House rules/notes…
Our meeting/classes are In-Person the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of every month at St. John Neumann Catholic Church 11900 Lawyers Road, Reston, VA 20191 https://saintjn.org/ (held downstairs in Room 5), and ONLINE via Zoom (#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!
Our Bible Study is a combination of Exegesis and Apologetics.
Study and interpretation of Scripture
A reasoned defense of the faith
Format: Each week of the month has a repeating theme, as noted below.
Wk 1: Gospel Week – we study several Gospel stories, especially the tough ones.
Wk 2: Bible Week – we are working our way through the Bible. We are in The Book of 2 Kings.
Wk 3: Survey Topics Voted on by Members:
x 1) Great Women in the Bible 2) Book of Revelation 3) Fathers, Heresies, and Church Councils
Wk 4: Member Questions/Apologetics:
35% Explain Mother Teresa’s “Dark Night of the Soul.”
28% What is Tradition? Is Tradition equal to Scripture in importance? (2Thes2:15)
What did Pope Frances mean when he said, “All religions are a path to reach God.”
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?
Please explain Limbo.
Could you review of Plenary and Partial Indulgences again?
Upcoming major holy days: All Saints Day, Nov 1
Opening Prayer:
"The soul hungers for God, and nothing but God can satiate it.
Therefore, He came to dwell on earth and assumed a Body
in order that this Body might become the Food of our souls." (St. John Vianney)
And as your Son 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: Catholic Topic/Catechesis – The Sacrament of Forgiveness (Penance/Confession/Reconciliation)
Gospel Reading – 26th Sun in Ordinary Time (9/29), Mark 9:38-48 – Discipleship
Member Questions: 1) Explain Mother Teresa’s “Dark Night of the Soul.”
2) What is Tradition? Is Tradition equal to Scripture in importance?
3) What did Pope Frances mean when he said, “All religions are a path to reach God.”
Some great questions followed last week’s class, and so I am providing two items to hopefully add clarification:
In the Gospel about Jesus granting the Centurion’s request to heal his servant, I said Jesus saw the importance of the centurions qualities in this order:
#1 Humility (I am not worthy) #2 Faith (believed Jesus could heal) #3 Works (built a synagogue for the Jews).
The reason I put humility first is because Jesus does; humility is the “doorway” to true faith and true good works. Jesus himself says:
“Whoever wishes to follow me must leave self behind” – Mt. 16:24.
“Self” refers to putting ‘self’ in the center of things – in your mind and in your life. Leaving self behind is the basis for true love, true faith, and true good works.
Moreover, Jesus entered humanity through the same door of humility. Below is Paul explaining this about Jesus:
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who, being in very nature God, did not consider his equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” – Philippians 2:7
Faith & Good Works… I was asked if prayer counted as good works, and I said yes. However, prayer does not substitute for good works. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (#2651) reinforces this by noting that prayer is a means of union with God but that it must ultimately be expressed through one’s love of others and good works.
Perhaps it would be helpful to see how faith, prayer, and good works are interrelated on a spectrum:
“Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest…” – Paul to the Galatians 6:9
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works…” – Hebrews 10:24.
Gospel Reading – 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Mark 9:38-48 – Importance of Discipleship
Context… In our reading tonight, Jesus communicates several different but interrelated points (discipleship). We will stop briefly in between each one.
Gospel: Mark 9:38-48
At that time, John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."
Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
What point is Jesus making in these statements?
Discipleship of others. Those who are seeking to further the kingdom of God should be welcomed and encouraged, even if they don’t yet have the fullness of the message. We should always try to be inclusive, not exclusive, and then they are more likely to be open to further edification. Jesus goes so far as to say that even those of us who only contribute a small cup of water to Jesus’ cause will be recognized and rewarded by God.
Jesus then speaks of the danger of teaching against the name of Jesus that leads to permanent separation from God.
What is Hell?
Hell is three things: 1) It is a permanent separation from God; 2) it is not a happy place; and 3) it is the choice every human makes while they are still in this life.
Next, Jesus assigns a higher accountability to those who have the responsibility to bring others to the faith, or teach Jesus’ teachings – in other words, when speaking for Jesus.
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.
Preachers and teachers of the faith can bring about great goodness, but they also have the power to cause great harm. They need to beware that saving lives is not something we can turn to some kind of personal benefit.
What is a “great millstone”?
Also known as a “donkey millstone,” it was a huge stone wheel for grinding grain into flour. It would be very memorable to Jesus’ audience.
Next, Jesus speaks to the danger of losing our discipleship if we allow ourselves to fall to temptation.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"
These statements are not literal. What exaggerated use of speech does Jesus use of to make his point?
Hyperbole, which is used when you don’t want people to forget the point being made. Note that Jesus doesn’t shy away from talking about the existence of Hell.
If you are in charge, remember your right hand speaks for you! haha
"Explain Mother Teresa’s, 'Dark Night of the Soul.'”
St. Teresa of Calcutta won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her wholehearted service to the poor and suffering around the world. Yet today conversations about her spirituality, while not overlooking her charity, tend to speculate about the interior darkness she experienced for over 50 years.
A few years after her death in 1997, a store of letters was discovered in the footlocker of Jesuit Father Celeste Van Exem, her confessor and spiritual director, and led to the revelation that she had suffered for decades from desolation and loneliness. Our smiling and cheerful “saint of the slums” was abruptly and unfairly cast into the company of atheists, agnostics, and spiritual cynics by popular media sources while, sadly, the urgent injunction she had received from the Lord to “come be my light,” was overlooked or misunderstood.
How then are we to interpret her interior darkness?
The spirituality of Mother Teresa reveals the darkness in several different forms. For instance, the synoptic gospels recount the actual darkness of Good Friday afternoon that overshadows all who are present near the Cross. St. Teresa of Calcutta made a choice every day to stay in that spiritual darkness: “Let us always remain with Mary our Mother on Calvary near the crucified Jesus …” (“Come be My light” (CBML), by Mother Teresa, p. 42). Because of that, her interior darkness could not be separated from her mission, which she saw as perseverance in the midst of Jesus’ crucifixion – with his suffering poor. She chose to remain near his Cross, in the darkness, until her death. In fact, it seems the darker things appeared, the closer to the cross she crawled. She reminds me a little of Job. God sometimes tries his most trusted saints – for our benefit.
A different type of darkness is revealed on Holy Saturday and the Descent into Hell. The Lord commands Mother Teresa to “go out and search” for the last, the least, and the lost. He says:
“They (the poor) don’t know Me – so they don’t want Me. You come – go amongst them – carry Me with you into them – how I long to enter their holes – their dark unhappy homes.” (CBML, p. 98)
The “dark holes of the poor” reflect their moral poverty by not knowing or loving Jesus. Thus, she is asked to “descend” into the “living hell” of the poorest of the poor. Jesus asks Mother Teresa to radiate his light in the darkness of their suffering when he says: “Come be My light” (CBML, p. 98). This is the light of the resurrection revealed on Easter Sunday. Hence, the spiritual itinerary of St. Teresa of Calcutta beautifully parallels the Paschal Mystery that includes both darkness and Light. She and her followers become a living “Lumen Christi” that seeks to illumine the hearts of the poor.
Mother Teresa passed away on September 5, 1997, after a prolonged battle with health issues, including heart problems and pneumonia. Her commitment to her mission was unwavering, and she spent her last weeks receiving visitors and instructing her Sisters.
Her death was marked by significant recognition; she was even given a state funeral by the Government of India, reflecting her impact and legacy. Following her passing, her tomb became a site of pilgrimages and prayer for people of various faiths, symbolizing her universal appeal and the love she inspired through her life of service
2) What is Tradition? Is Tradition equal to Scripture in importance?
Most Catholics know that Tradition is important. In fact, Catholicism holds that tradition is as important as Scripture, but why? Let’s answer that.
Protestants are often taught that Catholics “made up” many of its teachings over the centuries, that we call them ”traditions,” and that they typically have nothing to with Scripture. All of this is inaccurate. They will then point to Jesus criticizing the Pharisees for putting their own traditions above the Word of God. For example:
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat meals with unclean hands?”
Jesus responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written:
‘The people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.’
You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition. How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your traditions!” – Mark 7:5-9
This sounds pretty damning, so what’s the truth? For one, honoring tradition is also in Scripture. So, then we can’t stop at the surface, but must dig a little further into their context.
Q: The Catholic Church teaches that Scripture and Tradition are part of the faith. What is the difference between Tradition in the Catholic Church and the “human tradition” that Jesus was referring to?
In today’s passages regarding human tradition, Jesus is not rejecting tradition per se, but the extensive Jewish ceremonial laws when they became more important than God’s laws.
For example, the Pharisees had a rule called “korban,” which allowed one to give money, etc. to the Temple to secure pardon, win favor, or give homage to God. Jesus condemned the practice of making Korban vows when it prevented one from following God’s commandments. The case Jesus was referring to was people giving of korban to the Temple instead of taking care of their elderly parents, which was required in the 4th Commandment to honor one’s mother and father. People were evading their parental responsibilities by paying money to the Temple, and the Temple priests were allowing it.
Tradition in the Catholic Church
“Tradition” in the Catholic Church are those traditions passed down from apostolic times. The Church does not “invent” traditions. As point in fact, the Church established very early on that there have been no further revelations after Jesus Christ (CCC 66). This dogma is also apostolic “tradition,” since we won’t find it in the Bible. But the fact that we believe that God has already revealed all he is going to reveal to us through his Son, Jesus Christ, precludes any new faith claims. Interpretation is what the Church does and must continue to do, as this was its part of its original purpose and responsibility.
Tradition was also common in Apostolic times. Consider before there was a Bible, everything was being passed on orally. Here are several NT scriptural references to tradition:
I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. 1 Cor 11:2
But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. 2 Thes 3:6
Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by speech or by letter from us. 2 Thes 2:15
2 Peter 1:20-21 no self-interpretation
…knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
In conclusion, Jesus’ criticism of tradition had to do with human-made ceremonial/purity laws. Jesus said if such laws help one to obtain holiness, then keep them. However, if they impede spiritual growth or contravene the teachings of God, then they have little or no value.
Jesus words today represented a philosophical turning point in Christianity that would contribute to it becoming separated from Judaism. Judaism clung tightly to these human traditions, and Jesus basically put an end to them. The Apostles view of tradition (as seen in the scripture references above) was measured against what they learned from Jesus.
3. What does Pope Francis mean by saying that all religions are a path to reach God?
Pope Francis suggested that “[Religions] are like different languages in order to arrive at God, but God is God for all. Since God is God for all, then we are all children of God.” He went on to say, “If you start to fight, ‘my religion is more important than yours, mine is true and yours isn’t,’ where will that lead us? There’s only one God, and each of us has a language to arrive at God. Some are Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, and they are different paths [to God].”
As this was an interreligious event, one can see the Holy Father’s positive intent. As the Church clarified later:
“While Pope Francis' remarks may suggest a broad inclusivity regarding the paths to God, the Church's teachings clarify that this inclusivity is rooted in a commitment to truth and the unique revelation of Christ, which remains central to the faith.”
In other words, Jesus Christ is God’s revelation to man; the only path to Heaven runs through Him.
Mountain of God – everyone is climbing it.
In the ancient Mediterranean world, there was a widespread belief that, once upon a time, back at the beginning of the human race, everybody lived in an ideal world, in which there was peace and plenty, no crime, no war, no hatred. A golden age. There is a similar story in the Greek Metamorphoses (encyclopedia of Greek myths).
We know in Genesis that God breathed his spirit into humans (Gen 2:8), which made us in the image and likeness of God. We are all seeking God as though he were a homing device. Is there any surprise that so many ancient cultures share a similar story? Every human being climbs this mountain of God, whether they are seeking meaning, purpose, or truth. We are all seeking the “ultimate” truth of those things. However, we can only get so far up the mountain since the top of the mountain is a spiritual place. Unless God comes down and reveals Himself, we can never complete our journey. It was Jesus Christ who came down that mountain. He was God’s revelation to humans.
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.
It was never between you and them, anyway.
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