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

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

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, etc. Then, as the Gospel says, your good deeds, like salt or a lamp, will influence others and give glory to God, without drawing attention to yourselves.

Paul, similarly, 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 ‘mystery’ of God – the salvific events to be revealed in the age to come. No, he believes that “Jesus Christ and him crucified”, the message itself, making visible the power of God, is strong enough to convince.

Psalm Response: The good man is a light in the darkness for the upright.

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

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.

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

The first reading is from First Isaiah, when, about 725 BC, Isaiah, was advisor to the king of Judah. Ahaz, a weak king, 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.

In our second reading, in this week of prayer for Christian unity, 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.

Psalm Response: The Lord is my light and my help.

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

Isaiah 49: 3,5-6; Psalm 39; 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. It is not clear who the servant is: is it Israel or an individual who is to be “the light of the nations”? The servant has been chosen before he was born, all part of God’s plan, and he is to take God’s salvation to the whole world, as well as to Israel.
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.

Psalm Response: Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.

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

isaiah 60:1-6; Psalm 71; Ephesians 3:2-3,5-6; Matthew 2:1-12

 

Third Isaiah was writing just after the Israelites had returned from exile in Babylon. Participation in the future messianic salvation is offered to all who believe in the Lord and keep his commandments. Isaiah visualises the new Jerusalem, illuminated by God, to which all peoples will stream and a time when their offerings will be acceptable. The church’s task is to bring the good news to the whole world.

 

The vision of the universal Church Paul describes in Ephesians matches Isaiah’s image of the new Jerusalem. Paul sees the Church, led by the Spirit, as Christ’s body, part of God’s plan for the whole of creation. And Paul joyfully realises that it was always part of God’s plan that the gospel message is to be taken to all: Gentiles as well as Jews are to share in the inheritance promised by God.

 

In Luke’s Gospel an angel announced Jesus’ birth to poor Jewish shepherds, excluded by their occupation from Temple worship. Today we hear Matthew’s description of Gentile scholars travelling from afar to bring kingly offerings to the new-born child. But they needed the Jewish scriptures to help find him. We too need the Old Testament to help us understand God’s plan and what he has done in Jesus for our salvation.

 

Psalm Response:                                   All nations shall fall prostrate before you, O Lord.

 

Numbers 6:22-26; Psalm 66; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21

The Book of Numbers continues the story of the Israelites during their exodus journey from Mount Sinai until they arrive outside the Promised Land before 1200 BC. Among the many laws for behaviour and ritual practices is this beautiful form of blessing given to Moses by the Lord. It is one of the oldest and finest pieces of ancient poetry. To “bless” means to pour out the power of life that produces growth, success, fertility and prosperity.

Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians as an angry and anguished appeal to them not to forsake the gospel he had taught them. Other preachers were trying to persuade them that, to be fully Christian, Gentiles had to become Jews and conform to the Jewish Law. No, says Paul. The Law was a temporary disciplinarian needed until humanity was mature enough to join God’s family. This is now possible through the faith of, and our faith in, God’s Son, who was born of a woman and so fully human.

In Luke’s Gospel the coming birth of Jesus was announced to Mary by the Angel Gabriel. Accepting what God wanted of her, and still a virgin when Jesus was born, she may still have been puzzling over this strange event. So she must have been much helped by the coming of these shepherds, who confirmed that her son was “Messiah and Lord”.

Psalm Response: O God, be gracious and bless us.

Midnight: Isaiah 9:1-7; Psalm 95; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14.
Dawn: Isaiah 62:11-12; Psalm 96; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:15-20.
Day: Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 97; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-18.

Around 720 BC Judah was threatened by many enemies. Isaiah advised the kings to stand firm, because the Lord would give a sign: “the maiden shall be with child”. The birth of a helpless baby gives hope for the future. But this future must be founded on justice and integrity. Early Christians adopted these words as a marvellous way to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Written over 60 years after Jesus’ birth, Paul’s summarises the gospel to Titus: a compassionate God chose to offer us the free gift of being “at one” with him. But God’s revelation of salvation in Christ demands we transform our lives and “give up everything that does not lead to God”. The reading from Hebrews tells us that God has spoken to us through his son, who is “the perfect copy of his nature”.

Luke places the birth of the Christ firmly in time and space. Jesus was a man born miraculously to a virgin in Bethlehem in Judea. The peace and quiet of the undercroft, where animals gave warmth, must have been a welcome relief for Mary, after the noise and bustle of the inn. The simplicity of Jesus’ birth is important: God comes as a vulnerable baby to draw us into a relationship with him. The royal birth announcement was sent not to royalty, but to poor shepherds, outcasts excluded from Temple worship by their occupation. Joseph, of the house of David, named Jesus as his son. Jesus lived in history, growing up in Nazareth in Galilee.

By the time John’s gospel was written, Christians had come to realise that Jesus had existed as the Word of God before time began. So John’s prologue seeks to describe the complexity of the creator becoming part of his own creation.
Psalm Responses:
Midnight: Today a saviour has been born to us; he is Christ the Lord.
Dawn: This day a new light will shine upon the earth: the Lord is born for us.
Day: All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 71; Romans 15:4-9; Matthew 3:1-12

The readings for Advent from Isaiah continue with his description of the ideal king, who will come from the remnant of Israel – the stump of Jesse, of David’s dynasty. Much quoted by Christian New Testament writers and applied to Jesus. But Isaiah was seeking to comfort his people, under attack by Assyria, and he goes on to foresee a fantastic and idyllic future when the whole of creation will live in complete harmony. No human king could achieve this, but the “fear of the Lord” and the “knowledge of the Lord” would bring it about.

Paul’s letter to the Romans exhorts the two groups of Christians in Rome to work patiently together, ignoring varying degrees of conformity to the Jewish Law. We must learn about God from the Jewish Scriptures, the Old Testament, so that we may worship him in unity of mind and mouth. The sufferings of both the Messiah and of Israel demonstrate that God keeps His promises, and the Messiah will lead all nations, both Jews and Gentiles, to praise God.

In the Gospel John the Baptist, the last prophet of the Old Testament, prepares the way of the Lord by urging people to repent, to turn towards God from their sins. But he condemns those who say they have no need of God.

Psalm Response: In his days justice shall flourish and peace till the moon fails.

Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 121; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44

During advent the first readings are from first Isaiah, mostly written before 700 BC, a period when Israel was under attack from Assyria. Isaiah is critical of attempts by Israel’s kings to control their destiny – he urges them to place their faith and trust in God, and in His promises to David, whose city of Jerusalem is where God dwells. But God will not necessarily protect Israel from its enemies, who might be the means God uses to cleanse the people.
Nevertheless there will be a remnant who will ensure the survival of the people, like a stump of a tree, from which will come an ideal ruler in the future. In today’s reading Isaiah looks forward to a peaceful time when all nations will be attracted by Israel’s behaviour to accept God’s authority, centred on Mount Zion in Jerusalem.
In his letter to the Romans Paul has been drawing out the implications of his image of Christians as all parts of one body. Since we are therefore dependant on each other we have a duty of love for each other. Judgement will come at any time, so we must live at all times as if all our actions are visible to all.
Matthew’s gospel reinforces the need to “stay awake”, ready for the Lord’s coming.

Psalm Response: I rejoiced when I heard them say: “Let us go to God’s house”.

Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 121; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44