Guido Da Siena – Presentation of Jesus at the Temple (public domain) On the First Sunday after Christmas, the Revised Common Lectionary offers us the text known as “The Presentation of Jesus.” It’s Luke 2:22-40 and comes in four distinct scenes. The Presentation The scene is set for the Presentation with references to the Holy […]
The Annunciation — Luke 1:26-38 on Advent 4
On the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary gives us Luke 1:26-38. It is the story of “the Annunciation,” nine months before Christmas. But we are in December, chronologically only a week-and-a-half before Mary will give birth. It’s all good. Advent is an excellent time to think about the promise […]
Not the Light — John 1:6-8, 19-28
The discussion of John the Baptist as “not the light” but rather “a witness to testify to the light” is missing its context. In year B, the Gospel for the third Sunday of Advent is John 1:6-8 and 19-28, the parts of Gospel’s prologue about John the Baptist, and leaving out the parts directly about […]
Monday Meditation: RCL Year B, 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Mark 10:2-16
On the 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time, the Revised Common Lectionary gives us another chunk of Mark with two very different stories. Mark 10:2-16 The temptation in Mark 10:2-16 is to let one story swamp the other. For the preacher it probably makes sense to choose just one. That’s probably the way to a coherent sermon. […]
Monday Meditation: RCL Year B, 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Mark 9:30-37
On the 25th Sunday of Ordinary time the lectionary skips ahead most of a chapter to Mark 9:30-37. (A little bit of the skipped part came up earlier in the year: Mark 9:2-9 was the Gospel for the last Sunday before Lent, the Transfiguration.) Last week in chapter 8 Jesus started predicting his passion and […]