Readings: 1 Kings 19:16-21 Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11 Galatians 5:1,13-18 Luke 9:51-62 Chants The Lamentation of Christ, Jan Lievens, ca. 1640 Scott Hahn with David Scott In today’s First Reading, Elijah’s disciple is allowed to kiss his parents goodbye before setting out to follow the prophet’s call. But we are called to follow a greater than Elijah, today’s Liturgy wants…

Readings: 2 Samuel 12: 7–10, 13 Psalm 32: 1–2, 5,7,11 Galatians 2:16, 19–21 Luke 7:36–50 Chants Christ at Supper with Simon the Pharisee, with the Anointment of Christ's Feet by Mary Magdalen Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, 1785 Scott Hahn with David Scott In this Sunday’s readings we are like the fallen king, David, and the woman who weeps at Jesus’ feet.…

Readings: Genesis 14:18-20 Psalm 110:1-4 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Luke 9:11-17 (see also “The Lord of My Lord”) Chants Resurrection, Agnolo Bronzino, c. 1548-52 Blessed and Given At the dawn of salvation history, God revealed our future in figures. That’s what’s going on in today’s First Reading: A king and high priest comes from Jerusalem (see Psalm 76:3), offering bread and wine to…

Readings: Proverbs 8:22-31  Psalms 8:4-9  Romans 5:1-5  John 16:12-15 Chants The Holy Trinity, Master of the Votive Picture of Sankt Lambrech (Hans von Tübingen), Vienna, 1430 Scott Hahn with David Scott In today’s Liturgy we’re swept through time in glorious procession—from before earth and sky were set in place to the coming of the Spirit upon the new creation, the…

Readings: 1 Samuel 26:2,7-9,12-13,22-23  Psalm 103:1-4,8,10,12-13  1 Corinthians 15:45-49  Luke 6:27-35 Christ Teaching, Anglo-Saxon, possibly Canterbury, ca. 1000 (Getty) Davids and Sauls The story of David and Saul in today’s First Reading functions almost like a parable. Showing mercy to his deadly foe, David gives a concrete example of what Jesus expects to become a way of life for His…

Readings: Jeremiah 17:5-8  Psalm 1:1-4, 6  1 Corinthians 15:12,16-20  Luke 6:17, 20-26 Chants Apocalyptic Christ, relief from the pulpit (detail) Nicola Pisano, 1268 Rich in Poverty The blessings and woes we hear in today’s Gospel mark the perfection of all the wisdom of the Old Testament. That wisdom is summed up with marvelous symmetry in today’s First Reading and Psalm:…

Readings: Isaiah 6:1-8  Psalm 138:1-5, 7-8 11  Corinthians 13:1-11  Luke 5:1-11 Chants Well of Moses: Christ (fragment), Claus Sluter, 1406 Into the Deep Simon Peter, the fisherman, is the first to be called personally by Jesus in Luke’s Gospel. His calling resembles Isaiah’s commissioning in the First Reading: Confronted with the holiness of the Lord, both Peter and Isaiah are…

Readings:  Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19  Psalm 71: 1-6, 15-17  1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13  Luke 4:21-30 Chants Blessing Christ and Praying Virgin, Maters of Flémalle, 1424 Prophet to the Nations God’s words in today’s First Reading point us beyond Jeremiah to Jesus. Like Jeremiah, Jesus was consecrated in the womb and sent as a “prophet to the nations” (see Luke 1:31-33). Like the…

Readings: Nehemiah 8:2-6,10  Psalms 19:8-10,15  1 Corinthians 12:12-30  Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21 Chants Christ with the Four Evangelists, Fra Bartolomeo 1516 New Day Dawns The meaning of today’s Liturgy is subtle and many-layered. We need background to understand what’s happening in today’s First Reading. Babylon having been defeated, King Cyrus of Persia decreed that the exiled Jews could return home to…

Readings: Isaiah 62:1-5  Psalm 96:1-3, 7-10  1 Corinthians 12:4-11  John 2:1-12  (see also “On ‘The Hour’”) Christ Teaching, Anglo-Saxon, possibly Canterbury, ca. 1000 (Getty) In the Wedding Think of these first weeks after Christmas as a season of “epiphanies.” The Liturgy is showing us Who Jesus is and what He has revealed about our relationship with God. Last week and the…