House Rules/Notes…
1. 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).
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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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!
6. 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.
7. 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!
8. “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.
9. 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!
Bible Study Format: Each week of the month has a repeating topic, as noted below.
Each meeting: 5 min greet/prayer, 10 min Apologetics, 15 min Gospel, 30 min main topic.
Week 1: Gospel Week
Week 2: Bible Week (Gen to Rev): We are in The Book of 2nd Samuel.
Week 3: Survey Topics Voted on by Members:
x 1) Great Women in the Bible 2) Book of Revelation 3) Fathers, Heresies, Church Councils 4) Modern Miracles
Week 4: Member Questions:
1. What is “conscience?” To answer this we must also define our soul, free will, and our passions, and how these relate to each other.
2. How do I live my Christian faith at work when my faith is not accepted there?
3. What should our response be to those who ask us about priestly sex abuse?
4. What about the atheist who leads a good life? Can I be a person be good apart from God?
5. Miracles since the NT
6. Was King David good or bad? Was Emperor Constantine good or bad? Was he a Christian? What is a prophet?
7. Why does God allow suffering?
8. What is Tradition? Is Tradition equal to Scripture in importance? (2Thes2:15)
Opening Prayer
Prayer of Gratitude
Thank you, Father, for loving us into existence, for granting us a share in your Logos, and for taking us back after we abandoned You.
Thank you for becoming one of us; for walking in our shoes and showing us how to live, love, and forgive one another.
Thank you for taking our sins to the cross and opening the gates of Heaven to all who seek Your friendship and forgiveness.
Thank you for remaining with us in so many ways to help us complete our journey –
In your Word, in our prayers, in the Sacraments - especially the Eucharist, and the indwelling of Your Holy Spirit.
As you taught us to pray together…
Our Father
Today’s Agenda
1. Apologetics: The Lord’s Prayer
2. Friday, May 31: The Visitation
3. Sunday, June 9: Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Gen 3:9-15, Mark 3:20-35
Quote of the Week:
Jesus Christ is Logos, that is, the eternal Word, eternal Reason, creative Reason of God. By way of our spiritual inheritance, every human person shares in this Logos by way of our own minds, reason, and creativity, thus also carrying within ourselves glimmers of the truth of our existence. – taken from Cardinal Ratzinger’s Introduction to Christianity.
Upcoming major holy days in the Liturgy of the Church
August 15 – Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Apologetics and Exegesis Terms
“I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but rather, I believe in order that I may understand.”
Exegesis is the study/interpretation of the Word of God. On Tuesday nights, we are all exegetes!
Catholic Apologetics– apologetics means to defend a belief, so Catholic Apologetics is the art of defending the Catholic faith using our Logos (reason), apostolic tradition, and Scripture.
Apologetics of the Week: The Lord’s Prayer, first petition: “Our Father”
Our Father: OT by creation; NT by adoption; Our à Family à Trinity à Love à Cross
Father in the OT would mean God as the Creator of all things, including humans. Jesus introduces a far more intimate meaning/relationship in the NT - one of adoption. We are being invited to become part of God’s Trinitarian Family, which happens officially at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit is sent to us.
Our: It is good to start with the Our Father as "My Father," because if we don't have an intimate relationship between ourselves and God, we can hardly take that love outwards, to the “Our.” Love requires "other," and this takes form in what Paul calls the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ – the OUR – is the Incarnation made present throughout time.
Our Father means we are made in his image. When He breathed His spirit into humans in Gen 2:7, we inherited his spiritual genes, or “imprint” in us, which is why we want to be like Him – He’s our spiritual parent. God the Father also tells us that, unlike other religions, He is not some detached master. God is related to us and cares for our lives, now and in the future.
Our Father means Family. After making us in his image, the next thing God does is create family via marriage (Gen 2:24) and “pro-creation” (Gen 1:28). The “image” of the family is the Trinity. Family is the beginning of where we are to learn about love and how to practice it; and then we learn to extend that love outwards to our neighbors and community. Similarly, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is a community of love that extends outward sustaining all creation.
Our Father is Love is the Cross. As Jesus said, the greatest act of love is to give one's life for another. God comes here in Jesus Christ to do exactly that – for us. Perfect love is total giving. More on this when we get to “Daily Bread.”
Now it’s our turn. While we are not able to emulate God's perfect love, we are expected to practice it like learning a skill and continue to move in this direction with the HS’s help. This is how we become all that we can be, here and in the hereafter. It is our intended destiny, which can only be thwarted by free will – our self-love over God’s love.
Next week – “Who Art in Heaven, Hallowed Be Thy Name”
meaning/relationship in the NT - one of adoption. We are being invited to become part of God’s Trinitarian Family, which happens officially at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit is sent to us.
Visitation Friday May 31, first reading…
Before we do the Gospel reading for the Visitation, enjoy this First Reading prophecy from Zephaniah 600 years earlier:
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear. On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged! The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, He will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals. – Zephaniah 3:14-18a
Gospel Reading The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Luke 1:39-56
Context: After the angel Gabriel's Annunciation to Mary when she is informed that her elderly cousin, Elizabeth, is with child, Mary heads out to visit Elizabeth, who is about 70 miles away.
Q: Who is Elizabeth’s husband and what is significant about him?
Zechariah. He was a priest at the Temple in Jerusalem, which means he was a Levite, the priestly tribe. That also means John the Baptist was a Levite, which appears to give him enough priestly authority to baptize in the wilderness.
Q: Elizabeth is how pregnant, and with whom?
The Angel Gabriel says Elizabeth is 6 months pregnant. She is pregnant with the future John the Baptist. However, they counted differently in those days. They didn’t start with zero like we do.
Today (Tue) Tomorrow (Wed) Thursday Friday
We count: 0 1 day 2 days 3 days
In those days: 1 2 days 3 days 4 days
That’s why when the Bible says Jesus died and rose three days later…
Crucified Gehenna Easter
Fri – 1 Sat – 2 Sun – 3
So, then, how pregnant was Elizabeth?
Angel Gabriel 1 mo. 2 mos. 3 mos. 4 mos. 5 mos. 6 months
Modern count 0 1 2 3 4 5 months
Scripture says Mary stayed with Elizabeth about 3 months, which means she would have returned to Nazareth after 2 months. It would have been appropriate for Mary to not make that arduous trek home much later in her pregnancy.
Luke 1:39-56
Last week we reviewed the first part of this reading to show how Mary being pregnant with Jesus not only makes her the new Eve but also the new Ark of the Covenant. Today we will focus on the 2nd part of the reading, Mary’s response to Elizabeth that we now call the Canticle of Mary, or the Magnificat.
Mary’s response to Elizabeth not only is poetic but it is theologically accurate as she quotes OT Scripture (Deut 10:21, Deut 11:7, Judges 2:7, 1 Samuel 2:1-10, Habakkuk 3:18, Zephaniah 3:17, and Psalms 89:9). Tradition tells us that Mary was indeed schooled in Scripture as she grew up in the Temple, somewhat like the young Samuel. Finally, let’s remember that Mary was the first to receive the Holy Spirit as she was saved by Jesus in advance (Immaculate Conception) so she could properly bring forth the Son of God. We can therefore safely assume that the HS is prompting Mary’s words as well.
Luke 1:39-56
Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
Mary's response – her hymn of praise – can be divided into three parts.
1. Her praise for what God has done for her personally (verses 46b-49).
2. Her praise for God's mercy to the poor and disadvantaged (verses 50-53).
3. Her praise for God's faithfulness to Abraham's descendants, the nation of Israel (verses 54-55).
And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.”
Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
Q: The expression "rejoices in God my Savior" comes from the OT. It is an echo of what women’s hymn of praise to God? We covered this recently in 1 Samuel 2:1.
Hannah, mother of the great prophet and last judge, Samuel.
Mary's canticle of praise, the Magnificat, contains several important points:
1. It expresses Mary's profound humility and gratitude to God for the great things He has done for her, the "handmaid of the Lord." She was a poor woman with no standing in a conquered country – a nobody.
2. It highlights God's mercy and justice, how He "exalted those of low degree" and sent the rich and powerful away empty.
3. It foreshadows the fulfillment of God's promises to His people, as Mary rejoices in the coming of the Messiah, the "Savior."
4. It serves as a model of praise and thanksgiving, which the Church continues to echo in the Liturgy of the Hours 2345.
5. Through this inspired hymn, Mary teaches us to humbly acknowledge God's greatness, trust in His mercy, and rejoice in the salvation He brings to the world.
Gospel #2 – Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Mark 3:20-35
Context: As Mark is known to do, 3 stories are sandwiched together and they’re messages are connected. The first and third Jesus is misunderstood by his own family; the second involves a more serious accusation from the religious authorities. I will number the 3 stories so we can keep track.
Mark 3:20-35
Jesus came home with his disciples. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat.
Q: Already early on there is a cost to Jesus and the Apostles (personal space/no rest). Where is ‘home’ in this story?
Home in this case was Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee, which became Jesus’ headquarters in Galilee. (Ref: Mark 2:1 “When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home.”)
Story #1. When his relatives heard of this, they set out to seize him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."
Q: Who does “they” refer to?
“They” refers to the other people, not the relatives. The relatives seem to be coming to take him home for his own good.
The end of the reading is more specific, saying Jesus' mother Mary and his brothers come from Nazareth to bring Him home (verse 31). In the culture of Jesus' time, "brothers" referred to all kinship relationships including half-brothers, stepbrothers, cousins, uncles and countrymen and women. That His kinsmen feel they have some authority over Him suggests that they are older cousins and uncles. In the customs of Jesus' time and in Middle Eastern countries today, sons are under the authority of their fathers and elder brothers or relations. Since it is assumed that Joseph, Jesus' foster father, has died by this time, Jesus' older male relatives would assume this responsibility.
According to Church teaching, Mary remained a virgin all her life and therefore Jesus, Mary's first-born son, had no younger brothers or sisters from Mary. Ancient documents, such as the Protoevangelium of St. James, claim that Joseph had children from a previous marriage and was an elderly widower when Mary was put under his protection in marriage. (For more info, see CCC 500, 2780 and the document "Did Jesus Have Brothers and Sisters?")
Story #2. The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "By the prince of demons he drives out demons."
This is the second story sandwiched in the passage. News of this “Galilean rabbi” and miracle worker has spread to Jerusalem, and probably the Sanhedrin (Jewish ruling council) who has sent teachers of the law (scribes) to investigate. If you recall, such men were also sent from Jerusalem to investigate John the Baptist when he began teaching baptism and repentance at the Jordan River.
Saying Jesus was possessed by Beelzebul is quite a spiteful accusation, which can only be attributed to anger or jealousy of Jesus' growing influence with the people. Beelzebul is another name for Satan that is likely derived from a title for the chief god in the Canaanite pantheon, "Baal the Lord/Prince."
Remarkably, Jesus responds with complete patience. Like the prophets often did when faced with opposition by the civil or religious authorities, Jesus responds with a parable that will refute the absurdity of their accusations step by step, beginning with their accusation, "By the prince of demons he drives out demons."
Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, "How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him.
Jesus asks them a rhetorical question, meaning a response is not necessary because it is so obvious.
The next one is a little trickier.
But no one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder the house.
Q: Who is the strong man?
The strong man is Satan. His “house” is this earth ("the prince/ruler of this world"), and his property consists of those who are not the children of God.
Q: Who is tying up the strong man?
Jesus. By casting out demons, Jesus is tying up Satan’s power and plundering his house by saving those held captive.
Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness but is guilty of an everlasting sin." For they had said, "He has an unclean spirit."
Jesus is saying this because it is through the Holy Spirit that he is casting out demons. The Scribes are calling the Holy Spirit Satan.
In his encyclical on the Holy Spirit, Pope John Paul II explained that blaspheming against the Holy Spirit…
"does not properly consist in offending against the Holy Spirit in words; it consists rather in the refusal to accept the salvation which God offers to man through the Holy Spirit, working through the power of the Cross." (Dominum et vivificatem, 46).
Note: Jesus is not necessarily saying that the Scribes have committed the unpardonable sin, but He is warning them that in calling his good works evil, which are accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit, they are in grave peril, and they need to open their hearts and repent before it is too late.
Story #3. His mother and his brothers arrived. Standing outside they sent word to him and called him. A crowd seated around him told him, "Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you."But he said to them in reply, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."
Mark now resumes the story about Jesus' family that he started at the beginning. The crowd around Jesus is so densely packed that they cannot get near enough to speak to Him, so they send a message through the crowd that they are outside.
Jesus' reply is another rhetorical question: "Who are my mother and my brothers?" However, looking around at those seated nearer to him he says, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."
Q: Is Jesus rejecting His human family?
No, rather he is redefining the meaning of "family" in the context of the Kingdom of God that is stronger than any blood relationship. He is doing this because he wants us to expand our thinking as well.
Q: How is Jesus defining "family" in the context of the New Covenant?
Those who do the will of God and accept Jesus’ offer of Redemption. The new family is the Body of Christ, and all humans are invited to join. This is the unity of the human race that God intended.
Q: What is the only barrier to becoming part of this Body?
Free will (self-will).
Q: What about Jesus’ family who seems to be left outside?
The passage ends with Jesus’ key message to all humanity throughout all time. However, it is not difficult to conclude that he met with his family afterwards.
Moreover, we know Jesus' kinsmen all accept Jesus as Lord and Savior as Luke records in Acts:
All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers as they awaited the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. – Acts 1:14
Closing Prayer
Prayer of Mother Teresa
People are often unreasonable and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you.
Be honest anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.
Give your best anyway.
In the end, it was you and God.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee,
Blessed art though among 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
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