Northern Virginia Catholic Bible Study & Apologetics
Every Tuesday, 7PM-8PM
This meeting is a lecture/Q&A format. It is free.
House rules/notes…
Our meeting/classes are In-Person at St. John Neumann Catholic Church 11900 Lawyers Road, Reston, VA 20191 https://saintjn.org/ (usually held downstairs in Room 5), or ONLINE via Zoom (see #2).
To sign up for Zoom notifications and to receive the Meeting Recaps, go to www.meetup.com/catholicbiblestudy and join us! The Zoom Logon is the same every week: Zoom ID: 861 1782 2081 Password: 406952.
After each meeting, I send out Meeting Recaps of what we discussed. Please remember these recaps are unedited and without the pictures. The edited version with pictures will be posted before the next class on the Website – www.CatholicCatacombs.org. Taylor will notify everyone at that time and provide a link.
Questions encouraged. If you have questions, we ask that you keep them on topic and brief. You can ask in the chat box during the class, or email through Meetup.com, or email me at ron@hallagan.net afterwards.
Respectfulness. We will be discussing differences between religions and between Christian denominations, and we agree to be respectful at all times. Protestants especially are our friends and brothers-in-Christ; in fact, I personally owe part of my return to the faith to them!
No politics. It would be easy for us to self-destruct, but that’s not our goal. Our goal is to learn/understand/apply the Bible and our Catholic faith.
Catholic Prayer & Fellowship. Are you interested in praying the rosary, etc. with other Catholics during the week? Follow fellow member Jason Goldberg at https://www.meetup.com/online-catholic-prayer-fellowship-and-spirituality/. Daily/weekly prayer is saintly!
“The Chosen” TV series. All of us seek a relationship with Jesus Christ, which is not always easy. It can help if we have seen and heard Him. The Chosen captures Jesus better than any show I have ever seen. Highly recommended.
RSVP Reminder: Please RSVP whether you are attending the meeting or just reading the Recaps afterwards. The more RSVPs, the more Meetup will give exposure to “Catholic Bible Study” – a good thing!
Catholic Catacombs website: www.CatholicCatacombs.org
Bible Study Format: Each week of the month has a repeating topic, as noted below.
Each meeting: 5 min greet, prayer, 15 min next Sun Gospel, 40 min main topic.
Week 1: Gospel Week: all Gospels!
Week 2: Bible Week (Gen to Rev): We are in JOSHUA & JUDGES.
Week 3: Survey Topics Voted on by Members:
x 1) Jesus’ Greatest Parables x 2) Hell, Purgatory, Heaven x 3) Comparative Religions
4) Great Women in the Bible 5) Book of Revelation 6) Fathers, Heresies, and Church Councils
Week 4: Member Questions:
What is “conscience?”
How do I live my Christian faith at work when my faith is not accepted there?
What should our response be to those who ask us about priestly sex abuse?
What about the atheist who leads a good life? Can I be a person be good apart from God?
Miracles since the NT
What’s the difference between Charity and Love? What are the highest forms of charity?
Was King David good or bad? Was Emperor Constantine good or bad? Was he a Christian? What is a prophet?
Why does God allow suffering?
What do you think a day in the life of God is like to Him?
What is Tradition? Is Tradition equal to Scripture in importance? (2Thes2:15)
Upcoming major holy days in the Church
Lent – Wed, Feb 14–Thurs, Mar 28 Triduum – Thurs, Mar 28–Sun Mar 31 Easter – Sun, Mar 31
What is the Paschal Triduum? (Triduum = 3 days), Holy Thursday to Easter.
A sacred time to honor the passion of Christ. No bells can be rung, no organs can play, and no weddings are held during this time. There is the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thurs eve, catechumens are baptized at the Passion Good Friday Vigil, and a celebratory Mass on Easter Sunday: The Lord is Risen!
Opening Prayer
Dear Lord
As we continue our study of the most influential women in the Bible
We welcome Your presence beside us to improve our understanding of Salvation History
So that we may continue in the path of our forebears in faith.
And as You taught us to pray:
Our Father
Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily Bread;
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Today
Lent Reflection - Confession
Gospel reading – Mark 11:1-10 Palm Sunday
Matristics – Influential Women in the Bible: Judith, Esther, and Mother Maccabees
Quote of the Week:
"I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish." - Esther 4:16
Apologetics and Exegesis Terms
Apologetics – to defend a belief.
Catholic Apologetics– to defend the Catholic faith using reason, tradition, & scripture.
Exegesis – the study and interpretation of Scripture (it’s what we do here every week; you are all exegetes).
Eschatology (Greek, eschaton=last/end): the study of the End Times: the Second Coming of Christ (called Advent in
Latin, Parousia in Greek), Judgement Day, Heaven & Hell. In exegesis, you will hear Parousia more than Advent.
Typology – The study of Old Testament events that are completed or fulfilled in the New Testament.
“The Old Testament is revealed in the New; the New Testament is hidden in the Old.” – St. Augustine
Bible = The OT (46 books) The Torah (Pentateuch, Books of Moses), the Prophets, the Writings (Wisdom, Novellas).
The NT (27 books) The Gospels and the Epistles (Epistles: New Test Letters (Paul), Catholic Letters, and Revelation).
Best Bibles – The Didache Bible, Ignatius Study Edition; Ignatius RSV 2nd Catholic edition; Augustine Bible.
Breaking of the Bread – what the Lord’s Supper was referred to in the first century. The bread & wine become Jesus’ body/blood after he broke the bread and gave thanks, giving rise to the “Eucharist,” from eucharistia = thanksgiving.
Christianity – was called The Way until about 50AD, after Jesus' statement that he was "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6). Then the name 'Christians' was given to them to differentiate them from Jews.
Church – The whole body of Christian believers, with Christ at the head. Also, Greek kyriakon - building for Christian worship.
Ark of the Covenant: a) The golden chest holding the 10 Commandments; b) Mary’s womb holding the Word of God
Tabernacle - the portable sanctuary used by the Israelites in the wilderness during Exodus the from Egypt and then in the Temple in Jerusalem by Solomon (and again later by Herod). Latin tabernaculum – tent; temporary dwelling place.
Temple – Latin templum - space set aside for sacrifice/worship; replaced the Tabernacle; the Temple in Jerusalem.
Synagogue – Jewish house of worship often w/facilities for religious instruction. Greek synagogue: assembly/gathering.
Church Authority – The Church is the only authority given by Jesus Christ to interpret the Word of God: "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven" (Mt 18:18-20). Otherwise, there could be a different interpretation for every Scriptural passage for every person who ever read them, resulting in division vs unity (which is why there are 17+ Eastern Orthodox churches and 10,000 Protestant churches). Catholic Church teachings are nothing more than the Church’s interpretation of that which has already been revealed by God, either through Scripture or what has been handed on from Apostolic Tradition. This body of the Church’s interpretation is called the “Magisterium” and it is not superior to the Word of God, but its servant. The Church cannot make up anything outside what has been handed to it, but rather guards and teaches it (CCC#86, 890). The Church believes that Divine Revelation ended with the Apostles.
Church Doctrine refers to all of the official teachings of the Church. There are several levels of teachings:
“Theological Opinions” are teachings that express a pope’s views in a subject but are not doctrine/not binding.
Doctrine: Those that the Church teaches authoritatively but not infallibly. Elements within these can change.
“Ex cathedra” means when the pope “speaks from the chair of Peter.” Infallible doctrine, indirect revelation.
Dogma: Those teachings which the Church has infallibly taught to be divinely revealed.
Heresy – the rejection of dogma (category d).
Epiphany – Epiphany means a sudden appearance, revelation, or manifestation from above. In Christianity, it refers to the revelation of Jesus Christ as Savior of the World to the gentiles (Magi) 12 days after Christmas.
Theophany means the appearance of God, such as Yahweh to Moses on Mt. Sinai, or at the Transfiguration. Note “phany” in both words, from the Greek phainein = to appear. [Theo=God + phany=appear]
Mass – the celebration of the Last Supper/Eucharist. “Mass” is from the Latin missa meaning “to send (out).”
Evangelize – to make the Kingdom of God present in our world.
Humility – development of this virtue is fundamental to Christianity and a relationship with God, and He set the example. It is the quality of being continually open to God and others, a requirement for gaining forgiveness and wisdom; it is the opposite of arrogance. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” Mt 11:28-29. As C.S. Lewis said, “Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less often.”
Forgiveness – letting go of past harm to God or others. When we forgive, we mainly forgive the person because “judgment” belongs to God. The other person’s bad behavior is another matter. When Jesus forgives, there is both a presumption of repentance and intention to change behavior – i.e., when he forgives the prostitute, he says, “Go and sin no more.” Our confessional penance likewise is a down-payment on our new behavior.
Repentance – to turn away from a Self-centered life and towards a God-centered life; each time we sin and turn to God for forgiveness; repentance presumes heartfelt regret for sin and heartfelt desire to do better with God’s help.
Mercy – withholding harsh treatment or judgment that is justified.
God as Father/He/Him – scriptural tradition (God is not a gender); God does set the gold standard for fatherhood.
Man – generic for mankind, humanity.
Deism – belief in a supreme being/creator who does not intervene in the universe, or who is indifferent to it.
Theism – belief in the existence of God or gods, especially the believe in one God who is creator of the universe and is actively engaged in some way, intervening in it and sustaining a personal relationship with his creatures.
Atheism – the belief that gods or spirituality of any kind do not exist.
Agnosticism – the belief that God may, or may not, exist – we don’t know, we can’t know.
Preternatural – means “outside the natural”; refers to a unique state of grace Adam & Eve were in before the Fall.
Patristics – the study of the early Fathers of the Church. This is not a “formal” category in Catholic Theology. The most influential men in the Christian faith from about the year 100AD (end of the apostles) to the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 AD. The first few are St. Clement of Rome (88-97), St. Ignatius of Antioch (50-110), and St. Justin Martyr (100-165). It also includes the study of the Didache (The Lord's Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations).
Matristics – Ron Hallagan’s study of influential women in the Bible from the Old Testament to the New Testament.
The “World” – as used in the Bible, this term pertains to the nonreligious/secular world, or our temporary, material lives. In fact, the word “secular” (Latin seaecularis) = worldly/temporal. Biblically, “this world" often has a negative meaning, i.e., “The fall of man resulted from our choosing this world over God.” This physical world is not bad as God made all things good. Figuratively speaking, it refers to materialism, selfishness, and greed, i.e., “worldly temptations.” World–Olam–God centered!
Worship – whatever your highest priorities in life are – that which you spend the majority of your time and attention on. Applied to today’s secular culture, this could mean money, power, fitness, nature, etc. None of these are evil in themselves; in fact, they could all be put to “good” use. But once they are held above God, then they replace Him. The devil is still in business, and business is booming!
Patristics, Tradition, Revelation, Concupiscence, Octave, Love, Justice, Righteous, Patience, Righteous, Hyperbole, Soteriology, Apostolic Succession, Polytheism, Pantheism, Eucharistia: Thank you, Lord, I am grateful for your saving presence in my life. Kenosis: Lord, I will try to empty myself as you did, to be present to others. Metanoia: Today, Lord, I will yoke my mind, heart, and soul to You. Maranatha: Come, Lord, enter, and make your home with me/us!
LENT REFLECTIONS
Lent is about repentance, which means seeking forgiveness from, and improvement with, the Lord.
Catholics are required to go to Confession at least once a year, and there is no better time for this than during Lent. For those who are hesitant or haven’t gone in a while, there are Catholic Churches all around you wherever you go. See www.masstimes.org. You can stop in any one of them and be out in 15-20 minutes. Don’t put it off. Our lives are like hourglasses, and we do not know when our last grain of sand will fall.
Can we trace the “Easter Bunny” to any Catholic origin?
Amazingly, yes. The ancient Greeks apparently thought that virgin bunny rabbits could produce offspring. And of
course, they did this in the springtime! So, the Bunny became symbolically associated with Mary and Easter.
Gospel reading – Mark 11:1-10 Palm Sunday, March 24
Mark 11:1-10 At the Procession with Palms
As they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples on ahead, saying, “Go into the village opposite you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a donkey tied there, on which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone should ask of you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ reply, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’”
So they went off and found a colt tethered at a gate outside on the street, and they untied it. Some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”
They answered them just as Jesus had told them to, and they permitted them to take it.
So they brought the colt to Jesus and put their cloaks over it. And he sat on it.
Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields.
Those preceding him as well as those following kept shouting out: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest!”
Q: What is the significance of the tethered colt?
Two comments:
It fulfills an OT prophecy from the Patriarch Jacob just before Jacob died (~1700 BC):
The scepter shall never depart from Judah… He tethers his donkey to the vine, his donkey’s foal to the choicest stem. In wine he washes his garments in the blood of grapes.” – Gen 49:10-11
It is also interesting that (only) Mark mentions that no one has ridden the colt previously. You may recall that Mark is the one Gospel that said when Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days that he was with the wild animals, suggesting Jesus was the “New Adam” having perfect mastery over the wild animals like Adam & Eve in Paradise before the Fall. The point here is that nobody would ever suggest sitting on a donkey that hadn’t been broken first, for they would be thrown off. Mark is making an Edenic comparison.
Q: What is the prophecy from Zechariah (6th century BC) being fulfilled?
Jesus is fulfilling the Redeemer-Messiah prophecy in Zechariah:
Zechariah 9:9: “Exult greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you, a just savior is he. Humble, and riding on a donkey.”
Q: What is the significance of the leafy branches (palms)?
This is how kings were greeted for a) coronation ceremonies and/or b) victory processions. Jesus was being greeted as both – royalty and victorious. (Hosanna means “save us” or “salvation”.)
There is another prophecy to be fulfilled. This is from Psalm 118: 19-27:
Open the gates of righteousness; I will enter and thank the LORD.
This is the LORD’s own gate, through it the righteous enter.
I thank you for you answered me; you have been my savior.
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad.
LORD, grant salvation! LORD, grant good fortune!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
Join in the procession with leafy branches up to the horns of the altar!
Most Influential Women in the Bible – Matristics!
So far: Eve, Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, Miriam, Rahab, Deborah, Ruth, Hannah, Michal, Abigail, Bathsheba
Tonight: Book of Judith, Book of Esther, Mother of the Maccabees
This week: “Fortitude in the Face of Death”: three incredible women who unflinchingly look death in the face!
The Book of Judith. Judith takes on an Assyrian general. Est. 600 BC.
Book of Esther (secretly Jewish) becomes the queen of the Persian King. Est. 475 BC.
Mother of the Maccabees - mother of 7 sons taken prisoner by King Antiochus IV in 165 BC.
The story of Judith, found in the Book of Judith, is considered by most to be historical fiction as it conflates real names and events over many centuries. Thus, we cannot say with any certainty which parts are accurate. The oldest record indicates it was written in the 3rd century BC at a time when religious encouragement was much needed. Although it was originally thought to be written in Hebrew, the Jewish Bible does not include it because by the time the Hebrew canon was finalized centuries after Christ, only a Greek version remained. The Jews made “Hebrew” one of their canonical requirements. Since the Jews do not include it, the Protestants followed suit. The Catholic and Orthodox Bibles categorize this book as one of the seven “deuterocanonical” Old Testament books.
The story narrates the tale of a courageous and devout Jewish widow named Judith, residing in the besieged town of Bethulia. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the Assyrian Empire, had grown angry with the people of the Levant who resist his rule, and vowed to destroy them. He assigns his military commander Holofernes to this task, and a great army sweeps down from Mesopotamia into Syria and Lebanon toward Israel. The nations in its path immediately surrender and beg for peace. The Israelites, however, fast and pray to God for deliverance. The town of Bethulia is particularly desperate since it stands in the way of the mighty army's path to Jerusalem.
Holofernes is amazed that the Israelites have the courage to resist him. Achior, the leader of all the Ammonites, briefs him on Israel's sacred history and declares that Israel will be invincible unless it sins against God. "Who is God except Nebuchadnezzar?" Holofernes replies. He orders Achior bound and taken to Bethulia, where he can share the Israelites' fate. The Ammonite leader is treated with hospitality by the citizens of the city, who welcome him into their assembly. Holofernes arrays his troops for battle, but the Edomites in his coalition convince him to lay siege to the city instead, by taking control of its water supply, which lies outside the city walls. After a little more than a month, the people of Bethulia are ready to surrender, but their mayor, Uzziah, convinces them to hold out for five more days. If God does not deliver them by the fortieth day of the siege, he vows to accede to their wishes and surrender to Holofernes' forces. (5-7)
Siege of Jerusalem
It is only now that the lovely, pious widow Judith appears on the scene. She prophetically proclaims that to surrender to Holofernes' would be sin. "If we are captured, all Judea will be captured and our sanctuary will be plundered; and he (God) will exact of us the penalty for its desecration," she argues. Judith then declares that she herself will become God's agent of deliverance. She prays desperately to God to allow her to use "deceitful words" to defeat the Assyrians (some have called her “God’s Deliliah”). She then attires herself glamorously, receiving the praise of the people of Bethulia as she leaves through the city gate together with her maid. She is immediately arrested by an Assyrian patrol but she convinces them that she has useful information for Holofernes. She is consequently taken to him, amidst great excitement on account of her unrivaled beauty. (8-10)
Holofernes assures Judith that she will not be harmed if she is willing to serve his master, Nebuchadnezzar. She confirms the report of Achior the Ammonite regarding the Israelites' invincibility. However, she reports that the people of both Bethulia and Jerusalem have been so hard pressed by the siege that they are about to sin egregiously by consuming sacred food items dedicated to God. She explains that this very situation is what prompted her own decision to come over to the Assyrian side, rather than to share in the Israelites' now certain doom. She promises to act as Holofernes' agent to tell him when these sins have been committed, and thus when it is safe for him to attack. Holofernes agrees to the plan and marvels at Judith's wisdom, promising her rich rewards. He offers her a sumptuous meal, but she piously declines to eat the non-kosher food. She has brought her own supplies in a bag, however, and survives on this while she stays in the camp for three days, leaving each night to pray, supposedly for God's revelation as to the propitious time for Assyria to attack. On the fourth day, Holofernes determines that he must have his way sexually with the alluring Judith. She now accepts his offer to eat with him and "become like one of the daughters of the Assyrians," reclining seductively before him at a lavish dinner. The overjoyed and lustful Holofernes becomes so aroused that he consumes a huge quantity of wine at dinner in anticipation of possessing Judith. (11-12)
When Holofernes' servants leave Holofernes and Judith alone to have some privacy, he immediately falls asleep in a drunken stupor. Seeing her opportunity, Judith takes Holofernes' sword from where it hangs above his bed. She then prays to God for strength and decapitates him. Summoning her maid, they place Holofernes' head in Judith's food bag and make good their escape, a feat made easy by Judith's authorized nightly prayer vigils outside the camp. Returning to Bethulia, Judith produces Holofernes' head for all to see to the great joy of the Israelites. Achior the Ammonite confirms the identity of the head and is so impressed by God's miraculous work that he accepts circumcision and becomes a Jew. The Assyrians, meanwhile, have discovered Judith's treachery and are thrown into disarray. Following Judith's advice, the men of Bethulia attack, mustering their fellow Israelites to drive the enemy back even beyond Damascus.
Judith receives high honors and adulation; even Jerusalem's high priest Joakim comes to pay his respects. Judith then retires to her home and lives the rest of her life as a widow, despite many offers of marriage. She dies at the age of 105. (13-16)
The story of Judith underscores themes of courage, unwavering faith in God's providence, and the belief that God can utilize unexpected individuals to bring about salvation. Once again, the people of God learn that victory (of any kind – not just militarily but personally and professionally) only comes when we “Lead with the Lord.”
Book of Esther
The story of Esther is a tale of courage, faith, and divine providence found in the Hebrew Bible. It takes place during the reign of King Ahasuerus of Persia (Xerxes the Great, 518-465 BC).
In the third year of the reign of the king Xerxes, he banishes his queen, Vashti, and seeks a new queen. Beautiful maidens gather together at the citadel of Susa.
Esther, who was a Jewish orphan raised by her cousin Mordecai – a leader of the Jewish community who had been taken into Exile – was considered so beautiful that she taken to the palace where she would be prepared to meet the king.
As she advances to the highest position of the harem, perfumed with gold and myrrh and allocated certain foods and servants, she is under strict instructions from Mordecai, who meets with her each day, to conceal her Jewish origins.
Upon meeting Esther, the king falls in love with her and makes her his Queen.
Following Esther's coronation, Mordecai learns of an assassination plot to kill King Ahasuerus. Mordecai tells Esther, who tells the king in the name of Mordecai, and the king is saved. This act of great service to the king is recorded in the Annals of the Kingdom.
A time later, a high-level official named Haman the Agagite is made Ahasuerus' highest adviser. He is a descendant of the king of the Amalekites and full of pride. He promptly orders that everyone bow down to him. Mordecai (who had stationed himself in the street to advise Esther) refuses to bow to him. This so upsets Haman that he pays King Ahasuerus 10,000 silver talents for the right to exterminate all of the Jews in his kingdom.
Using “supernatural” means, Haman casts lots (“Purim”) and is told that the thirteenth day of the Month of Adar is a “fortunate day” for the genocide of the Jews. Using the seal of the king, and in the name of the king, Haman sends an order to all the provinces of the kingdom to allow the extermination of the Jews on the thirteenth of Adar.
When Mordecai learns of this, he tells Esther to reveal to the king that she is Jewish and ask that he repeal the order. Esther informs him that she could be put to death if she goes to the king without being summoned. Nevertheless, Mordecai tells her she must try. Esther replies by requesting that the entire Jewish community fast and pray for three days before she goes to see the king. Mordecai agrees.
On the third day, Esther goes to the courtyard in front of the king's palace, and she is welcomed by the king, who stretches out his scepter for her to touch, and offers her anything she wants "up to half of the kingdom." Esther invites the king and Haman to a banquet she has prepared for the next day. She tells the king she will reveal her request at the banquet.
Haman has no idea of Esther’s Jewish identity and seeing that he is in favor with the king and queen, decides to build a gallows upon which to hang Mordecai. He believes he will be granted his wish to hang Mordecai that very next day.
Haman attends Esther's banquet the next day. Ahasuerus repeats his offer to Esther of anything "up to half of the kingdom". Esther tells Ahasuerus that while she appreciates the offer, she must put before him a more basic issue: she explains that there is a person plotting to kill her and her entire people, and that this person's intentions are to harm the king and the kingdom. When Ahasuerus asks who this person is, Esther points to Haman and names him. Upon hearing this, an enraged Ahasuerus goes out to the garden to calm down and consider the situation.
While Ahasuerus is in the garden, Haman throws himself at Esther's feet asking for mercy. Upon returning from the garden, the king is not happy. As it was the custom to eat on reclining couches, it appears to the king as if Haman is pursuing or attacking Esther. He orders Haman to be removed from his sight. While Haman is being led out, Harvona, a civil servant, enters and tells the king that Haman had built a gallows for Mordecai, who had saved the king's life. The king cannot believe it. In response, he says, "Hang Haman on it!"
After Haman is put to death, Ahasuerus gives Haman's estate to Esther. Esther tells the king about Mordecai being her relative, and the king makes Mordecai his adviser. When Esther asks the king to revoke the order exterminating the Jews, the king is initially hesitant, saying that an order issued by the king cannot be repealed, but he allows them to be given advance notice and defend themselves however they wish. This was all Mordecai needed.
Through fasting, prayer, and Esther's bravery, the Jewish people have triumphed over their enemies.
The Jewish festival of “Purim” is thus established to commemorate this deliverance, emphasizing the importance of faith, standing up against injustice, and trusting in God's guidance in the face of adversity.
Modern day Persian Jews are called "Esther's Children." A building venerated as being the Tomb of Esther and Mordechai is located in Hamadan, Iran, although the village of Kfar Bar’am in northern Israel also claims to be the burial place of Queen Esther.
Purim: A Celebration of Deliverance
Closing Prayer
Prayer of Judith
My LORD, you are the God of the lowly, helper of the oppressed, upholder of the weak,
protector of the forsaken, savior of those without hope.
Lord of heaven and earth, hear my prayer!
Judith 9:11-14
Prayer of Esther
Then she prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, saying: “My Lord, you alone are our King.
Help me, who am alone and have no help but you, for I am taking my life in my hand.
Esther 4:14
Hail Mary
Full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed are thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Where does the presence of Christ in the Eucharist show up outside of the Gospel of John?
All the Synoptic Gospels. The institution of the Real Presence in the Bread and Wine is presented in all three
Synoptic Gospels, e.g.:
This is my body, which is given for you… This is my blood which is poured out for you - Luke 22:14-20
Note #1: there was no point in Jesus changing the bread and wine into his body and blood at the if it was a one-off. What would be the point? He didn’t need to do that to explain what he was about to truly do on the cross.
Note #2: Jesus uses a prefect tense with the words “is being given,” meaning something that used for past actions that continues into the present.” – grammarly.com
Note #3: Some say that Jesus’s words in John 6 indeed sound like cannibalism:
I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
No doubt the Apostles were mystified, if not downright worried, about what Jesus meant. I’m sure they were also pleasantly surprised when Jesus turned the substance, or essence, of the bread & wine into his body and blood, while retaining the appearances of bread and wine. What’s another miracle for Jesus, after all that he had already done? When Jesus told them he would be with them until the end of time, he wasn’t kidding, and he wasn’t just speaking symbolically.
As for cannibalism: Cannibalism is the consumption of the flesh of a dead person in a way that diminishes the material corpse. In the sacrament of the Eucharist, Jesus freely gives himself to us, and we consume his living, glorified body, blood, soul, and divinity in a way that does not diminish him but instead enhances us spiritually. It is Trinitarian nourishment for our journey to our Heavenly destination.
In his first Letter to the Corinthians, Paul says:
“The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Cor 10:16).
In the next chapter, Paul adds:
“Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Cor 11:23-29).
In Revelations 19:19, the Heavenly worship fulfills the “marriage supper of the Lamb,” which would be meaningless if this was all just a symbol.
Apostolic Fathers: Did this “presence in the Eucharist” also continue after the Apostles? Yes, extensively.
After the passing of John in the 90s, we have St. Ignatius of Antioch stating that certain people should…
“abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, flesh which suffered for our sins and which the Father, in his goodness, raised up again” (Letter to the Smyrnaeans, 107 AD).
Then we have St. Justin Martyr, writing to the Emperor Antoninu in 155 AD to defend the Eucharist:
And this food is called among us the Eucharist, of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that the things we teach are true… For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these, but in like manner as Jesus Christ, our Savior, having been made flesh by the Word of God for our salvation… from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh” (St. Justin Martyr, First Apology, 155 AD).
These words are repeated with equal clarity by Origin in 244AD, St. Cyril of Jerusalem in 350 AD, St. Ambrose of Milan in 387 AD, and repeatedly in the Sermons of St. Augustine (420s AD).
The history of the presence of Christ in the Eucharist is so historically clear that St. John Newman, who was the leading Protestant Theologian in the 18th century and then became a Catholic Cardinal later in life, said, “To be deep in history is to cease being Protestant.”
Mother of the Maccabees
The story…
Women in the Bible Conclusion
“That is why God comes to women. Men have to climb the mountain to meet God, but God comes to women wherever they are.”I have been pondering on her words for weeks and have searched my scriptures to see that what she said is true. God does indeed come to women where they are, when they are doing their ordinary, everyday work. He meets them at the wells where they draw water for their families, in their homes, in their kitchens, in their gardens. He comes to them as they sit beside sickbeds, as they give birth, care for the elderly, and perform necessary mourning and burial rites.Even at the empty tomb, Mary was the first to witness Christ’s resurrection, She was there because she was doing the womanly chore of properly preparing Christ’s body for burial. In these seemingly mundane and ordinary tasks, these women of the scriptures found themselves face to face with divinity.Mary Magdalene is mentioned by name 13 times in the New Testament, nearly all of them in connection to Jesus’ Passion and resurrection.
Mary Magdalene is one of the most misunderstood characters in the Gospels, as much of her reputation is based on extra-biblical sources. It can be difficult to sort through these legends to discover what is true and what is false, but what is relatively easy to do is simply identify those Bible passages that mention her by name.
In the Gospels, Mary Magdalene is mentioned 13 times, and nearly all of these passages are connected to Jesus’ Passion, death, and resurrection.
For example, if a person were to open the New Testament and start reading, the first specific mention of her name occurs in the Gospel of Matthew, and it isn’t until Jesus’ death on the cross.
There were many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him. Among them were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. (Matthew 27:55-56)
In the Gospel of Mark we are given a little information about her background, which is echoed in the Gospel of Luke.
When he had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping. (Mark 16:9)
Afterward [Jesus] journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources. (Luke 8:1-3)
It isn’t until we reach the Gospel of John that we find Mary Magdalene’s first piece of dialogue.
On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” (John 20:1-2)
Chapter 20 in the Gospel of John provides the largest amount of information we know about Mary Magdalene, as she converses with Jesus and the apostles.
Besides these explicit mentions of Mary Magdalene, it is possible that she appears in other passages that only mention a woman named “Mary” or the woman who was caught in adultery. However, that is up for debate among Scripture scholars and continues to be a focus of continued study.
Women and Jesus
In the account in John 8:1-11, it’s typical that the religious leaders bring only the woman caught in the act of adultery.
Women were particularly drawn to Jesus and were more courageous in following Him than most of His disciples. Only John stayed with Jesus all the way to the cross, but Matthew tells us “many women were there” (27:55-56).
Women weren’t likely drawn to Jesus because He was physically attractive (see Isaiah 53:2). They loved Him because He saw them as fully human. He treated them with the respect other men didn’t show them. Today's story is one example of that, as Jesus protects the woman’s dignity as a human being. TG
No priesthood for women ever…In 1994, Pope John Paul II declared, "Although the teaching that priestly ordination is to be reserved to men alone has been preserved by the constant and universal Tradition of the Church and firmly taught by the Magisterium in its more recent documents, at the present time in some places it is nonetheless considered still open to debate, or the Church’s judgment that women are not to be admitted to ordination is considered to have a merely disciplinary force. Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church’s divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Luke 22:32), I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful" (Ordinatio Sacerdotalis 4).
Apostolic Succession – ties to Jesus and his apostles, rootedness, vs cult/whim/charimatics
Talmud – “teaching” – the central document of Rabbinic Judaism and primary source of Jewish religious law and Jewish theology. It has two components: the Mishnah (200CE) – the written compendium of the Oral Torah; and the Gemara (500CE) – an elucidation of the Mishnah and Tannaitic writings that often ventures onto other subjects and expands broadly on the Hebrew Bible. The term “Talmud” may refer to either the Gemara or Mishnah or both together. The entire Talmud consists of 63 tractates and contains the teachings and opinions of thousands of rabbis dating from before the CE through the 5th century CE. “Oral Torah” was Jewish scholarship and commentary on the Torah (written) and passed on generation to generation through teaching until the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. Oral Torah could no longer be maintained and so it began to be written down. Midrash means exegesis and is later commentaries on all the books of the Torah.
What does the Talmud say about Jesus? Sanhedrin 43a relates the trial and execution of Jesus and his five disciples. Here, Jesus is a sorcerer who has enticed other Jews to apostasy. A herald is sent to call for witnesses in his favor for forty days before his execution. No one comes forth and, in the end, he is stoned and hanged on the Eve of Passover.
God is a conversation. One of the primary gifts given to man was language and communication. It is in the image of God because all of creation flows from the Word of God. The Trinity is a conversation. How could love exist without sharing love with another? Before God breathed into man, he ‘said to Himself’: “Let us make man in our image,” and then proceeded to make woman to complete man. For we, too, are a conversation and a communion, a creature capable of saying “us” as an echo of the divine “Us.”
Work and Joy. We are conditioned, internally and externally, for toil. Work is our default setting and, according to the Genesis narrative, our existential lot, borne of original sin.
Generally speaking, I don’t think this is necessarily an altogether bad thing. We do have to work, after all. And, as St. John Paul II wrote in Laborem exercens, “work bears a particular mark of man and of humanity, the mark of a person operating within a community of persons.”
Our endeavors, individual and mutual, are part of what forges and defines us as people, as a society. Rightly understood and pursued, work is a directing and living out of our creative impulses and earthly stewardship, proper to our nature as creatures made in the image and likeness of God.
But as the adopted children of that same God, liberated from sin and death by the coming in time and resurrection of His Son, feasting is no less proper to our nature and status, even if it is sometimes harder work than working — at least for some of us.
It’s simply not possible to down tools entirely and take entire liturgical seasons off from our jobs, of course, and the Church doesn’t have this expectation, either. But we are called to live our daily lives and our work with true joy; to feast on the job, so to speak.
This can feel like a kind of hollow exhortation to be more “cheerful” around the house and office, but really it's something much deeper. Living our daily lives with joy, and radiating that joy, is a powerful evangelical witness, and it isn’t something one can credibly fake, either.
Living joyfully in the truth of the Incarnation and Resurrection, a wise man once told me, is like walking around with a winning lottery ticket in your pocket: You haven’t cashed the giant cheque yet, and you aren’t in a position to spend your winnings. Practically, nothing about your situation has changed — yet — but your outlook on the world is totally different because you know what’s coming.
People notice that kind of change in a person, and they want what they have, even if they don’t know exactly what it might be that they’ve got.
As we head into the long dark of winter until baseball season Easter, I’ll be asking myself if I’m living my professed belief that the Christ has been born for me, that my baptism is a winning heavenly lottery ticket if I want to claim it. The real test, I suppose, will be if anyone can tell the difference.
Fathers of the Church (Benedict commenting on Clement of Rome) – the indicative of salvation and the imperative of moral commitment. First of all came the joyful proclamation of saving grace. The Lord forewarns us and gives us his forgiveness, gives us his love and the grace to be Christians, his brothers and sisters. It is a proclamation that fills our life with joy and gives certainty to our action: the Lord always forewarns us with his goodness, and the Lord’s goodness is always greater than all our sins. However, we must commit ourselves in a way that is consistent with the gift received and respond to the proclamation of salvation with a generous and courageous journey of conversion.
Old Testament parallels (Typology – the study of OT events that are fulfilled in the NT).
Adam and Eve are tested/tempted by Satan (the serpent) and they decide to follow Satan, resulting in the Fall.
Jesus is tested/tempted by Satan. Jesus undoes our first parents’ mistake and gets the name the “New Adam.”
Adam & Eve were part of humanity’s spiritual creation, the first humans to be given a spiritual nature that includes the knowledge of time, of good & evil, a free will, and an immortal soul. They use their free will to Fall.
Jesus undoes the Fall of Man and gives humanity a new start and a chance at salvation. A New Creation is begun.
Moses initiates the Exodus from slavery by holding the first Passover, representing the angel of death “passing over” their homes if they put the blood of an unblemished, sacrificed lamb on their doorposts, and eat the lamb.
Jesus initiates the New Passover at the Last Supper where HE is the unblemished, sacrificed lamb, which becomes the bread that he consecrates and which the relieved Apostles eat, while his blood on the cross ushers in a New Exodus (from sin) that opens the door for mankind to “pass over death” once and for all. Jesus is the “New Moses.”
Moses then spent 40 years in the desert eventually leading a slow-learning group of Israelites across the Jordan River into the Promised Land.
Jesus goes into the same desert for 40 days to dispatch with Satan and is baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, right where the Israelites crossed over 1400 years earlier. Heaven is the “New Promised Land.”
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