Please see How to Use Lection Connection
Full lections can be read here.
Lection Connection for All Saints Day can be found here.
Based on the Readings as Set
First Reading (Deuteronomy 34:1-12)
Moses ascends Mt. Pisgah and Yahweh shows him the entire sweep of the Promised Land to which he has been leading the people through the wilderness. He will never enter it. Instead he dies there on the mountain, an old but still vigorous man. He leaves an imposing legacy for his chosen successor Joshua to emulate as he takes Israel into the Land.
Psalm (90:1-6, 13-17)
The Psalmist celebrates Yahweh as Israel’s refuge, the creator in charge of all life and whose plans are not swept away with the passage of time. He then pleads for Yahweh’s help in the present distress of the nation and enable their efforts to bear fruit. His appeal is based on Yahweh’s steadfast love for his people.
Second Reading (1 Thessalonians 2:1-8)
St. Paul, in spite of opposition, is confident of being entrusted with the Gospel by God himself and reminds the Thessalonians how he had brought the message to them with gentle integrity. Because they were precious to him, he gave his very self along with the Gospel and it has borne fruit in their lives.
Gospel (Matthew 22:34-46)
The Sadducees test Jesus by asking him to name the greatest of God’s laws. He responds by reciting those he says underlie them all: first to love God, and second to love one’s neighbor. Then he leads them to ponder how in the Scriptures David can possibly call his own son “Lord”. This mystery serves to silence them and no one ever dares to test him again.
CONNECTION SUGGESTIONS
- The cost and benefits of godly leadership
- The role of opposition and testing in our Christian lives
- The importance and satisfaction of bearing fruit in our lives
- The various faces of loving one’s neighbor
Based on the Alternative Set of Readings
First Reading (Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18)
Yahweh has Moses set before the Israelites their basic obligation as the “people of God” to be holy, just as he is holy. He goes on to spell out the fuller implications of what this means for their relationships with their neighbors, loving them as much as themselves.
Psalm (1)
This Psalm, standing at the head of the Psalms, spells out the two paths available for human beings: the way of Yahweh or the way of sinners. Conforming to the Law results in a blessed and stable life in companionship with God. Disobedience to the Law results in judgment and instability in isolation from God.
Second Reading (1 Thessalonians 2:1-8)
St. Paul, in spite of opposition, is confident of being entrusted with the Gospel by God himself and reminds the Thessalonians how he had brought the message to them with gentle integrity. Because they were precious to him, he gave his very self along with the Gospel and it has borne fruit in their lives.
Gospel (Matthew 22:34-46)
The Sadducees test Jesus by asking him to name the greatest of God’s laws. He responds by reciting those he says underlie them all: first to love God, and second to love one’s neighbor. Then he leads them to ponder how in the Scriptures David can possibly call his own son “Lord”. This mystery serves to silence them and no one ever dares to test him again.
CONNECTION SUGGESTIONS
- Two opposed ways to live
- The cost and benefits of godly leadership
- The various faces of loving one’s neighbor