Northern Virginia Catholic Bible Study & Apologetics
Every Tuesday, 7PM-8PM. This meeting is a lecture/Q&A format. It is free.
Catholic Catacombs Website: www.CatholicCatacombs.org
Zoom Meetings: www.meetup.com/catholicbiblestudy
House rules/notes…
Our meetings/classes are on ZOOM every Tuesday, 7-8 PM. Sign up for Zoom notifications and to receive meeting reminders at www.meetup.com/catholicbiblestudy. Zoom ID: 861 1782 2081 Password: 406952.
Our meeting/classes are also In-Person on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of every month at St. John Neumann Catholic Church 11900 Lawyers Road, Reston, VA 20191, downstairs in Rom 5. https://saintjn.org/
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!
Recaps. Within a day or two after each meeting, we will post the edited meeting notes of our discussions on our website, www.catholiccatacombs.org. Taylor will notify everyone when this is posted and also provide you with a link.
Questions. We encourage questions although we ask that you keep them on topic and brief. You can ask during the meeting, or in the chat box, or if you prefer you can email us through Meetup.com, or Ron directly: ron@hallagan.net.
Respectfulness. We will be discussing differences between Christian denominations and religions in general, and we seek to be respectful at all times. Protestants especially are our friends and brothers-in-Christ; in fact, I personally owe much 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, and apply the Bible and our Catholic faith to our everyday lives.
“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 series captures Jesus better than any show I have ever seen. Highly recommended.
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!
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) Jesus’ Greatest Parables, x 2) Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, x 3) World Religions, x 4) Great Women in the Bible 5) Book of Revelation 6) The Sacraments 7) Fathers of the Church, Heresies, Church Councils.
Wk 4: Member Questions/Apologetics:
Mary
Class on Angels and Fallen Angels
Adam & Eve, the Fall of Man, The Meaning of the Trees in the Garden of Eden
What happens to animals after they die. Will we see our pets?
Could you review of Plenary and Partial Indulgences again?
Prison ministry/inmate discussions
Each meeting is (roughly) as follows:
15 min Catholic topic/catechesis
15 min Upcoming Gospel reading
30 min Weekly topic/theme
1 hour
Opening Prayer: mostly taken from the Shema, which Jesus would have said 3x/day.
Hear O Israel, O People of God, O Body of Christ, O Communion of Saints:
The Lord our God is Lord Alone.
Through Him we have our existence and our freedom, and in our freedom we choose to love Him
With all our minds, with all our hearts, with all our souls, and all our strength.
We also choose to love our neighbors and enemies as ourselves.
And as you taught us to pray, together…
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your 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 have trespassed against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
Upcoming major holy days: All Saints Day (Nov 1); All Souls Day (Nov 2)
Reader for the day… (if needed, Taylor will select)
TODAY: 3 Edifications: Angels’ higher nature, Communion frequency, Purpose of Regular Eucharist
Topics: 1) Solemnity of All Saints Day Nov 1 2) Commemoration of All Souls Day Nov 2.
Gospel Reading – 31st Sun in Ordinary Time (10/29), Mark 12:28-34 – The First Commandment
Edifications from last week
Ed. #1: Angels have a higher nature – how do we know?
Angels have a purely spiritual nature, which is already step up from physical beings who are subject to space and time. Angels are not limited by either.
St. Augustine says: 'Angel' is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek a name for their nature, it would be “spirit;” if you seek the name of their office, it is “angel.” In other words, “spiritual being” is who they are, and “angel” is what they do. With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God (CCC 329). Because they "always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven" (Mt 18:10), they are the "mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word" (Ps 103:20).
According to Aquinas, the intellect of the angels is not clouded by physical limitations or the need for sensory data, allowing them to comprehend truths in a more direct and profound way. This is contrasted with humans, whose understanding is clouded and limited since they are mediated by sensory experiences. Humans require time to reason out their understanding of things. Angels have immediate understanding and no need of time.
Aquinas also reminds us that angels receive knowledge directly from God, which enhances their understanding. They are capable of contemplating God face-to-face, which provides them with insights and wisdom that are beyond human reach. This divine illumination further elevates their intellectual capabilities.
Their role as messengers of God, executing His commands and participating in His divine plan for creation, highlights their elevated status as they are entrusted with significant responsibilities in the spiritual realm. Note that the spiritual realm is greater than the physical realm. The physical dimension is but a subset of the entirety.
It may help to think of a color-blind person. Colors are everywhere even though the person can’t see them. In a similar way, the spiritual realm with the angels and saints are all around us, though we can’t see them.
Ed. #2: The question was asked, “If the Eucharist is the same sacrifice of Jesus that is already ever-present, why do we need to re-present his sacrifice it at every Mass?”
I spoke about Jesus’ ongoing forgiveness and our gratitude for God’s love, but there are other reasons for the repeating the Last Supper and receiving the Eucharist. I’ve identified five reasons – perhaps there are more:
Command. Jesus said for us to do so.
Ongoing Forgiveness. Jesus’ original sacrifice is ever-present, and in that sense, ongoing. He is still forgiving our sins 2000 years later. That’s the meaning of why he retained his wounds after his resurrection and took them back to Heaven.
Gratitude. Humans are not automatically grateful beings; we forget to appreciate what we have until we don’t have it any longer. In this case, it is the unfathomable love that caused this sacrifice to happen. Having it made present to us weekly helps us to tightly hold onto our gratitude for being given forgiveness and access to Heaven.
Grace. Because of all the graces he gives to us when we partake faithfully in the Eucharist. One cannot increase one’s relationship with Christ more than by receiving him physically into our lives, as often as possible.
Becoming Sons and Daughters of God. Though the Eucharist is a physical experience, even more so we are being spiritually transformed into Heavenly beings, as preparation for our next life.
Ed. #3: How often can you receive the Eucharist?
A Catholic in good standing (state of grace) can receive the Eucharist as many times as he or she attends Mass, even multiple times in one day. Fortunately, the Church offers the Mass several times a day, 365 days per year.
Speaking of which, why not go to Mass and receive the Eucharist daily? Mass is only 30 minutes – you should give it a try. I will tell you one thing, you will only find the most dedicated, humble, prayerful people there.
BTW, I have this Mass app on my phone: www.masstimes.org. It tells you the Masses that are right around you, any time, any day, wherever you are in the world.
#4: Growth of Catholicism
Ahead of the 97th World Mission Sunday taking place this weekend, the Fides news agency publishes statistics that offer a perspective of the missionary Church present all over the world. – By Sr. Nina Benedictka Krapic, VMC
There were 1.39 billion Catholics in the world, representing an overall increase of about 15 million Catholics in 2022 over 2021.
The increase affects all continents, except Europe.
The total number of priests in the world decreased by 2,347 to 407,872. Most of this decrease was in Europe. The biggest increases were registered in Africa and in Asia (1,518 and 719, respectively).
Although priests are down, the number of permanent deacons continues to increase all over the world, to 49,176.
Regarding women religious, there has been an overall decrease, with 10,588 fewer nuns with Europe recording the largest drop of 7,804.
Catholic schools and other services
In the field of education, the Catholic Church runs more than 74,368 kindergartens with 7.6 million pupils, as well as 100,939 primary schools with 34.7 million students, and 49,868 secondary schools with 19.5 million pupils.
Charity and healthcare centers run in the world by the Church include 5,405 hospitals, 15,276 homes for the elderly, chronically ill or disabled, 9703 orphanages, 10,604 marriage counselling centers, 3,287 social rehabilitation centers, and 35,529 other kinds of charitable institutions.
The Impossible Church That Should Never Have Been
All Saints Day - November 1st every year.
We are used to only calling those canonized by the Church "Saints." However, Scripture also refers to everyone who enters Heaven as saints. As we have discussed in the past, the best way to think of this is capitalized “Saints" and lower case “saints." The capital Saints are the canonized “Hall-of-Fame Saints” who gave their total lives for God and are our best examples of Christ-like living. The rest of us who make it to Heaven are “saints,” and this is what "All Saints Day" celebrates.
“After this I looked and saw a multitude too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.” – Rev 7:10
Q: Saints are said to attain a high level of holiness. But what does holiness mean exactly?
Holiness comes from the word whole, or wholeness (complete). To the extent we are sinful, we are less complete, less whole. The more we love God and our neighbor and practice humility, we are on the path of holiness. Christians are called to a life of holiness, which is only possible if we are open to, and cooperate with, the graces God pours out on us.
Q: Does learning to think, love, and act like Jesus mean we might become so much like him we’d lose our “self”?
I don’t think we need worry about becoming too much like Jesus! But to answer the question, God gave us each a unique personality because to Him this was good, so God is not trying to take it away. He is trying to raise it up.
Q: Is All Saints Day (Friday) a holy day of obligation (attend Mass)?
Yes. Rather than thinking of it as an obligation, we are co-celebrating with the entire class of saints that extends back over 5000 years, many who gave up their lives to defend Christianity’s existence. We will be in that class one day!
All Souls Day – November 2nd every year
All Christians agree, our souls must be pure to enter the perfection of Heaven (or else Heaven would no longer be perfect).
For 2000 years (and for the Jews including Jesus before this (2 Mac 12:46)), Christians have been aware that at the moment of death we are not always the kind of persons we need to be for eternity. Often, our souls are still stained with sin such as anger, resentment, envy, selfishness, not loving our neighbor/enemy, not honoring the Sabbath, etc. Now, if we have received forgiveness and satisfied our penances at the time of our death, our sanctification will be complete and we will enter Heaven. Otherwise, our souls must be purified of their remaining stains.
As it says in the Book of Maccabees (which Jesus read and celebrated), they prayed for the dead “because it is holy and wholesome to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins.”
All Souls' Day, celebrated on November 2, serves to commemorate all the faithful departed. The Church teaches that souls not fully cleansed from sin may require purification before entering the Beatific Vision (presence of God). On this day, the Church and faithful offer Masses for them and intercessory prayers, since we believe that our prayers can assist in the souls' journey towards Heaven. This observance highlights the relationship among all of us in the Body of Christ, loving and praying for each other, which includes the souls in Purgatory. We will be grateful for such prayers when it’s our turn.
Q: Is All Souls Day (Saturday) a holy day of obligation ?
No.
Gospel Reading for 10/29 – The First Commandment – Mark 12:28-34
Context… Recall that in last week’s reading, Jesus was leaving Jericho and heading north to Jerusalem for the last time. In today’s reading, Jesus has entered Jerusalem and it’s Holy Week. Jesus spends the first several days lecturing in the Temple grounds and causing much anger and resentment on the part of the Temple leaders, who will seek to put him to death with the help of Judas and Pilate. The reading takes place on Tuesday and Jesus is debating the Pharisees and Scribes on many issues. In today’s passage, they are asking Jesus to identify the most important commandment, for that was debated regularly in the Temple’s intellectual circles, as there were 613 commandments plus sacrificial rituals.
Holy Week
Sunday – Palm Sunday, Arrival in Jerusalem
Monday – Cleansing of the Temple
Tuesday – Debates the Pharisees and Scribes
Wednesday – Spy Wednesday
Thursday – Last Supper, Arrest in the Garden
Friday – Trial, Crucifixion, Burial
Saturday – Abode of the Dead
Sunday – Resurrection, Emmaus, Upper Room
Gospel: Mark 12:28-34
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.
The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these."
The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, 'He is One and there is no other than he.' And 'to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself' is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Exegesis
Why did Jesus choose what he did?
Jesus chose the first of the Ten Commandments as the most important, but then he combined it the all-important “Shema,” which was part of our opening prayer tonight. “Shema” means to hear, and it comes from Deut 6:4-5 and was/is said by the Jews 2-3/day as a form of worship and a reminder of the importance and centrality of God in their lives.
Let’s discuss what these words mean:
We shall love God… To put God first in our lives and become God-centered versus self-centered.
With all our minds… Keep Him in our thoughts, which means keeping him “present.” It also refers to our intellect, which we can enrich with wisdom through the study of His Word)… which, in turn, further informs our thoughts!
With all our hearts… Refers to our interior self, first, taking on the humility of Christ, the judgment of Christ, and the forgiveness of Christ. Only after getting our interior right with God can we improve our exterior behavior and treatment of others.
With all our souls… Refers to our whole being: who we are and who we are becoming.
With all our strength… Our effort, which is needed especially when we aren’t in the mood. God is trying to make Him a habit with us. We are becoming God-centered.
Although Jesus was only asked for one commandment, he immediately combines the first one with another instruction taken from Leviticus 19:18, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18). In that way, he is making this kind of equal to the first.
What has Jesus accomplished?
Not only has he taken the first commandment God gave to Moses and incorporated the all-powerful Shema, he elevated the love of neighbor to the top. He succeeded because in these two, he basically covered all Ten Commandments.
The first tablet contained 1-3 which were all about God (“I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me,” “Do not use the Lord’s name in vain,” and “Honor the Sabbath Day.”) The remaining 7 were on the second tablet and contained everything about loving one’s neighbor, starting with one’s parents, not stealing, not lying, not envying, etc. He told the scribe he wasn’t far from the kingdom because Jesus came to “internalize” God’s teachings – to put them in their hearts – as opposed to just following all these external rules and regulations.
Jesus also bridged the gap with a new teaching – to love one’s enemies – which was not part of the Torah. Love your neighbor was in the Torah, but neighbor was considered one’s fellow Jews.
How did Jesus expand ‘neighbor’ so as to include enemies?
The Parable of the Good Samaritan. Recall that a man – presumably a Jew – who was traveling to Jericho from Jerusalem – was beaten, robbed, and left by the side of the road to die. A Jewish priest and then a Levite passed by the man, even crossing over to the other side of the road. Then a Samaritan came by and helped the man. This part of the story would have annoyed Jesus’ audience. Why? Because the Samaritan was their enemy. The Scribe who put the question to Jesus had to admit that this Samaritan actually fit the definition of “neighbor” more than the priest or Levite.
The Impossible Church That Should Never Have Been
Closing Prayer: for the faithful departed…
Listen stranger as you pass me by
As you are now so once was I
As I am now you soon shall be
So bow your head and pray for me.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners – especially all the faithful departed,
and bring them everlasting peace in Heaven.
Amen!
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