Northern Virginia Catholic Bible Study
House notes/rules…
1. The Zoom Meeting Logon information is the same every week: Zoom ID: 861 1782 2081 Password: 406952
2. The notes/recaps from our meetings are posted on our Catholic Catacombs Light website https://catholiccatacombs.wixsite.com/website/blog, usually within a day.
3. See The Chosen. Knowing Jesus Christ means being able to better relate to God. Check it out: The Chosen at https://thechosen.link/1Y1R7.
4. Respectfulness. Of course we will discuss differences between religions and even between Christian denominations, but we agree to use respectful words andand tones in doing so. Specifically, Protestants are our friends and brothers in Christ (I myself owe part of my return to the faith to them).
5. No politics. It would be easy for us to self-destruct; however, that’s not our goal. Our goal is to learn the Bible, explain the Catholic faith – what it means and especially its origins in Scripture and Jesus Christ – and helping people develop a closer relationship with Jesus Christ in their daily lives.
6. Questions encouraged. If you have questions about anything, you can email the group via Meetup, or me directly at ron@hallagan.net.
Bible Study Format
Week 1: Nov 5 – Gospel Readings: The Ten Lepers and Us; Miracles for Gentiles – did Jesus change his mind? The Lost Coin/Sheep
Week 2: Nov 16 – Bible Narrative Exegesis from Genesis to Revelations: Next: The Call of Abraham (Gen 12)
Week 3: Nov 23 – Next Topic of Choice – Hell
Bible Topics Survey Results Ö 1) Jesus’ Greatest Parables 2) Hell, Purgatory, Heaven 3) Christian Comparisons 4) Great Women in the Bible 5) Why is there suffering in the world 6) Compare World Religions 7) Revelations
Week 4: Nov 30 – Open Mic – Faith obstacles? Catholic teaching questions? You pick the topics. Those sent to Ron in advance will go first.
Tonight
Gospel Readings: The Ten Lepers and Us; Miracles for Gentiles- did Jesus change his mind? The Lost Coin/Sheep
Opening Prayer 7:05-7:10
Heavenly Father, We gather here together in order to learn, to grow, and to change.
We place our lives before you and ask that you would move amongst us.
May we all feel safe to think and question and share our thoughts;
As we seek to enter into a deeper understanding of your truth.
We ask that you send your blessings to all those in need, those suffering, those in jail,
those in need of your comfort and protection.
Special intentions:
Thank you for listening to our petitions, Lord, and for your mercy, grace, and blessings upon those for whom we invoke your assistance.
We pray together now just as you taught us at your Sermon on the Mount 2000 years ago: Our Father…
Upcoming Jewish Holy Days: The Jewish faith was the faith of Jesus and so Jewish history is part of Christianity’s history.
“Inside every Christian is a Jew.” – Pope Francis
Last week we covered Hanukkah last week which runs for 8 days (Nov 28-Dec 6). During the 8 days, a candle is lit each day on a Hanukkiah, a 9-branched candelabrum (sometimes called the Hanukkah menorah). A “menorah” technically has 7 candles.
1) Seven days of Creation
2) Six branches of knowledge ßà God in center
Q: How do the two reasons for the Menorah relate to each other?
The Tree of (human) knowledge led to the Fall of Man (all knowledge originates with God). Putting God at the center leads to the Tree of Life.
Next up: Fast of Tevet 10: A Day of fasting & repentance in solemn remembrance of when Nebuchadnezzar (King of Babylon) laid siege to Jerusalem in 597 BC, which led to the downfall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian Exile.
Upcoming Catholic Holy Days
We are now in the Advent Season, which always starts the 4th Sunday before Christmas.
The Immaculate Conception of Mary this week (Nov 8), which we will cover next week.
Today, a bit more on Advent… as we said last week, Advent (“coming of the Lord”) marks the beginning of our year of faith, the start of the Catholic Liturgical Year.
Liturgical Calendar
Q: When does the Advent season end? Just before the start of the Christmas Vigil Q: The Advent season is about the coming of the Lord. When is the coming of the Lord? 1st Coming – 2000 years ago Present – in this lifetime (Baptism) Parousia – at the end of time (Judgement Day)
Q: Who recalls the Advent Wreath and what the color of the candles were?
Week 1 – purple – the Prophecy Candle – hope
Week 2 – purple – the Bethlehem candle – faith
Week 3 – pink – the Shepherd’s Candle – joy (also called Gaudete Sunday – the joy of the world being saved)
Week 4 – purple – Angel’s Candle – peace (“Peace on Earth, Good Will towards Men”)
In recent times, a white candle has been added to the center of the wreath. It is called the Christ Candle, and it is lit on Christmas.
Gospel Week
As he continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”
And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”
Q: Why did Jesus send them to see the priests?
Lepers were ostracized from the community. Only when they recovered and passed Levitical inspection could they be re-admitted to their former lives and covenantal status.
Q: What is the significance of the one returning being a foreigner (a Samaritan)?
1) The Jews condemned the Samaritans. God doesn’t wish us to condemn anyone.
2) Jesus keeps recalling/reenacting/raising the bar of heroes in Hebrew scripture. Elisha cleansed a Samarian leper in 2 Kings 5:1-14.
3) The Jews are not accepting the Messiah.
Q: What is the significance of the one returning versus the nine who did not return?
Only the one showed gratitude.
Q: Jesus told the one who returned and showed gratitude that his faith saved him. Were the remaining nine not saved? Why not?
The other nine called upon the Lord which to heal them which indicated faith, but their faith was ‘words only.’ Superficial.
Faith and gratitude cannot be separated. We cannot have one without the other. Same goes for gratitude and love. In fact, it is often gratitude that enables one to have faith and to experience/share love.
Q: How do the “nine” represent so many humans?
Have you ever hoped for something very important/good to happen, and then it does? Did you go off celebrating or did you remember to be grateful … to someone?
Have we ever prayed for something really intensely and then received what you asked for (or even something better)? How quickly did we remember to bend a knee and say “Thank you, Lord.” Or, were we like the nine?
I have this experience all the time and I am trying hard to get better at stopping whenever anything good happens and – whether I prayed for it or not – I try to say “Thank You.” I figure God won’t hold it against me if I say ‘Thank You’ too many times. And maybe it will make up for the times I don’t.
When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”
He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”
The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven, but the children of the kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”
And Jesus said to the centurion, “You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.”
And at that very hour his servant was healed.
Q: Who are the children of the kingdom that Jesus says will be driven out?
The Jews who reject Jesus as the Messiah and would rather wait for a Messiah who doesn’t heal foreigners, doesn’t tell them to love their enemies, is willing to engage the Temple leaders respectfully, will overthrow the Romans, and make all nations bow down to Jerusalem.
God had a different interpretation of what the Messianic prophesies meant.
Q: Why would the centurion say his house was unworthy?
He didn’t want to jeopardize Jesus’ ritual purity by entering the house of a Roman officer.
Q: How would the centurion have known?
Whoever told him about Jesus would have warned him about the Jewish customs.
Q: We may be surprised at Jesus stopping to help a Roman soldier, but who would have been more surprised?
His audience. The man was not only a gentile; he was part of the occupying force of Israel – the Roman army! Are you beginning to see why Jesus was so disliked by so many?
Q: At other times, Jesus said that he came for the lost sheep of Israel. Why would he now heal a Gentile – let alone a Roman soldier – without delay? Did Jesus he change his mind?
Jesus’ response is the key. Again, his faith in Jesus is was saved his servant. Jesus says this gentile showed more faith than anyone he has come across so far. Wow.
As for changing his mind, not at all. Prophesies about God/the Messiah coming for all people can be found in many places:
I will bless all the nations of the earth through you (Abraham) - Gen 12:1-3
And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious. - Isaiah 11:10
"Behold! My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. - Isaiah 42:1
I will make you a light to the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth - Isaiah 49:6
The plan was always to save the chosen ones – the lost sheep of Israel – first; for they had experienced 2000 years of preparation and trials & errors, and long and painful lessons; but then it was to be extended to the whole world. Now can you see what Jesus is doing?
Q: Why is Jesus emphasizing faith so much? Is this something new? Part of a change in New Covenant teaching vs the Old Covenant?
No, faith was always key. But the human tendency is to make rules into the ends rather than the means to goodness. Suddenly, the rules become more important than the purpose for which they were intended. This had happened to the Pharisees, Temple priests, and scribes.
Faith is necessary for salvation but the point of this passage is that faith is determined by one’s response to Jesus – and not lip service or membership in some religious group.
Q: What saying from this reading do we hear at the Mass?
Just before receiving the Lord at communion:
“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant (soul) shall be healed.”
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Jesus said to his disciples: “What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Q: Would shepherds typically go after one lost sheep and leave the 99 behind?
Perhaps – it depends on the shepherd and the danger. Often shepherds were hired hands, who would be the least likely to take any risks leaving the 99 behind. If the shepherd is the one who owns the sheep, that’s different because there’s a relationship. Still, there is a limit to how far the shepherd will go and put the rest of his sheep at risk. So, Jesus audience would certainly understand the sentiment of going after the one stray sheep, but only up to a point.
Q: So what is Jesus’ point?
That God will would indeed go after one stray human, even if humans wouldn’t? The comparison to the sheep helps make the point. Remember, the surrounding pagan gods viewed humans with disdain – to be tolerated and used. It is kind of stunning, for what god would waste his precious time to do such a thing? Only a God of love would. Yahweh. This is what Jesus is trying to explain.
Who do the stray sheep represent? Yes, humans; but which humans? Straying where, from what?
Humans who stray from God. Haven’t we all at some point? Jesus is saying that when we stray from God, God doesn’t say “to heck with you, I’m tired of chasing you!” He comes looking for us, in many mysterious ways; sometimes through others, sometimes in our tragedies. Of course, we need to be receptive, because God will never take away our free will. But, He will never give up on us.
The parable of the coin has a similar meaning. Can anyone explain?
Nobody would celebrate after finding one small coin! But Jesus is saying, “Yes, in fact, God nobody is too small! And, he says, there will be great joy and celebrating in heaven when just one stray sheep returns to Him.
Closing Prayer
Gratitude Prayer
Father, thank you for loving us into existence
And for coming back for us every time we forget you or turn our backs on you.
Lord Jesus Christ, thank you becoming one of us.
For walking in our shoes and showing us the way;
For reversing humanity’s fall and paying our way;
For leaving yourself behind in the Eucharist as Trinitarian food for our journey;
And for sending your Holy Spirit to live with us, advise us, and protect us the rest of the way.
Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
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