 One of the things I wish they teach me in seminary, you have to learn it on the spot, is always have the visiting priest read the hard Gospels. But we have a pair of rather strong readings today, do we not? We have the exhortation from the prophet Isaiah, the word of the Lord almost condemning all of the ritual and all of the religious practices of the Jewish people. Now, wait a minute. These sacrifices, these festivals of the new moon every month, these were given by God.