Dianne Bergant, C.S.A.

Jan 06 2025

Scripture Study for

The reading from Jeremiah is a drama of national crisis, prophetic involvement, and political power plays. Jerusalem is under siege and seems to be losing the battle. The prophet’s message has demoralized the soldiers. Such behavior is considered an act of treason punishable by death. Placed in a cistern, Jeremiah is saved by a foreigner. The unrest in the kingdom is almost tangible. Not only do the people have to contend with a nation that is mightier than they are, but there is no stability in their own government and they are divided over the matter of prophetic proclamation. Jeremiah appears to be the center of contention.

The author of Hebrews argues that just as athletic games were often held in large amphitheaters, which could accommodate throngs of spectators, so Christians are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Just as athletes are spurred on by the cheers of the people in the stands, so Christians are encouraged by those who have preceded them. Success in athletics requires that one have a goal that is kept uppermost in one’s mind. Jesus should be the goal continually held before the eyes of the Christian. Like athletes on the field, the Christians are urged to strain further and further.

Jesus says that he has come to cast fire on the earth and to cause division at the very heart of human society. While Jesus himself is a man of peace, the message that he proclaims is clearly divisive. Many of the claims he makes cut to the core of our dominant social and religious customs and understanding. He makes demands on people that challenge them to the very heart of their being. He insists that commitment to him and his message must take precedence over any political and even kinship loyalties. This is the cause of the division described in the passage. The animosity that Jesus generates is the cause of his own rejection and ultimate suffering and death.

Jan 06 2025

Scripture Study for

Two signs appear in the heavens, a pregnant woman and the cosmic dragon. She is no ordinary woman. Rather she is depicted as an astral being, superior even to the moon. The twelve stars symbolize the signs of the zodiac, the seven-headed dragon a cosmic monster. Her child is described in royal terms. He is destined to shepherd all of the nations and to rule with a rod of iron, an image of harsh punishment. He is rescued from the threat of the dragon and caught up to the throne of God. His mother is also protected by God, but she flees into the wilderness. The reading from Paul brings together several of his most treasured themes. Christ is identified as the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. His resurrection contains the promise of resurrection for all who are joined to him. Paul argues that through sin Adam brought death into the world. In a similar manner, joined in faith to Christ, we are all brought to life. Paul seems to suggest that there is an interval between the end of the world and the final end when Christ will hand the fruits of his victory over to God.

Mary greets Elizabeth with a customary salutation, but it causes the child in Elizabeth’s womb to leap with joy. It is as if Mary is the ark and the child within her is the glory of God. In response to this wondrous experience, Elizabeth exalts first Mary and then her child. Mary’s hymn of praise has strong parallels in the victory hymns of Miriam (Exodus 15:1–18), Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1–10), and Judith (Judith 16:1–17). While the first section of the prayer describes the great things that God did for Mary, the last verses list some of the past blessings enjoyed by Israel. Mary’s hymn of praise suggests that the marvels accomplished in her are a final example of God’s mercy. The salvation of God’s people has finally come.

Jan 06 2025

Scripture Study for

The reading from Wisdom reinterprets the account of the plagues experienced in Egypt. It contrasts the plight of the Israelites and that of the Egyptians, showing how God reversed the very means employed by the Egyptians to afflict the Israelites. The Egyptians themselves were smitten, while the Israelites escaped unscathed. The focus in this account is on the providence of God in sparing the Israelites. For Israel, there was always a point of pride in these wondrous feats. However, they were ultimately accomplished for the glory of God’s name, never for the glory of Israel itself.

The author of Hebrews states that faith is an openness of mind and heart, not merely a set of propositions. He turns to Abraham’s faith to illustrate this. Abraham was willing to leave his home for a land he did not know. His faith became apparent again at the conception of Isaac. Finally, Abraham’s faith was manifested in his willingness to respond to God’s command to sacrifice that son of promise. The prospect of Isaac’s death demonstrates his trust that the God who brought life from a man who was “as good as dead” could bring about the life of this son.

Jesus’ address to his disciples reveals the tender nature of their relationship. The metaphor of a flock suggests both intimate knowledge and wholehearted commitment on the part of the shepherd. He assures them that, regardless of how demanding his teaching might seem, it has their best interests at heart. He announces that the reign of God is theirs, and he then exhorts them to live lives that demonstrate their citizenship in that realm. He directs them to be watchful, instructing them to be prepared like servants awaiting the return of the house holder. He links the return of the householder with the coming of the Son of Man. Since there is no telling when he will arrive, loyal servants must be prepared at all times.

Jan 06 2025

Scripture Study for

The word “vanity” means breath or vapor. It denotes a transitory nature or the lack of substance. “Vanity of vanities” is a way of expressing the superlative. Qoheleth is saying that everything is transitory. He is not passing judgment on living itself, but on the anticipation of future satisfaction. Our own transitory nature places the future in jeopardy, and so it is vain to place our hope of satisfaction there. This does not mean that we should refrain from commitment and hard work. It does suggest that the real fruits of our actions are found in the actions themselves rather than in what we might be able to enjoy of them in the future.

The Colossians are told to set their minds on the things of heaven because they are now joined to the risen Christ. Christ’s life is the new source for their own lives, and they will share in his ultimate manifestation in glory. Their transformation is characterized as putting off the old self and putting on the new, as one would change clothing. Finally, Paul insists that in this new way of living distinctions such as race, religious origin, gender, culture, or social status no longer feed bias or discrimination. Such distinctions need not be separations. Christ is the exclusive and determining force in all.

Jesus is approached by a man who wants him to act as arbiter between himself and his brother. Jesus uses this encounter as an occasion to teach a lesson about the futility of a life spent in amassing material possessions. The rich man is not censured because of his wealth, but because of the greed that underlies his actions. The man’s death is not a punishment for his greed. It is simply the end of his life of excess. It points out the futility of that life. Jesus draws out the moral of his story. It is foolish to devote one’s life to the amassing of goods and to be bereft in what matters to God.

Dec 17 2024

Scripture Study for

The account of the dialogue between Abraham and God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah is actually a discussion about the nature of divine justice. In traditional societies, there is a tension between communal guilt and innocence and individual guilt and innocence. More emphasis is given to the group than to the individual member. At issue in this passage is the extent to which the righteousness of a few people can balance the sinfulness of most. The story demonstrates the power of the righteous. God is willing to allow a few righteous people to save many.

Paul describes the effects of the triumph of the power of God in the lives of believers as it is manifested in the resurrection of Christ. He does this by relating Christ’s burial in the grave of the earth with the burial of Christians in the waters of baptism. Paul’s argument moves from consideration of actual physical death to spiritual death, the condition of those who, because of sin, are separated from God, who is the source of life. It is important to note that it was precisely while they were sinners that they were saved. The debt owed because of transgressions of the past has been canceled.

Jesus’ own practice of prayer prompted his disciples to ask for direction in their prayer, just as the disciples of other religious leaders asked to be taught to pray. Jesus’ discourse on prayer can be divided into three separate but related segments: the Lord’s Prayer itself (vv. 1–4), an example of persistence in prayer (vv. 5–8), and the assurance of that prayer will be heard (vv. 19–13). There is question about whether this passage should be seen as an actual prayer or as a pattern to follow when praying. The persistence with which one should pray is characterized by the story of the man who woke his sleeping friend. This entire discourse encourages the disciples to persevere in prayer.