Today’s Readings – Wednesday of week 25 of Ordinary Time - First Reading

Commentary on Ezra 9:5-9

In our last reading from Ezra, Ezra himself speaks. It is both a deeply felt prayer and an exhortation to his people. He is deeply upset because they have been so unfaithful. He is particularly disturbed that many have intermarried with the unbelieving and idolatrous people around them.

He tells us that at the evening sacrifice, he came out of a stupor. Just before this Ezra has been told that many of the people, including even priests and Levites, have intermarried with women from the non-Jewish (and non-believing) tribes. The result is that the “holy race” has become contaminated and hence liable to fall into the idolatrous practices of their wives.

Actually, in ancient Israel inter-ethnic marriages were not forbidden (cf. on … Continue

Yesterday’s Readings – Saint Matthew

St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (Feast)

Matthew, who is called Levi by Mark and Luke, was a tax collector, a Jew working for the Roman colonising power. It is not surprising that Jews who did this work – especially as the Romans did not collect tax from their ow … Continue