First Sunday of Lent (Cycle A)

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The Temptation of Jesus Lectionary:  22 Reading 1 -  Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7 Responsorial Psalm -  Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17 Reading 2 -  Romans 5:12-19 Verse - Matthew 4:4b Gospel -  Matthew 4:1-11 One does not live on bread alone. Every year, we begin our Lenten journey in the same place: the desert.   The Gospel for this Sunday places Jesus in the wilderness, fasting and praying, confronted by temptation. In that stark setting we find the pattern of our own Lenten journey: a movement away from distraction toward the heart of God, a testing that reveals what truly sustains us, and a call to conversion that reshapes our lives.  Throughout our lives, we are frequently confronted with tests … and these tests generally reveal something about ourselves: In school, we demonstrate that we have mastered an academic subject with a test  in sports, we demonstrate our level of a particular skill with a contest  In life, we demonstrate the integri...
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Review: Women in the Bible

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Women in the Bible Women in the Bible by Jaime Clark-Soles

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I must admit to feeling the lack of a woman's perspective when I have read through the Bible and I was looking forward to reading this book to fill in the gaps. I was not disappointed. The author provides an exceptionally well organized and thoughtful examination of where we find them, and how to better interpret what we know of them, so we can begin to understand their significant contributions to the faith ... and to some degree how and why they have been silenced. The book begins with the a survey of the TaNaKh/Old Testament to provide a context going into the New Testament and the ministry of Jesus and Paul to bring the women supporting each out from the shadows. It finished with some of the more problematic Pastorals with a needed comparison on how they are actually a departure of what came before and perhaps why they do so. Within each chapter the author engages in scriptural exegesis that tries to expose a more nuanced (and in many cases a deeper) meaning to the text that is more egalitarian than might be understood out of context. At the end of each chapter is a quick review on where/when these scriptures might come up in two (2) common lectionaries with an encouragement to take the opportunity to focus on the message revealed within the chapter (especially useful for those who may need to develop a homily or sermon on the scriptural readings of the day). At the very end of the book, there are scriptural and topical indices that makes this an easy to use reference book.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#WomenInTheBible #Edelweiss+

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