Exodus 3:1-15 One of the most significant occasions of God’s Self-revelation in the Hebrew scriptures begins with Moses going about the daily task of tending the flocks of his father-in-law, Jethro. The import of the coming revelation is signaled by … Continue reading →

Genesis 15:1-12,17-18 God’s relationship with Abram/Abraham is direct, revelatory and revealing.  God makes impossible requests of Abraham and Sarah, and, in return, makes staggering promises.  In this episode Abram has an immediate worry; he has no heir.  Only a slave … Continue reading →

Deuteronomy 26:1-11 After a casuistic review of the Law, the writer/editor of Deuteronomy institutes/describes a liturgical rite for an individual to renew personally her commitment to the Lord’s covenant with Israel.  At a harvest time, the faithful are to bring … Continue reading →

Exodus 34:29-  Moses descends from the mountaintop and returns to everyday living carrying “the two tablets of the covenant.”  When Aaron and “all the Israelites” saw him they “were afraid to come near him” because his face was glowing.  Apparently … Continue reading →

Genesis 45:3-1 The older brothers of Joseph, who had sold their younger brother  into slavery when he was still a child, go to Egypt for food during a famine.  There, they encounter Joseph who reveals to them his identity, “I … Continue reading →

Jeremiah 17:5-10 Jeremiah presents to our imaginations two starkly different images.  One image is of a scraggly bush struggling to survive in the desert or on a salt flat; the other is of a mighty tree, flourishing with a root … Continue reading →

Isaiah 6:1-8, (9-13) Unlike Jeremiah’s response to his call to speak for the Lord (see last Sunday’s reading), Isaiah’s reluctance is due to his feeling of unworthiness, which makes God’s call the more astounding.  After a vision of “the Lord … Continue reading →

Jeremiah 1:4-10 The prophet describes his call when he was still a young boy.  The Lord speaks directly to Jeremiah and tells him that “before you were born I consecrated you, I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah … Continue reading →

Nehemiah 8: 1-3,5-6,8-10 The return of God’s people from exile in Babylon happened sporadically and with some difficulty.  The rebuilding of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem with the re-establishment of religious and civic order made progress and then … Continue reading →

Isaiah 62: 1-5 After a long, unexplained silence, the Lord speaks, the Book of Isaiah reports, and it is a damn-burst!  The Lord announces a “vindication” for the Lord’s people that will be the cause for a “new name that … Continue reading →