Author: ANTONINO

Exodus 17:3-7; Psalm 94(95); Romans 5:1-2,5-8; John 4:5-42

Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt about 1300 BC, probably under Ramses II. God gave them food and water while they wandered in the wilderness. But they grumbled, losing faith that “God was with them”. “Massah” means “test”, “Meribah” means “quarrelling”. As this was before they made the covenant with God by Sinai, they are not punished yet. But this generation will not enter the promised land.
The Psalm invites us to praise and worship the Lord daily, for he is our king and shepherd. We must not lose faith in God, as did the Israelites on their desert journey.
Paul tells the Romans that God loves and forgives us, just as he continued caring for the ungrateful Israelites. Christ died for us, proving God’s love, gaining pardon for all humanity and access to his grace through faith.
We hear the first 3 gospels over 3 years, but we hear parts of John’s gospel every year during Lent and Easter. Today Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman at the well. John carefully moves the characters on and off stage as the woman gradually comes towards faith in Jesus. Then, while still unsure, she goes and brings the rest of the Samaritans in her town to hear this man, wondering “Could he possibly be the Messiah?”
(Exodus 17:3-7; Psalm 94(95); Romans 5:1-2,5-8; John 4:5-42)

Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7; Psalm 50(51); Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11

From Genesis we have the second and probably older description of the creation of humanity. This expresses the truth that God made us as “living beings”. By eating the forbidden fruit, man does “become like God”, able to make choices, but without the wisdom needed to choose well. Perhaps like a child’s growing self-awareness. The mischievous serpent later came to be interpreted as Satan.
This penitential Psalm begs pardon for our sins, asking to be restored to grace and purity, and promising to make God’s mercy known to others.
Paul has been arguing to the Romans that righteousness comes only through faith. Human beings are unable to become righteous by following the Law given to Moses, which identifies – but does not help to avoid – sin. God offers righteousness as gift, through Jesus’ obedience to his Father.
In Matthew’s gospel the devil introduces each temptation with the words: “If you are the Son of God”, exploring what can it mean for Jesus to be “Son of God”? Is he a miracle-worker, able to satisfy all desires without effort? Is it about showy displays of power or trying to make God do what we want, in return for belief in him? Jesus dismisses Satan, showing his real power. Jesus will rule over all creation, but only through the Cross.

Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18; Psalm 102(103); 1 Corinthians 3:16-23; Matthew 5:382

Leviticus, meaning “he called”, is about holiness, the utter separateness of God. We are each called to become whole, like a jigsaw with all the parts fitting together perfectly. Hence “You shall be holy, because I, the Lord, am holy”. The book expands the basic commandments, insisting on concern for our neighbour, the sacredness of sex, the marriage laws, and forbidding aberrant sexual behaviour. Thus the Israelites are to keep themselves in a state of wholeness, as a sign of their intimate union with the Holy Lord.
The Psalm is a hymn of grateful praise to God, whose mercy is great because he knows man’s frailty.
Paul is critical of the Corinthians, telling them they were not mature enough to be given the solid food of spiritual instruction, because they were still jealously quarrelling among themselves about who to follow. They must follow only Christ, obeying God’s rules, even though this will be seen as foolishness by the wisdom of this world.
In Matthew’s Gospel Jesus continues drawing out the meaning of the Commandments in the sermon on the mount. Last week the shorter form omitted the difficult teachings forbidding divorce and calling our brother a fool. Today we are urged to love our enemies. Always Jesus pushes us further, urging us towards perfection, in union with our heavenly Father.
(Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18; Psalm 102(103); 1 Corinthians 3:16-23; Matthew 5:38-48)

Isaiah 58:7-10; Psalm 111(112); 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Matthew 5:13-16

After the exiles returned to rebuild Jerusalem there were many difficulties and they lost heart. Third Isaiah writing after 500BC told them this was because of a lack of social justice: ritual and fasting have value only if they are expressions of a just society. Today’s reading and the verse before it give the essentials of true religion: deal justly with your neighbour, free the oppressed, feed the hungry. Then your good deeds will influence others and give glory to God, without drawing attention to yourselves.
The Psalm praises the virtues of the God-fearing man, who lights the way for others lost in confusion.
Paul says that when he came to the Corinthians, he did not draw attention to himself by relying on the powers of clever oratory to convince people about the ‘mystery’ of God – the salvific events to be revealed in the age to come. No, he believes “Jesus Christ and him crucified”, the message itself, making visible the power of God, is strong enough to convince.
In Matthew’s gospel Jesus began his ministry in Galilee, previously part of the northern kingdom Israel. On a mountain he teaches the beatitudes, before insisting Christians must show the way for all mankind to find the way to God, influencing without seeking to be noticed.
(Isaiah 58:7-10; Psalm 111(112); 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Matthew 5:13-16)
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Zeph 2:3,3:12-13; Psalm 145(146): 7-10; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Matthew 5:1-12

About 630 BC Zephaniah strongly denounced the idolatry that had developed during the reign of Josiah. He prophesied “A day of wrath, … a day of darkness and gloom” – from which we have our hymn Dies Irae. But God would leave a remnant of humble and lowly people – from whom tradition believes Jesus’ and John the Baptist’s parents came, and also Simeon and Anna.

The Psalm, echoed by Mary in Luke’s Magnificat, confirms that God’s justice will prevail: the hungry will be fed, the blind given sight, but the wicked will lose out.

Continuing his letter to the Corinthians, Paul reminds them “the world did not know God through wisdom”. God has made us members of Christ, who has become our wisdom. God’s plan works in ways that seem foolish and weak to us. We have nothing to boast about except the Lord.

About forty years after Jesus died, Matthew followed Mark in writing a gospel, which he arranged as five collections of sayings by Jesus, alternating with five collections describing what Jesus did. The first collection of sayings, the Sermon on the Mount, starts with the Beatitudes, which we hear today. Over the remaining Sundays before Lent we hear the rest of this Sermon, in which Jesus develops the Commandments given to Moses into positive ways of living. Although much of the promised happiness of the kingdom of God is in the future, it does extend to the present time in anticipation.

(Zeph 2:3,3:12-13; Psalm 145(146): 7-10; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Matthew 5:1-12)

Isaiah 8:23-9:3; Psalm 26(27); 1 Corinthians 1:10-13,17; Matthew 4:12-23

The first reading from First Isaiah. About 725 BC, Ahaz, weak king of Judah, asked Assyria for help, in spite of Isaiah’s advice to wait because “God is with us”. God would send a saviour, idealistically described with words probably used to hail the new king Hezekiah. Assyria attacked northern Palestine, but Isaiah looked forward to the Messiah bringing freedom to the “Way of the sea” ie Galilee.
The Psalm expresses total confidence in rescue by the Lord, hoping to dwell in safety in the Lord’s house.
In our second reading Paul is shocked at the self-glorifying divisions, or “rents”, in the church at Corinth. Whoever baptised us, we were baptised into Christ. With our common baptism we should therefore “be united in belief and practice”. Unity, but not uniformity. Our task is to preach the Good News of Christ’s crucifixion, without following particular teachers or allowing the meaning of the Cross to be obscured by clever oratory.
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus has rejected the devil’s temptations and so identified himself as the “Son of God”, capable of not sinning. Hearing of the arrest of the Baptist, Jesus withdraws to Galilee, the “Way of the sea”. He then quotes the verses of Isaiah from our first reading, before starting his mission in Galilee by calling his first disciples.
(Isaiah 8:23-9:3; Psalm 26(27); 1 Corinthians 1:10-13,17; Matthew 4:12-23)

Isaiah 49: 3,5-6; Psalm 39(40); 1 Corinthians 1:1-3; John 1:29-34

Second Isaiah’s servant songs were written after the Israelites had been released from their captivity in Babylon. The servant, chosen before he was born, is to take God’s salvation to the whole world, as well as to Israel.
The Psalm offers thanks to God for rescue from danger. Doing God’s will is the best sacrifice we can offer, trusting in God’s Law and his plans for us.
From now until Lent we read from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, written from Ephesus about 56AD. Paul cannot stop talking about the centre of his life: Jesus, who called him to be his envoy. Those in the “assembly called by God in Corinth”, are called to be holy, part of the universal fellowship of believers, and subject to Christ’s authority. He blesses them with grace – God’s unconditional love – and peace.
John’s Gospel does not have Jesus being baptised. Instead, after the Baptist insists to questioners from Jerusalem that he is not the Messiah, he recognises Jesus. Uniquely he describes Jesus as the Passover sacrificial “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”, the “Chosen one of God”, who “baptises with the Holy Spirit”. This gift of new life in God, is greater than the cleansing given by John’s baptism with water.