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Ash Wednesday, March 6, 2019, Year C

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Full lections can be read here.

Based on the Readings as Set

First Reading (Joel 2:1-2, 12-17)

Through the prophet Joel YAHWEH warns of an impending “Day of the Lord” and pleads with his people to return to him in sincerity of heart. He calls for a fast that goes beyond mere outward observance and relies instead on YAHWEH’s steadfast love and mercy.

Psalm (51:1-17)

The Psalmist, deeply aware of his own sinfulness, realizes that what he truly needs is a new spirit, a new heart. A merciful and loving YAHWEH grants these to those who sincerely and humbly offer him a broken and repentant spirit.

Second Reading (2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10)

St. Paul pleads with the Corinthians to get right with God through Christ who has taken our sin upon himself and shares with us the righteousness of God. This is the day of salvation for which the apostle has worked, suffered, and, paradoxically, been blessed.

Gospel (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21)

Jesus teaches that practicing our religion in order to impress others reveals only that the things of heaven are not of ultimate importance to us. Hearts truly oriented to God will be content to do these things in secret, knowing that his blessings await in due course.

CONNECTION SUGGESTIONS

  • The poverty of superficial religious observance
  • God looks upon the heart
  • The necessity of a changed heart in order to please God
  • Good deeds issue from good souls and not the other way round
  • The true fast is of the heart
  • A little humility goes a long way

Based on the Alternative First Reading

First Reading (Isaiah 58:1-12)

Isaiah voices YAHWEH’s displeasure with a people who seek to draw near to him through fasting while not observing his ways. A true fast, one that will ultimately lead to Israel’s restoration, is caring for those in need and bringing injustice to an end.

Psalm (51:1-17)

The Psalmist, deeply aware of his own sinfulness, realizes that what he truly needs is a new spirit, a new heart. A merciful and loving YAHWEH grants these to those who sincerely and humbly offer him a broken and repentant spirit.

Second Reading (2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10)

St. Paul pleads with the Corinthians to get right with God through Christ who has taken our sin upon himself and shares with us the righteousness of God. This is the day of salvation for which the apostle has worked, suffered, and, paradoxically, been blessed.

Gospel (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21)

Jesus teaches that practicing our religion in order to impress others reveals only that the things of heaven are not of ultimate importance to us. Hearts truly oriented to God will be content to do these things in secret, knowing that his blessings await in due course.

CONNECTION SUGGESTIONS

  • The poverty of superficial religious observance
  • God looks upon the heart
  • The necessity of a changed heart in order to please God
  • Good deeds issue from good souls and not the other way round
  • The true fast is of the heart
  • A little humility goes a long way

 

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Transfiguration Sunday, March 3, 2019, Year C

Please see How to Use Lection Connection

Full lections can be read here.

Based on the Readings as Set

First Reading (Exodus 34:29-35)

Moses receives the Ten Commandments for the second time on Mt. Sinai and descends with them to a chastened Israel. They are afraid because his face shines from the Presence of God. He wears a veil over his face and only takes it off whenever he goes in before the Lord.

Psalm (99)

The Psalmist depicts the Lord as a holy and exalted king over Israel and the nations. The earth quakes at his Presence and is called to praise his awesome name. He has spoken to Israel, establishing justice and righteousness and she is humbly to worship on his holy mountain.

Second Reading (2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2)

Paul writes that under the Old Covenant, minds remain veiled, like the face of Moses coming down from the mountain, until they turn to Jesus and are transformed into his glory by the Spirit. This makes Paul acutely aware of God’s mercy, providing him courage and motivation.

Gospel (Luke 9:28-36, [37-43a])

Jesus is transfigured, appearing in dazzling white between Moses and Elijah. A voice from heaven affirms him as his beloved Son, to whom all should listen. Jesus then delivers a boy from a demon after his disciples could not. All are amazed at the goodness of God.

CONNECTION SUGGESTIONS

  • Jesus reveals the glory of God in his own being
  • In the presence of God there is revelation of truth
  • Jesus shares the characteristics of divinity
  • Jesus, as the Son of God, completes and supersedes all who came before

 

 

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Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany, February 24, 2019, Year C

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Full lections can be read here.

Based on the Readings as Set

First Reading (Genesis 45:3-11, 15)

Joseph, now Pharaoh’s top official, reveals himself to his petitioning brothers who immediately fear he will seek revenge for having sold him into slavery. He assures them that God was behind it all, working to ensure the survival of Jacob’s family by providing a place for them in Egypt.

Psalm (37:1-11, 39-40)

The Psalmist urges a steady confidence in the Lord in the face of the apparent success of the wicked. They will soon fade from the scene while those who humbly take refuge in the Lord will eventually inherit the land and enter into salvation by his hand.

Second Reading (1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50)

Paul compares the resurrection body to the present body by contrasting a verdant plant and its bare seed. Just as our physical body, like Adam’s, was made of earth and for this world, so our spiritual body, like the last Adam’s, Christ, is glorious and perfect for everlasting life in heaven.

Gospel (Luke 6:27-38)

Not only does Jesus teach his followers to “go the second mile” with those who hate them, he commands them to love them as well. Everybody will help others for a reward. But Jesus says that God’s blessing will come to those who treat others as themselves not expecting a reward.

CONNECTION SUGGESTIONS

  • The final blessing of God far exceeds our expectations
  • Loving those who abuse us opens the door to God’s blessing for us and for them
  • The way of Jesus is not something that comes naturally, especially in the face of the success of those who do not follow him
  • God will provide what we need when we need it

 

 

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Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, February 17, 2019, Year C

Please see How to Use Lection Connection

Full lections can be read here.

Based on the Readings as Set

First Reading (Jeremiah 17:5-10)

Jeremiah declares that to trust in humankind is to end up like a plant dying in the desert. But to trust in the Lord is to be blessed, like a thriving tree planted by water, unafraid of any drought. The human heart is unreliable and known only to the Lord, who rewards those who do good.

Psalm (1)

The Psalmist declares happy those who ignore the advice of the wicked and instead delight in the Law of the Lord. They are like perpetually fruitful trees beside a river instead of chaff blown away by the wind. The wicked will suffer judgment while the Lord guides the righteous forever.

Second Reading (1 Corinthians 15:12-20)

If it is true that the dead are not raised, says Paul, then the apostles are liars, Jesus is still dead, sin has not been dealt with, and the Christian dead have died without hope. We are the most pitiful people of all. But, in fact, Christ has been raised, the first of many others sure to follow.

Gospel (Luke 6:17-26)

A large crowd gathers to hear Jesus and to be healed by his evident power. He tells his disciples that the poor, the hungry, the sorrowful and the reviled will have their fortunes reversed, while those who are enjoying life now will lose it all. He warns that God’s heralds are never popular.

CONNECTION SUGGESTIONS

  • A message cannot be judged by how well it is received
  • The way of faithfulness is not immediately obvious
  • Jesus has power over every difficult circumstance and even death itself
  • The judgment of God will reverse every injustice and set things right
  • Following the ways of God ultimately leads to a full and fruitful life

 

 

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Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, February 10, 2019, Year C

Please see How to Use Lection Connection

Full lections can be read here.

Based on the Readings as Set

First Reading (Isaiah 6:1-8, [9-13])

Isaiah is granted a compelling vision of the Lord, majestic and holy in his temple. Having his sinful lips purified from the altar, the shaken prophet agrees to deliver a message of judgment on a sinful people that will be ignored until it is too late. But from the ashes will come new life.

Psalm (138)

The Psalmist gives thanks to the Lord because his cries for help have been answered. Even kings will be impressed by his testimony of how the Lord lifts up the lowly. Confident of help in the midst of his troubles, he asks for the Lord’s support in order to fulfill his divine purpose.

Second Reading (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)

Paul reminds the Corinthians that their faith and salvation are based on the truth of the apostolic witness to the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead. His own encounter with the risen Christ while actively persecuting the Church is the perfect example of God’s grace at work.

Gospel (Luke 5:1-11)

At the seaside, Jesus teaches the crowd from Simon Peter’s boat and then instructs him to go into deeper water in order to fish. Peter, having tried earlier with no results, reluctantly agrees. Shaken after a huge catch, he and his partners leave all behind to catch people with Jesus.

CONNECTION SUGGESTIONS

  • Even though we are sinful and undeserving people, the Lord still uses us
  • Our witness to the work of God in our lives is part of his purpose for us
  • Our inability is no obstacle to God
  • With God, new life arises out of dead circumstances

 

 

 

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Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, February 3, 2019, Year C

Please see How to Use Lection Connection

Full lections can be read here.

Based on the Readings as Set

First Reading (Jeremiah 1:4-10)

The Lord assures the reluctant Jeremiah that he has known him from before birth, having appointed him prophet to the nations. Assuring the young man that he is now to consider himself with authority over them, he is to speak the Word, knowing that the Lord is with him.

Psalm (71:1-6)

The Psalmist asserts that he takes refuge in the safety of the Lord, his rock and fortress. He pleads for rescue from the wicked, unjust and cruel. He has always trusted in the Lord, the one who has been with him from birth. He vows to praise the Lord without ceasing.

Second Reading (1 Corinthians 13:1-13)

In addressing those who desire the more dramatic spiritual gifts, Paul says that without love they are worthless. Love sets aside personal interests in order to serve others. Those other gifts belong only to this age, but love, the greatest gift, will, with faith and hope, endure forever.

Gospel (Luke 4:21-30)

The citizens of Nazareth express doubt about Jesus because he grew up among them. Jesus points out two examples of prophets who had better response from Gentiles than from their own people. Enraged, his listeners try to kill him, but he passes safely through their midst.

CONNECTION SUGGESTIONS

  • The Word of God is often upsetting to speaker and to hearer
  • The Lord will provide a way of escape
  • God’s providence “provides” for those given difficult Kingdom tasks
  • We must learn and conform to what God’s priorities are
  • The mission of God is to the entire world, not just “our” people

 

 

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Baptism of the Lord, January 13, 2019, Year C

Please see How to Use Lection Connection 

Full lections can be read here.

Based on the Readings as Set

First Reading (Isaiah 43:1-7)

After informing Israel that her exile was the result of disobedience, Isaiah now reassures her she will pass through these menacing waters because the Lord has created and redeemed her. Giving the nations in exchange, he will gather home her offspring, all those called by his name.

Psalm (29)

The Psalmist calls all heavenly beings to worship Yahweh for his glory and strength, demonstrated by his voice shaking the very earth. All in his temple cry “Glory!” to the eternal king who sits above the flood. May he bless his people with strength and peace.

Second Reading (Acts 8:14-17)

The Apostles in Jerusalem hear that the Word of God had been accepted outside of the Holy Land in Samaria. They send Peter and John to this group who had only been baptized in water and when the Apostles lay hands upon them, they receive the Holy Spirit for the first time.

Gospel (Luke 3:15-17, 21-22)

John the Baptist raises expectations in the people that he might be the Messiah, but he claims that a much greater one is coming who will baptize them with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Upon Jesus himself being baptized, a heavenly voice proclaims him as the beloved Son of God.

CONNECTION SUGGESTIONS

  • The waters of baptism are both disturbing and assuring
  • Jesus identifies with the historical experience of Israel
  • What Jesus brings overflows the expectations of Israel
  • The God of all creation has acted definitively in the arrival of the Christ
  • Christian baptism has both inner and outer dimensions

 

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The Epiphany, January 6, 2019, Year C

Please see How to Use Lection Connection

Full lections can be read here.

Based on the Readings as Set

First Reading (Isaiah 60:1-6)

Isaiah informs Israel that, while things are indeed dark at present, a dramatic change is coming. The glory of the Lord will so shine upon them that the nations will be attracted and bring gifts, including gold and frankincense, to a joyfully reunited and thriving Israel.

Psalm (72:1-7, 10-14)

The Psalm is a prayer for the king, that he may rule in justice and righteousness, defending the poor and crushing the oppressor. May the kings of the nations bring him tribute and gifts, bowing down and serving him. May he live forever!

Second Reading (Ephesians 3:1-12)

St. Paul speaks of the mystery, now revealed especially in his own apostleship, of how the Gentiles are to be included in the people of God. This was always God’s purpose in sending Jesus, to whom anyone at all can come by faith.

Gospel (Matthew 2:1-12)

Scholars from the East tell King Herod of another king whose birth was marked by a star. Following it to Bethlehem, they find and worship the child, giving him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Warned in a dream, they avoid a jealous Herod and start home.

CONNECTION SUGGESTIONS

  • The nations come to the King bearing gifts (no nation left behind)
  • The inclusion of the Gentiles in the plan of God
  • The time of fulfillment is breaking upon us with the birth of Jesus
  • The sheer enormity of the Christ-event
  • Gifts for a King?

 

 

 

 

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Nativity of the Lord – Proper III, December 25, 2018, Year C

Please see How to Use Lection Connection

Full lections can be read here.

Based on the Readings as Set

First Reading (Isaiah 52:7-10)

Jerusalem’s watchmen, seeing the Lord return with salvation for the ruined city, are exhorted to call her to joyful celebration.  All nations will observe her people comforted and redeemed as the Lord acts in sovereign power.

Psalm (98)

All nature is called loudly to celebrate the coming victory of the Lord on behalf of Israel. Every nation will observe the powerful vindication of his people, aware that he will act fairly and rightly as universal judge.

Second Reading (Hebrews 1:1-4, [5-12])

The author celebrates the fact that God has spoken through his Son, who, reflecting him perfectly, is both creator and heir of all things. Much superior to the worshipping angels at his birth, he has made purification for our sins and his kingdom is never ending.

Gospel (John 1:1-14)

St. John tells us that with the Word of creation taking on flesh, God himself has come among us as light and life. John the Baptist serves as its witness but not all to whom the Word is sent receive him. Believers, conversely, are born of God and made his children.

CONNECTION SUGGESTIONS

  • Creation, all over again/All things made new
  • Announcing/giving witness to the Word
  • The difference made by God’s arrival: it’s like night and day
  • Celebrating new birth
  • The universal significance of the coming of God’s salvation
  • The nations will be aware of the coming of God’s salvation