Entry into Jerusalem, Wilhelm Morgner, 1912, Museum am Ostwall, Dortmund, Germany.
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Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Gospel
Passion (Palm) Sunday
Mark 14:1—15:47
March 28, 2021

The first reading for Passion (Palm) Sunday is the same every year: Isaiah 50:4-7. We reviewed it last year and, as it was during the Pandemic, my comments would not have changed. It will be interesting to look at it again next year when we should be able to see what the new normal has been.

As always, we will read the Passion and let us examine a question about it for which the answer can only be found in the Old Testament and Jewish custom: “Why did Jesus die during Passover week?”

Jesus Wept, James Tissot, 1886-1896, Brooklyn Museum.

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the First Reading
Fifth Sunday of Lent
Jeremiah 31:31-34
March 21, 2021

This week we once more have a choice of readings. Jeremiah will be read at the 9 AM Mass and Ezekiel at the 11:15 AM Mass. We will examine Jeremiah today and call attention to the commentary on Ezekiel from last year.

Jeremiah was a most fascinating and complex person. We can find his background in the commentary for Oct. 28, 2018. He was cursed to live in interesting times and in an interesting place. The kingdom of Judah with Jerusalem as its capital found herself between two great empires. Egypt was always at the south and the north passed between several powers in Judah’s 400-year history. Judah was able to maintain at least formal independence by playing one power off against the other. This required that the kings of Judah be nimble and lucky. As a young man, Jeremiah saw a political and religious renaissance but he lived to see the end of the Kingdom. This was death in slow motion from a fatal misjudgment of who really had power in 611 to the final destruction of Jerusalem in 586.

Nicodemus and Jesus on a Rooftop, Henry O. Tanner, 1899, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
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Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the First Reading
Fourth Sunday of Lent
2 Chronicles 36:14–16, 19–23
March 14, 2021

This week, we have the option of choosing the readings from Cycle A, Sam 16, which will be read at the 11:15 AM Mass or 2d Chronicles 36 from cycle B, which will be read at the 9AM Mass. 1 Sam 16 was discussed last year (my commentary on it last year is available online).

The books of Chronicles are often considered an afterthought. They cover the same materials as the books of Samuel or Kings and are most characterized by seemingly endless genealogies. If quoted at all it is usually for information about David or Solomon not found anywhere else. Yet we ignore Chronicles at our peril. It would be like ignoring the gospel of Mark because there is more to found in Matthew or Luke. Chronicles was written to address the situation of its time and place.