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Twenty-ninth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A, October 16, 2005

First reading, Isaiah 45:1, 4-6

The Historical Situation:

Read this box to the congregation before beginning the first reading. Copy the text in the box to a card, or print this page, and carry it with you to church.

While the Jews were exiled in Babylon, the Persian emperor Cyrus defeated Babylon and liberated the captives there. The Jews were free to return to Jerusalem. In this passage, the prophet Isaiah declares that Cyrus, even though a pagan, is God's instrument.

Proclaiming It: Read this passage aloud mindful that you are speaking in the voice of Isaiah who is speaking as the voice of God. Imagine how authoritative the prophet tried to sound, telling the conquering emperor who his Real Boss is. That demands a weighty, solemn, commanding tone.

In view of the historical situation described above, and the theological implication described below, the word "anointed" is very interesting. Pronounce this weighty title with some irony, if you can. For Isaiah is giving to a pagan the title reserved for Judah's kings, the likes of David and Solomon, indeed the title that would eventually be reserved for the Messiah (which means "anointed" in Hebrew).

The final emphasis, though, has to be on the sovereignty of God, who can make an unwitting tool of even the most powerful earthly king. Notice the repetion of "I am the LORD, there is no other," and "though you know me not." One does not trifle with this God.

A Theological Reflection: This passage also contains a theological breakthrough, of interest to the Jews if not to Cyrus. To call this pagan "the Lord's anointed" was quite revolutionary. Like other passages from Isaiah we've read lately, it's meant to challenge Judah's parochialism and give them a more universal view of God's concern and of their place in God's plan.

Second Reading, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b

The Historical Situation: In ancient times, one did not begin a letter with simple words like "Dear friends." Nor did any writer have letterhead stationery. The writer had to name himself and his audience, as if he was giving the letter a title. Only then, if he was a religious authority like Saint Paul, could he say, "grace to you and peace." Proclaiming It: So pause after that expression and take a breath. And if you wish, title the reading "The beginning of the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians."

What was going on among the Christians in Thessalonika that led Saint Paul to write? That unfolds slowly in the selections we'll proclaim over five Sundays. From today's text, it's clear that these people worked hard at being Christians, and that Saint Paul thought that praiseworthy.

A Theological Reflection: Regular lectors might meditate on the last sentence of this reading. There was more faith, hope and charity among the Thessalonians than Paul could credit to his own preaching ("our gospel did not come to you in word alone"). The Holy Spirit was clearly at work.

When modern people hear the word of God from you, they do respond to your eloquence or the lack of it. But much more do they respond to the Spirit at work within them. The Spirit is calling them to greater faith, hope and charity. While the Spirit is doing that, you don't want to model indifference, haste and ignorance. The Spirit doesn't depend on you to get through to the listeners, but should not have to contend with your proclamation, either.

By choosing to meet us in sacramental ways, in human liturgical gatherings, God accepts a certain "handicap" that our frail natures impose on everything we do. Your listeners need and deserve your help in disposing themselves to meet God. So your reading should have all the human qualities--clarity, drama, artistry, authority--appropriate to the occasion. And the occasion is that people have come together to hear the word of God, opening themselves to unpredictable promptings of the Spirit. That's what you are celebrating when you serve as lector.

Several other commentaries on these passages. All are thoughtful, all quite readable, from the scholarly to the popular.
Links may be incomplete more than a few weeks before the "due date."
Lutheran pastor and college teacher Dan Nelson's notes for a study group. Dan explains the texts verse-by-verse, and sometimes word-by-word, with cross-references to other Bible passages. Especially useful if you're puzzled about the meaning of a word or phrase in the readings.
Father Roger Karban's 1999 syndicated column about these readings,

and his 2002 column

The 2002 column of Jesuit Father Francis X. Cleary, From the site of the Saint Louis Review. The Text This Week; links to Lectionaries of many churches, homilies, art works, movies touching scriptural themes, and other resources on the week's scripture Saint Louis University's excellent new liturgy site
Most welcome here are Reginald Fuller's commentaries.
This site posts its pages only a week before the given Sunday, and keeps its back issues posted for only about eight weeks.

The Lectionary selections in the frame at the left, if any, are there for your convenience. The publishers of the page in that frame have no connection, except for membership in the one Body of Christ, with the publisher of this page. Likewise the publishers of the pages on the links above.

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Last modified: Wed Sep 28 21:17:16 CDT 2005