02.18.25 - | Early Fathers | Councils | Heresies|

Opening Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come together tonight to learn, to grow, and to change.We lay our lives down before you and ask that you move amongst us.Stir up our thoughts and grant us the wisdom and grace to love and forgive like You.

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.

Upcoming major holy days:  March 5, Ash Wednesday, March 5

Comment: Lent is about spiritual strengthening, which is brought about by taking control of our material/physical desires of this world – the “apples” of this world that seek to dominate us. Three things to consider: 1) give up some unhealthy food or drink; 2) take the opportunity to rein in one or two flaws or bad habits; 3) choose to enlighten your mind with some daily spiritual readings or reflections, even if only 5 minutes; and 4) start and end your days reviewing these.

March 19, Solemnity of St. Joseph

TODAY: 

·        Catholic Apologetic: Does the Bible produce faith?

·        Reading for the 7th Sun in Ord Time (2/23) – Sermon on the Plain II, Love for Enemies, Luke 6:27-38

·        Early Fathers/Councils of the Church

Quote of the Week: 

When God wanted to create fish, He spoke to the sea. When God wanted to create trees, He spoke to the earth. But when God wanted to create human beings, he said to Himself, “Let us make man in our image and likeness.” If you take a fish out of water, it will die. If you remove a tree from soil, it will also die. Likewise, when man is disconnected from God, he will die.  – Thomas Merton, Trappist monk, priest, theologian, mystic, poet, author.

Romans 10:17 says that faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the word of God/the teachings of Christ.       Does this mean that reading and studying the Bible produces faith?

Not because there is something magical about the book. Just like a dialogue with a loved one, what we put into it determines the value you get out of. Words alone can do nothing without the mind seeking and heart’s desire.  

Can this be explained this further?

1)     First of all, we can’t claim God’s promises for ourselves unless we understand what He has promised.

2)     Second, remember that the Bible is a series of real, live stories of God’s dealing with men and women quite like us. There are entrepreneurs and shopkeepers, farmers and craftsmen, adventurers and teachers. When we read the Bible intelligently – which takes serious thought since God’s word has several different levels – we learn what God is like, how He deals with humankind, and what we can expect from Him.

3)     As a result of taking the time, we start to see ourselves and the world differently, and the wisdom we gain is both singular and cumulative; and not only for our personal relationships but also for elevating our dialogues with God.

4)     The end result is not just faith, but a resilient, rooted, growing faith. The mustard seed becomes a great tree.   

Reading for Sunday, Luke 6:27-38, Sermon on the Plain part II: Love for Enemies

Context:  Today’s message from Jesus is a tough teaching. We have difficulty loving our friends let alone our enemies.

Already in the Old Testament (Lev 19:9), it requires that we love our neighbor, so this was not something new that Jesus came up with. In fact, what the Jews debated for centuries was the question: What did God mean by ‘my neighbor’?  

The generally accepted Jewish practice was that “neighbor” meant other Jews. It is also true that God taught them in Leviticus to be kind to “sojourners,” because, as God reminded them, they too were sojourners in Egypt. But sojourners were clearly not next-door neighbors, and kindness didn’t necessarily mean love, so they didn’t extend Lev 19:9 to them.

Now keep in mind, Jesus knew this, which means he’s teeing this up. So when he begins teaching about loving one’s neighbor, a scribe in the audience takes the bait (scribes were scriptural experts) and asks Jesus, “So, who is our neighbor?” He was intentionally pulling Jesus into the centuries-long debate that surely would put Jesus on the spot.  

What was Jesus’s response?

            He gave them the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). Does everyone remember the story?

What would Jesus’s audience’s reaction be to this story?

            They would be gasping for air. They had NO neighbors in Samaria! The Samaritans were traitors to the faith and bitter enemies, which is the connection to todays’ reading since Jesus is expanding love to include enemies.       

In fact, Jews couldn’t safely travel from Galilee to Jerusalem if they went through Samaria because the risk of getting robbed or killed was high. They had to travel around Samaria down the Jordan River. 

Samaria was between Galilee and Judaea. Jewish travelers would have to travel along the Jordan River around Samaria.

Refresher: I am occasionally asked where Israel is on the map. It is on the Southeastern Mediterranean Sea. See below.

Luke 6:27-38

Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic.

Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.

Do to others as you would have them do to you. For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.

If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount.

But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Stop judging and you will not be judged.

Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.

Forgive and you will be forgiven.

Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

Exegesis = Interpretation/Explanation

Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

To “curse” someone in biblical parlance means to pass judgment on them and wish them harm, which is exactly what most of us humans do.  So, what is the solution, to judge and curse them back?

            No. Jesus informs us of the solution in his very next statement: to “pray for those who mistreat you.”

To pray for someone is an act of love. Love is not about feelings because feelings change with the weather. The highest love, Agape Love, is an act of the will – to will the good of another – especially when we don’t “feel” like it. Whenever we ‘will the good of another,’ we tap into God’s love. This not only gets us off the hook of hating our enemies, but it opens the door to an endless supply of love. Human love is finite. God’s love is infinite.  

To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well…  

One must understand the meaning of these words before assessing them. They may be considered hyperbolic to the extent necessary, but both the literal and hyperbolic work.

Recall the hyperbole Jesus used when he said we should cut off our hand or pluck out our eye if they are leading us into sin, since it is better to go to Heaven with one hand and one eye than to go to Hell with both of them. But couldn’t we also say this is true literally?  Would it not be literally better to go to heaven with one hand/one eye? Even though Jesus is not asking us to pluck out our eyes, etc., he is making an unforgettable point, which is the purpose of hyperbole.

That said, let’s return to the passage about turning the other cheek…  

In the ancient Near East, a slap on the cheek was considered an insult rather than a physical assault. Even today, we say, “Well, that was certainly a slap in the face!”  What Jesus is doing is challenging our lower animal tendency to “respond in kind” (insult for insult) with a radical form of non-retaliation and humility. Intellectually, we get this, right?

Jesus is the Perfect Therapist. What know what happens when we return insult with more insults, do we not?

It adds fuel to the fire, and then it spirals out of control. It can lead to damaged friendships, irreparable attacks, divorces, and even death. BTW, insults are the devil’s favorite game – it’s so easy, and he bases these temptations on justice! – what they said was unfair! Embarrassing! Untrue! Whatever! So we are justified giving it right back to them! Many can’t even remember how their fights started because it was so small or silly, which just proves Jesus’s point.

BUT, if we don’t respond to fire with more fire? What happens?

We deprive evil of the oxygen it needs to breathe. It’s got nothing to grab onto to, so it dissipates and slips away.  

So, if someone insults us, what are some ways we can “non-retaliate? Say yes or no for each…

1.     “Sorry I offended you.”

2.     “Thank you, I’ll take that as constructive criticism.”

3.     “You’re probably right. I’ll try to work on that.”

4.     “It must be expensive putting makeup on your 2 faces every morning.”

5.      Silence, walk away.

OKAY, only time for one more:

… and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. What’s this about?

Again, understanding the times is helpful. A tunic is underclothing, the ancient’s version of underwear. Of course, Jesus doesn’t want you to give your underwear to the bad person. He is just making a point that loving one another involves self-sacrifice and generosity. It also reflects the self-giving of Christ, who gave himself fully for humanity’s redemption. In his case on the cross, they did take his underwear!

One further point: in Jesus’s sermons he makes sure to say if we suffer difficulties for righteousness’ sake while on earth, the reward in Heaven – eternity – is great! In some places he says 100x greater than what it cost us here:

Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure – overflowing – will be poured into your lap.

Early Fathers and Councils of the Church

Early Fathers of the Church (called “Patristics”)

The early church fathers were a group of thinkers and leaders who lived and wrote during earliest centuries of the Church, from the first century to roughly the 7th century. 

The Early Church Fathers are generally grouped into three categories: 

1.     Apostolic Fathers – those church fathers who knew/were disciples of the twelve apostles.

2.     Ante-Nicene Fathers – church fathers before the Council of Nicaea (2nd century to 325 AD).

3.     Post-Nicene Fathers – church fathers after the Council of Nicaea (325 AD to the 7th century).  

Church Councils

The purpose of the Church Councils is to settle questions of faith and practice, promote unity, and address other issues affecting the Church, which would include any new/threatening heresies. These councils facilitate deliberation among bishops and leaders as they seek to ensure the Church’s teachings align with its mission and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Their goal is to preserve the integrity and constancy of our apostolic faith. Today, we will touch on the first two councils.

Often the Councils had to deal with heresies. What is a heresy?

A heresy is when an official within the Church teaches something that does not conform to Church teachings. With a thousand pagan gods and religions across the Roman Empire, there were constant temptations for people to combine their old beliefs with Christianity. That’s why Paul had to write so many letters.  Arianism was one of the bigger heresies, which we will touch on today. Arius was given the chance to clarify and defend his teachings at the Council of Nicaea, and when he failed at this, he was told to stop. Arius refused, so he was excommunicated. That did NOT stop him.

The Council of Jerusalem was the first meeting of its kind in Christianity, within 20 years of the crucifixion. It was so early, in fact, that it was about the same time the name “Christianity” was first being used.

The Apostles and elders convened to address specific issues concerning the early Church, particularly the question of whether Gentile converts to Christianity should be required to follow Jewish laws. This was understandable since most of the first Christians were Jewish, who all followed the usual Jewish customs. When more and more gentiles started coming into the church, the question became whether they also had to follow all the traditional Jewish customs. Most Jews couldn’t imagine why they wouldn’t have to do the same!

The Jerusalem Council was significant in establishing the principle that salvation through Jesus Christ is available to all, independent of one’s adherence to traditional Jewish ritual laws. This decision was pivotal in shaping the early Church's approach to Gentile inclusion and has remained a foundational aspect of Christian doctrine. The council did not impose certain requirements on Gentile Christians, such as circumcision, it did require converts to abstain from “pollutions of idols, fornication, things strangled, and blood.”

It was a compromise of sorts. The early Church's context necessitated these guidelines for unity and fellowship, but as the Church matured and diversified, the need for such specific restrictions diminished, reflecting a broader understanding of Christian liberty and the universality of the Gospel message.

The Fathers of the Church contributed thousands of writings that we still have today. They could fill libraries. Augustine alone had over 1000. They universally support the current teachings of the Catholic Church, such as the special reverence due Mary, the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the Apostolic authority of the Church of Rome, and the existence of Purgatory. The greatest Protestant thinker-theologian of the 19th century, John Henry Newman, became a Catholic after reading the Fathers of the Church. He later became a Cardinal and a Saint. His most famous quote:

“To be deep in history is to cease being a Protestant” – John Henry Newman, 1845.

Keep in mind, I say this with love since Protestants were responsible for my return to Christianity. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ. I teach this because it is an important component of Catholic apologetics.   

Apostolic Fathers – connected to the Apostles.

·         Apostolic Documents: Epistle of Barnabas (70-80AD), The Didache (70-85), The Shepherd of Hermas (80-120)

·         St. Clement of Rome: 3rd Pope (88-97AD), disciple of Peter, ordained by Peter.

·         St. Ignatius of Antioch: (50-117 AD) – appointed by Peter as bishop of Antioch; later became a disciple of John.  

·         St. Polycarp of Smyrna: (69-155) – disciple of John.  

Ante-Nicene Fathers – fathers who were disciples of the disciples of the Apostles prior to the Council of Nicaea (325).    

·         St. Justin Martyr (100-165) 

·         St. Irenaeus of Lyons: (140-202 AD) – a disciple of Polycarp

·         St. Clement of Alexandria (150-216 AD)

·         Tertullian (160-230 AD)

·         Origin (185-254 AD)

·         St. Cyprian of Carthage (200-258 AD)

·         Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea, historian (260-334)

“Wherever the bishop appears, there let the people be, even as wheresoever Christ Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church.” – St. Ignatius of Antioch, ~100 AD

The tradition of the authority of the Bishops of Rome, later called Popes.

That the tradition derived from the apostles, of the very great, the very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; as also the faith preached to men, which comes down to our time by means of the successions of the bishops.

For it is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church, on account of its pre-eminent authority, that is, the faithful everywhere… The blessed apostles, then, having founded and built up the Church, committed into the hands of Linus the office of the episcopate… To him succeeded Anacletus; and after him, in the third place from the apostles, Clement was allotted the bishopric… To this Clement there succeeded Evaristus. Alexander followed Evaristus; then, sixth from the apostles, Sixtus was appointed; after him, Telephorus, who was gloriously martyred; then Hyginus; after him, Pius; then after him, Anicetus. Sorer having succeeded Anicetus, Eleutherius does now, in the twelfth place from the apostles, hold the inheritance of the episcopate.

In this order, and by this succession, the ecclesiastical tradition from the apostles, and the preaching of the truth, have come down to us. And this is most abundant proof that there is one and the same vivifying faith, which has been preserved in the Church from the apostles until now, and handed down in truth.

(Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.3.2-3; trans. ANF 1.415-16)

Council of Nicaea, 325 AD – the first truly major council in the history of the Church. The reason one didn’t happen earlier is that Christianity wasn’t legal in the Roman Empire until 313 AD. The Church was “underground.”

Key Issues and Decisions:

·        The Heresy of Arianism: The primary issue was the controversy surrounding Arius, who claimed that the Son of God was created and not co-eternal with the Father. The council condemned Arius's teachings and affirmed the doctrine of the Trinity, declaring that the Son is "consubstantial" (homoousias- same essence) with the Father.

·        The Nicene Creed was established to articulate and affirm the essential doctrines of the Christian faith, particularly in response to heresies like Arianism. It serves as a unifying declaration of belief for the Church, ensuring clarity and consistency in the understanding of God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

·        Date of Easter: The council also addressed the calculation of the date of Easter, establishing a unified method for its observance across the Christian world, distinct from the Jewish Passover.

·        Church Governance: The council dealt with issues of church governance, particularly the authority of bishops.

Next month:

-         The “Post-Nicene Fathers,” such as St. Athanasius, Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, and Augustine

-         The Councils of Constantinople (381), Ephesus (431), and Chalcedon (451).  

Closing Prayer

St Clement of Rome, 101 AD

We beseech You, Master, to be our helper and protector.

Save the afflicted among us; have mercy on the lowly;

Raise up the fallen; appear to the needy; heal the ungodly;

Restore the wanderers of Your people;

Feed the hungry; ransom our prisoners;

Raise up the sick; comfort the faint-hearted.

Hail Mary, full of grace,

the Lord is with thee.

Blessed are thou among women,

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death. 

Amen.