Northern Virginia Catholic Bible Study & Apologetics
Every Tuesday, 7PM-8PM. This meeting is a lecture/Q&A format. It is free.
Zoom Meetings: www.meetup.com/catholicbiblestudy
Catholic Catacombs Website: www.CatholicCatacombs.org
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 on our website before the next class at 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
Each meeting: 5 min greet/prayer, 10 min Catholic topic, 15 min Gospel, 30 min weekly topic.
Bible Study Format: Each week of the month has a repeating topic, as noted below.
Each meeting: 5 min greet/prayer, 10 min Catholic topic, 15 min Gospel, 30 min main topic.
Week 1: Gospel Week
Week 2: Bible Week (Gen to Rev): We are in The Book of 1 Samuel.
Week 3: Survey Topics Voted on by Members:
x 1) Great Women in the Bible 2) Book of Revelation 3) Fathers, Heresies, and Church Councils
Week 4: Apologetics and Member Requests:
57% Miracles since the NT
35% Why does God allow suffering?
35% What should our response be to those who ask us about priestly sex abuse?
35% Explain Mother Teresa’s “Dark Night of the Soul.”
28% What is Tradition? Is Tradition equal to Scripture in importance? (2Thes2:15)
28% What about the atheist who leads a good life? Can I be a person be good apart from God?
21% Explain what happens to animals after they die. Will we see our pets?
14% Was Emperor Constantine good or bad? Was he a Christian? How was the Church affected?
Reader
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!
Upcoming major holy days: Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Aug 15
Opening Prayer
“We should remember, in all the controversies in which we engage, to treat everyone as friends acting in good faith, even if they seem to us to be acting out of spite or self-interest." –St. John Fisher
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
Exegesis – The Lord’s Prayer: “But deliver us from evil.”
Apologetics – False Loves
Gospel Reading for Aug 4 (18th Sun Ord. Time) John 6:24-35 – Bread from Heaven
Member Questions: 1) Miracles since the NT: The Shroud of Turin, Our Lady at Fatima, St. Padre Pio
Quote of the Week:
“Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance.” – CS Lewis, “Mere Christianity”.
In other words, a small good act today may go onto victories you never dreamed of, and an apparently trivial indulgence in lust or anger today will culminate in a major inexplicable loss a few months from now as well as provide the enemy an opportunity to launch an attack that would have otherwise been impossible.
Apologetics and Exegesis Terms
Exegesis is the study and interpretation of the Word of God. It is what we do every week. We are all exegetes now!
Catholic Apologetics– apologetics means to defend a belief, so Catholic Apologetics is the art of defending the Catholic faith using reason, tradition, and Scripture.
Apologetics of the Day: False loves.
When Jesus says to us, “Remain in my love,” we can receive this as an invitation to do a spiritual cleansing. We can start by asking whether there are any false loves distracting us, burdening us, or otherwise preventing us from truly remaining in the love of Christ.
What are some of these false loves?
There’s the “selfish love” we experience from gaining more and more possessions.
There’s the “insecure love” that comes from seeking the world’s approval.
There’s also the “vindictive love” we feel when we see our enemies suffer. The Germans even have a word for this: “schadenfreude” (harm+joy) = joy over the misfortune of others.
As we let go of these false loves, the clouds clear and we are more easily able to reconnect to the that Jesus has for us. We become freer to treat one another with the same kind of selfless, unencumbered love.
Speaking of false love… an old joke about the Catholic Church goes like this:
A gala priests’ dinner takes place in a swanky New York hotel ballroom, featuring a sumptuous five-course meal and abundant fine wines, followed by expensive cigars and cognac on a terrace with a killer view of Central Park.
Afterwards, a waiter who served the meal asks his colleague what he made of the whole thing.
“Well, if that was poverty,” the other waiter replies, “I’d love to see how they handle chastity.”
Exegesis of the Day: “Deliver us from evil.”
Jesus’ prayer is strategic. Note that the previous petition about temptation is a request for help with internal discipline, whereas this petition, “Deliver us from evil” is a request for external protection. Indeed, hatred, jealousy, and violence can be directed at us from the outside, intentionally or unintentionally, often with help from the devil.
Therefore, we are asking the Father for spiritual armor all the way around, not only for help internal temptations but from external evils as well. The armor we need may simply be to not get rattled, or not fight fire with fire, or perhaps something greater, but in all cases we ask the Lord to accompany us.
Once we complete this part of the prayer, we have “rounded the bases.” I didn’t say we “completed the journey” because we haven’t! The journey continues until we reach Heaven. Instead, I used baseball terminology to suggest that we rounded the bases and maybe even scored a run, but the game is not over. Nevertheless, each time we say this prayer, it leads us back to the beginning of the prayer – into the Father’s hands – which is always our destination.
Gospel for Sunday, John 6:24-35, “The Bread from Heaven”
Context… As we discussed, the Church will be spending time on Chapter 6 in the Gospel of John, which began last week with Jesus feeding the 5000. Throughout this chapter, Jesus focuses on two things: Bread from Heaven and Who Jesus is. He does this so intentionally that it is impossible to separate their connection. He connects Himself and the Bread in a way that seems almost bizarre and yet is critical to his mission and message. But it is not so bizarre once we realize the role that Bread and Sacrifice have played throughout Salvation history.
You will recall during the Exodus (~1350 BC), God sent “daily bread” to the hungry Israelites. When the morning dew evaporated from the desert floor, it left a white flaky substance that they called Manna. What does Manna mean?
Manna eventually became known as the “bread of angels, and “bread from Heaven,” but when the Israelites first saw it, they didn’t know what it was and they said, “What is it?” That is the translation of Manna: “What is it?”
Gospel John 6:24-35
When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. And when they found him across the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" Jesus answered them and said, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.
Why are they so determined to find Jesus?
Because Jesus performed miracles, because he fed them, because he healed him, and because they wanted to make him king. These are only outward manifestations, not the deeper faith that is needed.
“Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you; for on him God the Father has set his seal."
So they said to him, "What can we do to accomplish the works of God?"
Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent."
So they said to him, "What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: “He gave them bread from heaven to eat."
So Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heavenand gives life to the world."
Jesus admonishes them with two ‘Amens.’ Why?
Jesus uses two Amens (also “Truly I say to you”), when he has a deeper truth to share. They want to see Jesus’ works but they are without faith. Jesus teaches us that God requires faith and works, but faith first. Faith informs our works and also connects our works to the work of the HS. Good works without faith are ultimately works unto oneself.
So they said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."
Q: “Always” seems kind of weird here, right? Why did they say this?
The reason they said “always” is because the Jews knew the manna was temporary in that in only lasted for forty years. Once they entered the promised land under Joshua, the manna stopped. If Jesus was greater than Moses, then surely he would be able to provide this bread always.
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst."
Always, indeed!
Q: Do you recall any words connecting the manna with the Mass?
Just before the consecration of the bread and wine, the priest says,
“Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ” (Epiclesis II).
Miracles since the NT 7:25
As I explained last week, there are so many miracles since the NT that I hardly knew where to begin. The biggest ones that surfaced right away were the Shroud of Turin, Our Lady at Fatima, and St. Padre Pio, so we will tackle those today. If you want to do more than these, then I need some guidance as there are lots of options: we could tackle one miracle a week, or every 4th Tuesday. Also, please consider the many categories.
Individual Miracles
Miracles caused by Relics (1st, 2nd, and 3rd classes)
Miracles of Saints
Marian Apparitions
Eucharistic Miracles
Comment on the Nature of Miracles:
Remember, miracles are not acts against nature, or acts in conflict with nature. Material nature is a subset of the larger, spiritual nature. Think of Christ between his Resurrection and Ascension – he walked through doors and yet could eat food. What’s happening is that the spiritual will is the dominant player, and the material nature is subordinate. That’s how it will be after this life when we have our glorified bodies again. Our spiritual wills will be dominant. This is all that is happening with Jesus’ miracles – the physical laws are obeying (bending to) his spiritual authority.
The Shroud of Turin
What did John and Peter see when they looked into the tomb on Easter morning?
When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed – John 20:6-8.
In answer to what happened that caused them to believe, in the past I provided the simplest answer, which is that when Mary Magdalene first told them that Jesus was gone, they didn’t believe her; and when Peter and John went and looked into the tomb, Jesus was gone – so now they believed.
There was also reason to think that the body might be stolen because the Jewish leaders knew about Jesus’ so-called prediction that he would rise in three days, which is why they asked Pilate to put guards at the tomb (so the Jews wouldn’t steal the body and then claim Jesus had risen).
Then again, if hired robbers were going overpower the guards and rush in to steal the body, would they unwrap the bloody body and carry it out naked? Hardly. Nor would they take the head wrapping off, fold it, and put it nicely off to the side. Yet, this is how the burial cloths were found.
That being said, the Shroud of Turin gives us another theory about what the Apostles saw. The “shroud” refers to this burial cloth that was used to wrap Jesus’ body.
The Shroud of Turin
The Shroud of Turin is the most fascinating relic of the Church that is believed to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ. It bears the faint but distinct imprint of a human form, both front and back, which some believe to be the image of the crucified Christ. It has been preserved in the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista in Turin, Italy, since 1578. It is the most-studied artifact in human history.
The Shroud shows the imprint of a man in his 30s with all the marks that coincide with the Gospel records of Jesus scourging, crowning of thorns, carrying the cross, and crucifixion.
A 3-D displayed model of what the imprint on the Shroud shows.
The image shows that the man is muscular and tall (for his time and locale). Various experts have measured him as from 1.7m to 1.88m. Unfortunately, the contorted and tortured body that appears in the shroud is not easy to project out to a standing height, but topographical imagining applied to the image resulting in a statue 5′10”.
Although the Shroud of Turin once seemed to be discredited by carbon dating in the 1980s, new research has cast doubt on the carbon dating and produced dramatic evidence that the Shroud confirms the resurrection of Jesus:
They used an improper methodology and then refused to share that with the public. It took 14 years under the FOIA to get it. It turns out they intentionally only analyzed one corner of the shroud that had been mended in the middle ages.
Since then, scientists have said that the mysterious burst of light that caused the electromagnetic radiation imprint on the shroud would have thrown off the carbon dating process anyway.
Examining the Shroud in normal light shows faint outlines of parts of Jesus’ body produced primarily by blood stains (on the left). The image on the right is the famous image we all recognize. Yet, this image was never seen until 1898, when the first photograph of the Shroud revealed a surprising fact: the photographic negative produced a positive, meaning that the Shroud itself is a photographic negative! Given that photographic negatives were unknown before the 19th century, fraud is ruled out because it is categorically impossible to accidentally create a hidden biologically accurate image that could only be seen by technology not yet invented.
According to William West, who completed a 5-year study of the evidence in his book, “Riddles of the Shroud: Questions Science Can’t Answer,” he reports:
The features and bloodstains on the Shroud are natural, forensically accurate, and indicate direct contact with a human body.
The image was definitely not applied by an artist’s hand.
Severe anxiety caused hematidrosis, i.e., sweat became blood (such as Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane).
The scourging was particularly brutal.
The crown of thorns was in the shape of a cap, not a circlet. It caused trigeminal neuralgia, “the worst pain that man is heir to. It is devastating and unbearable.”
The Shroud reflects blows to the man’s forehead, brow, right upper lip, jaw, and nose.
Shoulder abrasions are consistent with injuries sustained while carrying the cross piece of the cross. “There is little doubt that Jesus stumbled and fell numerous times before arriving at Calvary.”
“I find it extraordinary that he [Christ] was able to make the trek to Calvary at all in the condition he was in.”
The nailing caused causalgia, an “agonizing pain like lightning bolts traversing the arms and legs.”
Cause of death: “Cardiac and respiratory arrest due to hypovolemic and traumatic shock due to crucifixion.”
Travertine aragonite dust taken from the foot of the Shroud was a strong match to samples taken from Jerusalem.
Resources:
Riddles of the Shroud: Questions science can't answer: West, William: 9798827005490: Amazon.com: Books
Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Fatima – Miracle of the Sun
At a time when Nietzsche’s atheist philosophy of “God is dead” was still echoing in the world and WWI was raging through Europe, the Marian apparitions – the story of the Fatima miracles – is a profound and inspiring tale that has captivated the hearts of believers around the world.
It began in 1917, when three young shepherd children – Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta – had a series of apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the small town of Fatima, Portugal. Keep in mind this was a very difficult time for Portugal. The country had ended its neutrality and joined forces with the WWI Allies losing 220,000 to the war effort and suffering food shortages and the Spanish Flu. In other words, both Portugal and the world needed this!
The Blessed Mother first appeared to the children on May 13th, 1917, and continued to appear to them on the 13th of each month until October. During these apparitions, the children received messages from the Virgin Mary, who urged them to pray the rosary daily for the conversion of sinners and the end of World War I.
The final climax of the Fatima events occurred on October 13th, 1917, when a crowd of over 70,000 people witnessed the “Miracle of the Sun” – a remarkable solar phenomenon where the sun appeared to dance in the sky and emit multicolored lights. This miraculous event was seen not only by the faithful who had gathered, but also by skeptics and unbelievers, confirming the authenticity of the Fatima apparitions.
These events challenged the rising opinion of the intellectual elites that belief that God was irrelevant. Dr. Marco Daniel Duarte, a theologian and director of Fatima Shrine museums, highlighted the impact of this event. During a period influenced by Nietzsche and against the backdrop of World War I, the apparitions brought messages of prayer, hope, sacrifice, and a secret about the world's fate to three shepherd children: Lucia dos Santos, and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto.
The messages conveyed by the Blessed Mother at Fatima were profound and prophetic. She warned of the spread of communism, the suffering of the Church, and the need for prayer and penance to avert disaster. The children were also entrusted with three secrets, the third of which was not revealed until the year 2000, when it was found to be a vision of the persecution of the Church and the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II.
The Fatima apparitions led to the beatification of the two younger children, Francisco and Jacinta, who died shortly after the events, and the canonization of Lucia, the eldest, who lived to the age of 97. Their lives were marked by heroic virtue, as they faithfully responded to the call of the Blessed Mother, enduring persecution and offering up their sufferings for the conversion of sinners.
What were the three secrets of Fatima?
A vision of Hell
The prediction of the end of World War I and the coming of a worse war (understood as World War II)
A vision of the persecution of Christians and an attack on the Bishop dressed in white (John Paul II).
Mary also requested the Holy Father consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in conjunction with all the world’s bishops, and a period of peace would be granted to the world.
The Church officially recognized the miracle in 1929 but the consecration didn’t happen and then WWII came 10 years later. Other attempts by popes apparently either didn’t name Russia specifically or didn’t include the world’s bishops. Pope John Paul II, in union with the world’s bishops, consecrated the whole world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, although he didn’t name Russia for political reasons. Lucia acknowledged this met all the criteria. The USSR fell apart shortly afterwards, although Russia did not. Some say it was because JP2 did not mention Russia by name. Pope Francis again consecrated Russia and Ukraine to Mary by name on March 25, 2022.
The message of Fatima continues to resonate with the faithful today, calling us to prayer, penance, and a deeper conversion of heart. As Pope John Paul II said, "Fatima is undoubtedly the most prophetic of modern apparitions," a message that "draws us to the heart of the Gospel." May we heed the call of the Blessed Mother and allow the light of Fatima to guide us ever closer to her Son, Jesus Christ.
Padre Pio – St. Pio of Pietrelcina
St. Padre Pio, born in 1887 about 30 miles east of Naples, Italy, exemplified unwavering faith and profound spiritual devotion amidst adversity. As a Capuchin Friar, Padre Pio's life was marked by extraordinary experiences, including receiving the stigmata in 1918—a manifestation of Christ's wounds. This miraculous event, occurring amid the turmoil of World War I and the Spanish flu pandemic, profoundly impacted Padre Pio and drew widespread attention. Despite his desire for privacy, news of the stigmata spread, leading to both intrigue and skepticism.
Throughout his life, Padre Pio continued to inspire through his ministry, establishing a hospital and offering spiritual guidance and sacraments to countless individuals. Recognized for numerous miracles attributed to his intercession, Padre Pio was canonized in 2002 by Pope John Paul II. His legacy endures as a beacon of compassion, prayer, and unyielding faith, inviting all to emulate his profound trust in God's mercy and love.
Here are 8 facts about the life and faith of the holy Capuchin friar:
1. Padre Pio was 5 years old when he expressed a strong desire to serve God. He was only 15 when he entered the Capuchin Friars Minor as a novice. He was ordained a priest in 1910 at the age of 23.
2. St. Pio received the visible wounds of Christ known as stigmata, just like St. Francis of Assisi.
On Sept. 20, 1918, Padre Pio received the stigmata while praying in a church. The wounds remained visible on his body for the rest of his life. The wounds were on his hands, feet and side, corresponding to the wounds suffered by Jesus during his crucifixion. The blood from the stigmata smelled of floral perfume.
3. Padre Pio heard confessions 12 to 15 hours a day.
While listening to confessions, the saint would smell flowers as sins were confessed. Some penitents waited two weeks just to visit him in the confessional. Padre Pio could also read the hearts of penitents, reminding them of sins that were forgotten or omitted. The saint once said:
“Confession is the soul’s bath. You must go at least once a week. I do not want souls to stay away from confession more than a week. Even a clean and unoccupied room gathers dust; return after a week, and you will see that it needs dusting again!”
One time, the line was so long to see him when he showed up, that he levitated over the lines of people to get to the confessional.
4. He had the gift of bilocation – being in two places at once.
Multiple eyewitness accounts attest to the ability of Padre Pio to be in multiple places at once. Fellow friars remember seeing him in prayer outside when they knew he was still in his room. Some accounts come from others who claim to have seen him on different continents all over the world. As to how Padre Pio experienced such feats, the closest he ever came to an explanation of bilocation was to say that it occurred “by an extension of his personality.”
5. A sighting of a “flying friar” kept war planes from bombing Padre Pio’s town during World War II.
Among the most remarkable of the documented cases of bilocation was Padre Pio’s appearance in the air over San Giovanni Rotondo during World War II. While southern Italy remained in Nazi hands, American bombers were given the job of attacking the city of San Giovanni Rotondo. However, when the planes appeared over the city and prepared to unload their munitions, a brown-robed friar appeared before their aircraft. All attempts to release the bombs failed. Thus, Padre Pio kept his promise to the citizens that their town would be spared.
Later on, when an American airbase was established at Foggia a few miles away, one of the pilots from this incident visited the friary and found, to his surprise, the friar he had seen in the air that day over San Giovanni.
6. As he lay dying at the age of 81, all his wounds healed without scars, just as he had foretold that they would 50 years prior.
A doctor examining the saint's body who was present when he was dying observed that the wounds of the stigmata were completely healed, without any trace or scar.
7. Many healing miracles have been attributed to Padre Pio.
Several miracles have been attributed to the saint’s intercession, including the story of Gemma di Giorgio, a little girl who visited Padre Pio. Born blind without pupils in either eye, she miraculously regained her sight after visiting him. One truly miraculous factor about her healing was that, although she could see, she still lacked pupils.
8. Even before his death in Sept. 23, 1968, Padre Pio reportedly spent his last moments in prayer.
Beatified in 1999, St. Padre Pio was canonized on June 16, 2002, by the late Pope and now St. John Paul II. He is known among Catholics as St. Pio of Pietrelcina. More than 500,000 attended his canonization by Pope John Paul the Great.
Video shows him celebrating Mass the day before his death:
Padre Pio, pray for us!
Remember, all of us in the Body of Christ are “saints.” The “Saints” are the Martyrs and Hall of Famers of this fellowship.
Closing Prayer
Healing prayer by Padre Pio
Loving Father, touch me now with your healing hands,for I believe that your will is for me to be well in mind, body, soul and spirit.Cast anything that should not be in me.Root out any unhealthy and abnormal cells.Open any blocked arteries or veins and rebuild and replenish any damaged areas.Remove all inflammation and cleanse any infection by the power of Jesus’ precious blood.Let the fire of your healing love pass through my entire body to heal and make new any diseased areasso that my body will function the way you created it to function.Touch also my mind and my emotion, even the deepest recesses of my heart. Saturate my entire being with your presence, love, joy and peace
and draw me ever closer to you every moment of my life.I ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
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