Easter 6C

Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for May 25, 2025 (Easter 6C)

La Jérusalem céleste (“The Heavenly Jerusalem”)

La Jérusalem céleste (“The Heavenly Jerusalem”), a portion of the 14th century Tapestry of the Apocalypse at the Château d’Angers, France. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Acts 16:9-15

As we approach the final weeks of Eastertide, Sunday’s readings remind us once more that God’s love embraces all of Earth’s people and all of Earth’s nations: Jesus did not come to save only a chosen few. Our first reading from Acts shows Paul taking Jesus’ message westward from Asia Minor, where he has been teaching and baptizing, into Europe for the first time. In the new Christian community at Philippi in Greece, he converts Lydia, a leader of the community and a wealthy merchant of royal purple cloth. Lydia becomes a benefactor of the growing Jesus movement, inviting Paul to stay in her home.

Psalm: Psalm 67

Echoing the theme of Paul opening the doors of the church to everyone, this short but joyful Psalm calls all the nations of Earth and all their people to sing together in peace and praise. God has blessed us, and through God the Earth has given forth its bounty, the Psalmist sings. The Psalm does not tell us to give God thanks and praise only for our personal gains. We are to make God’s grace and salvation known to all people, all nations. We who have enjoyed God’s blessings are expected to share God’s good news to the ends of the Earth.

Second Reading: Revelation 21:10,22-22:5

Continuing in the final chapters of Revelation, we discover that the New Testament is concluding with vivid images of life at the end of time. We imagine the New Jerusalem, heaven come down to Earth, with a crystal stream and tree of life in the midst of a city so brilliant in the graceful glow of the Lamb that it needs no other light. In verses politically radical for their time and perhaps any other, we hear that all earthly kings will worship at God’s throne in this blissful city. The city’s pure waters and luscious fruit will nourish all nations and everyone.

Gospel: John 14:23-29

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” Jesus utters these familiar, loving words as he concludes his farewell to his disciples at the Last Supper. Jesus tells them that he is going away, a prospect that would surely trouble their hearts. But Jesus reassures them that God will remain present with them. God will send an Advocate, God’s Holy Spirit, to come in Jesus’ name to teach and inspire them. These words that Jesus uttered just before his passion and crucifixion will resonate with us again in two weeks on Pentecost Sunday.

Alternate Gospel: John 5:1-9

Jesus, visiting Jerusalem for a festival, stops by a pool called Bethsaida where many people hope to be healed in its waters. Seeing a disabled man who has been waiting there for 38 years, Jesus asks him if he would like to be made well. Rather than responding at once, the man complains that he hasn’t been able to get into the healing water during all those years because no one would help him. Without further discussion, Jesus told the man, “Stand up, take your mat and walk,” and so he does, walking away without a word of thanks. The passage concludes, briefly, “Now that day was a Sabbath.” The verses that follow this reading reveal that this Sabbath healing outraged the Temple authorities, who began making plans to have Jesus killed.

Easter 5C

Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for May 18, 2025 (Easter 5C)

Peter Preaching

Peter Preaching (1433). Altarpiece panel by Fra Angelico (1400-1455). Museo di San Marco, Florence, Italy. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Acts 11:1-18

God’s love is for everyone, not just a few: This inclusive message resonates through Sunday’s readings. In our first reading from Acts, we hear Peter explaining to his fellow Jewish Christians that a vision from God had made clear to him that Christ’s message was not intended just for them but for Gentiles as well. The idea that the gift of the Spirit could be shared with Gentiles through baptism without requiring them first to convert to Judaism must have seemed new and strange to them all. But God’s message to Peter was unambiguous: Go and baptize the Roman centurion Cornelius and his whole family.

Psalm: Psalm 148

In the remaining weeks of Eastertide, we move to the closing chapters of Revelation. In this apocalyptic vision, Heaven and Earth and all that is old have passed away, and everything is new! Earth and sea, all creation as we knew it is no more. Reversing the idea that the souls of humans will rise to a lofty Heaven, we see God coming down from Heaven to Earth instead in a New Jerusalem in which God comes to live with mortals as Jesus Christ had done. In verses often read during the remembrance of a loved one’s life, we hear that God will wipe away tears and banish mourning, crying, and pain; God will quench all thirst with the water of life, and death will be no more!

Second Reading: Revelation 21:1-6

In the remaining weeks of Eastertide we move to the closing chapters of Revelation. Heaven and Earth have passed away in this apocalyptic vision. Everything has changed! Earth and sea and all creation as we knew it is no more. Now God is coming to Earth to live with mortals, as Jesus Christ had done; all humanity will be God’s people, and God will be with them in a world where all things are new. God will wipe away tears and banish mourning, crying and pain; God will quench all thirst with the water of life. Death will be no more!

Gospel: John 13:31-35

In Eastertide, we have remembered Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection and moved on to his mysterious appearances to his overjoyed followers. But now Sunday’s Gospel takes us back in time, remembering Jesus and the apostles as they gather for the Last Supper. Judas has just sneaked out to go betray Jesus, so we know that Jesus’s passion and death lie ahead. Yet Jesus begins his last words to his friends by reminding them all to love. In loving one another, loving our neighbors, loving even our enemies, Jesus provides clear instructions to love all of God’s people, and through this abundant, universal love to show the world how Jesus loves us all.

Easter 4C

em>Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for May 11, 2025 (Easter 4C)

St. Peter Reviving Tabitha

St. Peter Reviving Tabitha (1618), oil painting on canvas by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, “Il Guercino” (1591-1666). Galleria Palatina, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Acts 9:36-43

Even in the midst of difficulty, we always have hope in God. This encouraging theme resonates through today’s readings, reminding us that God protects us, feeds us, washes away our tears, and offers us life. Our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles tells of the sudden death of Tabitha. This loss must have hit the infant church hard, as this hard-working disciple was known for her acts of charity, and she made clothes for the group. Peter, filled with the Spirit, brings her back to life with a prayer and a command, just as Jesus had done with Lazarus and others.

Psalm: Psalm 23

The beloved 23rd Psalm is so familiar that many of us could probably recite it from memory, perhaps in the cadences of King James. Sometimes, though, too much familiarity can rob us of the beauty of rediscovering the details. Try reading it this week with fresh eyes and mind, taking it slowly, one verse at a time. Breathe deeply and visualize yourself and your loved ones in each line; walking with God through the green pastures, past the still waters and through the dark valley, then sitting down at God’s table for an unforgettable banquet. God loves us all, always. What could be more comforting than that?

Second Reading: Revelation 7:9-17

We remain through Eastertide in the strange land of Revelation, a book that was written in symbolic language to inspire and reassure the people of a persecuted first century church. We don’t look to it for prophecy for modern times, or at least we shouldn’t. But when we read it as metaphor and tradition, we can find hope for all ages in its verses. In this passage we see a multitude worshiping the Lamb. This is not an exclusive gathering of insiders but a worldwide crowd incorporating all colors, languages and nations. Everyone is included! The closing verses continue offering reassurance and hope: The Lamb will be our good shepherd, guiding us beside the still waters, protecting us from danger and delivering us from hunger and thirst.

Gospel: John 10:22-30

John’s Gospel, like all four Gospels, reflects life in the early church during a time of conflict between early Christians and the Jewish community in which they had been included. This passage reveals that conflict in John’s interpretation of Jesus’ critical response to Jewish leaders. John places this confrontation symbolically in the Temple’s portico of Solomon, the place where kingly judgments were traditionally rendered. In our modern understanding, we can look past the harsh words to see love and hope for all nations in Jesus, the Good Shepherd, whose works show that he will protect his flock and care for his sheep, Christ’s body on Earth.

Easter 3C

Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for May 4, 2025 (Easter 3C)

The Miraculous Draught of Fishes

The Miraculous Draught of Fishes (1515), full-size drawing for a fresco by Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (Raphael, 1483-1520). Victoria and Albert Museum, London. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Acts 9:1-20

How do we recognize God in our lives? How do we respond when God calls? Consider Saul in Sunday’s first reading. Early Christians had every reason to fear Saul: a frightening figure, a Pharisee angry with the unorthodox new Messianic movement, Saul persecuted the Christians with all his strength. But when Jesus confronted Saul in a blinding vision on the road to Damascus, everything changed. Saul’s vision reveals that, in persecuting those who follow Jesus, Saul was persecuting Jesus himself. Saul’s anger melts away with his restored vision. Saul becomes Paul, who will go on to take Christianity to the world with a convert’s zeal.

Psalm: Psalm 30

Psalm 30 is framed as a hymn of thanksgiving, expressing gratitude to God for the Psalmist’s recovery from a serious illness. Its verses resonate with the experience of Saul in the first reading, who evolved from hatred to life in Christ, and with Peter in the Gospel, who bravely proclaimed Jesus after having denied him three times. In this psalm we sing out in faith that while sadness and anger are short-lived, the joy of God’s favor lives forever. “Weeping may spend the night,” we pray in this familiar verse, “but joy comes in the morning.”

Second Reading: Revelation 5:11-14

In last week’s reading from Revelation, we heard the prophecy that Christ would be “ruler of the kings of the earth.” This week, a few chapters further along, we visualize a scene of triumphant heavenly worship including all creation. All the angels and elders of heaven, all the creatures of heaven and earth, humans and animals from land and sky and sea, all these join in worship and song. Together, they sing a majestic hymn, filled with symbolic language, that reveals an unexpected surprise: Jesus’s kingship is not that of a roaring lion or any earthly ruler, but a lamb, a vulnerable creature, symbol of the Passover. This is a victim who once was slaughtered but now is raised and glorified for all.

Gospel: John 21:1-19

Seven of the disciples are back home in Galilee, perhaps seeking a break from the emotions of Jesus’s crucifixion, resurrection, and mysterious appearances. They take their boat out to go fishing at night, but have no luck. Suddenly, a stranger appears on the shore and suggests that they cast their net on the other side of the boat. As they haul in a huge load, they recognize that the stranger is Jesus. Peter jumps into the water and heads for shore, followed by the delighted crew. Jesus serves them fish and bread from a charcoal fire; then Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Peter, apparently forgetting how recently he had denied Jesus three times, is offended that Jesus has to ask this repeatedly. Then Jesus directs Peter, “Feed my lambs. … Feed my sheep,” and calls him, as he had done at the beginning of his ministry: “Follow me.”

Easter 2C

Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for April 27, 2025 (Easter 2C)

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas (c.1601-1602), oil painting on canvas by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610). Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam, Berlin, Germany. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Acts 5:27-32

Jesus has died and Christ has risen, but tension continues between Christ-followers and the Temple establishment. We’ll be hearing passages from the Acts of the Apostles as our first readings during Eastertide. In Sunday’s reading we learn that the apostles have continued teaching, preaching and healing in Jesus’ way, and all this uproar has the authorities worried that these efforts are going to bring trouble. In the verses before these, we read that they locked Peter and the apostles in jail, but an angel set them free. Now the authorities try persuasion instead, but the apostles, recognizing a higher mission, push back: God has called them to spread the Word, they say; and that mission trumps any human authority.

Psalm: Psalm 118:14-29

Portions of Psalm 118 have seen us through these holy days, as the Lectionary returns to parts of its verses on Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday, and now the Sunday after Easter. Once more we chant the covenant accepted by Moses at Mount Sinai, a commitment that Jesus also taught. We pledge to practice justice in our lives; to serve God, our neighbor, the poor and the stranger, seeking through righteousness to enter the glory of God. Finally the psalm addresses God directly: Giving thanks for God’s abundant love, our lives and our salvation, we sing, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Alternate Psalm: Psalm 150

Throughout the year, in Sunday liturgy and daily prayer, we turn to the Psalms almost every time we gather to worship. Some Psalms cry out in lamentation; some ask God’s blessing. Psalms beg forgiveness and express hope; a few even call down God’s wrath. The most joyful Psalms sing God’s praise. Psalm 150, the last Psalm, brings the book to a ringing climax as we sing out God’s glory with flutes and harp, strings and praise and plenty of loud, clanging cymbals. We sing out loud as we celebrate the resurrection during Eastertide.

Second Reading: Revelation 1:4-8

Despite the commercial success of the popular “Left Behind” stories and other interpretations of Revelation as scary prophecy for modern times, Revelation was never meant for our modern ears. In its time, the late first century, it was addressed to the Christians of seven cities in Asia Minor (now western Turkey) that faced oppression by Roman power. The letter, written in the apocalyptic genre, a sort of First Century sci-fi and fantasy, used symbolic language and colorful metaphors to reassure these early Christians that the Reign of Christ was still to come and would set them free. Christ is “the ruler of the kings of the earth,” it promises, holding up that glowing hope that Christ would eventually dominate even the Emperor of Rome.

Gospel: John 20:19-31

In John’s version of the resurrection, when Mary Magdalene alone saw the risen Christ, she ran back to tell the other disciples. It appears that they did not react immediately with celebration, though, but – as Sunday’s Gospel begins – they had gathered and locked all the doors, apparently fearful that the Temple authorities who had worked with Pilate to condemn Jesus were trying to find them. But then Jesus appears in the locked room with them, shows them his wounds, offers them peace, and breathes the power of the Holy Spirit into them, turning their fear into joy. Thomas, who wasn’t with the apostles that night, was doubtful, insisting on proof before he would believe. But Thomas, too, turns from doubt to belief when he sees Jesus.

Easter Sunday C

Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for April 20, 2025 (Easter Sunday C – Principal Service)

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ (1463), mural in fresco and tempera by Piero della Francesca (1415-1492). Museo Civico di Sansepolcro, Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading or alternate Second Reading: Acts 10:34-43

Alleluia. Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia! On Easter Sunday we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Lectionary readings for the principal Easter Sunday service consistently speak of resurrection and life. The first reading (which may optionally be used as second reading instead) is from the Acts of the Apostles, the evangelist Luke’s story about the life of the early church and its growth and spread. In this passage, we find Peter offering religious instruction in the household of the centurion Cornelius, a Roman army officer. Peter tells them about the Christian way: Jesus was crucified but raised from the dead, and now God’s saving grace is given through Jesus to Jew and Gentile, to all the nations. Jesus is Lord of all!

Alternate First Reading: Isaiah 65:17-25

In this alternate reading we turn to the closing chapters in Isaiah. The people have returned home to Jerusalem from their long exile in Babylon. Much work must be done to restore the war-battered city and the ruins of its first temple. But first, there is time for celebration. God promises through the prophet to make Jerusalem a virtual heaven on earth, where everyone will enjoy abundance and happiness, peace, and joy. Even the wolf and the lamb shall feed peacefully together!

Psalm: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

In this selection from Psalm 118, we repeat Israel’s joyful thanks to God for its return from exile. While the prophetic words, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,” alludes specifically to the temple in Jerusalem, Christians have long borrowed these words as a metaphor for Jesus. The verses shout out the hope of an Easter people: “I shall not die, but I shall live … The Lord … did not give me over to death. … you have answered me and have become my salvation.”

Second Reading: I Corinthians 15:19-26

Members of the early Christian community of Corinth were clearly puzzled by the idea of Jesus’s resurrection and probably arguing over its interpretation. In these verses, Paul tries simply and pastorally to express the resurrection and its significance: Recalling Adam’s fall and the ancient tradition of offering the first fruits of the harvest to God, Paul declares that Jesus’s resurrection makes Christ the first fruit of everlasting life, and this changes everything: The resurrection promises the arrival of God’s kingdom on earth and of eternal life. If Christ has risen, Paul says, then all who believe in him will also rise again.

Gospel: John 20:1-18

Each of the four Gospels tells of the resurrection from a different perspective, each reflecting the traditions of its particular community of origin. In John’s Gospel we walk this road with Mary Magdalene, portrayed in tender verses as the one who stayed behind at the empty tomb after the others had left. John portrays her as the first person to meet and speak with the risen Christ, and the one sent to proclaim the good news of his resurrection to the others. As in many other Gospel accounts of the risen Christ encountering his friends in unexpected ways, Mary did not recognize Jesus at first. But when he calls her name, we can feel the joy in her delighted response, “Rabbouni!”

Alternate Gospel: Luke 24:1-12

Eyewitness accounts of any great event typically differ on the details, and the Gospels’ resurrection narratives are no exception.​ ​​Only in Luke’s Gospel do we hear that the women​ who came from Galilee with Jesus were the first to learn that Jesus was risen. Luke even called out three of them by name: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. But when these women hurried back to tell the grieving men this wonderful news, the men thought it was just “an idle tale.” Before he would believe the news, Peter ran to the empty tomb to see it for himself.

Holy Week 2025

Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for Holy Week 2025

The Last Supper

The Last Supper (1704), oil painting on canvas by Jean Jouvenet (1644-1717). National Museum in Warsaw, Poland. (Click image to enlarge.)

Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for April 17, 2025 (Maundy Thursday)

Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14 [The first Passover]

Psalm 116:1, 10-17 [O Lord, I am your servant]

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 [This is my body that is for you]

John 13:1-17, 31b-35 [Jesus knew that his hour had come]

Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for April 18, 2025 (Good Friday)

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 [See, my servant shall prosper]

Psalm 22 [My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?]

Hebrews 10:16-25 [He who has promised is faithful]

or

Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 [He became the source of eternal salvation]

John 18:1-19:42 [“It is finished.”]

The Entombment of Christ (c.1602-1603), oil painting on canvas by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610). Pinacoteca Vaticana, Vatican City, Rome. (Click image to enlarge.)

Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for April 19, 2025 (The Great Vigil of Easter)

At The Liturgy of the Word

At least two of the following Lessons are read, of which one is always the Lesson from Exodus. After each Lesson, the Psalm or Canticle listed, or some other suitable psalm, canticle, or hymn, may be sung. A period of silence may be kept; and the Collects provided on pages 288-91, or some other suitable Collect, may be said. It is recommended that the first Collect on page 290 be used after the Lesson from Baruch or Proverbs. (pp 893, BCP)

Genesis 1:1-2:4a [The Story of Creation]

Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18, 8:6-18, 9:8-13 [The Flood]

Genesis 22:1-18 [Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac]

Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21 [Israel’s deliverance at the Red Sea]

Isaiah 55:1-11 [Salvation offered freely to all]

Baruch 3:9-15, 3:32-4:4 [Learn wisdom and live]

or

Proverbs 8:1-8, 19-21; 9:4b-6 [Does not wisdom call]

Ezekiel 36:24-28 [A new heart and a new spirit]

Ezekiel 37:1-14 [The valley of dry bones]

Zephaniah 3:14-20 [The gathering of God’s people]

At The Eucharist

Romans 6:3-11 [Death no longer has dominion over him.]

Psalm 114 [Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord]

Luke 24:1-12 [He is not here, but has risen]

Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for April 20, 2025 (Easter Sunday – Principal Service)

See Easter Sunday – Principal Service Illuminations posted separately.

Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for April 20, 2025 (Easter Sunday – Evening Service)

Isaiah 25:6-9 [Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces]

Psalm 114 [Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord]

1 Corinthians 5:6b-8 [A little yeast leavens the whole batch]

Luke 24:13-49 [He showed them his hands and his feet]

Palm / Passion Sunday C

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for April 13, 2025 (Palm / Passion Sunday C)

Entry of Christ into Jerusalem

Entry of Christ into Jerusalem (second quarter of 17th century), oil painting on oak wood from the workshop of Frans Francken the Younger (1581-1642). National Museum in Warsaw, Poland. (Click image to enlarge.)

The Liturgy of the Palms C

Gospel: Luke 19:28-40

Once celebrated in successive weeks, Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday now are joined on the Sunday that begins Holy Week. This combined liturgy prompts us to watch in shock and surprise as the crowds who cheered for Jesus upon his arrival in Jerusalem abruptly turn to mocking him and calling for his crucifixion. The Liturgy of the Palms begins as the people wave palm leaves in celebration as Jesus rides a colt into Jerusalem while the crowd chants the words of the prophet Zechariah celebrating the arrival of Israel’s king: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey!”

Psalm: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

This ancient hymn of celebration for victory resounds harmoniously with the Palm Sunday Gospel’s celebration of Jesus’s arrival in Jerusalem. The selected verses evoke a joyful crowd at the gates to the ancient Temple, clapping hands and loudly singing, praising the Lord our God, whose mercy and steadfast love endure forever. “On this day the Lord has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

The Liturgy of the Passion C

First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a

The waving palms and procession are complete, and the readings grow dark as the liturgy turns to the Passion. But even as shadows and twilight fall, the hope that rests in faith and trust remains. The Prophet Isaiah surely meant the “Suffering Servant” figure as a metaphor for Israel under the iron foot of exile, hoping someday to return home with God’s help. Christians must respect this tradition, but the Servant’s pain may make us think of Jesus too, particularly in its call to turn the other cheek against our enemies, knowing that God is with us.

Psalm: Psalm 31:9-16

The darkness grows still deeper in this portion of Psalm 21. Echoing the pain of the Suffering Servant, the Psalmist reminds us that numbing anguish can sap the strength of body, mind, and soul. Yet hope remains even in the darkest depths. Even when life seems full of pain and void of hope, we trust in God and pray: “Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.”

Second Reading: Philippians 2:5-11

This letter written by Paul from prison in Rome seems to resonate with Isaiah’s Suffering Servant. In poetic verses that may have been taken from an early Christian hymn, Paul tells us that Jesus “emptied himself” as fully human, even a slave; he became one with us even in suffering. Jesus took on human frailty as he bore the gruesome pain of crucifixion. With this as our model, Paul declares, we all are called to serve God and our neighbor humbly and obediently, becoming “more” through being “less.”

Gospel: Luke 22:14-23:49

Now we hear Luke’s telling of the Passion story. In its more than 100 verses, we are taken from the Last Supper with Jesus and his friends, where he declares the bread and wine his body and blood, to his arrest and the terrible account of Jesus’s torture and gruesome death. At the end of these long and horrifying events, the disciples were left with Jesus’s words to them at the Last Supper: “The greatest among you must become like the youngest,” Jesus told them, “and the leader like one who serves.”

Lent 5C

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for April 6, 2025 (Lent 5C)

Mary Magdalene anoints the feet of Jesus (

Mary Magdalene anoints the feet of Jesus (early 16th century), oil painting on oak panel by the Master of the Legend of the Magdalene, possibly Jan Mostaert (c.1475–c.1552). Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Isaiah 43:16-21

As Lent turns toward Palm Sunday and Holy Week, this Sunday’s readings direct our imagination toward seeking our goals with God’s help. In our first reading, the Prophet Isaiah remembers the time when the people were in exile in Babylon, defeated and hopeless, unable to get up: “extinguished, quenched like a wick.” Nevertheless, the prophet declares, “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old.” In God there is hope for new ways, Isaiah tells us. God will make a path in the wilderness and create rivers in the desert, protecting God’s people and bringing them home..

Psalm: Psalm 126

Psalm 126 echoes the feelings of hope that we heard in the Isaiah passage. The Psalmist envisions a future joyous day when all things old have been made new again. God will have restored Israel’s fortunes, filling the people with laughter and shouts of joy. Those who left the holy city weeping under burdens that seemed too great to bear now return with shouts of joy, bringing in a bountiful harvest.

Second Reading: Philippians 3:4b-14

Writing to the Christian community of Philippi, a Gentile community of retired Roman soldiers in Greece, Paul tells them how he had been a zealous Pharisee, believing that he had much to be proud of. He had felt strong in his faith as he angrily persecuted Christians, regarding them as dangerous radicals. But then, he says, he discovered Jesus and everything changed: In words consistent with the reading from Isaiah, he urges the people to press on, as he does, toward the goal of resurrection and life.

Gospel: Gospel: John 12:1-8

To grasp the powerful context of this familiar narrative, re-read John’s verses just before and just after the story of Mary weeping as she anoints Jesus’s feet with expensive perfume. Jesus has just raised Lazarus from the dead, causing such an uproar that the chief priests and Pharisees decided to kill Jesus to keep the Romans from stepping in. Just after these verses, the temple authorities decide to kill Lazarus, too, because his miraculous return from the dead is inspiring people to follow Jesus. Jesus is at risk of death. He warns his friends that they won’t always have him with them. But don’t mistake the meaning of Jesus’s words, “You always have the poor with you.” This is not an argument against helping the poor. On the contrary, it is a direct quote from Torah, God’s explicit commandment that we must always open our hands to the poor and needy neighbors in our land.

Lent 4C

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for March 30, 2025 (Lent 4C)

The Prodigal Son (

The Prodigal Son (1622), oil painting on panel by Gerard van Honthorst (1592-1656). Alte Pinakothek, Munich. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading: Joshua 5:9-12

Fresh starts and new beginnings: These themes resonate in Sunday’s readings as we reach the midpoint of Lent. From the Israelites’ arrival at the Promised Land in the first reading to the Prodigal Son’s joyful return home in the Gospel, we remember that God stays with us through transition and change. In the first reading from Joshua, we see a people filled with joy. They have reached Canaan, the land of milk and honey. No longer reliant on manna for sustenance, they celebrate the end of 40 years in the desert with fresh bread made from the produce of the promised land.

Psalm: Psalm 32

Who hasn’t known the anguish of doing something wrong that hurt a loved one? An angry word flares. A careless act happens. And then we see that look of pain, a sob, and a burst of tears, and we feel anguish and guilt. At that point, there is just one thing to say: “I’m sorry.” When this simple response brings a smile and forgiveness, everything feels better. This is the reward of repentance: When we sin and step away from God, it hurts. But then, as we chant in this Psalm, God’s forgiveness and steadfast love can make us shout for joy.

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

There is tension in Paul’s second letter to the people of Corinth. The people of this Greek Christian community have been arguing with Paul and with each other. Paul, loving them in spite of it all, entreats them to be reconciled to God on behalf of Christ. Our new direction as Christians, Paul tells them, comes when we recognize Jesus not only as human but as Christ, the Son of God, the Messiah. In Christ, everything old has passed away. Everything has become new! Through Christ, God forgives all our trespasses and reconciles the world to God.

Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

The story of the Prodigal Son is surely one of the most beloved parables, and it’s easy to grasp its meaning: God forgives us when we stray and then return. Even if we have been prodigally sinful, God welcomes us home with a father’s joy and abundant celebration. But there’s more to this textured story: Consider the older brother: Hurt because his good and faithful behavior earned him no reward, he is consoled by his father’s loyal, long-standing love. It’s also easy to forget the setting for this familiar story: Jesus told it in response to a crowd of scribes and Pharisees who were upset because Jesus welcomed tax collectors and sinners at his table.