The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, Wilhelm von Schadow, 1838-1842, Städel Museum

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the First Reading
Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Wisdom 6:12–16
November 8, 2020

Today, we read for the first time in many months a passage from the “Wisdom of Solomon.” Let us make a quick review of it. Although it sounds ancient, it is perhaps the more recent book in the Old Testament and could have been written as late as 30 BC. Also, although it takes the name of King Solomon of Jerusalem from about 1000 BC, it was most likely written in Alexandra Egypt for the children of the Jewish elite who were immersed in the Roman world and tempted to give up their faith.

All Saints I, Wassily Kandinsky, 1911, Lenbachhaus
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Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Psalm
Solemnity of All Saints
Psalm 24:1BC-2, 3-4AB, 5-6
November 1, 2020

This Sunday we celebrate All Saints’ Day and both non-gospel readings are from the New Testament. This provides the opportunity to look at the Psalm for the day. It is Psalm 24 and is one that has a universal meaning and appeal but one which also speaks powerfully to our time.

The Psalms are the church’s great songs. Like many of the Psalms, we are unsure when Psalm 24 was written. It is called a Psalm of David (Ps. 24:1) and some scholars think it could have been written in the early monarchy. Whether it does or not, the psalmist begins with a bold statement of the LORD’S power in the world:

Last week we posted online, the Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship document from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Many of our parishioners read it and have made positive comments but also asked many questions. It is not a voter’s guide. It very clearly does not attempt to distill the candidate’s ideas on important issues and then compare them. Several Dioceses have created voter’s guides for their residents, but our Bishop has not. Also, many organizations that call themselves Catholic have issued them, but none are official. Indeed a few of these groups have only tenuous connections with the Church.

Continue reading “Follow-up on Faithful Citizenship” →

Israel in Egypt, Edward Poynter, 1867, Guidhall Art Gallery

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the First Reading
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Exodus 22:20-26
October 25, 2020

The Jewish people knew themselves to be a people of the covenant. A covenant is more than a recognition that a relationship exists, but one so important that the terms must be clearly defined and accepted. It is more than a contract for goods and services, but a sharing of flesh and blood. A covenant includes a sacrifice in which the contracting parties share a meal as a sign of this union. Continue reading “30th Sunday of Ordinary Time – The Fullness of God’s Compassion” →

Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isaiah 45:1, 4-6
October 18, 2020

This week, we continue reading the book of Isaiah, but we will move from Jerusalem around 700 BC to Babylon around 530 BC and the second person to use that name. Like his namesake, he believes in the sovereignty of the LORD, that the LORD works in history, and that Jews have a vocation to the world. He will however bring a distinct perspective and greater subtlety to his analysis and prophecy.

The Lord is My Shepherd, Eastman Johnson, 1863, Smithsonian American Art Museum
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Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the First Reading
Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isaiah 25:6-10A
October 10, 2020

We once more read from “First” Isaiah today. Last week in the “Song of the Vineyard” (Isaiah 5), he joined the prophets of his time in revealing and condemning injustice; most directly for Isaiah, the inequality that divided the rich from the poor and weakened community. If that were all he did he would be remembered as a great prophet and leader. However, we find in Isaiah the first clear articulation of the vocation of the Jewish people. His understanding of this is so profound that it not only inspired his successors but should move us as well.