2, Scripture Readings – Summaries of the readings of each Sunday Mass (by Chris Oliver)

Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 21; Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14 – 27:66

Second Isaiah was writing during the exile of the Israelites in Babylon after Jerusalem was destroyed. The people are discouraged, in despair, and tempted to give up their faith in God. In the ‘servant-song’ Isaiah offers consolation, recommending non-resistance and trust in the Lord.

Today Isaiah’s words express both our horror at the way Our Lord was treated, and our admiration for his example of patient non-retaliation. Trusting confidently in his Father, he “sets his face like flint”, even though it is covered with spittle. The Psalm continues this mood, but ends with praise.

The hymn in Philippians rejoices that – unlike Adam – Jesus did not seek to be equal to God. But God raised him to glory and gave him the name ‘Lord’. Jesus on the Cross invites us to imitate his humility.

Matthew’s Passion, with its lively dialogue, shows Jesus aware of what is to happen – and allowing it. After the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, bitterness between Jews and Matthew’s Jewish-Christian community led Matthew to blame the Jews for Jesus’ death. Jesus died just before Passover, when Jews celebrated their freedom from slavery. Soldiers, Jewish leaders, the inscription on the Cross, all ironically give Jesus his true title of ‘King of the Jews’, the Messiah, who overcomes death. Jesus’ obedience to God’s plan gives the Cross meaning.

Psalm Response: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 21; Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 26:14 – 27:66

Ezekiel 37:12-14; Psalm 129; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45

Ezekiel was a priest exiled with the Jews to Babylon in 597 BC. The Jews had lost their king, land, and Temple, and all seemed lost for them as a nation. Ezekiel’s messages during the exile were encouraging, giving hope that the nation would rise and live again, like a field full of dry bones coming to life. But this will be the Lord’s doing, for the sake of his name, which they have profaned by their idolatry.

Writing to the Jewish Christians in Rome, Paul has been puzzling over our human condition: “I do not do the good that I want, but I do the evil that I hate”. Mortal flesh is weak. “But God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh” so that the Son’s Spirit might give us the strength to live according to His Spirit. Paul’s conclusion: with Christ’s Spirit in us we are given life reconciled with God both now and in bodily resurrection after death.

These foretastes of resurrection prepare us for John’s description of the Raising of Lazarus, the third of the three beautiful dramatic Lenten readings from John, which need to be read in full. Perhaps we should sit and ponder how difficult it is to believe, and how difficult it was for Martha to open the tomb?

Psalm Response: With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.

1 Samuel 16:1,6-7,10-13; Psalm 22; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41

Before our first reading King Saul had disobeyed God’s instructions by allowing animals from his defeated enemy to be sacrificed to the Lord. He put more faith in ceremony and ritual than he did in the Lord. Samuel told Saul obedience is more important than holocausts, and that the Lord has rejected Saul as king of Israel. The Lord sends Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint one of the sons of Jesse as king.

Paul’s great letter about the Church to the Ephesians is centred on the Church as Christ’s body, with a mission to make God’s plan of salvation known throughout the world. Christians must “be like children of light, for the effects of the light are seen in goodness, right living and truth”. Discovering what the Lord wants of us exposes by contrast the “futile works of darkness”.

The dramatic Lenten readings from John’s gospel continue with the healing of the man born blind. At first the man does not seem to care who has healed him. His parents distance themselves out of fear, echoing the growing separation between Jews and Christians by John’s time. But for John, just seeing is not enough, the light of faith is essential. So Jesus seeks the man out and gradually leads him to full belief, and to worship him.

Psalm Response: The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

1 Samuel 16:1,6-7,10-13; Psalm 22; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41

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

The Israelites escaped from Egypt probably under Ramses II about 1300 BC. They wandered in the wilderness of Sinai, fed daily by God with quail and manna. But they continued grumbling, losing faith that “God was with them”. The places were named “Massah”, “test”, and “Meribah”, “quarrelling”. But God still looks after his people, giving them water. They are not punished now, as it is before they accept the Covenant God made with Moses on Sinai. But none of this generation will enter the promised land.

Paul tells the Romans that God loves and forgives us, just as he continued caring for the ungrateful Israelites. God proved his love in that Christ died for us, gaining pardon for all humanity. So we can be at rights with God and have peace because faith gives us access to this grace.

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?”

Psalm Response: O that today you would listen to his voice! “Harden not your hearts”.

Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 32; 2 Timothy 1:8-10; Matthew 17:1-9

After hearing last week about the Fall, Genesis moves past the Flood and the Tower of Babel to the times of the patriarchs, probably before 1500 BC. God tells Abram to travel from Haran near the Euphrates to “a land that I will show you”. God promises that Abram’s descendants will become a great nation which will be blessed, and will take God’s blessings to other peoples. Abram trusts in God and obeys, following the age-old migration route through Palestine to Egypt.

In one of his last letters Paul instructs Timothy to continue proclaiming the true gospel he received from Paul, and to correct the errors that will arise from false teachers. God’s plan, made before time began, was revealed by the appearing of Jesus Christ, who has saved all humanity and abolished death. We cannot merit the grace to be holy, it is a free gift.

In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus for the first time tells his disciples of his coming passion. They are then given a preview of Jesus’ glory as the Son of God. Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus, who is the correct interpreter of the Law and the Prophets. Then Jesus predicts his resurrection, after which they will understand what they have seen.

Psalm Response: May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.

Isaiah 49:14-15; Psalm 61; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; Matthew 6:24-34

Second Isaiah was writing after the exile of the Jews in Babylon ended in 539 BC. 6 weeks ago Isaiah told us that God wanted his servant, which might be Israel or an individual, to take his salvation to the ends of the earth. Now God promises he will always support his people, using the tender image of a mother’s love for her child. Those who hope in the Lord “shall never be disappointed”. Zion will be restored. The Lord is our “saviour”, our “redeemer”.

Paul’s letter continues with his criticism of the Corinthians for having rival groups. Ministers are accountable as “servants, stewards entrusted with the mysteries of God”. We should not make premature judgements, which will be based on worldly wisdom. Since God is infinitely just there must be a final judgement made by the Lord, putting the whole world to rights. However, Paul does recognise in the next chapter that sometimes the Church has to discipline its members.

In Matthew’s Gospel the sermon on the mount has continued with the Lord’s Prayer. We now hear Jesus’ teaching about worldly possessions. We must choose between God and money. Jesus urges us to have confidence in God, the true meaning of “hope”. Our priority must be righteousness, obeying God’s will. Then our real needs will be met.

Psalm Response: In God alone is my soul at rest.

Isaiah 49:14-15; Psalm 61; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; Matthew 6:24-34

Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18; Psalm 102; 1 Corinthians 3:16-23; Matthew 5:38-48

Leviticus means “and he called”. The book 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 the repeated command: “You shall be holy, because I, the Lord, am holy”. These chapters about the sacredness of sex, the marriage laws, forbidding aberrant sexual behaviour, and expanding the basic Commandments, show how the Israelites are to keep themselves in a state of wholeness, as a sign of their intimate union with the Holy Lord. These detailed instructions on behaviour imply both responsibilities and corresponding rights.

Perhaps we can see why 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.

Psalm Response: The Lord is compassion and love.

Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18; Psalm 102; 1 Corinthians 3:16-23; Matthew 5:38-48

Sirach/ Ecclesiasticus 15:15-20; Psalm 118; 1 Corinthians 2:6-10; Matthew 5:17-37

Writing about 132 BC, Ben Sira was a learned and widely travelled Jerusalem scholar. Today’s reading is one of the clearest statements in the whole Bible on free will. God created human beings and – as an essential part of our nature – gave us the ability to choose between right and wrong, life or death. God does not cause our sins, even though he knows how we will misuse this gift.

In last week’s reading Paul said that he did not come using clever human oratory. He now tells the Corinthians something no human being could work out, namely God’s wisdom – his plan from the beginning for our salvation. Because this knowledge comes to us only by revelation, we must be open and listen to the Spirit who reveals it.<&p>

Continuing the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus states clearly that He is not abolishing the Jewish Law. But He then goes on to clarify the Commandments – we must obey them in spirit, not just a literal minimum. Our free will should be exercised with wisdom, so that we help to build the kingdom of God here on earth.

(Background note: The apparent exception for divorce (Matthew 5:32) is usually understood to refer to marrying within forbidden degrees of kindred, although translations vary.)

Psalm Response: They are happy who follow God’s law!

Sirach/ Ecclesiasticus 15:15-20; Psalm 118; 1 Corinthians 2:6-10; Matthew 5:17-37

Zeph 2:3,3:12-13; Psalm 145; 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.
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.

Psalm Response: How happy are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.