The Catholic Church has a three-year cycle of readings from Scripture which is used for Mass on Sunday across the globe. In essence, Catholic churches across the world read the first and second readings, the Psalm and the Gospel reading during Sundays of Ordinary time. Of importance though is the fact that all the four readings are closely related in terms of the religious themes. In line with this proposition the write-up will focus on the third Sunday in Ordinary time drawn from year C. The first reading for this Sunday is drawn from Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10, the second reading from 1 Corinthians 12:12-30, the gospel from Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21 and the responsorial Psalm from Psalms 19:8, 9, 10, 15. These four readings are closely related as they revolve around the dignity of the human body, the human person and the Body of Christ which is the church. Moreover, the readings establish on the importance of meditating on the Law of God which builds on the body of Christ.
Part I: Exegesis of the Passages
This part identifies the 1 st , 2 nd and the gospel readings in the third Sunday in Ordinary time drawn from year C. Moreover, it offers a summary of the passages, the context of the passage as well as the meaning of the passage in the context.
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Identification of the Readings
The first reading comes from the book of Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10 which is a description of how Nehemiah and Ezra retaught the people of Jerusalem on the beauty of God’s Law. The second reading is drawn from the book of 1 Corinthians 12:12-30. This reading is an analogy between the human body, its individual parts and the Body of Christ which is the Church. The Gospel comes from the book of Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21. In the first chapter of Luke, Luke speaks to Theophilus while the second part talks about Jesus in His hometown of Nazareth.
Summary of the Passages
Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10
This passage revolves around how Nehemiah and Ezra read out the law of God to the Israelites once they had finished rebuilding the wall. The reading of the law was done on the first day of the seventh month while every Israelite was listening. Ezra the priest did all the reading while standing on a wooden pulpit so that he would be visible to all the Israelites. After reading the law of the Lord the people responded in unison “Amen, Amen,” while lifting up their hands and bowing their heads in worship to the LORD with their faces to the ground. This day marked a new beginning for the people of Israel as Nehemiah declared that day to a holy day. He advised the Israelites against mourning and weeping. Instead, Nehemiah told the people to go on their way “eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared” (v.9) for that day was holy. Moreover, Nehemiah helped the Israelites understand that their strength was as a result of the joy of the Lord. As a result, the people became encouraged in spite of having faced numerous challenges at the hands of the Babylonians.
Second Reading: 1 Cor. 12:12-30
This reading is an analogy between the human body, its parts and the body of Christ which is the church. The passage is an attempt to establish that all the body parts although unique in form and function must work together. Moreover, the passage goes ahead to outline that the body parts cannot afford to look down on each other since is a part is in pain the whole body is in pain. Moreover, if one body part is glorified, then the whole body will be glorified. In particular, this passage calls upon the members of the body of Christ to work together for the building up of the body of Christ. In essence, since different members have different ministries, they should not fight for greatness but rather use their gifts to uplift one another. Of importance, the members of the body of Christ must work together to eliminate any form of discord which may make the body of Christ to suffer.
Gospel: Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21
The first part of Luke’s gospel can be seen as an introduction where Luke addresses Theophilus where he establishes the purpose of the gospel, which is an account of Jesus’ ministry. Chapter four of the passage is an account of Jesus while He visited Nazareth His hometown. Jesus went into the synagogue on a Sabbath and read from the book of Isaiah. The reading, which pointed to the mission of Jesus Christ on earth as the liberator of the captives and the oppressed was not received well by those present. However, Jesus went ahead to tell them that Isaiah’s prophecy had been fulfilled by Jesus on that particular day.
The context of the Passages
Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10
The first reading from the Book of Nehemiah indicates a very difficult time for Judaism as it tried to maintain its identity in post-Babylonian Captivity Israel, which is also known, post-exilic. The Israelites had witnessed hostilities at the hand of the Babylonians and had forgotten the goodness of the Lord, which their ancestors claimed to be witnesses of. Nehemiah who is considered a man of action did not allow the exile to dampen his spirit but rather he took upon himself to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. In essence, Nehemiah established the crucial administrative units to foresee the restoration of Jerusalem as well as reconciling the people to God. Nehemiah worked with Ezra a priest who doubled up as a scribe to re-establish the Law of God in people’s hearts. The Israelites realized that they had deserted the law of God, which made them mourn. However, Nehemiah and Ezra helped them realize that the Lord’s law is perfect and should bring joy instead of sorrow. Consequently, the Israelites confessed their sins and there was an establishment of a New Jerusalem.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-30
This passage is an attempt by Paul to reconcile Christians who seemed to be straying from the mission of Christ. In this passage, Paul advises the Christians to work together for the building of the body of Christ. In as much as Christians were drawn from various backgrounds, they had the responsibility of being united, as each of them required the other to thrive. According to Paul, all of the Christians come from God and are destined for God as He created them innocent, holy and undefiled. Paul feels that all Christians should love one another instead of trying to outdo one another. Moreover, Christians should conduct themselves in an orderly manner to reap the immense benefits of being a part of Christ’s body.
Gospel: Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21
The text from the book of Isaiah announces God's salvation and freedom through Jesus. The text borrows from the Jewish tradition of celebrating Sabbath years and jubilee. These celebrations marked the time when land was left fallow as well as a period of renewal where slaves were freed and debts are forgiven. In proclaiming that He had come to set the captives free, Jesus was simply acknowledging that the year of the Lord was at hand. His remarks, however, were not received well and he was rejected in his hometown. However, Jesus did not stop His mission of setting the captives free as he understood that prophets are not honored in their own hometowns.
Overall Meaning of the Passages in Context
Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10
The passage points to the need for Christians to learn their faith and share it with others who may feel that the Church’s teaching are burdensome. Just like Ezra and Nehemiah helped reconcile people back to God, Christians should just do the same. They should help others realize the importance of meditating on the law of God since it is only God who can give meaning to life. It does not matter the kind of oppression, individuals may be facing, as they can be able to survive only if they make the delight of the Lord their power.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-30
The passage points to the fact that humans cannot be reduced to mere body parts but rather active members of the body of Christ. On the contrary, human beings are created in God’s image and as such should portray the image of God all the time. Though humans became corrupted in the Garden of Eden they can always choose to live right to build upon the body of Christ. However, this is only possible when Christians realize that they need each other as they complement rather than compete with one another.
Gospel: Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21
The passage establishes God’s promise of salvation, which is made evident in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus not only promises God salvation but also bring sit through his life, death, and resurrection. To cap it all, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to ensure the fulfillment of God’s kingdom. In essence, the Holy Spirit is a gift to the church as He allows the church to carry on with the mission of Jesus mainly to bring liberty to captives and glad tidings to the poor.
Analysis of the Psalms
The psalm for the third Sunday in Ordinary time drawn from year C is Psalms 19:8, 9, 10, and 15.
Summary of the verses used for the Sunday
The verses in the psalm revolve around praising the law of God. The psalmist claims that the teachings of the Lord are true as they give joy to the heart (v.8a). Additionally, the Psalmist claims that the ordinances of the Lord are pure and altogether righteous (v. 9b). Moreover, the Law of God is considered precious than gold and sweeter than honey (v.10). The psalmist then desires that the words of his mouth and the meditation of his heart be pleasing unto God (v.14)
The Overall Meaning and Structure of the Poem
The poem in this passage points to the importance of keeping with the Law of the Lord as it is pure, righteous, and precious. Individuals who keep the law of God are assured of redemption. The poem makes use of alliteration to make the verses resonate well with the reader. Examples of alliterations are: “The precepts of the Lord are righ t , Giving joy to the hear t , The commands of the Lord are radiant” ( v.8). Moreover, the poem makes use of repetition to create emphasis as follows: “They are more precious than gold , than much pure gold, they are sweeter than honey , than honey from the comb.”
Part II: Connections of the Readings and the Psalms
The two readings, gospel, and Psalms are related in terms of the theme. For one of the readings and the Psalms are concerned with the building the Body of Christ which is only possible through the adoption and meditation of the Law of God. In essence, the law of God provides guidelines regarding how believers ought to behave towards each other. 1 Corinthians 12:12-30 captures how believers ought to coexist as parts of one body. In particular, believers are supposed to work in unison in an attempt to complement each other. The theme of building upon each other is mirrored in Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, and 8-10. Here Nehemiah and Ezra realize that they need to work with other Israelites to build the body of Christ. Together, Nehemiah and Ezra brought secular and religious reforms creating a New Jerusalem where Israelites would meditate on the Law of God. The Psalm creates a perfect picture of the importance of meditating upon the law of God as it is considered pure, precious, and sweet. Meditating upon the Law of God helps believers to be assured of Gods redemption. This meditation is evidence in the gospel of Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21 where Jesus reflects on the book of Isaiah, which promises salvation to the captives, the poor, and oppressed. The believers draw their hope from the realization that they need the Law of God to belong to the body of Christ.
The readings follow a well-outlined progression as each reading transitions to the next to make thematic connections. The first reading from the book of Nehemiah reveals how believers are expected to work to uplift the weaker believers who feel burdened by the Law of the Lord. The second reading in the book of first Corinthians takes a cue from the first reading as it encourages believers to work together as they belong together. The gospel of Luke follows with an insistence on the importance of the law of the Lord as it brings salvation needed to build upon the body of Christ. Finally, the Psalm adds to the importance of the Law of the Lord as it brings hope to the believers in the body of Christ. Overall, the four scriptures follow from one another as they focus on the unity of the body of Christ, which is based on the Law of the Lord.
