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Full lections can be read here.
Based on the Readings as Set
First Reading (1 Samuel 3:1-10, [11-20])
Toward the end of the rule of the judges, the word of Yahweh unexpectedly comes to the boy Samuel serving under Eli the priest. It is a difficult word for the budding prophet because it regards Yahweh’s coming punishment upon Eli and his sons.
Psalm (139:1-6, 13-18)
The Psalmist celebrates the fact that Yahweh not only knows him inside out, but also, knowing what plans he had for him, wondrously formed him his mother’s womb. Such a God far exceeds the Psalmist’s ability to understand.
Second Reading (1 Corinthians 6:12-20)
In stressing the freedom of Christians, St. Paul takes care to point out that not all things are beneficial. He is especially concerned about sexual sins because they violate the body, which is made for the Lord, for his glory, and is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Gospel (John 1:43-51)
After responding to Jesus’ invitation to follow him, Philip tells his brother Nathaniel that he has found the Expected One. After Jesus shows that he had intimate prior knowledge of him Nathaniel believes and is told that he will come to understand more about the true identity of the Son of Man.
CONNECTION SUGGESTIONS
- The call of God
- God makes himself known (reveals himself)
- We are personally known and cared for by the Lord
- The Lord orders our life for his purposes
- Bodily existence is spiritually significant
George,
I am intrigued by your last suggestion of topics, Bodily existence is spiritually significant. It sounds so profound, but I can’t say that I understand it. Could you explain a little further.
Thanks,
P
Hi Paul, I appreciate your comments and questions. I think I have figured out how you can access my replies by going to the Lection Connection page for the Sunday upon which you have posted a question: in this case “Second Sunday after the Epiphany” as per the link below and then clicking on the Comment(s) button under the Title line. Let me know if this works! As to your question, I was trying to link the Psalm and Epistle, which tell us that our body is the temple of the Spirit and a wonderful creation of our God. This ties into the wider biblical notion that human bodies are part of what God has redeemed in Christ, as seen in the Incarnation, the Word taking on flesh, and the Resurrection in which Christ’s body was transformed and is now present in heaven. Too often Christians have bought in to the Greek idea that our bodies are part of an evil physical world and only our souls go to heaven. This contradicts our confession in “the resurrection of the body”. In Scriptural terms the body and the spirit are part of what makes us up as human beings and what we do “in the body” has a spiritual effect and vice-versa, as Paul references in the matter of sexual sins. Again, thank you for your question: it has made me think again about what I am saying and how I am saying it.
Thank you George for the explanation. I don’t think I have ever heard any talk about the connection between the body and the spirit before. You make it sound so straight forward and logical. You have got me thinking. P