It's time to climb down from this past Sunday's sycamore tree and get to our homework for the coming weekend. Here are the scriptures for Mass on November 11, the 32 Sunday in Ordinary Time and here are some background materials for a better understanding of those texts. The first lesson for this Sunday tells a story of dramatic courage while the gospel for the day poses a religious riddle which Jesus answers with wisdom.
Helpful Hint: Although there are seven brothers in the first lesson and seven brothers in the gospel passage - they are NOT the same seven brothers, not even allegorically!
Weekly reminder: reading and pondering the Sunday scriptures ahead of time is one of the best ways to prepare for celebrating the Eucharist on the Lord's Day.
I didn't realize that the reason a brother married his brother's widow was to have children and carry on the lineage. I thought it was to care for the widow, because without a husband she would have no one to care for her in that society. So it was sort of a moral obligation. I don't mean to make fun of the scriptures, but by the time I was the seventh husband I think I would be worried about my fate!
ReplyDeleteYou're right on both counts: both lineage and the widow's standing and welfare in society are behind the plan for marrying her to one of her brothers-in-law.
ReplyDeleteI'd say the story here is about neither, however, but rather about the Resurrection. I think the image in the story is catechetical, not historical!