Sundays in Ordinary Time

Introduction:

During this Year B cycle of the Sunday readings, many of the Gospel readings are taken from the evangelist Mark. The text is frequently vivid, to the point, and reads a little like a modern newspaper account. Mark, like the other evangelists, is not concerned with historical facts in the way we are today. Mark’s focus is on the Kingdom of God, upon the teaching of Jesus and the personal response to be made to the Good News.

The Sundays of Ordinary Time run throughout the Liturgical Year, being interrupted by important seasons, Lent, Eastertide, and great feasts like Pentecost. Now the series of readings for Ordinary time resume, and run though to the end of the Liturgical Year.

© Peter Harrison 2000

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Trinity Sunday
† Sunday 18th June 2000
Theme: We praise God,
Father of tenderness,
the Son who has made us co-heirs,
and the Spirit who leads us into all truth.

First reading Deuteronomy 4: 32 -34, 39 - 40
Moses speaks to the People of Israel asking them to consider their relationship with their God, to remember all the things God has done for them throughout their past history. There is something special too, about our own relationship with God, “Understand this today,” Moses says, “take it to heart: The Lord is God indeed.”

Letter of Paul to the Romans 8: 14 - 17
Paul is reminding his readers of the intimate, almost familiar presence of God in their lives. “The Spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives, it is the spirit of sons[daughters], and it makes us cry our Abba! Father!” This use of the familiar phrase ‘Abba, Father’ is to call God ‘Daddy” or ‘Papa’.The Christian is truly a child of God, and loved by God accordingly.

Gospel according to Matthew 28: 16 - 20
The risen Jesus commands the Eleven to, “ go, make disciples of all nations; baptise them in the name of Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The invocation of this Trinitarian formula in relation to baptism, may come as a surprise, but it has echoes in the Old Testament. However, daunting the task, the Lord reaffirms the promise that he will be with them until the end of time. This text almost sums up the content of Matthew’s gospel account, making reference to the past, the present and future, and the fulfilment of that had been written.

Liturgical Note:
† Thursday 22th June 2000
[Holiday of Obligation in England & Wales ]
© Peter Harrison 2000