The Liturgy of the Hours is the official prayer of the Catholic Church. As its name suggests it is the concrete expression of the Church’s desire to fulfill St Paul’s injunction to “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thess. 5:17) It is composed mostly of Psalms and other “songs” from the Old Testament and readings from both. It is often referred to as “The Breviary.” The word is derived from “breviarium” which means brief summary.  We may not find it all that brief but it does put together the Church’s prayer in one place and is remarkably easy to master. Continue reading “Praying the Liturgy of the Hours” →

Christ and the Woman of Samaria, Rembrandt and student, c. 1655 (Met. Museum of Art, New York)

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the First Reading
Exodus 17:3–7
March 15, 2020

The passage that we read today was quoted in the Gospel for Sunday in the first week of Lent. St Matthew, following the rabbis of his day, saw the irony of the passage. The Israelites thought that they were testing God, but He was testing them.

What exactly happened in the book of Exodus is unclear. A mass migration of hundreds of thousands of people is most unlikely. The theory that there was no migration at all, but a revolution of tribes within Canaan, was popular for a decade or so but is now losing its appeal. Some scholars believe that there was an Exodus from Egypt by a Semitic group which we could most likely identify with the tribe of Levi. This clan by both military prowess and a more attractive theology was able to attract other tribes to join them and eventually settled in Canaan. This would fit the reality of today’s situation: Continue reading “3rd Sunday of Lent – The Wisdom of Knowing We Are Loved” →