Category: Bible Study

“Be fertile, then, and multiply; abound on earth and subdue it.” –Genesis 9:7 Mass Readings: February 16 First: Isaiah 55:10-11; Resp: Psalm 34:4-7,16-19; Gospel: Matthew 6:7-15 The first recorded words to human beings are the words of the following blessing from God: “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it” (Gn 1:28; see also 1:22). After the flood, “God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them: ‘Be fertile and multiply and fill the earth’ ” (Gn 9:1, 7). Jesus said: “I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who lives in Me and I in...

“But the dove could find no place to alight and perch, and it returned to him in the ark.” –Genesis 8:9 Mass Readings: February 15 First: Leviticus 19:1-2,11-18; Resp: Psalm 19:8-10,15;Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46 After forty days and nights of the flood, Noah sent out a raven. Then he sent out a dove three times. On the final occasion, the dove did not return to the ark, for it had found a place to rest (Gn 8:12). That meant destruction had ended and re-creation had begun. The dove resting on Jesus at His baptism meant the Spirit was beginning to re-create...

“Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” –Mark 8:15 Mass Readings: February 14 First: Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Resp: Psalm 91:1-2,10-15;Second: Romans 10:8-13;Gospel: Luke 4:1-13 I worked in a bakery long ago. The baker would break up a solid block of yeast into small crumbs. Next he painstakingly kneaded the crumbs of yeast all throughout the batch of dough. Then he set aside the dough on the baking table for a while “until the whole mass of dough began to rise” (Lk 13:21). It was amazing to watch such small crumbs of yeast cause...