Today’s Readings – Friday of Week 11 of Ordinary Time - First Reading

Commentary on 2 Kings 11:1-4,9-18,20

As stated in the Vatican II Missal:

"We read one of the most shameful episodes in the history of Judah.  Around 837 BC the wicked queen mother Athaliah seized power. The high priest Jehoiada led a revolution, put the young Davidic King Joash on the throne and renewed the covenant with God."

If we thought Queen Jezebel was bad, we are hardly ready to read about Queen Athalia. She was a daughter of King Ahab, but Jezebel was probably not her mother.  Her influence on King Jehoram, her late husband, paralleled that of Jezebel on King Ahab.

When her son, King Ahaziah died at the young age of 22, she immediately moved to have all his children, that is, her grandchildren done away with so as to secure the throne of Judah (the southern kingdom) … Continue

Yesterday’s Readings – Thursday of Week 11 of Ordinary Time - First Reading

Commentary on Sirach 48:1-15

About this passage, the Vatican II Missal states:

"Having read in the Book of Kings the story of the great Elijah, we now read Sirach’s poetic description and praise of this prophet."


It is quite normal in our liturgical readings that, after we … Continue