Since the beginning of Advent the Sunday gospels have come from St. Matthew. That’ll continue to be the pattern—with a rather long interruption from St. John during Lent and Easter—up until the end of November. What should we look for from Matthew’s gospel? What would a one-time tax collector write about Jesus, his unexpected Savior? First, Matthew tells the most Jewish story of all the gospels. Now, all the evangelists write a narrative of the Jewish Messiah and his Jewish disciples. But, Matthew seems to take a particular care to show the continuity between the faith of Israel and the mission of Jesus. He’ll often give us a quotation from the Hebrew scriptures (as this Sunday and in the Advent and Christmas gospels) to show how the live, death and resurrection of Christ fulfills the longings of God’s chosen people. Secondly, Matthew likes sermons. Jesus’ teachings, often scattered in other gospels, show up as carefully organized and thematically consistent homilies. The most famous we’ll hear in the weeks leading up to Lent—the Sermon on the Mount. Later we’ll listen to a Sermon of Parables, a Sermon on the Community’s Life, a Sermon on the Last Judgment. Be ready to be taught—in examples and stories, in reflections on ancient truths and promise of future hopes.