05.19.26 | Topic Tuesday | Mass | Eucharist | Holy Spirit |

👉Watch the class recording here👈

Catholic Understanding & Biblical Defense Class 5/19/26

Every Tuesday, 7PM-8PM (EST), 🖥️Zoom ID: 861 1782 2081  🗝️Passcode: 406952

Join to receive notifications and study notes on Meetup: www.meetup.com/catholicbiblestudy

Past classes are posted on our Catholic Catacombs Website:  www.CatholicCatacombs.org 

House rules/Resources…

1. 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! 

2. Questions. We encourage questions although we ask that you keep them on topic and brief. You can ask during the meeting, or in the chat box, or if you prefer you can email us through Meetup.com, or Ron directly: ron@hallagan.net. 

3. Respectfulness. We will be discussing differences between Christian denominations and religions in general, and we seek to be respectful at all times. Protestants especially are our friends and brothers/sisters-in-Christ; in fact, I owe much of my return to Christianity to them. Therefore, any critique of our brethren is in loving pursuit of apostolic truth.    

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

5. Word on Fire. Bishop Robert Barron has reached millions through his 10 min Sunday homilies, podcasts, educational series and certifications, bibles, and other lectures and apologetics. www.wordonfire.org  

6. Hallow App. Daily prayers and reflections, especially for the high holyday seasons. www.alex@mail.hallow.com 

7. Catholic Answers – www.catholic.com. Best site for Catholic Apologetics there is. 

8. Dynamic Catholic. Interested in daily inspirations to grow closer to God and the Church, not to speak of the many educational resources? Sign up for Matthew Kelly’s powerful insights, quotes, and reflections at www.dynamiccatholic.com. 

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

10. Cursillo. Interested in meeting with other men or women weekly over coffee to discuss God in your personal and professional life? Join Cursillo (cur-see-yo). Contact Jennifer Pence (Jennifer.pence@gmail.com) for more information.       

11. Online- Catholic Prayer & Fellowship. Are you interested in praying the rosary, etc. with other Catholics during the week?  Follow fellow member Jason Goldberg. Link: https://www.meetup.com/online-catholic-prayer-and-fellowship/

Our Bible Study is a combination of Exegesis and Apologetics.

Each meeting is (roughly) as follows:

15. min   Apologetic Reflection

16. min   Upcoming Gospel Reading

30 min   Weekly topic/theme

1 hour

Week 1:    Gospel Week – we study several Gospel stories, especially the tough ones.     

Week 2:    Bible Week – we are working our way through the Bible. We are studying the New Testament.  

Week 3:    Questions and Survey Topics chosen by Members:       

1. Prison Ministry Stories  2. Plenary Indulgences   3. Explanation of the Mass and Eucharist   4. Dead Sea Scrolls              5. Catholicism vs modern cosmology?   6. The 7 Gifts/Fruits of the HS, 7 Deadly Sins  7. How to experience the Love of God  8. The Communion of Saints  9. Comparative Religions   10. Catholic vs Protestant beliefs

Week 4:    Apologetics:

1. Gen 1-3 (Creation Story, Adam & Eve, the Fall of Man, The Meaning of Eve/the Trees/Summary)

2. Faith vs Doubt – is having doubts bad?

• Don’t forget to RSVP. 

• Taylor will send a link to everyone with today’s notes.

• The class is recorded if you want to listen to it anytime.

• I will ask for volunteer readers… 

Opening Prayer

Lord, in your great generosity, heal our physical and spiritual weaknesses so we can serve you all the better. 

May we receive the Bread of angels, the King of kings  and Lord of lords, with the purity and faith … 

Nourishment and grace that will bring us to salvation.

As Jesus 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: The Lord is Risen!  

The culmination of the Easter Season is here: Pentecost – Sunday, May 24

www.masstimes.org  Mass or Confession anywhere/anytime in the world!

TODAY:  

• Reading for Pentecost Sunday (5/24), The Coming of the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:1-11

• Reflection:  Why is the celebration of the Eucharist called the Mass?

• Member Topic:  The Mass and Eucharist – Part II – The Liturgy of the Word 

Word of the Week:  What is a Mystery (divine)?

A divine mystery is not like a human mystery – something that kept secret or remains unexplained or unknown.     A divine mystery is any truth that is unknowable except by divine revelation. In other words, our human reason or logic are not what brought us to this knowledge. For example, human reasoning or logic did not give us the knowledge of the Trinity (God being three persons in one God) – it doesn’t fit into our material laws of physics! The reason we came to know it was because God revealed it to us. Now, once God reveals it to us, we can begin trying to explain it in human terms as best we can, as long as we remember that, since God is infinite and our minds/words are finite, we will never be able to completely wrap our brains around it while we are still in this material, finite lifetime.

Some examples:  The Holy Trinity, The Incarnation, The Resurrection, The Ascension, The Pentecost, and the Sacraments. 

So remember, a divine mystery is any truth that is unknowable except by divine revelation.

Pentecost Sunday, The Coming of the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:1-11

Context  

Once again, we will be focusing on the beginning of the Book of Acts for the Pentecost since the Gospels close with Jesus’ departure from his earthly ministry. 

Last week we read Acts 1:1-11, the Ascension of the Lord. This Sunday, we will read Acts 2:1-11, the Coming of the Holy Spirit, which we call “Pentecost” because it is 50 days after the Jesus’ Resurrection on Easter.  

Our reading starts out with, “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all in one place together.”  

If Pentecost was just about to happen, how could it have had the name Pentecost already? 

Tens of thousands of people were in Jerusalem for the Jewish Pentecost. The Jewish holy day of Pentecost is called “Shavuot” in Hebrew. It is also referred to as the “Festival of Weeks” since it took 7 weeks from the Passover (our Easter) for the Israelites to cross the Red Sea and reach Mt. Sinai. On the 50^th Day (Pentecost/Shavuot), Moses went up Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments from God. It was on this day – 50 days after Jesus’ Resurrection on Easter – that God the Holy Spirit came down to us and filled the Apostles. So this “new” Pentecost elevates and completes the old Pentecost.  

Last week, as Jesus was ascending, he told the Apostles to stay in Jerusalem and await the Holy Spirit. For the next nine days, they remained deep in prayer in the Upper Room along with Mary and the other women. This “nine days of prayer” is where we get the name for our “Novena Prayers” (novena means “nine”). Then on the tenth day – the fiftieth since the Resurrection – the Holy Spirit came, as promised. Below is a depiction of where the Upper Room was in relation to the Temple grounds. 

How far was the Upper Room from the Temple? 

A half mile.

After the reading, we will seek to answer two questions: why tongues of fire, and what is the implication of speaking in tongues… 

Pentecost Sunday: The Coming of the Holy Spirit 

Acts 2:1-11

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 

They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, "Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God."

Acts 2:1-11

Exegesis (Study/Interpretation/Explanation)

First, as we said above, it was the day of the Jewish Pentecost in Jerusalem, so the city was full of people from all over, since Pentecost was one of the three major pilgrimage festivals, along with Passover and Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).

Estimates of how many people were in Jerusalem at the time range from 100,000 to 1M. So it was crazy full. 

What was the point of the Holy Spirit coming as “tongues of fire”? (TayQuiz)

In Exodus 19:18, the LORD descended on Mt. Sinai in fire. Now the Holy Spirit comes to each of us so the law can be inscribed in our hearts, not on stone tablets. 

What is the implication speaking/hearing in tongues – everyone understanding Peter in their own languages? 

1. The Good News of salvation is for all nations, all tongues. 

2. Who recalls the Tower of Babel? (Gen 11)

• The people built the tower to glorify themselves, not God. So God confused their languages. 

• Pentecost symbolized the reversal of that, so that God’s message was understood by all regardless of their language.  

The Psalm for Sunday includes the following: 

When You send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth – Psalm 104:30. 

The Second Reading is from 1 Corinthians 12, which talks about us all being part of the one Body of Christ, yet we all have different gifts from the Holy Spirit. 

The next verses in Acts have Peter giving the speech of his lifetime and winning over 3000 converts who are baptized. 

Not bad for “day one.” 

 Mass Reflection: Why go to Mass?

1. What is the meaning of the “Mass?” 

We call the Eucharist the “Mass” (Latin: Missa) because it concludes with sending forth (“missio”) the faithful into the world so we may live the Gospel and fulfill Jesus’s instructions, “As the father sent me, so I send you” – John 20:21. 

Note that Missa (Mass) is the same word as missio (sending forth), which is where we get the word mission and missionary from. 

Although the Mass celebration itself may come to an end, it has not ended for us; we are to go “in peace to love and serve the Lord.” Mass is our weekly reconnection with God; our weekly infusion of forgiveness and grace for the week ahead; our weekly Trinitarian (Eucharistic) nourishment that helps us live like Christ. 

2. Service to Others

We don’t come to Mass just for our own graces and spiritual benefits. We also come for the salvation of the human race – both the living and the dead. Making an effort to take part in the Mass is a service to others, just like when you pray for someone else, but double the effect because it is the Mass and the multiple effect of group prayer. When we pray the Mass, the saving power of Christ’s sacrifice radiates out to advance the peace and salvation of all the world. 

Coming to Mass is also a form of bearing witness to Christ before the world. Consider that in past centuries, Catholics have been put to death because they risked everything to participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In North Korea today, if a person is caught reading the Bible his/her entire family will go to prison camp for life and are never heard of again. At the very least, we are both honoring and sending prayers to all our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world.  

3. Forward to the Future 

Besides Communion pouring out grace into us for our journey, the Eucharist is also Christ’s pledge of the glory to come – an anticipation of the our participation in the glory of the Heavenly banquet that will usher in a new Heaven and New Earth. . 

4. Sacrament of Love

We should continually try to fathom the depth and meaning of “God is Love.” Human-controlled love is shallow and temporary – it’s the best the earth can give. Yet, when we channel God’s love, it’s depth is infinite and eternal. Totally opposite of how earthly love works. when we are connected to God, our love increases the more we give it away. The Eucharist is, above all, a Sacrament of Love that connects to this love. That’s why Jesus is in our midst when we receive it.  

The Mass Explained - Part II

Sources: “The Mass Explained” (Dr. Brant Petri), “Catholic Mass 101” (Fr. Mike Schmitz), “Rediscover Catholicism” (Matt Kelly)

Note: The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage when thousands of Catholics will walk behind the Eucharist and carry the theme One Nation Under God. It begins in St. Augustine, Florida this Memorial Day weekend and concludes July 4^th weekend in Philadelphia, in honor of the 250^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which mentions God four times as foundational to our new country. 

The Mass can be broken down into FOUR parts:

Part I.  Introductory Rites:  Entrance, Procession, Penitential Rite, Gloria, Opening Prayer

Part II. Liturgy of the Word:  Scripture Readings, The Homily, The Profession of Faith, General Intercessions

Part III.  Liturgy of the Eucharist: Offertory, Eucharistic Prayer, Consecration, Lord’s Prayer, Sign of Peace, Communion

Part IV.  Closing Rites: Final Blessing, The Dismissal

We covered Part I last month (April 21 in the Catacombs website). Tonight we will cover Part II. 

Part II – The Liturgy of the Word

1. Scripture Readings

2. Homily

3. Profession of Faith

4. General Intercessions

1. Scripture Readings

First Reading – is almost always from the Old Testament (during Easter, it comes from the Acts of the Apostles) and it is almost always connected to the Gospel reading. The Old Testament stories are about God’s people before Jesus came and how God spoke to them, how they often rebelled against Him, how God kept returning to them, and future promises of the Messiah who would come to free them in a special way. So ask yourself to be on the lookout for these things, because you are doing your own exegesis now. 

At the end of the reading, “The Word of the Lord.”  Our response: “Thanks be to God.” This thanks doesn’t mean you are thankful the reading is over. God exists, he loves you, and He is revealing Himself to you, all of which are life-changing events if you enter into the dance. Thanks be to God, indeed!   

Responsorial Psalm – Benedict XVI once commented that the beauty of the responsorial psalm is that this is a moment in the mass that we actually get to pray the words of God back to God.  

Second Reading – the second reading almost always comes from the New Testament letters or Book of Revelation. They are stories of the Apostles and the Early Church in the first century.  The century of Christianity from Pentecost (`30AD) to the death of the last Apostle (John, `95 AD) was the infancy of the Church and is called the Apostolic Age. This period gives us the teachings of the Apostles themselves and shows how they overcame all the incredible obstacles and difficulties one could possibly imagine, which shows us that it wasn’t just the efforts of the Apostles but a supernatural power, the Holy Spirit. This isn’t just speculation – the Holy Spirit is called upon and speaks to them often. 

How many times is the Holy Spirit mentioned in the New Testament? (TayQuiz)

A: Over 250 times. 

The Gospel Reading – The word “Gospel” comes from Greek and means “Good News.” 

What is the Good News?

The Good News:  Out of love, the Father sent the Son – God the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ – into the world to save humans from sin and death. By His cross and Resurrection, humanity is offered a path to new life and a relationship with God as children of the Trinity. Since the Pentecost under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Good News continues to be given to humanity through the Church, which passes on Christ’s gospel and sacramental life so that our redemption in God’s Kingdom may become ever-present and eternal.    

The four Gospels are about the life and teachings of Jesus and, as such, is the culmination of the Liturgy of the Word, concluding just before the Liturgy of the Eucharist begins. Therefore, we stand to give honor to the words we are about to hear. Jesus’ words are the gift that keeps on giving, meeting us wherever we are in our spiritual lives, whether it’s our 10^th time or 1000^th time, or whether a thousand years ago or a thousand years from now. That’s how God’s “Word” works.    

We respond with “Alleluia” – which is Hebrew for “Praise the Lord.” We don’t just say it, we sing it because it should come from the depths of our hearts. It is meant to have an emotional connection.  

The priest pauses at the podium for a quiet prayer to the Lord: “Cleanse my heart and my lips, Almighty God, that I may worthily proclaim your holy Gospel.” 

When then the priest says for the second time, “The Lord be with you,” we respond: “And with your spirit!” as we are encountering the fullness of God’s revelation. 

Why do we then trace a small cross with our thumb on our forehead, lips, and heart?

We are asking God to inspire us. When we make the cross with our thumbs, we should say to ourselves:  

“Lord, may Your Words be in my mind, on my lips, and in my heart!” 

At the conclusion of the Gospel reading, the priest declares, “The Gospel of the Lord!” 

We respond, “Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.” 

The priest kisses the book, praying, “May the words of the Gospel cleanse us of our sins.” 

2. The Homily 

The priest then gives the homily, in which he discusses the meaning of the Gospel as well as how it relates to our lives today. The purpose of the homily is to inspire, to educate, and to encourage us to move forward in our Christian living. 

This is similar to what took place in the synagogues of the Old Testament. After they read Moses and the prophets, the Rabbi would give a homily explaining the readings and the people would give thanks to God and sing the Psalms. Therefore, this part of our Mass tradition extends far back into Old Testament tradition. As Jesus said at his Sermon on the Mount, he did not come to abolish or replace the Old Covenant, but to fulfill it (Mt. 5:17). 

3. Our Profession of Faith – The Creed. 

When we get to the Creed, we often tend to just stumble through it. But the truth is that it speaks about the deepest and most profound mysteries of the faith:  God is a Trinity, the Incarnation, The Virgin Birth, Jesus’ Ascension into Heaven, and the resurrection of our bodies in the future. These are mind-boggling realities that God gave to us, that all Christians have held since Jesus walked the Earth.  

4. General Intercessions. 

Once again, we are not alone in our faith but part of the Body of Christ – the Communion of Saints – with all the angels in Heaven, all those in Heaven and in Purgatory, and all Christians on earth. And since we seek to emulate God who is love, we pray for the entire world and the souls in Purgatory, because that is what love calls us to do. 

When we say, “Lord, hear our prayer” after each intercession, we should try to remember that we are talking to God. Someone is listening to you, so seek to make these requests meaningful. 

Next month, we will cover Part III, the Liturgy of the Eucharist. 

          Part III. Liturgy of the Eucharist: 15:00

1. Offertory (Presentation of Gifts, Collection)

2. Eucharistic Prayer

3. Consecration

4. Lord’s Prayer

5. Sign of Peace

6. Communion

Closing Prayer

A Prayer for after Communion

Thank you, O Lord, for my existence so that I could have a relationship with You. 

Although I did nothing to deserve such a thing,  it has become the foundation of my being. 

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to know You, to serve You, to learn from You, and become closer to You. 

Thank you for Your infinite kindness, forgiveness, and wisdom. 

You are everything to me, and all that I am and all that I have belongs to You.

Maranatha, come Lord Jesus, enter and make Your home in me.