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Sunday Readings and Hymn Suggestions: February-April 2018

Please note that the notes and suggestions on readings here represent the opinions of the author, and carry neither a nihil obstat or an imprimatur.

Sunday 28th January: 4th Sunday of Ordinary time

GOSPEL: Mark 1: 21-28. Mark's Gospel begins with the preaching of John the Baptist (which we read at the start of Advent), then a very brief account of Jesus' baptism (which we mark on the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, which doesn't fall on a Sunday this year) and the forty days and temptations in the desert (which we read at the beginning of Lent). It then describes the call of the first disciples (last Sunday's reading) then goes on to this story, which is the beginning of the Galilean ministry. This is the account of his first teaching in the Synagogue and his first miracle - the casting out of an evil spirit (which today we would perhaps think of as the curing of mental illness, in line with Jesus' many other miracles of healing).

FIRST READING: Deuteronomy 18:15-20. This section of Deuteronomy describes the role of a prophet in the forthcoming settled society (the prophecy itself happens at the between the escape from Egypt and the founding of the Jewish kingdoms). We read it today because of its relevance to the way Jesus is recognised in the Synagogue for his great wisdom. A prophet is one who speaks for God.

SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 7:32-35. This continues directly from last Sunday's second reading. Paul is answering questions from the people of Corinth about how they should prepare for the expected coming of the Kingdom. It carries a similar message - not to be too wrapped up in the things of this world. However, he also does not want people to become obsessed with this.

Themes: God's words through Jesus

Hymn suggestions: O God thy people gather; Lift up your hearts; I found a treasure; Be not afraid; Now thank we all our God; Praise to the Lord the almighty; Praise my soul the King of heaven; In faith and hope and love; Beatitudes (any setting); Seek O seek the Lord

Sunday 4th February: 5th Sunday of ordinary time

GOSPEL: Mark 1: 29-39. Continues directly from last Sunday; the Galilean ministry. Jesus continues to preach and heal. The first reading today would hopefully draw our attention to the fact that Jesus ministry was to the poor, sick and lowly rather than to the (comparitively wealthy) members of the Jewish religious estabilshment. Since Jesus led by example, we are also enjoined to alleviate the suffering of the less fortunate in society.

FIRST READING: Job 7:1-4; 6-7. The book of Job is a story intended to illustrate a moral point. At the time it was written, there was quite a widespread notion that those who suffered ill fortune were being punished by God (which also allowed the rich establishment to justify their position, sincie their good fortune was so obviously a reward for their Godly conduct). The author of Job counters this with a tale of a just man with a good life who loses all as a result of a 'bet' between Satan and God. Readers at the time would have easily picked up the irony in this and recognised the other storytelling devices in the narrative. Sadly, some today do not; they regard the story as literal or historical and there are churches which still preach that God's rewards and punishments can be seen in this life. These churches tend to preach a 'Prosperity Gospel'; Brian Tamaki's Destiny Church is one such and this is regarded as a heresy by the Catholic Church.

The short section of Job we read today is part of one of the dialogues between Job and those who came to visit him, who were trying to persuade Job that his change in fortune must have ben the result of some sin. Today's Gospel clearly illustrates that Jesus did not believe that those suffering illnes or misfortune were 'sinners who deserved their fate' or were being punished by God.

SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 9:16-19; 22-23. We jump a bit ahead in this letter now. Possibly this section was chosen for today because of Paul's assertion that he is not 'rewarded' for preaching the Gospel, so relating it to the Gospel for today and the first reading.

Themes: God's will; minister to the lowly

Hymn suggestions: We find you Lord in others need; Christ be alive; Though the mountains may fall; Be not afraid; Love is his word; Strong and constant

Sunday 11th February: 6th Sunday of ordinary time

GOSPEL: Mark 1: 40-45. Jesus heals a man with a skin disease (probably leprosy, although this was a general term used for a range of skin or disfiguring diseases). Such people were considered unclean, and the general expectation would have been that Jesus would avoid such a person - certainly not touch him. The miracle of the man's curing is one of the signs of God's presence in Jesus that Mark emphasises in the Galilean ministry; equally important is Jesus rejection of the notion that some people should be considered outcasts in society. This was a message that would come up again and again - God's love and mercy was for all.

FIRST READING: Leviticus 13:1-2; 45-46. Leviticus details many of the rules and regulations that governed both religious and secular conduct in Jewish society. The most ancient of Jewish oral traditions would date from a time when a number of societies in what is now the Middle East were making a transition from nomadic pastoral or gatherer lifestyle to more extensive use of agriculture, villages and towns, trade and so on. In this time, people developed by painful experience rules and traditions that helped to overcome some of the new challenges posed by this way of living - particularly the increased likelihood of disease transmission and pestilence caused by more crowded living conditions and use of livestock. The laws detailed here are an example of such, but gained over time religious significance as well. This reading is chosen because of its relation to today's Gospel story.

SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 10: 31-11: 1. Continuing this section of Corinthians; Paul was concerned that converts maintained decorous conduct in a society of mixed religions and values.

Themes: Acceptance, God's power to heal and redeem

Hymn suggestions: Praise to the Lord; Amazing grace; Be thou my vision; Christ be our light; Come as you are; Gentle as silence; general praise hymns

Sunday 18th February: 1st Sunday of Lent

GOSPEL: Mark 1: 12-15. The account of Jesus' forty days in the desert is read each liturgical year at the beginning of Lent. Mark's account, unlike Matthew or Luke, does not go into the detail of the fasting or the temptations. However, Mark does say that Jesus was tempted by Satan and that angels ministered to him.

FIRST RFADING: Genesis 9: 8-15. The account of the covenant made with Noah after the Flood, God's promise that he would never again flood the whole earth. There are flood stories in a number of mythologies from the area, which are likely to be conflations of orally transmitted memories from several real events, including large floods of the Tigris-Euphrates systems and possibly sea-level changes in the Black Sea/Caspian area. The choice of this reading for this Sunday probably relates to the Lenten season being an opportunity to make a fresh start, turning away from what is venial and unworthy in our lives, just as in the biblical story the Flood wiped away the corruption on Earth and gave Noah a fresh start.

SECOND READING: 1 Peter 3:18-22. This letter is attributed to St Peter, written from Rome to various communities in what is now Turkey. Peter likens the saving of baptism to the saving of Noah by the ark. The link is to today's first reading.

Themes: turn away from sin; redemption

Hymn suggestions: Hear O Lord; Be thou my vision; The glory of these forty days; Amazing grace; Day by day; Deeper and deeper; How great thou art; Love is his word

Gospel acclamation: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ/ No-one lives on bread alone

Sunday 25th February: 2nd Sunday of Lent

GOSPEL:Mark 9: 2-10: Each liturgical year the account of the Transfiguration is read on the second Sunday of Lent. In Mark's Gospel, the account comes shortly after Jesus tells his disciples that he is destined to suffer and die. The disciples who accompanied Jesus were to have their understanding of the nature of the Messiah transformed in many ways; witnessing this gives them a glimpse of the divine glory which underlies it.

FIRST READING: Genesis 22:1-2; 9-13; 15-18. Abraham is tested when he is asked to sacrifice his own son. God's voice from heaven stops him at the last minute. As often, there are echoes of a story from Hebrew tradition in an event in Jesus' life.

SECOND READING: Romans 8: 31-34. God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for all. As for last Sunday, this links our first reading to our Gospel for today.

Themes: Lent

Hymn suggestions: as for last Sunday. General praise hymns also, or Christ as king e.g. Hail Redeemer

Gospel acclamation: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ/ From within the shining cloud, hear the voice of God: "This is my beloved Son, listen to his word". Same tune as last Sunday.

Sunday 4th March: 3rd Sunday of Lent

GOSPEL: John 2: 13-25. The cleansing of the Temple. We read John's, rather than Mark's account, here. In John, this occurs early in Jesus' ministry, whereas Mark and the other synoptic writers place it nearer the events of the Passion. The choice for this Sunday is likely related to Jesus statement about destroyng the temple and rebuilding it in three days.

FIRST READING: Exodus 20:1-17. The 'Ten Commandments'. We read last Sunday of the covenant with Noah. Here, the expectations of the Lord's people are spelt out more explicitly, particularly that they would have no other God and would honour God's ways. Possibly this is also drawn to our attention in relation to the way in which the spirit of godly conduct was notably lacking in those who attempted to use the Temple as a source of worldly gain.

SECOND READING: 1 Corinthian 1: 22-25. "Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom". Corinth, and much of the world of the early Church, was influenced by Greek culture. Christ's life and death made little sense in terms of the elegant logic and argument favoured by those who saw themselves as the successors of the Greek philosophers. Neither were all Jews convinced by the 'signs' in Jesus' life. Paul here states that what the Gentiles and Jews both saw as folly was "the foolishness of God ...wiser than men".

Themes: Lent; Jesus 'the temple'

Hymn suggestions: The glory of these forty days; Love is his word; I found a treasure; Come back to me (Song of Hosea); Christ be our light; Be not afraid;

Gospel acclamation: Praise to you/No one lives on bread alone, or Our God loved the world so much

Sunday 11th March: 4th Sunday of Lent

GOSPEL: John 3:14-21: Part of the Nicodemus dialogue; Jesus tells Nicodemus that belief in him is the path to eternal life. God loved the world so much he gave his only Son, that all who believe in him might have eternal life. Jesus speaks of the light coming into the world.

FIRST READING: 2 Chronicles 36:14-16; 19-23. Chronicles is a history of the Jewish people from Genesis to the return from the Babylonian exile, written probably in the 6th century BCE. This section describes the events of the exile as arising from the unfaithfulness of the Jewish religious leaders who "polluted the house of the Lord". It then goes on to describe how King Cyrus of Persia restored the temple in Jerusalem. The relation to today's Gospel is a little obscure, but may be because of Jesus words about those who do evil hating the light (i.e. they conceal their misdeeds); it was the concealed misdeeds of the religious leaders which the author of Chronicles blames for the disaster that led to the Babylonian exile.

SECOND READING: Ephesians 2: 4-10. By Christ's grace we have been saved.

Themes: Light in the darkness, Christ's saving grace

Hymn suggestions: Christ be our light; You are salt for the earth O people; Amazing grace; the Beatitudes (any setting); Come as you are; any Lenten hymns

Gospel acclamation: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ- Our God loved the world so much, that he gave his Son, so that all who believe in him, now can live forever. Same tune as other Sundays of Lent.

Sunday 18th March: 5th Sunday of Lent

GOSPEL: John 12:20-33. This takes place after the entry to Jerusalem we commemorate next Sunday. Jesus says his heart is troubled - anticipating the Agony in the Garden - and goes on to speak more about his death. He uses the analogy of a grain of wheat falling to earth before it sprouts. He says that he must obey his Father's will.

FIRST READING: Jeremiah 31: 31-34. Jeremiah speaks at a time just before the Babylonian exile. The religious rulers made various compromises with their foreign overlords to try to preserve their place in society, and also plotted to use other foreign powers to try to throw of their yoke. In this and various ways they also compromised the sanctity of the Temple and the Law. Jeremiah speaks of a 'New Covenant' which would not be written on stone but in peoples hearts, one based on love of God and neighbour. We interpret this as being the new covenant established by Jesus' death and resurrection.

SECOND READING: Hebrews 5: 7-9. Hebrews is written by a follower of Paul to Jewish converts. This section relates to today's Gospel.

Themes: the Passion and the Resurrection

Hymn suggestions: Glory be to Jesus, Hail Redeemer, Soul of my Saviour; Gentle as Silence; I am the bread of life (with the I am the resurrection verse),

Gospel acclamation: Praise to you - Christ became obedient, even unto death. Therefore God has raised him up, named above all others.

Sunday 25th March: Passion Sunday

Gospel: Mark 14:1-15; 47. Mark's account of the Passion.

FIRST READING: Isaiah 50: 4-7. This will not be read at St Pius

SECOND READING: Philippians 2:6-11. This will not be read this year at St Pius

Themes: the suffering and death of Jesus; our redemption

Hymn suggestions: The king of glory comes; All glory laud and honour; Love unknown; Hail Redeemer;

Gospel acclamation: Praise to you/Christ became obedient

Sunday 1st April: Easter Sunday

Different readngs at the Vigil and morning masses. One morning mass only.

Sunday 8th April: Second Sunday of Easter

GOSPEL: John 20: 19-31. The appearance of Jesus in the upper room; Thomas is not there and is doubtful. When Jesus appears again, Thomas sees and believes.

FIRST READING: Acts 4:32-35. In this season we take our first readings from Acts, telling the story of the development of the Church after the resurrection. This reading is set in the earliest times, when the disciples and followers of Jesus were still in Jerusalem. It tells of the change of heart that became evident in the way they lived.

SECOND READING: 1 John 5:1-7. This letter was written fairly late in the first century, as a general letter (encyclical) to all christians. In this section, the authour tells the readers to keep the commandments (this is possibly a counter to a group who believed that this was not needed).

Themes: Resurrection, having faith

Hymn suggestions: Lord of the dance; I am the resurrection; New life; Christ is alive; By your kingly pow'r O risen Lord; Thine be the glory; This joyful Eastertide;

Sunday 15th April: Third Sunday of Easter

GOSPEL: Luke 24: 35-48 : This is just after Jesus appeared to the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Jesus appears to his gathered followers, and 'opens their minds' to the meaning of what has happened.

FIRST READING: Acts 3:13-15; 17-19.. This takes place just after Peter has healed a crippled man; he explains to the curious crowd that it is not he who has healed the man but the power of God through Jesus.

SECOND READING: 1 John 2: 1-5. From the same letter as last Sunday but earlier in it; the writer explains that we should try not to sin, but if we do Jesus has died for forgiveness of our sins.

Themes: as for last Sunday

Hymn suggestions: as for last Sunday

Sunday 22nd April: 4th Sunday of Easter

GOSPEL: John 10: 11-18. This chapter of John uses various metaphors based on the shepherd/sheep relationship, this being a powerful one for a culture for whom sheep herding is an important economic activity. Sheep couldn't be fenced off in a paddock as in NZ; grass growth was too sparse and it was too arid. Instead, shepherds followed their flock as they foraged. The role of the shepherd in watching over the sheep was thus a powerful image Jesus could tap into, with a wealth of meaning to the people of his time. Here, in homage to the Easter season, we read the section where Jesus talks of the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep.

FIRST READING: Acts 4:8-12.Follows from the same event that is referred to in last Sunday's reading. In this section of Acts we see how the early Christians came to see Jesus as the source of all redemption - in Peter's words "there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

SECOND READING: 1 John 3:1-2. Still from John's first letter explaining some matters of basic Christian belief. Here, he describes how Christians became children of God.

Themes: Christ the Good Shepherd; the resurrection

Hymn suggestions: My shepherd Lord; The Lord's my shepherd (any setting); Come to me all who labour; any Easter hymns as above; My Lord he died for a kingdom; Now the green blade rises. Note that the psalm is NOT 'The Lord is my shepherd' but psalm 118 - Give thanks to the Lord for he is good/the stone which the builder rejected' (referred to in our first reading)

Sunday 29th April: 5th Sunday of Easter

GOSPEL: John 15: 1-8. "I am the vine and you the branches." John 15 is part of the 'farewell discourse' at the Last Supper. This chapter includes the well known "a man can have no greater love than to give his life for his friends", although that verse is not included in this Sunday's reading.

FIRST READING: Acts 9: 26-31. Somewhat further on in Acts; after the conversion of Paul on the road to Damascus, he returns to Jerusalem. As a former persecutor of Christians he is received with a little caution, as this reading describes. Paul became the great 'Apostle to the Gentiles', a story we begin to pick up next Sunday.

SECOND READING: 1 John 3:18-24. Continuing the teachings in this letter; here, followers are urged to believe in the 'name of Jesus' and to follow him through practical love.

Themes: Jesus, the true vine; love one another

Hymn suggestions: Easter hymns; Love is his word; And they'll know we are christian by our love; Marian (May)

Sunday 6th May: 6th Sunday of Easter

GOSPEL: John 15: 9-17. "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love." Follows from last Sunday - see my previous commentary. Again, love is the theme.

FIRST READING: Acts 10: 25-26; 34-35; 44-48. We continue to follow the story of the growing Church in the period after the Resurrection. Here, we hear how the gift of the Spirit was extended to the Gentiles (non-Jewish), the beginnings of the growth of the Church among 'all nations'.

SECOND READING: 1 John 4: 7-10. A discourse on love; picks up the theme from our Gospel today.

Themes: Love one another

Hymn suggestions: as for last Sunday. Possible Gospel Acclamation - A new commandment.

Sunday 13rh May: Ascension of the Lord

GOSPEL: Mark 16: 15--20: In this short passage, the last in Mark's Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples to go out and preach the Good News to all nations (this is sometimes called the "Great Commission'). Jesus tells them of the signs that will accompany this, and Mark then simply says that he is taken up into heaven.

FIRST READING: Acts 1: 1-11. The account of the Ascension is only found in Acts; in his Gospel, Luke mereley says that Jesus blessed them and was carried up to heaven. Note in particular the last part – the disciples are basically told to get on with it rather than stand around looking into the sky. With what? With the instructions Jesus gave in today’s Gospel. Luke and tradition give forty days after the resurrection as the date for the Ascension; this is a Thursday (as Ash Wednedsday is forty days before; people liked to ascribe mystical meanings to such numbers in ancient times). In recent times the Church has transferred the actual celebration of the event to the following Sunday.

SECOND READING: Ephesians 1: 17-23: After our long reading of John, this letter (attributed to Paul) is a different sort of discourse, aimed at a particular community rather than the Church at large. Its opening passage includes this prayer, which makes direct reference to the ‘ascended’ Christ in whom all authority had been vested.

Themes: Christ’s glory, authority and kingship; spreading the Good News

Hymn suggestions: Go tell everyone; Go now you are sent forth; Here I am, Lord; Praise my soul the king of heaven; Crown him with many crowns; Marian hymns for May could be used but shouldn't detract from the focus of the Sunday.