Word for the Weekend: July 4

On the civil calendar this Sunday will be the Fourth of July but on the liturgical calendar it will be the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

It will be interesting to see how American preachers work with these scriptures on this national holiday!

The readings and commentary on them can be found here and hints for helping children prepare to hear the Word can be found here.

In the first lesson Isaiah announces the end of Israel's exile and a return to their cherished homeland. The imagery here is lush and intimate as the Lord promises to comfort his chosen as a mother comforts her children (see Word for the Week on the sidebar). Another kind of intimacy is found in the second lesson as Paul identifies himself closely with the crucified Jesus, even to "bearing the marks of Jesus" on his own body. Your preacher might proclaim a longer or shorter form of a passage from Luke in which Jesus sends out 72 disciples, in pairs, with instructions on what they are to wear and carry. The pericope includes an account of the return of the 72 who rejoice in the ministry they've been chosen to offer.

In preparation for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, read:
- Isaiah for his beautiful imagery
- Paul for his personal confession of faith in Christ
- and Luke for summary of discipleship in Jesus' own day

And have a great Fourth of July, too!

- Image: 72Missions.com

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  1. Could you explain what pericope means in your last sentence to this post.



  2. Only if you have Googled pericope and found no answer.


  3. thank you for sparking my curiosity to look up pericope-

    (I wasn't sure if I should report what I found or not)

    but thanks...

  4. I had googled pericope, but couldn't connect what it meant in relation to your sentence. Perhaps, I misunderstood either the definition or your sentence.

    In your role as pastor, I thought you were supposed to teach those of us who might be slower to understand not to put impediments in the way!


  5. I Googled pericope definition and found this.

  6. Thank you, CP. I still don't understand whether pericope simply means a part of an Epistle or a Gospel. I think I should go sit in the corner with a dunce cap on my head!


  7. The definition at the site Googled offers:

    - An extract or selection from a book, especially a reading from a Scripture that forms part of a church service.

    - (Christianity / Ecclesiastical Terms) a selection from a book, esp a passage from the Bible read at religious services

    I'm honestly not clear on what's confusing here. In the church service that's the context for my post (Mass), the readings are from the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures and each reading is, indeed, an extract or selection of a book of the Bible.

  8. In the last sentence of your post instead of "pericope" could you have used "scripture" or "passage" and would it have had the same meaning as "pericope"?

    If so, then I am not confused. If not, then I am still confused!

    Sorry to be such a pain about this.


  9. Thank you, CP!



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