Category Ordinary Time

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 →

First Reading: Jeremiah 20:10-13 Reflection: Jeremiah was a prophet living during the late 7th century and early 6th century B.C. in the southern kingdom of the Israelites. This was a tumultuous time for the people of God, as they had multiple… Continue Reading →

First Reading: Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18 Reflection: The teachings in this first reading apply just as much to us today as Christians as they did in the time of Moses to the Israelites. The call to “be holy” is a call to… Continue Reading →

First Reading: Sirach 15:15-20 Reflection: Sirach was composed in the early second century B.C. by the sage Ben Sira of Jerusalem. In this passage, he gives advice regarding the importance of God’s commandments. According to Ben Sira, and Jesus in this… Continue Reading →