Grace and Peace (Philemon:3)

3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. In verse three, Paul adds the greeting that appears in all of his undisputed letters, wishing the reader grace and peace. Charis, the Greek word for grace, resembles the typical greeting in a Greek letter while peace, “shalom” was the typical greeting

Epiphany, 6 or 7 January according to the Country, First Reading (Isaiah 60:1-6)

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons

Christmas Mass at Night, First Reading, (Isaiah 9:2-7 or 1-6 depending on the translation)

You can find a commentary on the gospel here: https://biblestudystjosephsparis.wordpress.com/2021/12/23/christmas-gospel-commentary-mass-during-the-night-luke-21-14/ The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. 3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing

2nd Sunday of Advent, Year B, First Reading (Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11)

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. 3 A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our

27th Sunday, Year A, First Reading (Isaiah 5:1-7)

I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. 2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a

25th Sunday, Year A, First Reading (Isaiah 55:6-9)

6 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As

20th Sunday, Year A, First Reading (Isaiah 56:1, 6-7)

This is what the Lord says: “Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed… 6 And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my

15th Sunday, Year A, First Reading (Isaiah 50:10-11)

10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will

Fifth Sunday, Ordinary Time, Year A, First Reading (Isaiah 58:7-10)

Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you,

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, Gospel Commentary (Matthew 4:12-23)

12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of