Dad Talk - Second Sunday of Advent (Cycle A)

Dad Talk guide to the Sunday Mass readings

So many questions from today’s readings! We know Jesus is the “stump of Jesse” in the first reading from Isaiah, but how do we know that? If John the Baptist wants to encourage conversion and repentance, why did he center his ministry in the desert and the Jordan River? Matthew mentions that John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt; what is this fashion statement doing in the middle of today’s Gospel? John the Baptist recognizes that Jesus is greater than John, but why did he bring up Jesus’ sandals? And in Paul’s letter to the Romans, what are the “promises to the patriarchs” fulfilled in Jesus Christ? We’ll discuss the answers to these questions—and learn more about how all three readings are connected—in today’s Dad Talk.

About Podcast

Seeking to understand more about the Sunday Mass readings, I started reading Bible commentaries after Mass several years ago, then giving a 15-minute talk to our children about the context of the readings (history, geography, etc.) and their relationship to each other. We called these "Dad Talks." Over time, we started to share them with others. To dive even deeper, I recommend acquiring your own copy of my source materials: Brant Pitre & John Bergsma's "A Catholic Introduction to the Bible," the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture set, and various books mentioned in the Talks. God bless!