The Roman Catholic Lectionary is a rather interesting thing at times. This week, a verse quietly disappeared from the readings for Trinity Sunday, and that omission reveals a lot about moral evolution, generational trauma, and the uncomfortable reality that even religious institutions edit their sacred traditions to match changing human values!
The fact is that ancient ideas about inherited punishment eventually collided with growing concepts of compassion and individual accountability. But this isn’t just about ancient times because all of this still matters today as we struggle to break cycles of harm in our own families, communities, and societies!
One of the things I find genuinely fascinating about organized religion is how often it quietly edits itself while simultaneously insisting that its truths are eternal and unchanging. And honestly, nowhere is that more visible than in the Lectionary readings used in many churches. For those unfamiliar, a Lectionary is simply a pre-selected schedule of scripture readings used during worship services. It determines which passages get read publicly and which ones… mysteriously remain out of sight… kind of like that weird cousin who eats by himself in front of the TV during Thanksgiving dinner.
This week’s reading from Exodus is a perfect example. In the Roman Catholic Lectionary, the reading jumps from Exodus 34:6 directly to verse 8. That seems harmless enough until you realize that verse 7 is doing the theological equivalent of pounding on the locked door it was shoved behind, screaming, “Hey! You skipped something important! Don’t forget me!”
Well, we’re not going to ignore it or just skip over it. We’re going to take a good hard look at Exodus 34:7 and talk about exactly what it means… in this episode of Afterthoughts!
