Zechariah 9:9-10 Reflection: This prophecy from the book of Zechariah speaks of the coming Messiah, who we know to be Jesus. The LORD speaks here to the people of Israel (referred to as “daughter Zion”), commanding them to “rejoice”… Continue Reading →

First Reading: 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16 Reflection: The Books of Kings depict the ancient history of Israel, primarily from about 960-580 B.C. Two of the major players in the Books of Kings are Elijah and Elisha. Both are prophets of God…. Continue Reading →