First Sunday of Advent, Year B, 1st Reading (Isaiah 63:16-17, 64:1-7)

You, Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name. 17 Why, Lord, do you make us wander from your ways and harden our hearts so we do not revere you? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes that are your inheritance. … Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you!

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

Rend Your Heart (Joel 2:12-17)

12 “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” 13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. 14 Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a

Ash Wednesday, First Reading (Joel 2:12-18)

(The St. Joseph’s Bible Study blog will have a number of activities for Lent including specific prayers and thoughts for each day. Every Tuesday there will be a reflection on one of the glorious mysteries of the rosary.) You can find a commentary on the second reading here: https://biblestudystjosephsparis.wordpress.com/2022/03/01/ash-wednesday-mass-second-reading-commentary-2-corinthians-520-62/ and for the gospel here: https://biblestudystjosephsparis.wordpress.com/2021/02/16/ash-wednesday-matthew-61-6-16-18/

Feast of St. Teresa of Avila (15 October) Gospel Commentary (Luke 12:8-12)

8 “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. 9 But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not

Introduction to Hosea: What is a prophet?

Nowadays when we think of a prophet, we think of someone who can predict the future but that’s not at all the main role of the biblical prophets. The biblical prophets warn people that, if they are breaking Israel’s covenant with God and sinning, this will lead to disaster. Their goal is to get people

The Source of Temptation (James 1:12-15)

12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted

Third Sunday of Lent, Year C, Gospel Commentary (Luke 13:1-9)

This week there are two different sets of Mass readings depending on whether the Mass is the scrutiny (for those who will be baptized at the Easter Vigil) or not. Yesterday the commentary was on the first reading for the scrutiny and tomorrow I will send out the gospel for it. Today, though, the gospel

3rd Sunday of Advent, Year C, Gospel Commentary (Luke3:10-18)

10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. 11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” 13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.

2nd Sunday of Advent Year C, Gospel Commentary (Luke 3:1-6)

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan,