THE WORD

FOR EVERY

SEASON

Reflections on the

Lectionary Readings

(Cycle C)

Dianne Bergant, CSA

Paulist Press

New York/ Mahwah, NJ

also in this series by Dianne Bergant, CSA

The Word for Every Season (Cycle B)

Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition. Copyright © 1970, 1997, 1998 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament © 1986, 1970, 1991 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, DC, and are used by permission of the copyright holder. All rights reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Most of these reflections originally appeared in “The Word” column of America magazine.

Cover photographs: Top left (maple tree) by Anton deFlon. Balance of photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

Cover design by Sharyn Banks

Book design by Lynn Else

Copyright © 2009 by the Congregation of St. Agnes

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the Publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Bergant, Dianne.

The Word for every season: reflections on the lectionary readings (cycle C) / Dianne Bergant.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-8091-4607-9 (alk. paper)

1. Church year meditations. 2. Bible—Meditations. 3. Catholic Church—Prayers and devotions. 4. Catholic Church. Lectionary for Mass (U.S.). Year C. I. Title.

BX2170.C55B442 2009

242′.3—dc22

2008054947

Published by Paulist Press

997 Macarthur Boulevard

Mahwah, New Jersey 07430

www.paulistpress.com

Contents

Introduction

Advent

Christmas Season

Lent

Easter Season

Ordinary Time

Solemnities and Feasts

Introduction

The Catholic Bible Movement of the 1950s introduced us to what is known as the “historical-critical approach” to interpreting the Bible. This approach opened us to exciting new insights into the historical background of the stories with which we had become so familiar. What had often seemed baffling could now be better explained, and this without losing the religious mystery behind the biblical passage. Soon, even grade school children were devouring the fruits of this new method of interpretation.

Within the more recent past, we have gleaned new insights into biblical interpretation from various methods of literary criticism. This approach is not primarily interested in the concerns of the original author or the original biblical communities. It maintains that, ...