Nativity of St. John the Baptist, 24 June, Year B, First Reading (Acts 13:22-26)

22 After removing Saul, he [God] made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ 23 “From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. 24 Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all

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

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

God’s Anger (Hosea 13:9-11)

9 “You are destroyed, Israel, because you are against me, against your helper. 10 Where is your king, that he may save you? Where are your rulers in all your towns, of whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes’? 11 So in my anger I gave you a king, and in my wrath I took him away. This

Christmas Mass at Night, 1st 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

Second Sunday of Advent, Year A, First Reading (Isaiah 11:1-10)

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what

Introduction to the Minor Prophets

In 2022-2023, at St. Joseph’s bible study, we’ll be studying the minor prophets. These are the last books of the Old Testament and so make a kind of bridge to the New Testament. They show Israel’s unfaithfulness and failures but they also give hope. The people of God, who signed a covenant with him on