Our Hearts Were Burning

10/06/2024

A deep dive into the Sunday scripture readings

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for Ordinary Time Click here for more information. Ezekiel 17:22-24 Background of the book In 2 Samuel 7, David wanted to build God a temple. God rejects that idea but, instead, God says God will establish a house and lineage for David that will never end....

09/06/2024

03/06/2024

A deep dive into the Sunday scripture readings

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for Ordinary Time Click here for more information. Genesis 3:9-15 Background of the book One of the most frequent questions in the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation) process when we talked about scripture and salvation history was this: are the Genesis st...

02/06/2024

27/05/2024

A deep dive into the Sunday scripture readings

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for Feasts Click here for more information. Important background on this feast Exodus 24:3-8 Background of the book The Exodus reading pictures Moses and the Israelites receiving the law (the 10 commandments plus all those other laws that define what it me...

26/05/2024

20/05/2024

A deep dive into the Sunday scripture readings

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for Feast Days Click here for more information. Today’s Readings and the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity Read important background on this feast here Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40 Background of the book In today’s passage, Moses is reminding the people who...

06/05/2024

A deep dive into the Sunday scripture readings

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for the Easter Season Click here for more information. Today’s Readings Today we celebrate the feast of the Ascension. Technically, Ascension happens 40 days after Easter which is always on a Thursday. But most dioceses in the US transfer the feast to Su...

29/04/2024

A deep dive into the Sunday scripture readings

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for the Easter Season See more information here Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48 Background of the book Today’s story is about Cornelius, a Roman centurion who presented the early church with its first challenge. The characters in today’s story go into the ...

22/04/2024

A deep dive into the Sunday scripture readings

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for the Easter Season See more information here Acts 9:26-31 Background of the book Today we get a glimpse of part of the story of our greatest missionary – St. Paul. Chp 9 begins Paul’s story with his conversion experience and then his baptism in Dama...

15/04/2024

A deep dive into the Sunday scripture readings

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for the Easter Season See more information here Acts 4:8-12 Background of the book Last week we heard from Peter’s sermon in the temple after the healing of a lame man, and this week we hear another of Peter’s sermons. This is going to begin a series o...

08/04/2024

A deep dive into the Sunday scripture readings

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for the Easter Season See more information here It might be helpful to consider today’s readings more in “chronological” order: Acts 3:13-15, 17-19 Background of the book The end of the gospel reading will touch on the proclamation of the gospel, whi...

01/04/2024

A deep dive into the Sunday scripture readings

Divine Mercy Sunday Today’s feast originates from St. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish mystic who had visions of the Lord in the 1930s. The feast culminates the Divine Mercy novena which began on Good Friday. In 2000, St. Faustina was canonized and Divine Mercy Sunday was instituted into the Roman cale...

25/03/2024

The Easter Season In 1969 the General Norms for the Liturgical Year was approved by Pope Paul VI which implemented the reforms of Vatican II. This is what those norms say about the Easter season: The fifty days from the Sunday of the Resurrection to Pentecost Sunday are celebrated in joy and exultation as one feast day, indeed as one "great Sunday." These are the days above all others in which the Alleluia is sung....

The Easter Season In 1969 the General Norms for the Liturgical Year was approved by Pope Paul VI which implemented the reforms of Vatican II. This is what those norms say about the Easter season: In summary, the whole 50 days of Easter is like one long Sunday when we sing Alleluia with all our READ....

18/03/2024

A deep dive into the Sunday scripture readings

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation during Lent Although we are still technically in the season of Lent, Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion shifts us into the unique time of Holy Week. Holy Thursday is traditionally the Chrism Mass, held by the bishop to consecrate all the sacramental oils ...

11/03/2024

A deep dive into the Sunday scripture readings

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation during Lent Jeremiah 31:31-34 Background of the book Verse 31 speaks of a “new covenant” – the only place this phrase is used in the Old Testament. Most scholars see the new covenant in this passage as being very similar to the one that came before i...

04/03/2024

A deep dive into the Sunday scripture readings

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation during Lent This is Laetare Sunday, rejoice! “Laetare” comes from the entrance antiphon from Isaiah 66:10: “Rejoice O Jerusalem.” Rejoicing might feel a little weird here in the middle of Lent. But I love this reminder that the season of Lent is pr...

26/02/2024

A deep dive into the Sunday scripture readings

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation during Lent Exodus 20:1-17 Background of the book Today we read the “decalogue” – the ten words/dictums/commandments. These form the initial stipulation of God’s covenant with the nation of Israel. The commandments are arranged in two groups:1. Dut...