Here are some of the main themes that we discover in the Mass readings for the 17th Sunday of the Year.
1st Reading – Genesis 18:20-32
Seeing the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, God goes down to determine their punishment.
Abraham bargains with God, pleading that even if there are only ten innocent people, God will not destroy it.
Psalm – 138:1-3,6-8
“Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.”
We give thanks for God’s kindness and truth, calling upon the Lord when our enemies threaten us.
2nd Reading – Colossians 2:12-14
In baptism we were buried and raised with Christ.
Nailed to the cross, the bond of sin has been obliterated.
Gospel – Luke 11:1-13
When a disciple asks Jesus to teach them to pray, Christ gives them the Lord’s Prayer (Luke’s version.)
Jesus then offers a parable about persistence, reminding the disciples to ask, seek, and knock for what they need as they trust in the love of their heavenly Father.
Let’s examine some of the themes that we find in the Mass readings for the 3rd Sunday of Lent.
1st Reading – Exodus 3:1-8a,13-15
While tending flocks near Mount Horeb, Moses encounters God in the burning bush.
The Lord has heard the cry of the people enslaved in Egypt and will lead them to a land flowing with milk and honey.
God tells Moses that when he goes to the Israelites, he will tell them, “I AM sent me to you…the Lord, the God of your Fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
Psalm – 103: 1-4,6-8,11
“The Lord is kind and merciful.”
Merciful and gracious, the Lord pardons, heals, redeems, and guides the children of Israel.
2nd Reading – 1st Corinthians 10:1-6,10-12
Paul reminds the people that many Israelites displeased God during the Exodus.
The example of the Israelites serves as a warning to neither grumble nor desire evil things.
Gospel – Luke 13:1-9
Citing a couple of recent tragedies, Christ reminds the people to repent of their sins lest they perish.
Jesus then speaks about a parable of an unfruitful fig tree, revealing both the mercy and judgment of God.
Continuing the call to a higher standard in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offers a couple of spiritual insights regarding our response to others when life gets messy.
Let’s explore some of the themes in the Mass readings for the 4th Sunday of Lent.
1st Reading – 2nd Chronicles 36:14-16,19-23
Despite the Lord’s repeated attempts to bring them back, the people of Israel added infidelity to infidelity and were beyond remedy.
Finally, the Lord allowed their enemies to destroy the temple in Jerusalem and deport them to Babylon, where they will be in captivity for seventy years.
Psalm – 137:1-6
“Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!”
Recalling the sorrow of the Babylon captivity, the Psalmist remembers Jerusalem.
2nd Reading – Ephesians 2:4-10
God’s mercy brought us to life, even when we were dead in our transgressions.
For by grace we have been saved through faith, a gift from God.
Gospel – John 3:14-21
Jesus speaks to Nicodemus and says the famous words, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”
Three Great Things 