The Beautiful Psalm !

Bless the LORD, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the LORD, my soul; and do not forget all his gifts, 3 Who pardons all your sins, and heals all your ills, 4 Who redeems your life from the pit,a and crowns you with mercy and compassion, 5 Who fills your days with good things, so your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.* II 6 The LORD does righteous deeds, brings justice to all the oppressed.b 7 He made known his ways to Moses, to the Israelites his deeds. 8 Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger, abounding in mercy.c 9 He will not always accuse, and nurses no lasting anger; 10 He has not dealt with us as our sins merit, nor requited us as our wrongs deserve. III 11 For as the heavens tower over the earth, so his mercy towers over those who fear him.d 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him. 14 For he knows how we are formed, remembers that we are dust.e 15 As for man, his days are like the grass; he blossoms like a flower in the field.f 16 A wind sweeps over it and it is gone; its place knows it no more. 17 But the LORD’s mercy is from age to age, toward those who fear him. His salvation is for the children’s children 18 of those who keep his covenant, and remember to carry out his precepts. IV 19 The LORD has set his throne in heaven; his dominion extends over all. 20 Bless the LORD, all you his angels,g mighty in strength, acting at his behest, obedient to his command. 21 Bless the LORD, all you his hosts, his ministers who carry out his will. 22 Bless the LORD, all his creatures, everywhere in his domain. Bless the LORD, my soul!

Two Homilies

On Wednesday December 16, 2020 I listened to two homilies that I thought would be of true value to me and my readers. The first was by Msgr. Sam Bianco at the Daily TV Mass here. Msgr. Bianco commented on the Gospel's reading from Luke "John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, 'Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?' When the men came to the Lord, they said, 'John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’ At that time Jesus cured many of their diseases, sufferings, and evil spirits; he also granted sight to many who were blind. And Jesus said to them in reply,'Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.” Msgr. Bianco said that in the ancient culture, 'offense' meant a trap to capture a bird. What trap was John the Baptist facing in his relationship to Jesus? Part of it is the expectation that John the Baptist had for Jesus. John the Baptist would have destroyed evil. He thought that the God of wrath would not tolerate evil. Jesus was probably a stumbling block because he showed himself a merciful God... He touched the lepers that he healed, and the blinds whose light of eyes he restored. He was physically present to the people that he healed - a COVID, or sickness. He had compassion for the poor, sinners, and the trodden. The second homily was that of Pope Francis: Pope Francis on December 16 encouraged everyone to “‘hasten their steps’ toward Christmas,” taking up the restrictions that will characterize this year’s holiday as a chance to make the feast more “authentic, more true.” The pope offered this encouragement at the end of the Wednesday general audience, which he dedicated to the theme of intercessory prayer. He said: I would like to encourage everyone to ‘hasten their steps’ toward Christmas, the true Christmas, that is to say, the birth of Jesus Christ. This year, restrictions and inconveniences await us; but let’s think of the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph’s Christmas: it wasn’t a rose garden! How many difficulties they had! How many concerns! And yet faith, hope and love guided and sustained them. May it be thus also for us! May it also help us – this difficulty – to purify a bit the way we live Christmas, the way we celebrate, leaving consumerism behind: May it be more religious, more authentic, more true." More here.

Henri Boulad: The Infinite is within You !

Yes. The Infinite is within You. This is what the Jesuit scholar Fr. Henri Boulad said in his homily today Sunday December 13, 2020. Fr. Boulad spoke of it as a inner movement of conversion. He told a story of a young man that wished to be rich and, on his way of looking into this desire, he met an old man who, upon learning from the young man about his desire, directed him to go into a cave. As the young man goes into the cave, he finds himself in darkness that blinds him. However, when he touches the wall, he finds himself before a large and luminous palace full of treasures and in the middle a large table of delicious food. He needed to have courage in order to make a decision and start the journey...And Fr. Boulad said that he experienced the same reality. It is the road to fulfillment. Every human person will have to take the same road. We all have in ourselves the hidden treasure. Yet we do not really see it. I think that we are too busy with the things that float outside. We need to start the process of conversion. Let us read it in the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. The vision that Saul experienced is the same. The word "conversion" has been used since the early Fathers from the Greek "Metanoia." In The Acts of the Apostles, it is written "But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he journeyed he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed about him. And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' And he said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And he said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; but rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.' The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul arose from the ground; and when his eyes were opened, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Anani'as. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Anani'as." And he said, 'Here I am, Lord.' And the Lord said to him, 'Rise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus named Saul; for behold, he is praying, and he has seen a man named Anani'as come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.' But Anani'as answered, 'Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to thy saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon thy name.' But the Lord said to him, 'Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.'" (Acts 9:1-16). Years ago, Fr. Henri Boulad gave a homily in Advent. Listen here: "Jesus is a revelation. Jesus is a revolution". But what kind of revolution? "Jesus empties heaven and moves the [Divine presence] to be among us: Emmanuel." and continues "Is it possible that God makes such a radical move? I have a response here to our Muslim brothers who think it is impossible. For them God cannot descend from heaven without losing his honor and dignity." Listen carefully because here Henri Boulad summarizes the Christian Mystery in as simple language as possible "If Jesus Christ is an illusion...If Christianity is a sheer mystification...If God did not come to us and did not descend from his heaven...If he did not take the radical and seemingly impossible leap of the incarnation, then he ceases being credible - he ceases being love - he ceases being God." Let us reflect. Here is the message: "The scandal of the Incarnation, which means that we cannot believe that God could debase himself, becomes the key and the supreme proof that this is the truth." "But a God in heaven well served who looks to me and says 'You suffer. Have courage. Perhaps one day you will be with me in my heaven' is not God. A God who says 'Patience. I am fine here but you over there can suffer' is not God. This is the false God that we, often, figure that he sends us prophets from time to time to console us' . NO, NO. NO. This God who looks to me with a telescope is not my God. I do not want him." "If there is a phenomenon of atheism today in the West as well as in Egypt, it is precisely because men say we are in fact better than God. The walk that I walk to help when I see a hungry person or a thirsty one or a person without faith, can't God do it? Has he no choice regarding his honor?" "No. He did it. This is the supreme proof of the Christian Mystery. Do not look somewhere else. 'Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down...' He descended. No more seventh heaven..." "The only God I can believe, love and worship is the God Jesus Christ because he descended to me." "'Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down...' " And the great preacher and Jesuit scholar Henri Boulad finished here his homily. I love Jesus. He loved me before I knew him. I am the Prodigal Son who needs God. In Jesus, God came to earth.In the Eucharist, he is within me. Let us sing to Him: Love Divine - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw5ZCZeS32M

The Holy Family: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

I wish to share my experience this week starting Sunday December 6, 2020. On Sunday, in his homily, the Jesuit scholar Fr. Henri Boulad spoke about his dream when he was only 17 years old and his commitment to Christ since then as he turned 90 this year! Some years ago when he was 78 years old, his long mission of over 50 years seemed to have come to an end when he suddenly fell seriously ill. He then asked the Lord "If you want to take me home, I am ready. If you want me to continue this mission, please give me an answer." And the good Lord answered him...Henri Boulad suddenly felt that he has been renewed with energy to continue in spite of his weakness for as long as he can...He drew a parallel with Moses. Moses was allowed to speak to God in the unconsumed bush on Mount Sinai.There God asked him to speak to Egypt's rulers in spite of his heavy tongue (Exodus 4: 10) in order to let his people go to the Promised Land. And Moses lived 120 years after he liberated God's chosen people. Henri Boulad too could live up to be 120 years old for the mission he is called to fulfill. He does not control his life because he let God do it. It is a matter of love for God through his creation. On Tuesday, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pope Francis said "The feast of the Immaculate Conception expresses the grandeur of God's love. Not only does he forgive sin, but in Mary he even averts the original sin present in every man and woman who comes into this world. This is the love of God which precedes, anticipates and saves. The beginning of the history of sin in the Garden of Eden yields to a plan of saving love. The words of Genesis reflect our own daily experience: we are constantly tempted to disobedience, a disobedience expressed in wanting to go about our lives without regard for God's will. This is the enmity which keeps striking at people's lives, setting them in opposition to God's plan. Yet the history of sin can only be understood in the light of God's love and forgiveness." In an Apostolic Letter dedicated to Saint Joseph, titled “Patris corde” (“With a Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis recalled the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To mark the occasion, the Holy Father has proclaimed a “Year of Saint Joseph” from 8 December 2020, to 8 December 2021. Also on Tuesday night, at the Melkite Greek Catholic parish in Toronto, a solemn Divine Liturgy celebrating the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary was celebrated by Msgr. Makarios Wehbi assisted by Fr. Michel Chalhoub and sung by the renowned Homsy choir. In his homily, Msgr.Makarios In his homily, Msgr. Makarios clarified that Mary was conceived without sin. Yet she lived a life of fellowship with God our Savior. The early Church Fathers called her "The New Eve" who contrary to Eve that disobeyed God, Mary obeyed God. Under the cross she became our mother - She is Mother of the Church... As Christmas is approaching, let us ask the Lord to bring an end to the coronavirus pandemic. Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine is officially approved for use in Canada, with limited rollout set to begin to priority groups “within days” and vaccination of the general population anticipated to start in April.(See article here)

Biblical Commentary on Jesus' Healing of the Woman Bent due to Infirmity for 18 years (Luke 13: 10-17)

Biblical Commentary (Bible study) Luke 13:10-17 EXEGESIS: Source on the Web: Sermon Writer - Resources for Lectionary Preaching here LUKE 13:10-17. THE CONTEXT This story follows on the heels of several related incidents. In this incident, Jesus’ opponent is the leader of the synagogue—one of the religious elite. Jesus has just recently delivered a scathing denunciation of Pharisees and lawyers (11:37-54)—also members of the religious elite. Then he warned his disciples of hypocrisy of the Pharisees (12:1-3). Then he spoke of the need for repentance, saying, “unless you repent, you will all perish” (13:5). “Coming on the heels of (that) episode…, this episode implicitly singles out the ‘leader of the synagogue’ (v. 14) and ‘all …(Jesus’) opponents’ (v. 17) as prime examples of those who stand in need of such (repentance)” (Fitzmyer, 1011). This story is similar to 6:6-11 (Mark 3:1-6), the story of a man with a withered hand, and 14:1-6, the story of a man with dropsy. In each of these three stories, Jesus heals on the Sabbath and is opposed by religious leaders. In 6:6-11, Jesus defended his actions by asking whether it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath. In 14:1-6, he will note that it is permissible to pull an ox out of a ditch on the Sabbath—an argument similar that in our Gospel lesson. What does it mean to keep the Sabbath holy? Christians today tend to treat the matter of holy observance casually. For most Christians today, such observance involves, at best, an hour of public worship each week. Outside that hour, we feel free to engage in work, recreation, and shopping. We would do well to recover a sense of holy time—time to honor God. Being set free from the law does not free us from responsibility. If the ruler of the synagogue erred by being too legalistic about the Sabbath, we are more likely to err by being too casual about the ways and times that we honor God. This is Jesus’ last appearance in a synagogue in this Gospel. It is clear that opposition to him is mounting, and such opposition is intensified because of his victories over his opponents in the verbal joustings that accompany his healings. LUKE 13:10-13. WOMAN, YOU ARE FREED 10He (Jesus) was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day. 11Behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and she was bent over, and could in no way straighten herself up. 12When Jesus saw her, he called her, and said to her, “Woman, you are freed (Greek: apolelusai—from the same root word as luei in v. 15 and luthenai in v. 16) from your infirmity.” 13He laid his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight, and glorified God. “He (Jesus) was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day” (v. 10). It is Jesus’ custom to attend worship in the synagogue (4:16), and he is often invited to teach. By the time that Luke wrote this Gospel, the temple had been destroyed, and synagogues were the heart of Jewish religious life. “Behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years” (v. 11a). Literally, the woman has “a spirit of weakness or infirmity” (pneuma echousa astheneias). In verse 16, her condition is described as bondage to Satan, although Jesus does not treat the healing as an exorcism. She has been crippled for eighteen years, half a lifetime in an age when life expectancy is short. “and she was bent over, and could in no way straighten herself up” (v. 11b). Luke, the physician, reports a medical problem—one that he as a human physician would be unable to cure. A posture problem of this magnitude would interfere with everyday tasks and social relationships. It would put a strain on organs of the body, affecting health in various ways. She is forced to spend life looking down at the ground rather than up at the sky. She cannot look people in the eye. “When Jesus saw her, he called her” (v. 12a). The woman came for worship instead of healing, and does not approach Jesus or request healing. There is no mention of the woman’s faith. It is Jesus’ initiative—Jesus’ call to the woman—Jesus’ faith—that sets the stage for this healing. “Woman, you are freed (apolelusa) from your infirmity” (v. 12b). The Greek word, apolelusai, comes from the same root word as luei (untie) in verse 15 and luthenai (set free) in verse 16. Just as God’s creative word has power (Genesis 1:3, 6, etc.), so also Jesus’ word has power. “He laid his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight, and glorified God” (v. 13). Laying on of hands is usually accompanied by prayer, but no mention is made of prayer here. Her healing is immediate. She stands straight and begins to praise God. LUKE 13:14. NOT ON THE SABBATH DAY 14The ruler of the synagogue, being indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the multitude, “There are six days in which men ought (Greek: dei—a divine imperative—commanded by God) to work. Therefore come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day!” “The ruler of the synagogue, being indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the multitude” (v. 14a). The synagogue leader does not rebuke Jesus or address him directly, possibly because he has heard that Jesus has bested other religious leaders when challenged directly. Nor does the synagogue leader rebuke the woman who, after all, did not request this healing. Instead, he addresses the crowd, in the process delivering an indirect rebuke both to Jesus and to the woman. Even though we understand that he was wrong, we must admire his willingness to carry out what he believed to be his Godly responsibility to uphold the Sabbath even at the risk of having to match wits with Jesus. “There are six days in which men ought to work” (v. 14b). The Fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15) prohibits work on the Sabbath. It cites the example of God, who rested on the seventh day, and requires that the day be kept holy. Not only are Jewish people prohibited from working on the Sabbath, but they are also prohibited from working their servants or animals. Sabbath and food regulations, more than anything, help to define the Jewish people. What constitutes work on the Sabbath is an ongoing discussion among rabbis, who have codified elaborate rules for proper observation of the Sabbath. “Therefore come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day” (v. 14c). The synagogue leader’s complaint is rooted in the chronic nature of this woman’s illness. She has been suffering for eighteen years, is not acutely ill, and is in no danger of dying. Sabbath laws prohibit travel on the Sabbath, so she and Jesus will be in town when the Sabbath ends. The purpose of the Sabbath is to honor God, so why can’t Jesus honor God by keeping the Sabbath holy (free from work) and heal the woman once the Sabbath is ended? Good question! If the healing were to be delayed for a few hours, the Sabbath would be honored and the woman would be healed—two for the price of one! We have become so accustomed to this story that we too easily dismiss the honest, if misguided, concerns of the synagogue leader. If this man were a fool or a knave, the story would lose force. But he holds a responsible position, and is trying to uphold what he understands to be holy. What he fails to understand is that acts of compassion are holy. It is as if the Torah, intended to reveal God’s will, has become a veil over his eyes. Jesus has sharp words for this man, but he also has sharp words for Martha (10:41-42), Peter (Matthew 16:23), and his own mother (Luke 2:49; 8:21; John 2:4). The fact that Jesus rebukes a person does not necessarily mean that the person is a scoundrel. Every person in a position of authority struggles with appropriate limits and enforcement of standards. Where do you draw the line? What exceptions do you allow? What consequences do you impose for failure to meet standards? Parents, teachers, employers, supervisors, law enforcement officials and religious leaders struggle with such issues. In this story, Jesus calls us not to hew to the rules to the extent that we lose sight of the person in need. It is a Godly thing to help such a person. “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). LUKE 13:15-16. OUGHT NOT THIS DAUGHTER OF ABRAHAM BE FREED 15Therefore the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! (Greek: hupokritai—pretenders) Doesn’t each one of you free (Greek: luei—free—from the same root as apolelusai in v. 12 and luthenai in v. 16) his ox or his donkey from the stall on the Sabbath, and lead him away to water? 16Ought not (Greek: ouk edei—is it not necessary—is it not God’s will) this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound eighteen long years, be freed (Greek: luthenai) from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each one of you free his ox or his donkey from the stall on the Sabbath, and lead him away to water?” (v. 15). The word “hypocrites” is plural, so Jesus is speaking to this man and those who share his mindset. The synagogue leader addressed his criticism to the crowd rather than to Jesus, but Jesus responds directly to him and his kind. If the synagogue leader intended to establish his authority by addressing the crowd, Jesus quickly establishes that it is he rather than the synagogue leader who is in charge. The hypocrisy of the synagogue leader has to do with his inconsistency: • The leader believes that the Torah permits helping animals on the Sabbath—but not humans. • The leader believes that it is acceptable on the Sabbath to free (luei) an animal that has been confined for a few hours but unacceptable to free (luthenai—from the same root word as luei) a woman who has been bound for eighteen years. We should note that the animal would not die if deprived of water for a day. We should also note that it would be possible to fill a trough with water prior to the Sabbath and to tie animals so that they have access to it. Water for the animal is no more a life-and-death issue than this woman’s bent back. Nevertheless, this synagogue leader would permit the loosing of an animal on the Sabbath to lessen its discomfort, but criticizes Jesus for extending similar compassion to this woman. We should not imagine that this is discrimination against the woman because of her gender. In the next chapter, Luke will relate a similar controversy when Jesus heals a man who has dropsy (14:1-6). • The leader presumably believes that it is holy to “love kindness” (Micah 6:8), but not on the holy Sabbath. • The leader believes that it violates Torah law to free a woman from Satan’s bondage on the Sabbath. “Ought (edei—from dei—a divine imperative reflecting God’s will) not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound eighteen long years, be freed from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” (v. 16). Rather than violating Sabbath law, freeing this woman is consistent with Sabbath intention and enhances rather than diminishes Sabbath observance. “a daughter of Abraham” (v. 16). This phrase occurs only here in the Old and New Testaments, but the phrase, “son of Abraham,” occurs several times, including once in this Gospel (19:9) when Jesus restores Zacchaeus as a son of Abraham. Earlier, Jesus warned people not to think that they could neglect repentance because they were children of Abraham. He warned, “God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham” (3:8). This does not mean that it is inconsequential to be a son or daughter of Abraham, but that true sonship/daughtership involves more than physical lineage. Jesus argues from the lesser to the greater. If it is right to loose an ox or donkey on the Sabbath, it must be right to loose a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has bound. It is holy work to show compassion on the Sabbath. It is holy work to defeat Satan on the Sabbath. LUKE 13:17. AND ALL THE MULTITUDE REJOICED 17As he said these things, all his adversaries were disappointed, and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him. “As he said these things, all his adversaries were disappointed” (v. 17a). Jesus wins this round. His opponents are shamed, and “all the multitude” is glad. The crowd is made up of ordinary people who know what it means to suffer. They can easily identify with the woman who has suffered so long. They rejoice at her release from crippling disease—and also at the synagogue leader’s discomfiture. Ordinary people often suffer at the hands of rigid authority, and they have surely felt the sting of this man’s pronouncements-from-on-high. They are delighted at seeing him put in his place. Jesus only recently said, “I came to throw fire on the earth. I wish it were already kindled. But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division” (12:49-51). Now we see that principle demonstrated. This division will persist throughout Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. We can imagine the smoldering anger of Jesus’ opponents, who will not forget this public humiliation. At the moment, they are helpless to retaliate, but their time will come. SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Bible, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. The ASV, which is also in the public domain due to expired copyrights, was a very good translation, but included many archaic words (hast, shineth, etc.), which the WEB has updated. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Barclay, William, The Daily Study Bible, The Gospel of Luke (Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press, 1953) Bock, Darrell L., The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: Luke, Vol. 3 (Downers Grove, Illinois, Intervarsity Press, 1994) Cousar, Charles B.; Gaventa, Beverly R.; McCann, J. Clinton; and Newsome, James D., Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary Based on the NRSV–Year C (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1994) Craddock, Fred B., Interpretation: Luke (Louisville: John Knox Press,(1990) Craddock, Fred B.; Hayes, John H.; Holliday, Carl R.; and Tucker, Gene M., Preaching Through the Christian Year, C (Valley Forge: Trinity Press, 1994) Culpepper, R. Alan, The New Interpreter’s Bible, Volume IX. (Nashville: Abingdon , 1995) Evans, Craig A., New International Biblical Commentary: Luke (Peabody, MA, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1990) Gilmour, S. MacLean & Buttrick, George A., The Interpreter’s Bible, Volume 8. (Nashville: Abingdon , 1952) Green, Joel B., The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997) Johnson, Luke Timothy, Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of Luke (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1991) Nickle, Keith F., Preaching the Gospel of Luke (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2000) Nolland, John, Word : Luke 9:21—18:34, Vol. 35B (Dallas: Word Books, 1993) Reid, Barbara E., in Van Harn, Roger (ed.), The Lectionary Commentary: Theological Exegesis for Sunday’s Text. The Third Readings: The Gospels (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2001) Ringe, Sharon H., Westminster Bible Companion, Luke (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press) Soards, Marion; Dozeman, Thomas; and McCabe, Kendall, Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Year C: After Pentecost (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994) Stein, Robert H., The New American Commentary: Luke (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1992)