Using the Sunday Readings to reflect on our Journey in Faith in 2016 - 2017
January Readings in Year A from the Feast of Mary, Mother of God
to The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.
The period between the beginning of January and Ash Wednesday is a busy time in the RCIA process. Those who are coming forward to join the church will be received into the Order of Catechumens during the Rite of Acceptance and begin a more intense study of the Mass and the Sacraments preparing them for the Rite of Election on the first Sunday in Lent and the Period of Purification and Enlightenment during the Lenten Season.
We begin the period with two Sunday Feast days; Mary, the Mother of God followed by the Epiphany and then enter three weeks of Ordinary Time. The first readings are from Numbers, followed by three weeks of Isaiah and then Zephaniah. The second readings begin with Pauls letter to the Galatians, followed by Ephesians and then three weeks of Corinthians. The Gospel readings begin in Luke followed by Matthew then John and another two weeks of Matthew.
During this period between Christmas and Lent you may be concentrating on the Mass and the Sacraments building on the explanations given during the enquiry period. Sometimes it is difficult to relate the readings to these subjects and each opportunity to do so, for example discussing the Sacrament of Baptism whilst talking about the Baptism of Jesus, is gratefully accepted. However, it is possible to separate the lectionary readings from an evening’s subject as long as you include the readings and associate them with the enquirer / catechumens experience of Sunday worship. In this way, you build on the Mass experience by helping your people to discuss the readings whilst still explaining a particular item of faith
The Feast of Mary, The Mother of God only falls occasionally on a Sunday and the readings convey to us a promise. The coming of Christ raises the human family to a new status. We are no longer slaves but sons of God. The first reading is a blessing from the Book of Numbers. “May the lord bless you and keep you, May the Lord let his face shine upon you and be gracious to you, May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you his peace”. It is a beautiful prayer which is rich in scriptural references. For example when Moses came down the mountain carrying the Ten Commandments his face shone from his encounter with God; and when Moses found the burning bush he hid his face from the Lord because no one could look at the face of God and live. In the passage from Galatians Paul explains how Jesus was born “of a woman” therefore human, “subject of the law” therefore a Jew, to show his origins. Then Paul introduces the idea of the Spirit, entering into our hearts, then finally he reminds us that we are no longer slaves but sons and heirs of God. Shepherds were the least in the kingdom of Israel but they were chosen as the first witnesses to the coming of the Christ Child; their story of the events of Christmas Night were treasured in Mary’s heart. The readings give a panoramic view of the meaning of Christmas as experienced by the first witnesses and then explained by the teaching of Paul.
We worship in a universal church spread across the globe and celebrated in many languages and cultures, indeed, your RCIA group may well contain a sample of this rich diversity. The Feast of the Epiphany reminds us that, although the saviour was born to one group, the Jews, he came for everyone and his love is for all mankind. The passage from Isaiah illustrates the effect that the coming of Christ has on the people of the world. It speaks of a Risen Lord, bringing sons and daughters from far away into his dawning brightness. This passage is ideal for discussing the work of the church in the world and could be used with different voices taking each paragraph and helping your group to understand the power of the Liturgy of the Word during Mass. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is pastoral in nature and he writes emphasising the teaching he gave when he was among them. Here he reassures the people that Christ died for all, pagans and Jews, and that none are excluded from His kingdom, all are heirs to His promise. The Gospel passage from Matthew reminds us that not all welcomed the coming of the saviour. Those in authority, great and small, had reason to dread the coming of the one who would establish God’s kingdom on earth. In the midst of the celebration of His birth we are reminded that the gifts given are signs not only of Kingship but of sacrifice and death.
Ordinary Time begins with the second Sunday and the readings are ideal for discussion of the Sacrament of Baptism. The first passage form Isaiah speaks to us of one “formed in thewomb to be his servant”, and “the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach theends of the earth”. These signs point to Christ but they also remind us that through our baptism we are called to be servants and to go out into the world and proclaim the Good News. The passage from Paul begins his letter to the Corinthians and is in the form of a prayer of greeting, note how he includes others in his welcome and calls for grace and peace. The reading from John is the aftermath of the baptism of Jesus and the opening quote from John “Look; there is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world” is one that we repeat each Sunday just before the Communion Rite. John reminds us that we are baptised with water and the Holy Spirit and become Christ-like, Christians, through this sacrament.
The Third Sunday of Ordinary Time has a theme of Jesus Christ The Light of the World. The first reading from Isaiah prophesises the coming of a great light which will free people from the darkness and deep shadows of this world. The passage from Paul to the Corinthians looks at the dissention spreading among those who follow Christ through the preaching of others. Paul urges us to unity in the family of God and reminds us that it was Christ who was crucified not these preachers. The Gospel of Matthew follows the arrest of John the Baptist and the journey Jesus takes from Nazareth to Capernaum as prophesised by Isaiah in the Old Testament reading. Jesus calls us to repentance, repeating the call of John. He then calls his apostles from their work on the shores of the sea of Galilee and takes them on His mission to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom. This may be an opportunity to discuss the Sacrament of Holy Orders and also Lay Ministry in the church for we all follow in the footsteps of the apostles and take Christ out into the world.
How do we approach the wonder of God’s love for us? We may feel that we cannot be worthy of such love. The Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time reflects upon our “Nothingness” in the eyes of the world and how we look to obtain the wisdom, virtue and holiness of Christ. The first reading is a wonderful revelation of how the people of God in their nothingness enhance the world by the way they live. The second reading from Saint Paul reminds us that, whatever our gifts or failings, we are chosen by God to be His people. That the world has different standards than God and the weak and the foolish have a place in His kingdom. The Beatitudes are explored through the passage from Matthew; each of these statements could be the subject of your discussion for, taken as a whole, they represent a great outpouring of teaching from Jesus to us in this day and at this time. Perhaps, these reading will lead to a discussion of last year’s “Year of Mercy” and how the events of the last year have changed people’s lives.