Here’s the slightly controversial Old Testament book called Ecclesiastes, or Qoheleth. The word ecclesia in Greek means ‘assembly’ and, like the other book called Ecclesiasticus, was designed to be read to an assembly. As indeed was most of Scripture. The Hebrew word Q’hal has a similar meaning, but some scholars treat ‘Qoheleth’ as a proper name. My own BibleContinue reading “Reading through the book of Ecclesiastes (aka. Qoheleth)”
Author Archives: Father Kevin
Reading through the Book of Numbers
This fourth book of the Torah is mixed material. It begins with a detailed census of the people who found themselves at the foot of Mount Sinai, being entered into a serious covenant with the God of their forefathers. This was done in the second year after the escape from Egypt, and counts a surprisingContinue reading “Reading through the Book of Numbers”
Reading through the first letter of S. Peter
The first letter of the Apostle Saint Peter that is preserved in our New Testament was addressed to Christians of Asia Minor, what is now called ‘Turkey.’ As we can see from the map just below, in Greek times, Pontus and Bithynia were on the north, sitting on the Black Sea, Galatia was the greatContinue reading “Reading through the first letter of S. Peter”
The Carpenter’s son (Sunday XIX of Ordered time)
We continue this weekend with a discourse on the divine providence, because of the readings we have been given. The first reading tells of the prophet Elijah, in flight from the wicked queen of Israel, Jezebel, who wished to have him killed; in distress and on the way to the mountain upon which Moses receivedContinue reading “The Carpenter’s son (Sunday XIX of Ordered time)”
Reading through the Book of Proverbs
Pictured above is the interior of one of the greatest churches we ever built, the great Hagia Sophia of Constantinople, now unfortunately desecrated multiple times and (as I understand) functioning as a mosque. Hagia Sophia is Greek for Sancta Sapientia in Latin, or Holy Wisdom in English. That church was built to honour the Wisdom of God (of which human wisdom is onlyContinue reading “Reading through the Book of Proverbs”
Reading through the Book of Job
Now, however, let’s get through the excellent book of Job, so useful to those of us who suffer greatly and without remedy, and find it difficult to understand why the good God doesn’t arrive with some relief at the very least, or even complete healing? Doesn’t God wish our happiness at all times? Well, theContinue reading “Reading through the Book of Job”
Reading through the Book of Esther
The book of Esther contains a charming and, to be honest, a little frightening story about a devastating pogrom against the Jewish exiles in Mesopotamia, and throughout the vast Persian empire, probably also including the valiant band of returnees to Juda and Jerusalem, who were in the process of restoring the City and the TempleContinue reading “Reading through the Book of Esther”
Reading through the second letter of S. Peter
It’s the feast day of the Transfiguration! So, let’s get through the second letter of the Apostle Saint Peter, sent much later in his ministry as bishop of Rome, for he hints at his upcoming death. The Apostle here demonstrates a high theology of grace, the benefit on the Church of her embracing the God-Man,Continue reading “Reading through the second letter of S. Peter”
Reading through the Gospel of S. John
This Gospel is my favourite of the four, if I am allowed to pick a favourite. It is unlike the others because its very construction is unique. It provides a more personal description of Christ, which is appropriate, for it was written by the Apostle who called himself the Beloved Disciple (of Christ). He undoubtedlyContinue reading “Reading through the Gospel of S. John”
Hand to the plough, but looking back… (Sunday XVIII of Ordered time)
Let’s identify in our readings this weekend not only the miraculous provision of food for the elect people of God, but also the preparation that was required for them to receive it. This was not an easy story at all, miracle or not, and it still isn’t an easy lesson to learn. Let me makeContinue reading “Hand to the plough, but looking back… (Sunday XVIII of Ordered time)”
Reading through the Book of the Judges
An immediate problem faced by readers of the book of Judges is that, despite its traditional position after Exodus, Deuteronomy and Numbers, the people in the book of Judges do not seem to have moral guidance. And some of the stories contained in this narrative are horrendous, the atrocities they contain are astonishing. It couldContinue reading “Reading through the Book of the Judges”
Reading through the Book of Joshua
This book is a history of the original settlement of the Holy Land by the Israelites, and is interesting in the similarities it has to the more recent settlement of the Holy Land by the Jews, followed by the establishment of the Zionist State of Israel. If today we hear loud cries of ‘Colonialism!’ andContinue reading “Reading through the Book of Joshua”
Reading through the letter (of S. Paul) to the Hebrews
Almost twenty years ago, the Holy Father Benedict XVI named 2009-2010 as a Year of Priests, which was crucial for its time, because it created a great enthusiasm among young gentlemen, and for a time the seminaries began to fill up, and the priesthood received a renewed focus especially on social media. After the ongoingContinue reading “Reading through the letter (of S. Paul) to the Hebrews”
Reading through the Prophecy of Malachi (aka. Malachias)
Moving on to the end of the long list of prophetic books, I have arrived at Malachy’s short work, which was a later prophecy of the second Temple period, after the return from exile in Babylon. This is the pre-eminent Messianic prophecy. In the very first chapter, we hear of the malignancy of the HebrewContinue reading “Reading through the Prophecy of Malachi (aka. Malachias)”
The desert experience (Sunday XVII of Ordered time)
“After this, Jesus retired across the sea of Galilee, or Tiberias, and there was a great multitude following Him; they had seen the miracles He performed over the sick. So Jesus went up on to the hill-side, and there sat down with His disciples. It was nearly the time of the Jews’ great feast, theContinue reading “The desert experience (Sunday XVII of Ordered time)”
Reading through the letter of S. Paul to Philemon
Coming to the end of the Pauline corpus of the New Testament, i.e. the set of letters that we have in the New Testament that are traditionally attributed to Saint Paul, the second to last (or the last, if as scholars tend to do today you discount the letter to the Hebrews) is the ratherContinue reading “Reading through the letter of S. Paul to Philemon”
Reading through the Book of Nechemyah (aka. Nehemiah, and II Esdras)
So, we’re back at the tail-end of the sixth century before Christ, and Jewish companies are returning to Juda and Jerusalem from exile all over the Persian empire, but especially from Babylon. We looked at some of these groups in the book of Ezra, and the second Temple had been erected and the city revived.Continue reading “Reading through the Book of Nechemyah (aka. Nehemiah, and II Esdras)”
Reading through S. Paul’s letter to S. Titus
Saint Titus, who is often grouped together with Saint Timothy, the bishop of Ephesus, was Saint Paul’s representative on the island of Crete. Titus was a disciple and companion of Saint Paul, and became the first bishop of Crete, during which ministry he must have received this letter from his old teacher. We know fromContinue reading “Reading through S. Paul’s letter to S. Titus”
Reading through the Book of Ezra (aka. Esdras I)
Reading through the book of Haggai, we discovered a prophet who encouraged the Successor of David and the Successor of Zadoc the priest to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple, when the Jews had arrived in Juda from exile in Babylon at the end of the sixth century BC, and had done their best to secureContinue reading “Reading through the Book of Ezra (aka. Esdras I)”
Reading through the prophecy of Haggai (aka. Aggaeus)
Anybody following these posts is familiar with the historical fact of the calamity that struck Jerusalem in 587 BC, when after several sieges the Holy City fell at last to the Chaldean hordes arriving from Babylon in Mesopotamia, and was utterly destroyed. The prophet Jeremiah, still alive as the City was levelled to the ground,Continue reading “Reading through the prophecy of Haggai (aka. Aggaeus)”
Reading through the second letter of S. Paul to S. Timothy
Paul comes off brilliantly in this letter to Saint Timothy, the second one to that bishop of Ephesus that we have in the New Testament. This is certainly my favourite of all his surviving letters for its brevity and its completeness as a note of encouragement and instruction to Saint Timothy, his beloved disciple and son,Continue reading “Reading through the second letter of S. Paul to S. Timothy”
The 18.15 vigil Mass on Saturday is cancelled…
…for this weekend and the next, as I recover from my present malady. Please note that the 9.00 Sunday morning Mass at Louth and the 11.30 Mass at Mablethorpe will continue to be offered with assistance from visiting priests.
‘Woe to the shepherds!’ (Sunday XVI of Ordered time)
We’ve come past the Sunday readings about prophecy in the last few weeks to a condemnation of false prophets and bad shepherds. There will always be false prophets and bad shepherds. There is a hint in the readings of the last few Sundays of professional prophet yes-men, who were basically secularised and happy to supportContinue reading “‘Woe to the shepherds!’ (Sunday XVI of Ordered time)”
Reading through the prophecy of Sophonias (aka. Zefaniah)
At the tail-end of the Hebrew Bible, in the collection of the ‘minor’ prophecies, is the rather short prophecy of Sophonias, the prophet of the Remnant, the royal prophet of the family of David. Sophonias was apparently working in the reign of the good King Josias of Juda and ministering to the southern Judaite kingdom.Continue reading “Reading through the prophecy of Sophonias (aka. Zefaniah)”
Reading through the first letter of S. Paul to S. Timothy
This most touching letter of Saint Paul to one of his first bishops, after Saint Timothy had been given the care of the See of Ephesus, provides a short series of counsels for an infant church, establishing basic practices and providing counsel to the new bishop and the priests under him. I should begin withContinue reading “Reading through the first letter of S. Paul to S. Timothy”
Reading through the prophecy of Habacuc
Today’s post is about the prophecy of Habacuc, another of the twelve minor prophets and a book that can be easily compassed in an hour. Poor Habacuc, being a good man, was spiritually oppressed by the wickedness around him in Judaite society – tyranny and robbery, legalism and contention, he says, and contravention of theContinue reading “Reading through the prophecy of Habacuc”
Reading through the second letter of S. Paul to the Thessalonians
Nearing the end of the preserved body of Saint Paul’s letters, we have the second letter to the Corinthians; this one’s again rather short, so let’s get right down to it. This is a follow-up to my little post on the first letter to the Thessalonians, which letter was slightly longer. The heart of this ratherContinue reading “Reading through the second letter of S. Paul to the Thessalonians”
Reading through the prophecy of Nahum
This will not take very long, for this is a short book. As I must have said in previous posts, there are twelve ‘minor’ prophets, contrasted in the length of their work that we have preserved to the major prophets, Isaias, Jeremias and Ezechiel. The language they use, though, is very similar to that of the majorContinue reading “Reading through the prophecy of Nahum”
Where prophets come from (Sunday XV of Ordered time)
We had a sentiment of prophecy in our readings last weekend, when it seemed evident that prophets are always sent, whether or not people listen to them. The directions of the Creator for right human living arrive in every time, whether or not the worlds receives them well. In our readings this weekend, we discoverContinue reading “Where prophets come from (Sunday XV of Ordered time)”
Reading through the first letter of S. Paul to the Thessalonians
On a typical map, we can see the geographical position of Thessalonika or Salonika, a natural port and harbour, and in a central position in the Greek mainland – a crucial city today, as it was in the days of Saint Paul. There was undoubtedly a large Jewish population there, with a synagogue and everythingContinue reading “Reading through the first letter of S. Paul to the Thessalonians”
Reading through the prophecy of Micah (aka. Michaeas)
These short books of the ‘minor’ prophets have a common theme: idolatry has wrested the promise of the Holy Land from the tribes of Israel, and God is utterly fed up with them. But the prophets tend to end on a hopeful note: the terror to come is now inevitable, but one day the peopleContinue reading “Reading through the prophecy of Micah (aka. Michaeas)”
Reading through S. Paul’s letter to the Colossians
This is a rather short letter and thankfully without any sign of the politics that had arisen in several of the other churches of the time, such as those of the Galatians and the Corinthians, because of other Christian missionaries presenting a rivalry to Paul’s message with their attempts to initiate the new gentile ChristiansContinue reading “Reading through S. Paul’s letter to the Colossians”
‘Whether or not they listen…’ (Sunday XIV of Ordered time)
I have switched the word ‘ordinary’ permanently to ‘ordered’ on the website, when referring to the green Sundays of this part of the year. That’s the real intimation of the word, as I see it: the Sundays counting down to the end of the year and the season of Advent. This weekend, we have veryContinue reading “‘Whether or not they listen…’ (Sunday XIV of Ordered time)”
Reading through the Prophecy of Jonah
The book of Jonas tells the famous tale of the successful mission of a Hebrew prophet from Juda to the Assyrians of the city of Nineve. The name ‘Yona’ is literally ‘dove,’ and we can see that, while the prophet sought peace, the Holy One had a significant mission for him: the conversion of aContinue reading “Reading through the Prophecy of Jonah”
Reading through S. Paul’s letter to the Philippians
Philippi was one of the great cities of Roman Macedonia in Saint Paul’s time, sitting, as you can see by zooming in and out of the Google Map above, on the ancient Via Egnatia, the Roman Road joining Greek Kavalla on the Aegian Sea to Albanian Durres on the Adriatic. Philippi was a Roman colony,Continue reading “Reading through S. Paul’s letter to the Philippians”
Reading through Ecclesiasticus (aka. ben Sirach)
Today’s summary is on the book of Ecclesiasticus, an important bridge between the Old and the New Testaments that was excluded from by the rabbis from the Hebrew Bible in the centuries after the Resurrection, perhaps because it was considered too Christian. Sadly, protestant rebels did the same in the sixteenth century, probably trying toContinue reading “Reading through Ecclesiasticus (aka. ben Sirach)”
Reading through the letter of S. Paul to the Ephesians
The Church in Ephesos (west of Asia Minor, just across the Aegean from Macedonia and Achaia) was always a good egg in the first century, apparently. In the last book of the Bible, she received a good report from Christ Himself for her discernment with regard to the Apostolic authority: “To the angel of theContinue reading “Reading through the letter of S. Paul to the Ephesians”
Feast day of the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul
It’s always interesting when a feast day comes along that outranks the Sunday and takes its place, and although the calendar date for the feast day of S. Peter and S. Paul was actually this last Saturday, the 29th, it has been moved by the bishops to the Sunday. This must be to save usContinue reading “Feast day of the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul”
Reading through the book of Ruth
This is another short post for one of the shortest books in the Hebrew Bible. It’s purpose is to demonstrate the geneology of the great king of Israel, David of Bethlehem, following after the more general adventures of the national tribes in their possession of the Holy Land in the books of Iosue/Joshua and Judges. This is importantContinue reading “Reading through the book of Ruth”
Reading through the Prophecy of Obadyah (aka. Abdias)
This is a very short one, for it is a single-page prophecy. Already, the prophet Malachias (Malachy) had condemned Edom and the Edomites, descendants of Esau son of Isaac the patriarch, in a most final manner. Edom – the Hebrew colour red – was the name given to the twin brother of the patiarch Jacob, becauseContinue reading “Reading through the Prophecy of Obadyah (aka. Abdias)”
Reading through the letter of S. Paul to the Galatians
Dear Saint Paul, travelling miles everywhere to preach the Gospel to everybody who would listen, and there always followed in his wake other preachers who tried to get the new Christians to become judaised, taking on superficial symbols of Jewish belonging. This meant primarily circumcision, which resulted in the full obligation of these men andContinue reading “Reading through the letter of S. Paul to the Galatians”
Reading through the Prophecy of Amos
Here’s one of the first of the Hebrew prophets whose prophecies have been preserved. Aside from a few condemnations of the unfaithfulness of the people of the southern kingdom of Juda, this book is directed squarely at the northern kingdom of Israel and the syncretist king Jeroboam II of Israel. The united kingdom of DavidContinue reading “Reading through the Prophecy of Amos”
Reading through the second letter of S. Paul to the Corinthians
I’m on medical rest for the moment, so I’ve decided to put out these little summaries of the books of Scripture on an almost-daily basis, until I’ve done them all. You should find the ones I’ve already done here. Then I’ll start to put on bits of the Catechism and basic prayer. Today, we haveContinue reading “Reading through the second letter of S. Paul to the Corinthians”
Reading through the Prophecy of Hosea (aka. Osee)
The prophecy of Hosea is about the love of a husband for his adulterous wife. Hosea had a rather long ministry, overlapping with Amos during the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel and reaching past the reigns of King Achaz and King Ezechias of Juda, reaching almost to the end of the northern kingdom of Israel.Continue reading “Reading through the Prophecy of Hosea (aka. Osee)”
Trusting divine Providence (Sunday XII of Ordered time)
Our readings this weekend speak of our trust in the providence of God, Who (we might say) always has the bigger picture, and knows therefore what is best at all times. He says so much to the patriarch Job in our first reading today. In the story of Job, this venerable old man had lostContinue reading “Trusting divine Providence (Sunday XII of Ordered time)”
Reading through the first letter of S. Paul to the Corinthians
This is one of the most popular of the preserved letters of S. Paul, so let’s try and draw a quick summary. Like most big Greco-Roman towns of the first century, Corinth had a large Jewish community, living among almost any number of other religions and philosophy, for this small city was about as metropolitan asContinue reading “Reading through the first letter of S. Paul to the Corinthians”
The King of hearts (Sunday XI of Ordered time)
This last weekend’s readings allow us to reflect on what the Church is. Especially in this month of June, a whole month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of our Lord, I like to say that He is the King of hearts. This was something the Temple priests and the scribes of His day – theContinue reading “The King of hearts (Sunday XI of Ordered time)”
Reading through the second book of the Maccabees
Find my summary of the first book of the Maccabees here. The second book of the Machabees is more properly a book of the Machabees – the followers of Judas Machabeus (‘the hammer’), the son of the priest Mattathias of Modin. The first book had rushed past Judas in a way, after marking his fall in battle,Continue reading “Reading through the second book of the Maccabees”
Reading through the first book of the Maccabees
Image by Ri Butov from Pixabay I saw a recent post on social media asking if it was worth reading the books of the Maccabees, and I thought I’d put out a short summary of my own reading of them. This post is on the first book of the Maccabees. For some reason, when theContinue reading “Reading through the first book of the Maccabees”
Making all things new again (Sunday X of Ordinary time)
We have slipped back into ‘ordinary’ time, after the great festivals of our holy religion. The word ‘ordinary’ used here is something of a misuse of the Latin in the books; a better word is ‘ordered,’ to more accurately describe the sequenced Sundays that begin at Sunday X today and end just before Advent withContinue reading “Making all things new again (Sunday X of Ordinary time)”
Catholic Louth and Mablethorpe 