Jesus Cures the Man Born Blind, Jesus Mafa, 1973
from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
Original source: http://www.librairie-emmanuel.fr.
(About this Image)

Jesus said to him in reply,
“What do you want me to do for you?”
The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.”
(Mark 10:51)

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Hebrews: 5:1-6
October 24, 2021

In last week’s commentary, we began the section of the Letter to the Hebrews that proclaimed Jesus as the High Priest. We will continue this theme for the next 3 weeks. It may seem to us that the author develops this at excessive length. It is an interesting interpretation—we will readily admit—but perhaps could be more economically stated. First, we should note that the sections we will read these next few weeks are at best the highlights of the Author’s exposition. Also, this reflects more than an attractive theological concept, it is a matter of life and death for his community. Scripture never loses its force so it would do us well to understand the relevance of Jesus’ priesthood for ourselves.
Continue reading “30th Sunday in Ordinary Time – A Love Greater Than We Can Imagine” →

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading
Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Hebrews 4:14-16
October 17, 2021

Today we begin a new section of the Letter to the Hebrews and examine in, what to us may seem excessive detail, Jesus as High Priest. In two verses, the author provides an overture for the several chapters that follow and introduces themes he will take up and develop later. To understand any of them we must step back and look at covenant and the priesthood that it requires.

The Israelites identified as a people who had a unique relationship with the God they referred to as “the Lord.” They did not have a contract with him for goods and services but a covenant sharing his very life. In their world, a covenant made a common family. Jews intrigued by Christianity would never jeopardize this relationship and would only convert if they thought this was a way of being even closer to the Lord. The author of Hebrews is concerned that some of the members of his community, most likely a “Jewish Christian” church in Rome, have had second thoughts and were considering a return to Judaism. He is therefore talking to them as a Jew to other Jews and we must master some basic ideas to follow him. Continue reading “29th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Our Way to the Father’s Presence” →