"Then were read aloud all the words of the law, the blessings and the curses, exactly as written in the book. Every single word that Moses had commanded, Joshua read aloud to the entire community, including the women and children, and the strangers who had accompanied Israel." (Jos. 8:34-35)

The first reading in Mass is generally taken from the Old Testament. It is intimately connected with the Gospel and is meant not only to be related to that Gospel reading, but to set up a kind of foundational introduction to the teachings of Jesus that we will be receiving.

Hence a common "theme" should be evident upon a reflection a the Old Testament reading, although that theme may not be altogether obvious from the start. It may take a bit of study to understand the context of the passage in relation to the overall liturgical plan in that given day.

One of the common complaints from people is that they don’t understand the meaning of the readings, especially the first reading. The truth is that many of us Catholics are somewhat "lost" in the Old Testament, and the average "pew sitter" is uneducated in terms of the Scriptures. It truly is the job of the homilist (or preacher) to instruct the faithful on the meaning and overall connectedness of that Old Testament reading, and hopefully to be able to tie in that thematic structure with the instruction that comes in the Epistle (second reading) — a feat that is not always easy or possible.

But we all know it is not always the case that the Word of God is "broken open" for us. Many times we're left wanting after the homily for a clearer understanding of the Old Testament.

Most of us have (or should have) in our homes a copy of the New American Bible. It is the official translation for us in the United States. I suggest that you read the scripture passages ahead of time, getting the reading chapter and verse information from the missalette or from AFMOPITH. A little preparedness goes a long way!

Psalm 119:89 "Your word, LORD, stands forever; it is firm as the heavens."

Our prayer continues on page 37.