Tasting The Word Of God Commentaries On The Sunday Lectionaries

Commentaries on the Sunday Lectionary readings for Years A, B and C of the Church's liturgy, worship, prayer and preaching.

Commentaries on the Daily Lectionary readings for the cycle of the Church's liturgy, worship, prayer and preaching.

Renowned Catholic author Megan McKenna celebrates her 50th book with a controversial interpretation of the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John and what they mean for the Church and society today. In many ways, modern audiences have become so familiar with the gospels that we've stopped listening and integreting their wisdom into our everyday lives. Acclaimed author Megan McKenna explores the messages of the four gospels in the context of daily life when they were originally written and interprets their meaning for our modern world. While some argue for the development of new gospels for the 21st century, McKenna argues that we haven't paid due attention to the ones we already have; in many cases, we've ignored sections of these teachings entirely and twisted their meaning to suit our own agendas. McKenna breaks it down, gospel by gospel, and shows us how the lessons of Jesus's apostles continue to resonate.

Father Donahue's commentaries on the lectionary readings in Hearing the Word of God first appeared as a popular weekly column in American, covering Cycle C. Since some of the Sundays in the Cycle were displaced by particular feasts, reflections on these Sundays have also been added. Hearing the Word of God includes Scripture readings for the Sunday, followed by a reflection on the reading, and concludes with "Praying with Scripture," a series of questions and meditations to guide readers in making a personal application of the reflection.

Father Donahue's commentaries on the lectionary readings in Hearing the Word of God first appeared as a popular weekly column in American, covering Cycle A. Since some of the Sundays in the Cycle were displaced by particular feasts, reflections on these Sundays have also been added. Hearing the Word of God includes Scripture readings for the Sunday, followed by a reflection on the reading, and concludes with "Praying with Scripture," a series of questions and meditations to guide readers in making a personal application of the reflection.

'Recently Pope Benedict remarked: "the quality of homilies needs to be improved". The Pope made this comment in the context of his extended reflection on the recent Synod in Rome (2010) on the word of God in the mission and life of the Church. The homily is an integral part of Christian liturgy. It is an honoured way of bringing the word of God to life such that people are helped to see the relevance of the word in their everyday lives. The homily is also an art form which needs to be practised and developed with skill. It seems to me, as a preacher myself, that what people are looking for in the homily is an articulate, faith-filled, knowledgeable commentary on the word of God which speaks to their everyday life and experience. People want to see the fire, desire and conviction in the person who preaches. This is a constant challenge. Mark O'Brien here presents his reflections on Year C of the lectionary, based on the Gospel of Luke. This is the companion volume to the earlier ones for Years A and B. Mark offers homilists a great service here. In two to three pages or several hundred words he gives an erudite and practical reflection on the word of God for the particular Sunday or feast as a good foundation on which any homilist can then build. Pope Benedict continues: "The art of good preaching based on the lectionary is an art that needs to be cultivated." In these short but insightful reflections on the readings of the lectionary Mark makes an excellent contribution to developing the art form of good preaching to the benefit of both those who preach and those who hear them.' Rev Dr Brian Boyle Academic Dean Catholic Theological College

In The Word on the Street, John Martens brings the Bible to where people live: in the church, at home, at work, and in the broader world. This Lectionary commentary for every Sunday of the liturgical year will help readers understand the Bible in light of their daily lives, experiences, and challenges, and help Sunday Mass preachers find new ways to articulate God’s work in the world. John Martens is known for his contributions to The Word, a popular column in America magazine. The Word on the Street, Year B is the second book in a three-volume series that presents scriptural, liturgical, and preaching commentary for Sundays throughout the year.