Sunday Bible Reflections with Dr. Scott Hahn -December 8th 2013

The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology
Sunday Bible Reflections with Dr. Scott Hahn

December 8th 2013 - Second Sunday in Advent

Listen Here!
Kingdom Come
Readings:
Isaiah 11:1-10
Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
Romans 15:4-9
Matthew 3:1-12


“The kingdom of heaven is at hand,” John proclaims. And the Liturgy today paints us a vivid portrait of our new king and the shape of the kingdom He has come to bring.

The Lord whom John prepares the way for in today’s Gospel is the righteous king prophesied in today’s First Reading and Psalm. He is the king’s son, the son of David - a shoot from the root of Jesse, David’s father (see Ruth 4:17).

He will be the Messiah, anointed with the Holy Spirit (see 2 Samuel 23:1; 1 Kings 1:39; Psalm 2:2), endowed with the seven gifts of the Spirit - wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord.

He will rule with justice, saving the poor from the ruthless and wicked. His rule will be not only over Israel - but will extend from sea to sea, to the ends of the earth. He will be a light, a signal to all nations. And they will seek Him and pay Him homage.

In Him, all the tribes of the earth will find blessing. The covenant promise to Abraham (see Genesis 12:3), renewed in God’s oath to David (see Psalm 89:4,28), will be fulfilled in His dynasty. And His name will be blessed forever.

In Christ, God confirms His oath to Israel’s patriarchs, Paul tells us in today’s Epistle. But no longer are God’s promises reserved solely for the children of Abraham. The Gentiles, too, will glorify God for His mercy. Once strangers, in Christ they will be included in “the covenants of promise” (see Ephesians 2:12).

John delivers this same message in the Gospel. Once God’s chosen people were hewn from the rock of Abraham (see Isaiah 51:1-2). Now, God will raise up living stones (see 1 Peter 2:5) - children of Abraham born not of flesh and blood but of the Spirit.

This is the meaning of the fiery baptism He brings - making us royal heirs of the kingdom of heaven, the Church.

Yours in Christ,

Scott Hahn, Ph.D.

P.S. Do you want your friends, family, and co-workers to know the treasures of the Catholic faith through the treasure of God’s Word? Then join me in praying for the work of the St. Paul Center and please make your most generous financial contribution today.  You can donate now by credit card by visiting our secure, convenient website at www.salvationhistory.com

If you appreciate this service forward it to a friend!

December 7, 2013

Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church 
Lectionary: 180
Reading 1 IS 30:19-21, 23-26

Thus says the Lord GOD,
the Holy One of Israel:
O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem,
no more will you weep;
He will be gracious to you when you cry out,
as soon as he hears he will answer you.
The Lord will give you the bread you need
and the water for which you thirst.
No longer will your Teacher hide himself,
but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,
While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:
“This is the way; walk in it,”
when you would turn to the right or to the left.

God continues to speak to Isaiah. And he continues to speak of the time when he will wipe away everyone's tears and when we will see him as he is in heaven.

He will give rain for the seed
that you sow in the ground,
And the wheat that the soil produces
will be rich and abundant.
On that day your flock will be given pasture
and the lamb will graze in spacious meadows;
The oxen and the asses that till the ground
will eat silage tossed to them
with shovel and pitchfork.
Upon every high mountain and lofty hill
there will be streams of running water.

On that day everyone will rejoice. On that day everyone's table will be full of the choicest foods. On that day grace will pour out upon the heirs of Christ.

On the day of the great slaughter,
when the towers fall,
The light of the moon will be like that of the sun
and the light of the sun will be seven times greater
like the light of seven days.
On the day the LORD binds up the wounds of his people,
he will heal the bruises left by his blows.

On that day, the wicked will be tossed into the sea of fire. On that same day, the righteous will enjoy the fruit of the tree of life.

Responsorial Psalm PS 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (see Isaiah 30:18d) Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
Praise the LORD, for he is good;
sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;
it is fitting to praise him.
The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;
the dispersed of Israel he gathers.

R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars;
he calls each by name.

R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
Great is our LORD and mighty in power:
to his wisdom there is no limit.
The LORD sustains the lowly;
the wicked he casts to the ground.
R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.

Happy are they who do the works of God. Happy are they who keep his commandments. Happy are the righteous ones who patiently do good until the end. They will be richly rewarded.

Gospel MT 9:35–10:1, 5A, 6-8

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Jesus taught his apostles to pray to the Father to send teachers and priests to the people that they might learn his will.

Then he summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
“Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Then Jesus appointed the 12 Apostles to go out throughout Israel curing the sick, raising the dead, and driving out demons. And he carefully instructed them not to charge any fee. Because he freely gave the grace to participate in God's salvation plan. And they must also give freely to those whom God placed in their path.

Catholic Doctrine all makes sense - Confession once a year

It just makes sense. Everything fits together.

For instance, if you have not committed mortal sin you don't need to go to the sacrament of confession but once a year.  (CCC #1457) Why is that?

Well, that's because venial sin is forgiven in the Confiteor. The Confiteor is the prayer that we pray together at the beginning of Mass. The one that starts out, "I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin…."  It is a public confession in the presence of a priest.

If you happen to be late to Mass and miss the Confiteor, your venial sins are forgiven when you take communion.

And so, it isn't necessary for a faithful Catholic to go to the sacrament of confession more than once a year unless he has a mortal sin on his soul.

However, the sacrament of confession is recommended as frequently as possible because it is an outpouring of God's grace, a gift, a participation in God's life. Why would we want to minimize that? We should want that as often as we can get.

Yes sir, Catholic doctrine all makes sense.

We do the works of God

Calvin:

Perhaps I’m attacking a straw man here but I can’t help but wonder how the Catholic Church ever thought that a priest could absolve a person of sin.

Jesus said:
John 20:23

King James Version (KJV)
²³ Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

The Jews told Jesus that only God could forgive sin because they thought that He was just another man when He forgave the paralytic for his sin.

Some of the Jews:
Luke 5

King James Version (KJV)
¹⁷ And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
¹⁸ And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.
¹⁹ And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.
²⁰ And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
²¹ And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?
²² But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?
²³ Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?
²⁴ But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
²⁵ And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
²⁶ And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.

The Jews were quite upset with Jesus and they didn’t know that He was God incarnate. The point here is that truly, only God can forgive.

Only God can heal. Only God is wise. Only God is good. But we do the works of God:

Mark 16:17-19

King James Version (KJV)
¹⁷ And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
¹⁸ They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
¹⁹ So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

Man heals other men by the grace of God. And by that grace, God has given Priests authority to forgive sins in His name as well.

Sure we can forgive someone for hurting us but we can’t remedy the cold heart that caused them to hurt us. Only God can do that.

 And He does that through the word of the Priest just as easily as He does it through the waters of Baptism:

Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

An indulgence is a pardon for sin and once again we must go through our only mediator (1Timothy2:5) to receive pardon for that sin.

 And our only mediator has said that we receive pardon for our sins when we give money to the Church or the poor.

Mark 12:42-44  And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing  ⁴³ And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:⁴⁴ For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

Matthew 19:21  King James Version (KJV)  ²¹ Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

As a Catholic I was taught that prayers could release the soul from purgatory but the Bible says nothing to support this notion and I agree with the posters here: the doctrine is false and contrived by mere men.

 The Bible says a great deal about it, but the natural man doesn't understand it. It is only understood by the grace of God:

1 Corinthians 2:14  King James Version (KJV  ¹⁴ But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

 Sincerely,

De Maria

December 6, 2013

Friday of the First Week of Advent 
Lectionary: 179
Reading 1 IS 29:17-24

Thus says the Lord GOD:
But a very little while,
and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard,

The Lord speaking to Isaiah said that in a short while Lebanon would become an orchard. It is important to remember when we hear things of this nature especially according to time, what St. Peter said:

2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

and the orchard be regarded as a forest!

To continue with what God said to Isaiah though, Lebanon would be changed into a garden full of fruit trees and then into a forest.

I think that means that Lebanon will find grace in the orchard but then fall from grace in the wilderness which is what the forest symbolizes.

On that day the deaf shall hear
the words of a book;
And out of gloom and darkness,
the eyes of the blind shall see.
The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD,
and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Soon after, the coming of Jesus Christ is prophesied. That is what is symbolized by the references to the "deaf shall hear" and "blind shall see". Jesus is the one who came healing the sick.

For the tyrant will be no more
and the arrogant will have gone;
All who are alert to do evil will be cut off,
those whose mere word condemns a man,
Who ensnare his defender at the gate,
and leave the just man with an empty claim.

In my opinion, the prophecy now moves to the time after the resurrection and the kingdom of heaven where God shall wipe away every tear.

Therefore thus says the LORD,
the God of the house of Jacob,
who redeemed Abraham:
Now Jacob shall have nothing to be ashamed of,
nor shall his face grow pale.
When his children see
the work of my hands in his midst,
They shall keep my name holy;
they shall reverence the Holy One of Jacob,
and be in awe of the God of Israel.
Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding,
and those who find fault shall receive instruction.

This is a reference to the time after Jesus has come and on up to the church age to this very day. We are the children of Abraham, the redeemed, who worship the son of God.

Responsorial Psalm PS 27:1, 4, 13-14

R. (1a) The Lord is my light and my salvation.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.

R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

God is our light because he gives us wisdom and understanding. God is our salvation because he gives us the grace to obey his words. God is our salvation because Jesus Christ became man in order to die for our sins upon the cross.

Gospel MT 9:27-31

As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out,
“Son of David, have pity on us!”
When he entered the house,
the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,
“Do you believe that I can do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they said to him.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
“Let it be done for you according to your faith.”
And their eyes were opened.
Jesus warned them sternly,
“See that no one knows about this.”
But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.

This is a very important example because it educates us about the sacraments.

The blind men symbolize sinners who approach Jesus Christ to wash away their sins. Our sins are washed away in baptism. Baptism is called the sacrament of enlightenment.

Jesus asks the man, "do you believe that I can do this?" This teaches us that we must approach the sacraments with complete faith in Jesus Christ. In another place, Jesus also said, "those who believe and are baptized are saved. Those who do not believe are condemned." (Mark 16:16) faith is all-important in the sacraments.

Then Jesus said, "let it be done according to your faith". This teaches us that grace is given us according to the extent of our faith. St. Paul says elsewhere:

Romans 12:3

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

And then their eyes were opened and the light flooded in and they could see. This is what happens in the sacraments, especially in baptism. The grace of God pours in and we are renewed in the Holy Spirit.

And then, Jesus commanded them to keep it to themselves. But they were so overjoyed that they cannot contain themselves. This is what is supposed to happen when we receive the sacraments. We should be so overjoyed that we go out and tell everyone the good news.

I rediscovered my blog today

I rediscovered my blog today. At home, I go to mass daily with my entire family. I'm away from home today and I wanted to attend the mass but there is no church nearby. Then I remembered, "Didn't I have the daily mass on my blog?" So I searched, yes, there under the advertisements for Catholic CDs, I had buried the Daily Mass. What a wonderful blessing it was to be able to attend the mass from a hotel room. I put it back on top where I can find it more easily.  Sincerely, De Maria

The Temple of God

Lutero:

The Temple was the dwelling place of God..The Vatican is a temple to the pope,it is HIS dwelling place, not Gods

On the contrary, the Vatican is the dwelling place of God as is every Catholic Church and every baptized Catholic who remains in a state of grace:

1 Timothy 3:15

King James Version (KJV)
¹⁵ But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

1 Corinthians 3:16

King James Version (KJV)
¹⁶ Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Sincerely,

De Maria

December 5, 2013All

Thursday of the First Week of Advent 
Lectionary: 178
Reading 1 IS 26:1-6

On that day they will sing this song in the land of Judah:

 "On that day" refers to the day of salvation when the elect are gathered in the heavenly Jerusalem.

“A strong city have we;
he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
Open up the gates
to let in a nation that is just,
one that keeps faith.
A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace;
in peace, for its trust in you.”

On that day, the elect will be singing the praises of God in heaven.

Trust in the LORD forever!
For the LORD is an eternal Rock.
He humbles those in high places,
and the lofty city he brings down;
He tumbles it to the ground,
levels it with the dust.
It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
by the footsteps of the poor.

Trust in God all of you who love God. He alone is true, He alone is righteous.

Responsorial Psalm PS 118:1 AND 8-9, 19-21, 25-27A

R. (26a) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.

R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Open to me the gates of justice;
I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.
This gate is the LORD’s;
the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me
and have been my savior.

R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.
R. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Happy and filled with blessings is the man who obeys the Lord's commands. For God is his righteous reward.

Gospel MT 7:21, 24-27

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

Jesus taught the disciples that not all those who claim to be Christians would enter into heaven. But only those who obey God the Father.

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.

Everyone who obeys Jesus and lives according to his word will be saved.

And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

But those who disobey Jesus will be condemned.

Giving moneys to the Church is a good deed rewarded by God

Luther:

What is wrong with that is those poor gullible people gave their money under false pretenses of their church.

That isn't true on many levels.

First, anyone who stole money from anyone, did it under their own initiation. The Church had nothing to do with it.
Second, if anyone stole money from anyone, they should return it. The Church is under no obligation to return any moneys which were stolen by anyone claiming to be Catholic. 
Third, unless you can prove that Protestant churches return the moneys to people defrauded by members of their congregations, you have no leg to stand on.

So the money shoud be returned.

By those who stole it.  But the Catholic Church didn't steal anything.

This is simple fairness.

Not the way you have laid it out.

How can you object to that?

See above.

St Peters Basilica was built with that money.

No it wasn't.

It was built with stolen lmoney.

NO IT WASN'T. Anyone who gave the Church money for the building of St. Peter's Basilica gave their money voluntarily. You guys call it "selling", but as Scripture is clear, giving moneys to the Church is a good deed which is rewarded by "making all clean" for the individual. As Scripture says:

Luke 11:41
King James Version (KJV)⁴¹ But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.

You are believing the lies of the people who hate Christ's church. 

They should at least abide by Martin Luthers reasonable advice in his Thesis #46.

46. Christians are to be taught that unless they have more than they need, they are bound to keep back what is necessary for their own families, and by no means to squander it on pardons.

I would rather follow Christ's advice:

Luke 21:1-4
King James Version (KJV)21 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.² And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.³ And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:⁴ For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

Jesus didn't say, "Stop her! She won't have money with which to eat!" He accepted her sacrifice.

Do you even object to this? Do you think they are following this advice?

I care nothing for Luther's advice. Luther knew nothing about the word of God and following his advice has resulted in one of the worst disasters in Christian history. All you have to do is look around and see the fruits of Luther's advice.

Sincerely,

De Maria

December 4, 2013

Wednesday of the First Week of Advent 
Lectionary: 177

Reading 1 IS 25:6-10A

On this mountain the LORD of hosts

will provide for all peoples

On this mountain – refers to Mount Zion which is another name for the household of God or the Church. It is also a reference to heaven.

A feast of rich food and choice wines,

juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.

On this mountain he will destroy

the veil that veils all peoples,

The web that is woven over all nations;

he will destroy death forever.

The Lord GOD will wipe away

the tears from all faces;

The reproach of his people he will remove

from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken.

God will call all people, from every race, into his mountain. This mountain is the Catholic Church. The veil the blinds all people is the flesh. Those who are joined to the church are born again in the spirit and washed them all their sins which are contained in the flesh.

Those who are washed in the sacrament of baptism will receive eternal life. And if they continue in good works to the end God will wipe away their tears in heaven.

On that day it will be said:

“Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!

This is the LORD for whom we looked;

let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”

For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.

On that day we will see God face to face. And we will rejoice to see him and know then we have been saved from death.

Responsorial Psalm PS 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6

R. (6cd) I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

In verdant pastures he gives me repose;

Beside restful waters he leads me;

he refreshes my soul.

R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

He guides me in right paths

for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk in the dark valley

I fear no evil; for you are at my side

With your rod and your staff

that give me courage. 

R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

You spread the table before me

in the sight of my foes;

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

Only goodness and kindness follow me

all the days of my life;

And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

for years to come.

R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

The household of the Lord is the Catholic Church.  The table which He spreads before us is the altar of the Lord. Those who dwell in the household of the Lord are walking with the Saints and the Angels in the heavenly realm.

Gospel MT 15:29-37

At that time:

Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee,

went up on the mountain, and sat down there. 

Great crowds came to him,

having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute,

and many others. 

They placed them at his feet, and he cured them. 

The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking,

the deformed made whole, 

the lame walking, 

and the blind able to see,

and they glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies of the Old Testament. As Isaiah prophesied, the Messiah would come to heal the sick. But these were only signs of the true healing of the spirit.

Jesus summoned his disciples and said,

“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,

for they have been with me now for three days

and have nothing to eat. 

I do not want to send them away hungry,

for fear they may collapse on the way.” 

The disciples said to him,

“Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place

to satisfy such a crowd?” 

Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” 

“Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.” 

He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. 

Then he took the seven loaves and the fish,

gave thanks, broke the loaves,

and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. 

They all ate and were satisfied. 

They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full.

As another sign pointing to the fact that Jesus is the prophet which Moses spoke of, he fed the multitudes in the desert, bringing to mind the manna with which Moses fed the people of Israel in the Sinai desert.

Deuteronomy 18:15-19

King James Version (KJV)

15 The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

16 According to all that thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.

17 And the Lord said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.

18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

December 3, 2013

Memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, Priest 
Lectionary: 176

Reading 1 IS 11:1-10

On that day,

A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,

The shoot or branch that will sprout from the stump of Jesse is Jesus Christ.

and from his roots a bud shall blossom.

From Jesse's roots Jesus Christ shall bud and blossom throughout the world.

The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him:

a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,

A Spirit of counsel and of strength,

a Spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD,

and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.

Jesus Christ is one God but the Father and the Holy Spirit. Therefore Jesus Christ contains the fullness of the Spirit, the fullness of faith, in the fullness of love for God, the Father who was the source of all.

Not by appearance shall he judge,

nor by hearsay shall he decide,

but he shall judge the poor with justice,

and decide aright for the land' s afflicted.

He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,

and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.

Justice shall be the band around his waist,

and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.

This is a reference to the judgment which shall come upon all men at the end of time. Jesus Christ will be our judge and all men will stand before his judgment seat where he will judge not according to appearances, but according to what we have done whether good or evil in the body.

Two Corinthians 5:10

for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,

and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;

the calf and the young lion shall browse together,

with a little child to guide them.

The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,

together their young shall rest;

the lion shall eat hay like the ox.

The baby shall play by the cobra' s den,

and the child lay his hand on the adder' s lair.

There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;

for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord,

as water covers the sea.

At that time, the old world will pass away and a new one will be born from the fire. The new Jerusalem, the bride of Christ, the Catholic Church will rise up to meet the eternal groom, Jesus Christ.

On that day,

the root of Jesse,

set up as a signal for the nations,

the Gentiles shall seek out,

for his dwelling shall be glorious.

At that time, all who seek God will see the sign of Jesus Christ, who was crucified for the salvation of all mankind. And those righteous people from every nation will turn to him and live.

Responsorial Psalm PS 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

R (see seven) Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,

and with your justice, the king' s son;

he shall govern your people with justice

and your afflicted ones with judgment.

R Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

Justice shall flower in his days,

and profound peace, till the moon be no more.

May he rule from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

R Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

He shall rescue the poor when he cries out,

and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.

He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;

the lives of the poor he shall save.

R Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

May his name be blessed forever;

as long as the sun his name shall remain.

In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed;

all the nations shall proclaim his happiness.

R Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.

At the end of time, Jesus Christ will judge the hearts of all new with perfect justice.

Gospel LK 10:21-24

Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,

“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,

for although you have hidden these things

from the wise and the learned

you have revealed them to the childlike.

Jesus Christ was always united to the Holy Spirit, so to say that he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit is redundant.

However, he reveals that those were wise in the wisdom of the world for themselves. The childlike, look to God as their father who provides for them everything and do not look to themselves, but they were truly wise in the eyes of God.

Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father.

No one knows who the Son is except the Father,

and who the Father is except the Son

and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

Those who are childlike will recognize the Father in the Son. Because it is to them that the  Father wishes to reveal him.

Turning to the disciples in private he said,

“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.

For I say to you,

many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,

but did not see it,

and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

Then Jesus reveals to his disciples that they have been given a great gift. They have been granted the blessing of having seen the Christ and heard his Gospel from his very lips.

What is the cup of God's wrath? How does it differ from the chastisement of God's children?

Penal Substitution says that God the Father poured out his wrath upon His beloved Son.  Its hard for me to believe and it seems unbibilical so to say.  Scripture says:

Nahum 1:2

God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.But maybe if we study the difference between the wrath of God and the chastisement of God's children, we will see what is that cup which Jesus drank and which the Apostles shared and that cup which is the called, "the cup of God's wrath".

Scripture says that God reserves His wrath towards His enemies.

First, as we see in Nahum, the wrath of God is reserved for God's enemies.  Also:

John 3:35-36

King James Version (KJV)

35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

The wrath of God is reserved for those who do not believe the Son of God.

Ephesians 5:6

Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Jesus is known for obedience and thus, the wrath of God was not poured out on Him.

Romans 5:19

For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

And those who follow Christ are recognized by their obedience to Christ.  Therefore they also shall not be the object of God's wrath.

Romans 6:16

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

This pattern is followed throughout Scripture.  Where ever the wrath of God is mentioned, it is directed at those who mock God and disobey His commands:

Ezra 8:22

For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.

2 Chronicles 36:16

But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

So, what cup did Jesus drink and the Apostles shared?

Matthew 20:21-23

King James Version (KJV)

21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.

22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.

23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

If it was the cup of God's wrath, then Jesus and the Apostles would be counted amongst God's enemies.  I think that has been established.  However, both Jesus and the Apostles suffered for the sake of God's Kingdom.

Scripture says:

Hebrews 2:10

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Surprisingly, the Scripture says that Jesus was made perfect through suffering.

Acts 5:41

And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

And the Apostles rejoiced when they suffered for Christ.

Romans 8:17

And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

And we are all appointed to suffer with Christ, if we believe in Him.  If we don't suffer, we are bastard children:

Hebrews 12:7-9

King James Version (KJV)

7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

There is a difference in both forms of suffering.  Those who suffer God's wrath and those who suffer God's chastisement do not suffer the same thing.

In both forms of suffering there is pain and frequently, death.  However, I can't find in the suffering of God's wrath, any indication of a resurrection.  And that is the difference between the suffering of God's wrath and in suffering as God's children in imitation of Christ.

Christ suffered death in order to rise again.  Christ suffered this death in order to give us an example to follow.  

This is why, the suffering which Christ suffered can't be described as the Cup of God's wrath.  

Romans 14:9

For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

2 Corinthians 5:14

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

And this is the Catholic Doctrine which fits the Scriptures perfectly:

616 It is love "to the end" that confers on Christ's sacrifice its value as redemption and reparation, as atonement and satisfaction. He knew and loved us all when he offered his life. Now "the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died." No man, not even the holiest, was ever able to take on himself the sins of all men and offer himself as a sacrifice for all. The existence in Christ of the divine person of the Son, who at once surpasses and embraces all human persons, and constitutes himself as the Head of all mankind, makes possible his redemptive sacrifice for all.

All who live in Christ must first die in Christ:

Romans 6:8

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

562 Christ's disciples are to conform themselves to him until he is formed in them (cf. Gal 4:19). "For this reason we, who have been made like to him, who have died with him and risen with him, are taken up into the mysteries of his life, until we reign together with him" (LG 7 § 4).

And Penal Substitution is proven a false doctrine which contradicts the Word of God.

Sincerely,

De Maria

Agape Catholic Bible Study

Agape Catholic Bible study is a free Catholic online resource for the study of Sacred Scripture.

Agape Catholic Bible study offers:

In-depth Bible studies in the living tradition of the Catholic Church
Accessing ancient and contemporary commentaries
Historical and archaeological information
Catechism of the Catholic Church references
Faithful to the Magisterium

Please join us in the study of the Word of God written down in human terms so that we might understand God's plan for the salvation of mankind.

"To be ignorant of Scripture is to be ignorant of Christ."  St. Jerome

Go there today!

December 2, 2013

Monday of the First Week of Advent
Lectionary: 175
Reading 1 IS 4:2-6

On that day,
The branch of the LORD will be luster and glory,

 The branch of the Lord is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ Is the branch of Jesse, who has been glorified by the Father when he was raised from death to life and now sits at the right hand of God.

and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor
for the survivors of Israel.

 The survivors of Israel are those who by faith in Jesus Christ received the hope of salvation.

He who remains in Zion
and he who is left in Jerusalem
Will be called holy:
every one marked down for life in Jerusalem.

 The Catholic Church is the new Jerusalem. And everyone  who remains in her will be called holy.

When the LORD washes away
the filth of the daughters of Zion,

 The Lord washes away our sins in baptism.

And purges Jerusalem’s blood from her midst
with a blast of searing judgment,
Then will the LORD create,
over the whole site of Mount Zion
and over her place of assembly,
A smoking cloud by day
and a light of flaming fire by night.

 The old Jerusalem was razed to the ground by Roman soldiers in 70 A.D. On that site God raised up his church.

For over all, the LORD’s glory will be shelter and protection:
shade from the parching heat of day,
refuge and cover from storm and rain.

 The Lord's glory is the Holy Spirit, the Shekinah cloud, who protects us from the heat of the sun and from storm and rain.  And all who remain in his church are under  His protection.

Responsorial Psalm PS 122:1-2, 3-4B, 4CD-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Because of my relatives and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!"
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

 Come to the house of God with rejoicing! Enter the house of the Lord singing praise! The church is  house of the Lord. It is in the church that we receive the sanctifying grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel MT 8:5-11

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.

 I hope that you recognize these words. These are the words that we paraphrase before we receive communion. "Lord I am not worthy to enter under your roof but only say the word and my SOUL 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.”

 The righteous centurion was a man of great faith. Jesus announced that he had found no faith like his in anyone in Israel.   He also signifies that the prophecies of the Old Testament are coming true in Jesus Christ:

Isaiah 49:6

… I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

 

December 1, 2013

First Sunday of Advent 

Advent is the time of the year to prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord. It is a time of rejoicing in anticipation of the birth of our Lord. But it is also time of repentance from sin. 

Lectionary: 1
Reading 1 IS 2:1-5

This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

The prophet Isaiah had a vision about Judah and Jerusalem.

In days to come,
the mountain of the LORD’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.

 In the future, Mount Zion shall be established as the greatest mountain. Because this is the mountain of the Lord where his house is built.

All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths.”

 In that time all the peoples of the world will come to the Lord's mountain.

For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
one nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.
O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!

 At that time, the whole world will be at peace.

Responsorial Psalm PS 122: 1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
Because of my brothers and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.
R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

 The word church means "house of the Lord". Today, the Catholic Church is the new Jerusalem wherein dwells the whole host of heaven.    The Catholic Church is the household of God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

Reading 2 ROM 13:11-14

Brothers and sisters:
You know the time;
it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.
For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed;
the night is advanced, the day is at hand.
Let us then throw off the works of darkness
and put on the armor of light;
let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day,
not in orgies and drunkenness,
not in promiscuity and lust,
not in rivalry and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

 The times is at hand  when we must turn to God and set aside all wrongdoing. Because God calls us to perseverance in good works.

Romans 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

Gospel MT 24:37-44

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
In those days before the flood,
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day that Noah entered the ark.
They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man.
Two men will be out in the field;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

 None of us know our last hour. None of us know the end times. Therefore, it is important to always be prepared to meet our Maker.

Flocknote

Study the Gospels in a Year!

A short, daily Gospel reading (+ commentary) sent straight to your inbox.
Read that little bit each day & you'll have studied all four gospels of the Holy Bible in a year.

Click here to subscribe!  flocknote.com/gospel

Join 100k+ people (the largest group in history!) studying either the Catechism or the Gospels.

PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH OTHERS:


About this project: Gospels in a Year is powered by Flocknote and uses the Ignatius Study Bible for both the scripture translation and the commentary. This is done in partnership with Lighthouse Catholic Media, Ignatius Press and Flocknote.

Sunday Bible Reflections with Dr. Scott Hahn - December 1st 2013

The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology
Sunday Bible Reflections with Dr. Scott Hahn

December 1st 2013 - First Sunday in Advent

Listen Here!
In a Dark Hour
Readings:
Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122:1-9
Romans 13:11-14
Matthew 24:37-44


Jesus exaggerates in today’s Gospel when He claims not to know the day or the hour when He will come again.

He occasionally makes such overstatements to drive home a point we might otherwise miss (see Matthew 5:34; 23:9; Luke 14:26).

His point here is that the exact “hour” is not important. What is crucial is that we not postpone our repentance, that we be ready for Him - spiritually and morally - when He comes. For He will surely come, He tells us - like a thief in the night, like the flood in the time of Noah.

In today’s Epistle, Paul too compares the present age to a time of advancing darkness and night.

Though we sit in the darkness, overshadowed by death, we have seen arise the great light of our Lord who has come into our midst (see Matthew 4:16; John 1:9; 8:12). He is the true light, the life of the world. And His light continues to shine in His Church, the new Jerusalem promised by Isaiah in today’s First Reading.

In the Church, all nations stream to the God of Jacob, to worship and seek wisdom in the House of David. From the Church goes forth His word of instruction, the light of the Lord - that all might walk in His paths toward that eternal day when night will be no more (see Revelation 22:5).

By our Baptism we have been made children of the light and day (see Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5-7). It is time we start living like it - throwing off the fruitless works of darkness, the desires of the flesh, and walking by the light of His grace.

The hour is late as we begin a new Advent. Let us begin again in this Eucharist.

As we sing in today’s Psalm, let us go rejoicing to the House of the Lord. Let us give thanks to His name, keeping watch for His coming, knowing that our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

Yours in Christ,



Scott Hahn, Ph.D.

P.S. Do you want your friends, family, and co-workers to know the treasures of the Catholic faith through the treasure of God’s Word? Then join me in praying for the work of the St. Paul Center and please make your most generous financial contribution today.  You can donate now by credit card by visiting our secure, convenient website at www.salvationhistory.com

If you appreciate this service forward it to a friend!

Get Catechism lesson in your own email!

 
Read the Catechism in a Year


 
Quick update and happy Thanksgiving!

Hey Catechism fans - just so everyone's on the same page...we've wrapped up last year's "Read the Catechism in a Year" and we'll be starting it up again (along with Study the Gospel in a Year - - flocknote.com/gospel) next week as we start the new liturgical year (Advent).

In the meantime, stay tuned. Catch your breath. Hug your loved ones. Have a blessed Thanksgiving. And then get ready to rock as we Read the Catechism in a Year!

Peace be with you,

Matthew Warner
Founder of Flocknote and The Radical Life