Book Reviews and More: The Second Sunday In Ordinary Time 2019

The Second Sunday In Ordinary Time 2019

It is interesting that we have no First Sunday of Ordinary Time, the readings go from the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord 2019 to Monday of the first week of ordinary Time. So, this is the first Sunday after the season of Christmas. Our readings this week are:

First Reading Isaiah 62:1-5
Responsorial Psalm -Psalm 96:1-4, 7-10 Response 3
Second Reading 1 Corinthians 12:4-11
Gospel John 2:1-12

This year is year C in the cycle of readings. After this year the weekend readings circle back to year 1. But because of the shifting seasons, seldom do the weekends end up on the same day especially at this point in the calendar. Just this week I reviewed, The Church's Year Unfolding the Mysteries of Christ by David W. Fagerberg from the CTS Deeper Christianity Series. And I posted pictures of Church from last weekend, mentioning the end of the Christmas Season. It caused quite the controversy in a specific Catholic Facebook group. And I for the most part just watched the comments. My understanding is Christmas ended last week, and ordinary time began. Some more traditional parishes, especially those that follow the extraordinary form argue Candlemas ends on February 2nd. I did not want to get in the middle of it, and it is splitting hairs. So, for those who follow the ordinary form, the default since 1969 Christmas ended last weekend. Candlemas is 40 days from Christmas day and the 40 days of Lent, 40 years of wandering in the desert both have meaning. But from where I sit it is not worth fighting over. Personally, having been born after Vatican II, and being a revert to the Catholic faith, I know what I grew up with, and do not long for the Latin mass of either variation. But I can respect and appreciate those who appreciate it. But enough about when Christmas ends and let us look at this week’s readings.

The first reading is about the end of the exile. Both for Israel, and for us a followers of Christ. We are strangers in a strange land, and we look forward to a future home in heaven. Three phrases from this reading strike me:

“You shall no more be termed Forsaken.
…
For the Lord delights in you,
…
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.”

If I am completely honest with you, for most of my life I felt and believed the opposite of these phrases. I believed I was forsaken and living under a curse. A curse of things that had been done to me, circumstances, and my own mistakes. I could not imagine God delighting in me, or rejoicing over me. Having worked through several of John Eldredge’s book a few years back, and having been through deliverance ministry, I prayed a prayer:

“Lord Jesus Christ bring me fully alive,
Lord Jesus Christ restore me to glory.”

Praying and trusting that as Jesus stated in John 10:10 ‘I am come that you might have life and have it abundantly.’ I prayed the above prayer like the Jesus prayer, I prayed it while walking to and from campus, I prayed it while working out, while walking to and from work. And though I still struggle at times with believe God would want me, I trust it now and strive to live it out, in my work, in my family and with my friends. And this takes us to this week’s response:

“Declare the marvelous works of the Lord among all the people.”

That is what I attempt to do with these weekly reflections. With reviewing Catholic books. With opening up at times about my own faults and failures. God is so good. And I sing his praise, or in my case I write in praise of him and his works. The second reading is one I have studied often, both when a student leader at Queen’s University and later at the University of Waterloo I have lead several series of bible studies on the gifts of the spirit, and on the spiritual disciplines. And in my own life different gifts have been predominant at different points in my life. I love even just listing the gifts in this passage:

Wisdom
Knowledge
Faith
Healing
Miracles
Prophecy
Discernment of Spirits
Tongues
Interpretation of Tongues

All from the same spirit, all for the common good, a variety of gifts, services, and activities. But we are all one body. One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church!

And this week my prayer for you my readers is that your faith is sparked afresh, anew. That you are renewed this week and begin the fight again. Carry on, battle on, and persevere.