Northern Virginia Catholic Bible Study & Apologetics

www.meetup.com/catholicbiblestudy

Every Tuesday, 7PM-8PM

This meeting is a lecture/Q&A format. It is free.

House rules/notes…

1.      Our meeting/classes are In-Person at St. John Neumann Catholic Church 11900 Lawyers Road, Reston, VA 20191 https://saintjn.org/  (usually held downstairs in Room 5), or ONLINE via Zoom (see #2).

2.      To sign up for Zoom notifications and to receive the Meeting Recaps, go to www.meetup.com/catholicbiblestudy and join us! The Zoom Logon is the same every week:  Zoom ID: 861 1782 2081  Password: 406952.  

3.      After each meeting, I send out Meeting Recaps of what we discussed. Please remember these recaps are unedited and without the pictures. The edited version with pictures will be posted on our website before the next class on the Website –  https://catholiccatacombs.wixsite.com/website. Taylor will notify everyone at that time and provide a link.

4.      Questions encouraged. If you have questions, we ask that you keep them on topic and brief. You can ask in the chat box during the class, or email through Meetup.com, or email me at ron@hallagan.net afterwards.

5.      Respectfulness. We will be discussing differences between religions and between Christian denominations, and we agree to be respectful at all times. Protestants especially are our friends and brothers-in-Christ; in fact, I personally owe part of my return to the faith to them!

6.      No politics.  It would be easy for us to self-destruct, but that’s not our goal. Our goal is to learn/understand/apply the Bible and our Catholic faith.

7.      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!

8.      “The Chosen” TV series.  All of us seek a relationship with Jesus Christ, which is not always easy. It can help if we have seen and heard Him. The Chosen captures Jesus better than any show I have ever seen. Highly recommended. 

9.      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!

Catholic Catacombs Website:  https://catholiccatacombs.wixsite.com/website

Bible Study Format:   Each week of the month has a repeating topic, as noted below.

Each meeting: 5 min greet, prayer, 10-15 min Catholic topic, 40-45 min main topic. 

Week 1:  Gospel Week   

Week 2:  Bible Week (Gen to Rev):  We are in The Book of JUDGES. 

Week 3:  Survey Topics Voted on by Members:       

x 1) Jesus’ Greatest Parables      x 2) Hell, Purgatory, Heaven      x 3) Comparative Religions  

    4) Great Women in the Bible                 5) Book of Revelation             6) Fathers, Heresies, and Church Councils

Week 4: Member Questions:

1.     Can you provide a brief review of the origin/meaning of the (12) statements in the Creed?

2.     Angels & Demons – who are they, what do they do? Do we really have guardian angels? What about devils/demons? Please explain exorcisms. Do they happen, are they real?

3.     What is “conscience?”

4.     How do I live my Christian faith at work when my faith is not accepted there?

5.     What should our response be to those who ask us about priestly sex abuse?

6.     What about the atheist who leads a good life? Can I be a person be good apart from God?

7.     Miracles since the NT

8.     What’s the difference between Charity and Love? What are the highest forms of charity?

9.     How can I get more excited by the Mass?

10.                        Was King David good or bad? Was Emperor Constantine good or bad? Was he even Christian?

11.                         Why does God allow suffering?

12.                         What do you think a day in the life of God is like to Him?

We will review a different apologetics or exegesis term each week...   

Apologetics and Exegesis Terms

Apologetics – to defend a belief.

    Catholic Apologetics– to defend the Catholic faith using reason, tradition, & Scripture.

    Exegesis – the study and interpretation of Scripture (it’s what we do here every week; you are all exegetes).

    Eschatology (Greek, eschaton=last/end): the study of the End Times: the Second Coming of Christ (called Advent in

Latin, Parousia in Greek), Judgement Day, Heaven & Hell. In exegesis, you will hear Parousia (pair-oo-sia) more than Advent.     

Bible = The OT = The Torah (Pentateuch, Books of Moses), the Prophets, the Writings (Wisdom, Novellas)

 The NT = The Gospels and the Epistles (Epistles: New Test Letters (Paul), Catholic Letters, and Revelation). 

Best Bibles – The Didache Bible, Ignatius Edition; Ignatius RSV 2nd Catholic edition; Augustine Bible; Douay Rheims (Jerome). Starters: Bible Basics for Catholics-Ave Maria press.

Church – Greek kyriakon house of the Lord:  building for Christian worship; the whole body of Christian believers.

Ark of the Covenant:  a) The golden chest holding the 10 Commandments; b) Mary’s womb holding the Word of God

Tabernacle - the portable sanctuary used by the Israelites in the wilderness during Exodus the from Egypt and then in the Temple in Jerusalem by Solomon (and again later by Herod).  Latin tabernaculum – tent; temporary dwelling place.

Temple – Latin templum - space set aside for sacrifice/worship; replaced the Tabernacle; the Temple in Jerusalem.

Synagogue – Jewish house of worship often w/facilities for religious instruction. Greek synagogue: assembly/gathering. 

Church Authority – The Church is the only authority given by Jesus Christ to interpret the Word of God:  "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven" (Mt 18:18-20). Otherwise, there could be a different interpretation for every Scriptural passage for every person who ever read them, resulting in division vs unity (which is why there are 10,000 different Protestant churches and 17+ Eastern Orthodox churches). Catholic Church teachings are nothing more than the Church’s interpretation of that which has already been revealed by God, either through Scripture or what has been handed on from Apostolic Tradition. This body of the Church’s interpretation is called the “Magisterium” and it is not superior to the Word of God, but its servant. The Church cannot make up anything outside what has been handed to it, but rather guards and teaches it (CCC#86, 890). In fact, the Church believes that Divine Revelation ended with the Apostles. 

Church Doctrine refers to all of the official teachings of the Church. There are several levels of teachings:

a.     “Theological Opinions” are teachings that express a pope’s views in a subject but are not doctrine/not binding.

b.     Doctrine: Those that the Church teaches authoritatively but not infallibly. Elements within these can change.

c.      “Ex cathedra” means when the pope “speaks from the chair of Peter.” Infallible doctrine, indirect revelation. 

d.     Dogma: Those teachings which the Church has infallibly taught to be divinely revealed. (Jesus is the  

Heresy is the rejection of dogma. If someone rejects a teaching belonging to the first or second categories of doctrine, it may be sinful, but it does not rise to the level of heresy. 

Epiphany – Epiphany means a sudden appearance, revelation, or manifestation from above. In Christianity, it refers to the revelation of Jesus Christ as Savior of the World to the gentiles (Magi) 12 days after Christmas. 

    Theophany means the appearance of God, such as Yahweh to Moses on Mt. Sinai, or at the Transfiguration. Note “phany” in both words, from the Greek phainein = to appear. [Theo=God + phany=appear]

Eucharist –the Lord’s Supper. The bread & wine become Jesus’ body/blood. From Greek eucharistia = thanksgiving.

    Mass – the celebration of the Last Supper/Eucharist. “Mass” is from the Latin missa meaning “to send (out).”

Evangelize – to make the Kingdom of God present in our world. 

Forgiveness – letting go of past harm to God or others; it presumes repentance, which presumes changes in behavior

     Mercy – withholding harsh treatment or judgment that is justified.

Repentance – to turn away from a Self-centered life and towards a God-centered life; each time we sin and turn to God for forgiveness; repentance presumes heartfelt regret for sin and heartfelt desire to do better with God’s help.   

God as Father/He/Him – scriptural tradition (God is not a gender); God does set the gold standard for fatherhood.

    Man – generic for mankind, humanity.

    Deism – belief in a supreme being/creator who does not intervene in the universe, or who is indifferent to it.

    Theism – belief in the existence of God or gods, especially the believe in one God who is creator of the universe and is actively engaged in some way, intervening in it and sustaining a personal relationship with his creatures.

    Atheism – the belief that gods or spirituality of any kind do not exist.

    Agnosticism – the belief that God may, or may not, exist – we just can’t know.  … polytheism and pantheism

Preternatural – means “outside the natural”; refers to a unique state of grace Adam & Eve were in before the Fall.

The “World” – as used in the Bible, this term pertains to the nonreligious, secular world, or our material, temporary lives. In fact, the word “secular” (Latin seaecularis) = worldly/temporal. Biblically, “this world" usually has a negative connotation, i.e., “The fall of man resulted from our choosing this world/ourselves over God.” This world is not intrinsically bad, as God made all things good. It is man that reduces it to something less. The earth is home to all our “worldly temptations” that seek to block the light of Heaven in our lives.

“A lie travels all the way around the globe while the truth is still putting on its shoes.”  – Mark Twain

Add: Patristics, Tradition, Revelation, Concupiscence, Octave, Love, Justice, Righteous, Patience, Kingdom, Righteous, Hyperbole, Soteriology, Apostolic Succession 

Opening Prayer 

What did Scrooge say after his nightmare about death, when he woke up and looked out the window?

“‘Young man, what day is it? Christmas, you say?”

Alas, he hadn’t missed it after all. In other words, there was still time to fix his life.

Like Scrooge, every morning when we get up, it’s Christmas again.

That is because every day is a chance to start over/anew; a chance to improve on yesterday, especially ourselves.

This is the extraordinary life of the Christian.

Thank you, Father, for this lifetime of 2nd chances. May we not waste them!

And as you taught us to pray together…

Our Father

Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily Bread;

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Major holy days in the Liturgy of the Church

February 14:  Ash Wednesday – “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust” (Gen 3:19)

Feb 14 – Mar 28:  Lent – Our 40 days in the desert ends on at the Last Supper (Holy Thursday)

Lent is a time for two things:  a time for practicing control over our lives – for ourselves and for God – and a time for doing some additional or extraordinary good in our daily lives. Both practices are virtues, which require practice.

Quote of the Week:

“Boredom with Scripture isn’t the result of familiarity but due to the lack of familiarity.” – Scott Hahn

Today

1.     The Our Father with 21-year-old Zaire (inmate)

2.     The Presentation of Our Lord at the Temple (also refers to the Purification of Mary) 40 days after Jesus’ birth.

3.     Reading for Sunday, Feb 11 Jesus Heals the Leper, Mark 1:40-45

The Our Father/Lord’s Prayer – Dialogue with inmate Zaire, cont’d.

We were about to discuss the deeper meaning to “Our” in “Our Father,” but Zaire asked if I could first give him the big picture of the whole prayer. He said this because last week I had said this prayer was a road map to Heaven. He wanted to be able to see that.

Although I’ve broken it up into 5 lines below, the prayer actually has 7 petitions (requests) – the last two are really four. The first two are about God/Heaven, the last 2 are about us, and the middle one is the hinge between them, the link to God and us; the link between Heaven and Earth.

1.     Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. (1)

2.     Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (2,3) 

3.     Give us this day our daily bread. (4)

4.     And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have offended us. (5)

5.     And let us not fall to temptation but deliver us from evil. (6,7)

Let’s start with the first two in blue, which are about God and Heaven.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 

All good prayer should not start with us and our problems, but rather with lifting our minds up to God. That’s because God is both the beginning and the end of our every request. You’ll see. That’s the first lesson Jesus gives us in this prayer.

Our Father means we are made in his image. When He breathed His spirit into humans in Gen 2:7, we inherited his spiritual genes, or “imprint” in us, which is why we want to be like Him – He’s our spiritual parent. God the Father also tells us that, unlike other religions, He is not some detached Master. God is related to us and cares for our lives, now, and in the future.

Hallowed be Thy Name. Hallowed means holy and perfect, and God’s “Name” is all the things that He IS: God is pure love, pure goodness, perfect justice and forgiveness, and perfect happiness.  Of course His Name is hallowed, but when we state it in the prayer, we are saying that He is our Father and King, and that we are part of His kingdom, not this earth.

Thy Kingdom Come is what Jesus did. When he died on the cross, the Temple curtain that separated the people from God since the Fall of Man split into two and the gates of Heaven were reopened to mankind. When Jesus said, “Repent, the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,” he was referring to what he came for, and what he was about to do for us. Maranatha can mean Jesus has come, Jesus is come, Jesus is coming. All three are true. Jesus is the Kingdom.    

Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven – is how the Kingdom comes! It starts here and now with us and is finished in Heaven. What is God’s will? It is love, justice, mercy, creativity, beauty, and joy. We want God’s will to be our will. So does He, but we have to use our free will to do it. Learning to do God’s will this raises us up and makes us stronger and wiser – and He will help us!

So Jesus teaches us the importance of starting out with our focus on and praise for God, for He is the origin and source of our love, goodness, and wisdom and these must remain foundational to our requests and our goals. Our minds need to be acclimated to thinking and living in this higher place with God, because it is our connection with Him that keeps us on the right path, continually receiving His grace and assistance.      

Now we are going to jump to our needs in the last two petitions.

And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have offended us.

And let us not fall to temptation but deliver us from evil. 

There are three important requirements to living this life well and getting to heaven at the end of it – humility, keeping our souls clean, and wisdom. We get all three of these when we ask for forgiveness and practice forgiving others, because:

1.     We have to humble ourselves to admit when we were wrong. We humble ourselves further when we have to articulate our sin in words, express regret, state our intention not to repeat it with His help, and then ask to be forgiven.

2.     In the process, God will forgive us, and we keep our souls clean. [We must remember two things here: as Jesus says, death comes like a thief in the night, so we must be ready always and not put forgiveness off. In fact, for all the small stuff repenting should be a daily occurrence with us and God. Also remember that if it was a mortal sin – a grave sin that we knew was grave and we chose to do it anyway – we must confess to a priest to be reconnected to God.]

3.     Two reasons Jesus wants to be part of our forgiveness is that 1) when we humble ourselves by explaining what we did wrong, we open ourselves to wisdom. Wisdom and grace cannot enter the arrogant, only the humble. As part of our confessing our mistakes, we should at the same time be saying, “Here’s what I could have done,” and/or, “Lord, I think this might have been a better decision, do you agree?”  Now you are strategically learning from your mistakes and taking God along for the ride. No surer path to gaining wisdom exists.     

Now that God forgives us, He wants us to practice doing the same thing by forgiving others. Not only that, but our forgiveness depends on us doing it. If we hold grudges and anger or wish the other person was dead, then God says, “How can I forgive you if you aren’t willing to forgive others?” This does NOT mean you have to approve what they did, and you don’t have to like them; but, instead of hating them you need to say, “God, this person needs your help big time, please help them become more like You!” Then BAM, you’ve done it, and your spiritual growth is substantial, because praying for others is the greatest.

Temptation is an inner thing and is also translated as “trial.” Trials that challenge our “free will” are a good thing in that they make us stronger. The petition says, “Lead us not into temptation/trial” and the idea behind the request is “don’t give me trials that are too hard for me.” If it helps, you can also just say, “Lead us away from temptation.” 

Whereas temptation is an internal thing, “Deliver us from evil” is an external thing. Evil comes at us from the outside, whether it is hatred, jealousy, or violence from other people, or influences of the devil. So we not only ask for help internally, but externally as well. When we reach this point in the prayer, we have completed the journey, which brings us full circle into God’s hands back at the beginning of the prayer, which we said was our destination.

We will discuss the central petition (#3) – Give us this day our Daily Bread – next week.    

Q:  What do Groundhog Day, Candlemas, the Presentation of Jesus, and the Purification of Mary have in common?  

February 2!

Every year, the world watches as Punxsutawney Phil proclaims a long winter or a newly arrived spring. If it’s a sunny day and he sees his shadow, bad luck for us; if he doesn’t see his shadow, spring has come. Where did this entertaining annual event start?

It actually has its origins in today’s feast of Candlemas and European traditions about weather on this day. An old English poem goes like this:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,

Come winter, have another flight.

If Candlemas bring clouds and rain,

Go winter and come not again.

In Germany, ground-dwelling animals such as badgers were the traditional harbingers of winter or spring on Candlemas. German immigrants imported the idea to Pennsylvania, adopted the local groundhog as the weatherman, and the rest is history.

But what is Candlemas?

The feast of Candlemas has its roots in the 5th century when, on this day, the growing light of the season was celebrated by candles being lit because Jesus is the Light of the World who, with his coming to earth, dispelled the darkness of sin. The Church blesses candles on this day for use in the liturgy and for home prayer. A candlelit procession is often included in the liturgy, recalling the entrance of this Light into His Temple. The “Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple” occurs simultaneously with the celebration of the “Purification of Our Lady.” 

In today’s reading, Our Lady completes the sacrifices the Mosaic Law required of new mothers. Firstborn sons being traditionally dedicated to God’s service, she and St. Joseph presented the infant Jesus to His Father—an incredible image of Jesus taking on His mission in the world.

We read about this event in the second chapter of Luke. The holy elder Simeon, to whom the Holy Spirit revealed that he would see the Christ, recognizes the Child and prophesies about His future. Likewise, the prophetess Anna then appears praising God and telling about the child to “all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”

The Reading for this coming Sunday (Feb 11):  Jesus heals the leper (Mark 1:40-45)

Context

What was leprosy?

Leprosy was a dangerous killer – a chronic, infectious disease of the skin and serve nerve damage, which led to disfigurement. For most, as long they lived their life was like a living death. In 1st century Greece, we find this diagnosis:

    “But yet it is proper to apply every medicine and method of diet – even iron and fire – and these, indeed, if you apply to a recent disease there is hope of a cure. But if fully developed, and if it has firmly established itself in the inward parts, and, moreover, has attacked the face, the patient is in a hopeless condition …”  (Greek physician, Galen, 190AD)

In the best of circumstances, neither the law nor medicine could do anything to help the leper; it could only protect the community from the spreading of the disease.

Advancing leprosy could include paralysis and crippling of hands and feet, shortening of toes due to chronic, non-healing ulcers on the bottom of the feet, burning skin, loss of eyebrows, a sinking nose, fingers and toes falling off, and blindness.

Moreover, in nearly every ancient culture, lepers were considered carriers of a terrible disgrace – some sin against the gods, so they were treated inhumanly, discarded from society and strategically excluded in quarantined colonies, usually far enough from the cities to avoid the contagion.

Both Jesus and the Book of Job tell us that such things by themselves do not mean someone is a scoundrel. But there were lots of lessons in the Bible that were too often ignored by the Jews. Leprosy was one of them, and was considered the result of an individual’s moral depravity.  

On the other hand, we know that the Fall of man brought suffering of every kind to mankind (Gen 3:18). Sickness and suffering are not our normal condition, they are part of our fallen condition.

Q:  We know that Jesus uses healing and exorcisms – not to impress people but to give added credibility to his word, his message of love, forgiveness, and entrance into the Kingdom of God. Why do you think he uses healings versus juggling and making people levitate or disappear? 

            Because that was our pre-fallen state, and it is how it will be once again when we arrive in the Kingdom.

Mark 1:40-45

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.”

Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.”

The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. 

He said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”

The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.

He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

Q: What was the Law concerning a person who had leprosy?

            First, they were examined by a priest to determine if they had the disease. If the priest declared they had leprosy, they were ostracized from the community; they had to wear torn garments with an uncovered head and had to cry out "unclean" wherever they went.

            Not only was a leper ritually unclean but anyone who came in contact with a leper was also considered unclean. A leper could not worship in the Temple until he or she had been healed (extremely rare) as well as anyone who was in contact with a leper could not worship in the Temple until he or she had undergone ritual purification.

The leper in today’s reading makes a bold move in coming to Jesus. He takes the risk because he had confidence that Jesus could heal him (Mk 1:40). Jesus not only feels compassion for the man, but he sees his faith. Faith is everything.

Note that Jesus is not made "unclean" by coming into contact with the leper, but rather the reverse happens:  the leper is "made clean" by coming into contact with Jesus. This is compared to our being "cleansed" by contact with Jesus in the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Q: Why did Jesus tell the man to show himself to a priest?

            The man had to show himself to a priest who had the power under the Law to confirm that he was healed (Lev 14:1-20). Then, under the priest's direction, the man could perform the ritual of purification, offer the necessary sacrifices, be restored to the community, and returned to fellowship with God (he could attend Temple services).

Notice once again that Jesus cautions the person that he has healed not to reveal the miracle. Jesus' true identity must not be revealed too soon; he must fulfill all the words of the prophets before the opposition to his ministry culminates in his Passion. As usual, the healed leper is unable to keep quiet over the joy of his healing and his restoration to family and community.

Q: After healing the leper, what is ironic about the condition of Jesus contrasted with the condition of the leper?

The former leper is restored to the community, but Jesus can no longer enter the town because of the crowds of people. Ironically, Jesus and the man have traded places.

Who made the first “Way of the Cross” (now known as the “Stations of the Cross”)?

Actually, we owe our thanks to the Blessed Mother. According to an ancient tradition, it was she who made the first Way of the Cross. Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824), one of the Church's modern mystics and visionaries, relates to us some of the details, as they were revealed to her, of how this devotion came about.

After the Ascension, Our Lady immersed herself in the contemplation and remembrance of the Passion. Blessed Anne tells us that she went out daily and traced the route of the Cross through Jerusalem.

Anne then relates that The Blessed Mother was grave and shed “tears of compassion” as she walked the Way.

When the Blessed Mother moved from Jerusalem to Ephesus, she quickly marked a space for replicating the Way. Anne described it as the New Way, saying:

Soon after her arrival at her new home [in Ephesus] I saw her every day climbing part of the way up the hill behind her house to carry out this devotion. At first, she went by herself, measuring the number of steps, so often counted by her, which separated the places of Our Lord's different sufferings. At each of these places she put up a stone, or, if there was already a tree there, she made a mark upon it. The way led into a wood, and upon a hill in this wood she had marked the place of Calvary, and the grave of Christ in a little cave in another hill.

Anne goes on to explain that, at first, the Blessed Mother made this Way alone. Later, she brought her maidservant with her to meditate on the Passion and praise Our Lord for it. After her Assumption, the site became well-known by Christians. They made access to the Way easier, beautifying it with both material and spiritual attentions.

The Stations of the Cross that are erected in every Catholic Church, and which are traditionally prayed by Christians on Fridays—especially during Lent—are a spiritual heritage given to us directly from Our Blessed Mother!

Closing Prayer

4900

Hail Holy Queen

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope.     

To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our

sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us;

and, after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

Pray for us O holy mother of God,

that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.