Biblical Background Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Full-of-Grace

A Silver Mirror and Biting Serpents – Solving the Bible’s First Murder Mystery

A Reflection for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C What if Abel, the "good" brother in the Bible's first murder story, was actually disobeying God's instructions? What if Cain, the "bad" brother, was trying his hardest to follow them? And what if solving this ancient murder mystery is the key to understanding why we may feel gut-punched this Sunday when the first reading suddenly declares, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity!"? The Sunday...

Who Is Breathing in Me? – 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) – Biblical Background

Quick Overview: Where Are We in the Bible? A Jarring Shift: After last Sunday's tender invitation to call God "Abba, Daddy" in the Lord's Prayer, this week's readings might feel like spiritual whiplash. We leap from Jesus teaching us intimate prayer to Ecclesiastes declaring "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity!" From intimate prayer to existential crisis? What's going on here? First Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23 The Preacher's Shocking...

From Betraying Father to Loving Daddy – Reflection on Sunday 17OT_C

A Reflection for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time What Do We Remember from Our Baptism? I was three months and four days old when I was brought to the church for my baptism. Like most of us, I have no memory of that sacred moment when water poured over my tiny head, when I was claimed as God's beloved child, when I was wrapped in white cloth and given a candle to symbolize the Light of the World now dwelling within me. We tend to say "I was...

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) – Biblical Background

Quick Overview: Where Are We in the Bible? After last week's readings following Moses through the desert, this Sunday takes us on a dramatic leap backward—almost 2,000 years before Christ—to meet Abraham, the father of our faith. Think of it as jumping from Egypt's liberation story to the very beginning of God's chosen people. First Reading: Genesis 18:20-32 Abraham's Bold Negotiation with God When & Where: Around 2000 BC, on the road...