Northern Virginia Catholic Bible Study
Northern Virginia Catholic Bible Study house rules/notes…
Meetup is https://meetu.ps/c/4mYPW/F6KR3/a, Zoom Meeting Logon information is the same every week: Zoom ID: 861 1782 2081 Password: 406952
Questions encouraged. If you have questions about anything, you can email the group via Meetup, or me directly at ron@hallagan.net.
The unedited recaps from our meetings will be posted on Meetup immediately after our meeting, and a final edited version will be posted on our Catholic Catacombs Light website https://catholiccatacombs.wixsite.com/website/blog, a week later. You will be notified via Meetup of both.
See The Chosen. Knowing Jesus Christ means being able to better relate to God. Check it out: The Chosen at https://thechosen.link/1Y1R7.
Respectfulness. We will be discussing differences between religions and even between Christian denominations, but we agree to use respectful words and tones in doing so. Specifically, Protestants are our friends and brothers in Christ, and personally I owe part of my return to the faith to them.
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 and help members develop a closer relationship with Jesus Christ in their daily lives.
Catholic Prayer, Fellowship, and Spirituality Meetup led by fellow member Jason Goldberg: https://www.meetup.com/online-catholic-prayer-fellowship-and-spirituality/
Bible Study Format: 5 min prayer, 15 min Catholic topic, 40 min main topic from the weeks listed below
Week 1: May 3 – Gospel Week: Epiphany in Upper Room, Jesus interrogates Peter, 4 Creatures of the Apocalypse
Week 2: May 10 – Bible Gen-2-Rev: Gen23-29 – Sarah and Abraham die; Isaac and Rebekah; Jacob and Esau, Jacob and Rachel
Week 3: May 17 – Topic of Choice: Purgatory
Topics Survey Results
√ 1) Jesus’ Great Parables 2) Hell, Purgatory, Heaven 3) Christian Comparisons 4) Great Women in the Bible
5) Why is there suffering? 6) World Religions 7) Book of Revelation
Week 4: May 24 – Open
Week 5: May 31 – Open Mic
Opening Prayer
Heavenly Father
I thank you for each day that you have made. I thank you for my life and the lives of my loved ones.
I thank you Lord for all the big and small wins that I attain every day;
But also for the edifications you give me for every error and adversity.
I thank you for the roof over my head, the food to eat, and clothes to wear.
I recognize that these things are a gift from you because we are the stewards of this world, not the creators.
Lord, we pray for all those who have been harmed either by human or natural tragedy.
Help them receive the support and protection they need as well as your blessings and support – and our own as well.
Lord, may we never forget that all things work together for good for those who love you.
Thank you, Father, in Jesus’ name, in the unity and love of the HS.
Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
Quote of the Week
“There is only one God, and you are not Him.”
Upcoming Catholic Holy Days
Easter Sunday – was April 17 – the most important day in Christianity for, as Paul said, if Jesus had not resurrected from the dead, then all of this was for nothing.
Ascension – Thursday, May 26 – 40 days after Easter
Pentecost – Sunday, June 5 – 50 days after Easter
Q: How long is it from the Resurrection to the Ascension?
40 days.
Q: Who remembers what the number 40 means in the Bible?
Time of preparation. Who is being prepared?
Q: What is special about the Ascension?
The second person of the Trinity returns to the Trinity with his additional human nature. That means humanity is now able to enter Heaven – Jesus was the first “human.”
This officially completes the reversal of the Fall of Man.
Q: How long after the Ascension is Pentecost?
10 days.
Q: How many days is the Pentecost after Easter?
50 days.
Q: What happens at Pentecost?
God sends the Holy Spirit to humans, starting with the Apostles.
Because the Fall of Man has been canceled, now the Holy Spirit can enter us and help us.
Q: When Jesus ascends back to Heaven, he tells the Apostles he will be with them for the rest of time. How does this happen? Hint: there are 2 ways.
The Eucharist (Communion).
Through the Holy Spirit (they are one).
Now that you have the big picture of the whole Easter Season, let’s return to right after Jesus dies and is buried.
Gospel Week!
Upper Room after the Resurrection (Jn 20:19-31),
The disciples of Jesus are justifiably scared. They have watched the brutal murder of their teacher, healer, friend, and Messiah. Does the same fate await them? So they hid. Where Jesus went no one in their right mind would want to go. But now he has returned, saying “Peace be with you.” Surely everything is different now.
Q: Where are the Apostles?
Hiding in the Upper Room.
Q: Why are they hiding?
They are afraid they’ll be next. Afraid of the Jews. The Romans. Jesus?
Q: They didn’t stand by Jesus very well, did they. Who stayed with Jesus throughout his crucifixion?
Mary, Jesus’ mother, Mary’s sister-in law (Mary), John, and Mary Magdalene.
Q: What happened in the Upper Room before Jesus was arrested and crucified?
The Last Supper.
Q: Where were the Apostles hiding after Jesus was crucified?
The Upper Room.
Q: Where were the Apostles on the Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came?
The Upper Room.
Q: Where is the Upper Room?
Jerusalem
Jerusalem and the Upper Room
It’s hard to exaggerate how devastating the crucifixion must have been to the Apostles. The great Jesus who always outsmarted the religious leaders was finally captured and executed in the worst possible way. They had high hopes for themselves and the future of Israel, and now those hopes had all disappeared in one day.
Furthermore, they were without the man who knew everything. What were they supposed to do now? They were like a sheep without the shepherd, and there were nothing but wolves out there who wanted to kill them, too.
Suddenly, the women who had been to the tomb came in and said Jesus was no longer in the tomb! What could have happened? Was his body stolen? Would the Roman guards now have an excuse to come after them?
The women said Jesus rose from the dead. Could that be true? Would that mean he went back to Heaven, and now they were on their own? Or, what if his spirit came back looking for them, angry that they all ran away from him right when he needed them most! Jesus had talked about being ready all the time, and to give everything they had to God, but instead they abandoned him. They failed him in his time of need.
Suddenly they heard something and turned around – and Jesus was standing there, but they hardly recognized him. The door was locked, how did this person get in? Was it a ghost? Was it Jesus’ ghost?
Jesus could see they were terrified, so he said to them, “Peace be with you,” which means “Don’t be afraid.”
The Apostles didn’t respond. They are still in shock. Is this a talking ghost? Nobody ever heard of anyone rising again after dying with a BODY!
Jesus can read their minds, so he shows them the nail wounds in his hands, and his side where the sword pierced him.
Suddenly, the apostles believe it is Jesus, AND he is in his body! AND Jesus doesn’t seem angry with them!
Q: What is the significance of Jesus coming back with his body?
He wants us to know that our bodies are a part of being human, part of who we are – and not only in this life but in the next. If the body wasn’t important, then God didn’t need to come here and take on a human body. He could have skipped the whole body thing.
Why is the body important? Because that is where we put our ideas into play, where we can live out our apologies, where we learn by trial and error, where we can love others and do good. Without our bodies, our thoughts have no reality. Everything God wants to teach us can only find reality in how we live our lives. Our free-will means nothing if there is no arena to engage the challenges in our lives.
He wants us to know what a sin-free, death-free, glorified body is like. He could walk through doors, be in different places without having to do the finite-travel thing. The Jews knew humanity’s souls would survive, but now we know that our souls will have a body to return to.
Q: Jesus also came back to complete his mission. This required two things that happen next. What are they?
Jesus says to them, “As the Father sent me, now I send you.” Of course! “Apostles” means to send. It is time for Jesus to launch the church. Jesus accomplished what no man alone could accomplish – which was necessary to open the gates of Heaven – and now he needs to launch the ship that can bring everyone “home.” The Church.
Jesus breathes on the apostles and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, they are not forgiven.” Now that he has made clear who is going to begin leading the Church – the apostles – next he gives them their #1 mission – to forgive in His name.
Q: Turning his mission over to men and empowering them to forgive sins in His name is Jesus’ first act after his Resurrection. What is the significance of this?
Think of the Last Supper – his blood will be poured out for the forgiveness of sins. Once the gates of heaven were opened, and men were formed to bring the Church to the world, forgiveness of sins becomes the means – the sustainable nourishment – that will get people from here to there.
In order to accomplish this last part, people need to be willing to admit when they err and seek God’s forgiveness – that takes humility, which is the beginning of agape love. Then they must ask God for forgiveness, which opens us up to relationship with Him. That’s what He really wants – a relationship with each of us.
Jesus interrogates Peter at the Sea of Galilee (Jn 21:1-19)
After this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way.
Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.”
So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish.
So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea.
The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish.
When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.”
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three* large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord.
Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish.
This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.
Jesus and Peter.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,* “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” [Jesus] said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Amen, amen, I say to you when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”
He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
Q: What are the disciples doing in Galilee going fishing?
Jesus gave instructions to go ahead to Galilee, and he would meet them there. Although he didn’t say when.
Q: What’s the 153 fish about?
John notes the nets were “not torn” and they brought in 153 fish, which some scholars have suggested represented all the known species of fish at the time; meaning a universal catch. The Church was to be universal, which is why it was being called “catholic” by the end of the first century. The net was “not torn” meaning that the Church would not break (fail).
Q: “Simon, son of John”?
Jesus says to Peter, “Simon, son of John.” Missing is the reference to Cephas (Peter) which Jesus had given him earlier when he said, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I shall build my church.” Peter has lost the title when he denied Jesus, but Jesus was helping him earn it back. That’s why he asks Peter if he loves him three times, corresponding to Peter’s three denials.
Q: “Do you love me more than these?” These what?
Jesus’ reference is to the other apostles, but he is using Peter's own confident comparison of himself to them, which he stated could never fail. Earlier in the Upper Room as Jesus warned them to pray for strength at the trials that were coming, and Peter responded boldly, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will!” This was just a few hours before Peter denied knowing who Christ was.
However, that is only the first half of the answer. Jesus is also calling Peter to love him more, because what Jesus is asking him to do is going to need a level of love and commitment that will surpass the rest. And let us not forget, love is not something to be grasped, or compared. Jesus showed what kind of love was needed: sacrificial love, washing feet love, and love of serving others.
Q: What was it that Jesus was asking Peter to do?
To assume the office of “Shepherd.” Recall that God promised to come here and shepherd his flock himself, since the Jewish leaders had failed so often. Jesus then tells them “I am the good shepherd!”
Q: But if Jesus is the Shepherd, then how could he ask Peter to be the Shepherd?
Jesus is the Divine Shepherd. Peter is to be his representative here on earth – his earthly shepherd.
Q: “Feed my sheep”?
The other word the translation gives us is the verb shepherd. “Shepherd my sheep,” which means lead and protect my flock.
Peter indeed followed Christ – all the way to martyrdom in 64 AD.
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.
Guardian Angel Prayer
Angel of God, my guardian dear, To whom God's love commits me here, Ever this day be at my side, To light and guard, Rule and guide.
AMEN
Some people question the Roman Church’s authority over Christianity during the first 1000 years, but not anyone who knows their history. In 1054 AD, about 20% of Catholics in the east separated after their Patriarch was excommunicated by the Pope, and they became known as the Eastern Orthodox Church. This is referred to as the “Great Schism of 1054.” Before this, there was only one Catholic Church, period (catholic=universal).
The following is from a homily given by St. John Chrysostom, a famous 4th century Archbishop of Constantinople – famous because of his preaching (some say he was the greatest ever). He is a doctor of the Roman Catholic Church and still considered the most prominent doctor of what is now the Greek Orthodox Church.
4. Jesus walks on the Sea - a miracle John 6:16-21
When it was evening, the disciples of Jesus went down to the sea, embarked in a boat, and went across the sea to Capernaum. It had already grown dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea was stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they began to be afraid. But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”They wanted to take him into the boat, but the boat immediately arrived at the shore to which they were heading.
Just prior to this Jesus fed the 5000 and then went up on mountain to pray while the apostles took the boat. So Jesus shows he is present their source of power when they were hungry. Now he will show the same when they have fear.
The stormy sea can be seen as what lies ahead for them but that, amidst their fear, Jesus reassures them the “It is I" is more precisely “I AM.” As John said of Jesus, “All things came to be through him” – or complete authority over creation – meaning this little storm doesn’t preclude his presence.
The ending seems enigmatic as the apostles want to take Jesus on board, but the boat arrives at the shore. But notice, as soon as they invite Jesus in, they are have suddenly arrived safe on shore.
This scene is what we call a theophany. Jesus waa actually with them at every moment of the storm as “I AM.” It teaches us likewise: does not discipleship at times feel like a boat in rough waters? The message is Jesus is not only aware and with is, with us during the storms and trials of life.
4 Creatures of the Apocalypse (Rev 5:13-14)
see Agape, Cath Prod
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe, cry out:
“To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever.”
The four living creatures answered, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Holy vs sacred (exodus?)
At the beginning of Mass, you will see a short prayer in your missals under the heading "Collect."
Q: What is 'collect'?
A collect is simply a prayer meant to gather the intentions of the people and the focus of worship into a succinct prayer.
The Latin word collēcta meant the gathering of the people together (colligō = "to gather") and in earlier days may have been applied to the prayer said just before the procession into the church in which Mass was celebrated.
So it is not only the gathering of people together for Mass but also the gathering together of our thoughts towards one theme or message of the Mass prayer. Therefore, ideally, it will give you a glimpse of the readings' central message.
We will use Sunday's Collect for our opening prayer and look for the theme.
Collect
O Lord, may we your people exult forever in renewed youthfulness of spirit, so that, rejoicing now in the restored glory of our adoption, we may look forward in confident hope to the rejoicing of the day of resurrection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Q: Theme?
Resurrection.
Our adoption is complete.
Youthfulness of spirit - the spirit-soul do not age. They grow wiser but do not age.
Youthfulness of spirit also reminds us of our glorified bodies.
When is Jesus' resurrection complete?
The Ascension.
When is our adoption complete?
That's kind of a trick question - there are several components: 1) Jesus' Ascension completes his mission, which was opening the doors to Heaven for humanity. How?
In his Ascension, he took his humanity with him to the Trinity. Bam.
2) Is humanity automatically saved?
No, we still have free-will and must make the choice here - where it is difficult, where Satan and his demons have great influence through endless worldly desires and trappings (see the 7 deadly sins all dressed up all handsome/gorgeous with charismatic eyes and inviting lips ready to dance) and to help us confuse (if not reverse) right and wrong with exquisite, eloquent words that sound so reasonable while stroking and empowering our egos with relativity - we decide what is and isn't!
And to use all this fool's gold to keep us distracted at all costs from anything that gives God an inch to help us: self-reflection, praying, generosity, humility, gratitude, spiritual progress internally and externally. And if we still push forward with our selfless agenda, oh how Satan will cause the world to laugh at you, no - mock you, no - outlaw you if he can - oh how sweet and easy and malleable this world has become. And what is a better wolf in sheep's clothing than convincing the Godless worldly that they are the truly modern, enlightened ones who are "justified" looking down on the rest and "justified" deciding what is right and wrong, and "justified" deciding how the rest of the world should and shouldn't live - by whatever means is necessary because the end (worldliness in all its trappings of power and control) justifies the means.
This is Satan's language. And we can doubt "satan" but that, too, is his agenda. If you were Satan, what would you do? I'd convince the world that Satan and even evil were all fake, myths, primitive beliefs for the uneducated. Sound about right? Yet look at our movies, books, paranormal experiences, and the black arts - they attract humans like bees to sugar. We know there is evil but how attractive, how intellectually tempting is it to believe there is no evil, no wrong? Wow, talk about freedom! But you see, evil wants us to think that choosing IT is the meaning of freedom. Isn't that ingenious? But evil only knows control and destruction. So let's dress that bad boy up in sweet-talking sheep's clothing. Remember, evil doesn't come to us with horns on its head and carrying a pitchfork. It would be EASY to recognize and reject, so if you were Satan, how would you dress up?
And although Satan is very effective in our global culture today, it is nothing new. The fall of man was simply the grasp for knowledge - the knowledge He gave us - to make us equals; to make is gods answerable only to ourselves. What was the Tower of Babel - it was the first Enlightenment Age after the Fall, 2500-3000 BC.
But nothing new doesn't mean we can yawn at it. We may well have as difficult a time surviving this age as they did then, or in Jesus' time.
Conclude…We all fall short from time to time as we try to follow the Lord. Our weaknesses and sins hinder us from loving and obeying Jesus as we should. But like Peter, we can learn from our failures and humbly return to the Lord for the grace to begin again. Nothing disqualifies us from our call to be Jesus’ disciples and feed his sheep. Just as impurities in stained glass bring forth beauty when the sun shines upon it, our weaknesses can show the Lord’s grace when we come into his light. So let’s not stay in the darkness counting our stains. Let’s come into the light and let it shine through us.
ASCENSION
Looking forward for a minute from the Resurrection to the Ascension, let’s discuss.
We often say we are Baptized into a new life, and we tend to think of that as applying to this life as well as being given access to Heaven. This is true. But there is greater meaning tied to Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.
The terminology is: We are Baptized into Jesus' death.
Q: Humanity’s greater fear is death, yet it’s one of those certainties that the entire species has in common and nothing can stop it; so, if it’s just part of life then why can’t we accept it?
It’s as though our souls know better and are saying, “No!”
Sure, all animals – us included – have an inherent instinct to survive. But the spirit we’ve been given accentuates this fear, instead of mollifying it.
The soul
Let’s try and ask our soul a few questions.
We know the soul survives. What is its origin and what instinct does it have that makes the thought of death so much worse, and if from a spiritual perspective, as though it could be avoided. Physically and scientifically, we know that’s impossible yet our higher spiritual intellect is still flagging us. It demands our attention.
If we fast forward to what we know through Christianity, the soul is from God and contains who we are and everything we’ve done (our minds and hearts). It is likely aware it will face judgment and will have the opportunity to get our bodies back, which it wants badly not only because that’s home, but because it will be a glorified body that will have all the abilities it was destined to have from the beginning. The soul also contains our hopes and our consciences, which together have been providing our “higher instincts,” pushing us through our temptations and then to forgiveness when we fail – always like a gps redirecting us to our next home, “our real home" it tells us.
However, there is also a chance that that we don’t listen to our consciences, that we choose a self-centered life, that we make this world our priority, that we miss the boat. And so therein lies the panic, the red flag, are you paying attention? Yes, the soul does get our body back but it’s not glorified, it’s a used jalopy that’s just barely enough to complete the experience of total loss and surrounded by like souls all abused by one’s existence equal to the abuse they inflicted on others, all the while blaming and cursing God and everyone around them for the injustice of it all. This is when death is not overcome.
So, yes, death is not just a physically instinctive warning flag, it is a far greater spiritual red flag. The soul fears this more than anything.
And so Christ baptizes us into his death, because his death defeated the death that we fear.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this teaching:
Who will rise? All the dead will rise, “those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.”
CCC 998
The “chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.”
Although there will be suffering fitting the life lived, this will be no match to the feeling of isolation from God, an isolation that these souls freely choose.
Finally, remember that no one is ever “sent” to Hell. It is a free choice by those who live their entire lives detached from God and who, at death’s door, would rather be in isolation than in communion with God.
CCC 1058 tells us: The Church prays that no one should be lost:
“Lord, let me never be parted from you.” If it is true that no one can save himself, it is also true that God “desires all men to be saved” (1 Tim 2:4), and that for him “all things are possible” (Mt 19:26).
Comments