👉Watch Tuesday's recorded class here.👈

Catholic Understanding & Biblical Defense Class 7/14/26

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 and Catholic 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 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. This is the best group/source for Catholic Apologetics on the planet.

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/

Bible Study Format

Our Bible Study is a combination of Exegesis and Apologetics.

Each meeting is (roughly) as follows:

15   min   Apologetic Reflection

15   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. The 7 Gifts/Fruits of the HS, 7 Deadly Sins 

6. How to experience the Love of God  7. The Communion of Saints

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 – does having doubts make us bad Christians? 3. Catholicism vs Modern cosmology                  

4.     Comparative Religions   5. Catholic vs Protestant beliefs

·        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 occasionally ask for volunteer readers…

Opening Prayer:

O LORD

Thank you for your promise that where two or three of us are gathered in your name, You are there!

We ask for Your help to open our minds and hearts tonight so that Your Word breaks through and changes our lives.

And as you taught us to pray together…

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

Your kingdom come, your 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 have trespassed against us.

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

Major holy days:             The Assumption of Mary (August 15)

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

Caritas Venezuela is the official humanitarian and development agency of the Catholic Church in Venezuela, which is part of Caritas Internationalis, the Catholic Church’s global humanitarian network. Caritas Venezuela has received 16,200 tons of humanitarian aid and helped 8,000 families since the June 24 earthquakes that killed more than 3,800 people. 280 volunteers are taking part in relief operations each day. Feel free to donate: www.caritas.org  

    TODAY:                 

·         Reflection:  Why it may seem that that God doesn’t answer our prayers…

·        Gospel Reading for 16^th Sun in Ord Time (7/19), Parable of the Weeds and Mustard Seed, Mt 13:24-43

·        Bible Timeline, New Testament – John the Baptist, Devil in the Desert

   Quote of the Week:

What wings are to a bird, and sails to a ship, so is prayer to the soul.

Reflection: “In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.” But even when we pray for peace and justice, we often don't see anything change.

Catholic teaching doesn’t treat lack of visible results as evidence that prayer is false; it teaches that prayer is answered in deeper – and sometimes slower or less visible – ways than the outcomes we expect.

“In that day…” means what? It refers to Jesus death, resurrection, and Pentecost, when they will be given the Holy Spirit. Then they will have a direct line through Him to the Father.

“Whatever you ask the Father in my name…” – “Whatever” is broad but not a blank check; the context of in my name narrows it to requests consistent with Jesus’ person, his purpose, and his glory. Praying in his name means trusting his merit, not ours; it means seeking his will above our own; it means aligning with his mission of bearing fruit that lasts. The words in my name invite us into partnership, not mere spectator status, in the unfolding plan of God.

“He will give you…” – The Father’s generosity mirrors His nature, as well as His adoption of us as His children. He is no more likely to give us everything we ask for than we would our own children. Besides, God knows people’s true weaknesses, including our own, and He knows the future; we don’t. Finally, God’s overriding goal – as should be ours – is our eternal salvation over short term petitions. On the other hand, the more our petitions serve ours or others’ eternal salvation, the closer they will be to God’s will, which is the goal.   

Free-will. Remember, that God will not overrule one’s free-will.  We may be praying for someone but that person has willfully blocked its reception. Nevertheless, your prayers will improve the chances of that person, and their angels will look for opportunities to break through because you requested it. 

There are also times we need to fall down/crash before we are ready to change. I experience this at the jail all the time. 

Conclusion: When change is not immediate after your prayer, it does not mean God has “not heard.” It may mean God is giving us what is best – often by transforming hearts, strengthening perseverance, and ordering events toward His justice in ways we cannot fully map out in the present.

When we pray, finish with Jesus’ own words in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Father, may Your will, not mine, be done.”   

Parable of the Weeds and Mustard Seed, Mt 13:24-43

Context:

The "Kingdom of Heaven" is a central theme in Jesus' teachings and parables. The kingdom doesn’t just refer to Heaven but to God's entire sovereign rule and the spiritual realm where His will is fulfilled. That realm includes us/this Earth. Everywhere His will is fulfilled becomes part of the kingdom. Every time we align our will with God’s will, we expand His kingdom. At the end of time, God’s kingdom will be everywhere.  

“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.”

The parables about the kingdom are designed to help us understand how Jesus came to expand God’s kingdom on Earth and invite as many people as possible to become part of it.  

“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.”

Note 1) the kingdom is coming and 2) it is tied to God’s will being done; thus, the kingdom’s expansion on Earth is tied to the expansion of His will. It is a slow process because humans have free will, so Jesus came here to help us!

Today, Jesus will give us three parables: The Weeds among the Wheat, the Mustard Seed, and the Leaven. Notice the agricultural imagery Jesus uses. First-century Israel was an agrarian society so they would have understood these stories immediately, except for the twists (riddles) Jesus sticks in there to make them think harder and deeper.

In Jesus’ parables, we see many references to evil. In Christian theology, remember that evil is not a thing in itself but rather the absence of love, or the absence of good. In a sense, it is like darkness. Darkness isn’t a thing in itself – it is the absence of light. And similar to how we can hurt ourselves in the dark if we aren’t careful, humans can also hurt themselves – and others – when love and goodness are absent from our intentions.

Matthew 13:24-43

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying: "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. 

When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. The servants of the householder came to the man and said, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?'

He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' His servants said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'

He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, "First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn."

Who is the sower?

A) Jesus.                            The wheat represents … the children of the Kingdom of God

The weeds are … the sinners sowed by Satan            The field is … the world   

Who are he servants who are told to let the weeds alone?  The Apostles à the Church à the Priesthood.

Interestingly, the Greek word translated for “weeds” is darnel, a poisonous weed that resembles wheat early in its growing cycle. So this is a good metaphor for the unrepentant sinner who likes to masquerade as one of the righteous.

Why does the owner of the field tell his servants to let the wheat and the weeds grow together?

       The owner does not want to take the chance that uprooting the weeds might destroy any of the wheat that is attached to it. God’s mercy is such that every sinner has every chance to repent their sins and turn back to a relationship with Him. He will not pass judgment upon the sinner until the last day.

According to the parable, what will happen to the unrepentant sinners at the final harvest and what will happen to the wheat (the children of God)? In Scripture "harvest" is a common metaphor for Judgment Day.

       The "wheat" (children of God) are destined for eternal life in heaven and the "weeds" (children of Satan who reject Christ) are destined for eternal separation from God.

Who are the harvesters? 

A) The angels.

The Mustard Seed

Jesus proposed another parable to them. "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that that birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches."

Jesus uses hyperbole in describing the mustard seed as the smallest of seeds and its plant in full growth as the largest of plants/trees (a mustard tree can only grow about 10 feet high). The contrast is being made between the small beginnings of the Kingdom of Heaven and its expansion to encompass the whole earth, sheltering all who come to dwell in the household of Jesus that is the Church.

What other meaning does this have: “so that that the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches"?

        The birds are an allusion to the Old Testament’s reference to the gentiles.

Why didn’t Jesus use a highly respected, grand tree for his parable, such as the Lebanon Cedar, or Sycamore tree?

        The mustard tree is humble, representing Jesus’ humility in all things. Its expansion across the earth is one of the mysteries of the kingdom, totally unexpected – especially starting from the cross – and expanding against all possible odds … because of the Holy Spirit.   

      The Parable of Leaven

      Jesus spoke to them another parable: 

 "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour,  until all of it was leavened."

As most of us know, yeast is a fermenting agent that, when mixed with flour into a dough, causes the dough to rise and expand. In Scripture, leaven (yeast) is usually used negatively, often representing sin… but not in this parable. If we are talking about the leaven of evil, then we are talking about major danger. In this case we are talking about the leavening power of good – the Kingdom – and it’s influential power to overcome all obstacles, even the Roman Empire. In this same sense, we are called to be the leaven for the Gospel in our lives.     

Note the final words:  “until all of it was leavened” has an eschatological message. The Kingdom of Heaven will eventually transform the whole world. The transformation is gradual but inevitable. It may not look like it now, but it will when Jesus’ Second Coming arrives. “Thy Kingdom Come”, then, is a foregone conclusion that is simply being delayed for our sake, so that as many of us as possible can get on board.  

Conclusion – faith the size of...

Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India died as a world-renowned figure. But who would have ever thought she would have attained such influence when she first began? What did she have to recommend her? A tiny woman, she began with the most meager of resources. Mother Teresa told her superiors, “I have three pennies and a dream from God to build an orphanage.”

“Mother Teresa,” her superiors said, “you can’t build an orphanage with three pennies...with three pennies you can’t do anything.”

“I know,” she said, smiling, “but with God and three pennies I can do anything.”

Mother Teresa understood the principle of the seed. It takes very little – very little blessed by God – and then miracles can occur.

This, of course is akin to Jesus’ teaching elsewhere that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). That is a constant law in God’s world.

Introduction to The New Testament

In the opening of Jesus’s ministry in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus goes up a mountain and sits down to teach. In the Old Testament, we find Moses, the great teacher, also going up a mountain to receive the law and then sitting down to teach it. The difference is that Jesus is not receiving the law; he is giving it.

The famous theologian NT Wright suggests that the way to see the Old Testament is like an unfinished symphony. It is the articulation of a hope but without the realization of that hope. Jesus comes as the fulfillment of Israel’s entire story, and he begins his primary teaching with the Beatitudes, a title that stems from the Latin noun beatitudo, meaning “happy” or “blessed.”

Through this series of paradoxes and surprises, Jesus confirms that God’s priorities are often the opposite of this world. That’s why he came here the way he did (vulnerable and poor), and then went on to save all the outcasts. He said what makes us great here is not making the “self” great, but making our egos small.

Continuing with paradoxes and humility, the first beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” we could say instead, “How lucky we are if we are not addicted to our worldly possessions/material things.” Jesus is telling us that our deepest desire – which is wired into our spiritual natures – is the desire for God and not for the passing things that only bring us temporary comfort and will vanish on our last day here, the first day in our new life.

Welcome to the Good News of the New Testament.

How many books in the OT?  TayQuiz

How many books in the NT?   TayQuiz

Total in Bible:  46 + 27 = 73

As we move into the New Testament, we will not read all 27 books, but will continue the “Biblical Timeline Narrative,” which will primarily be the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, although other books will be referenced throughout. Much of today’s content was taken from the “Bible In A Year,” which does an excellent job at the Timeline Narrative.

The New Testament can be divided into two parts (I and II below).

Part I – The Gospels: The Life of Christ

1. The historical setting into which the new Davidic king is born.

a)     The Roman Republic and Caesar Augustus ✔

b)     Herod the Great ✔

c)     Jesus’ Birth ✔

d)     The Ark of the New Covenant … Mary first à then us. ✔

2 Jesus’ public ministry and key aspects of his teaching throughout Judea and Galilee.

a)     Jesus’ Early Life ✔

b)     John the Baptist, Devil in the Desert, Wedding at Cana

c)     Jesus’ public ministry and key aspects of his teaching throughout Judea and Galilee

d)     Jesus heads towards Jerusalem for the last time.

3 Jesus’ passion and death, which climaxes and completes the story of Israel.

4 Jesus’ resurrection, his encounter with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and his Ascension.

Part II – The Church: Acts of the Apostles, Letters, Revelation

* For our studying of the New Testament, I will be following along Jeff Cavins’ “Bible in a Year” course, which I highly recommend.

John the Baptist, Devil in the Desert

"A voice cries: 'In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God...'" – Isaiah 40:3-5.

John the Baptist

The accounts of Jesus’ public ministry begin with a voice in the wilderness. John the Baptist’s preaching of repentance brings God’s people out into the desert, where he baptizes them in the waters of the Jordan River. The echoes of the Exodus in the Old Testament are unmistakable. God brought his people out of slavery, through the Red Sea, into the desert, and finally into the Promised Land through the waters of the Jordan right where John was baptizing.

In the first century AD, these words and actions of John stirred the prophetic hopes of the coming messiah. As is says in Luke…

“The people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ.” (Luke 3:15). 

Luke mentions “expectations.” Were expectations that the time of the Messiah was near truly high at this time?

            Yes. We mentioned Gabriel’s prophecy to the Prophet Daniel last month in Daniel 9:24-27, which coincided with this time frame. Here are a few others:  Isaiah 40:1-5 prophesied “In the desert prepare the way of the Lord… all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” Malachi 3:1 says, “I send my messenger… who will prepare the way” and Malachi 4:5-6 describes that John would come “in the spirit and power of Elijah” to prepare the way. 

There is another factor that immediately got people’s attention and added to the crowds anticipation. This is explained in Matthew 3:1-6:

This man John wore a garment made of camel-hair with a leather loin cloth round his waist, and his food was locust and wild honey.  Then Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole Jordan district made their way to him, and as they were baptized by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins.

What famous prophet dressed and ate like this in the wilderness?

Elijah, 2 Kings 1:7-8. The king asked, “What was the man like who met you and said these things?” They replied, “He wore a hairy garment with a leather belt around his waist.” The king exclaimed, “It is Elijah the Tishbite!”

Jesus also means “Joshua.” As he is baptized on the Jordan, who was Moses’ right hand man who took over and led the people in the Promised Land?

Joshua.

At Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit comes out of the heavens and descends on Jesus like a dove, recalling Noah’s salvation through water. Then a voice from Heaven proclaims, “Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.” 

Jesus was not baptized because he needed to repent, but rather he was being anointed as the Messiah who would save the world from their sins. “Messiah” (Greek) means “Christ” (Latin) means “Anointed One.” Jesus’ baptism further anoints him as King over Israel, since he is from the line of David. He is New David  who will reign forever.

Temptation in the Desert

After his baptism, Jesus sets off for a 40-day retreat into the Judean wilderness. Led by the Spirit, Jesus fasts and prays, and at the end he is tested by the devil. The number 40 evokes Israel’s 40-year sojourn into the wilderness where they, too, were led by the Spirit.

Remember, Jesus came to undo the Fall of Man, so what better place to start than the Devil who won the first battle for human souls.

Jesus’ is tempted 3 times by Satan, which has two connections to the Old Testament – both to Adam and to Moses:

Satan’s three temptations of Adam & Eve to eat from the forbidden tree in Genesis 3:

1)     The fruit looked good to eat = the desire for physical gratification. 

2)     It was a delight to the eyes = the desire for possessions. 

3)     The fruit will make you wise like God = pride/ego.

Satan’s three temptations of Jesus:

1) Turn stone into bread = after 40 days of fasting, the desire for physical gratification had to be overwhelming.  

2) I will give you all the kingdoms of the world = possessions.

3) Throw yourself off the temple and let your angels save you = pride.

Jesus doesn’t give into any of these but in his responses to the devil he quotes Deuteronomy three times, which is when Moses recounts Israel’s failure in the wilderness and their spiritual lessons (Dt. 8:3, 6:13, 6:16).

By Jesus quoting Moses in all his responses to Satan, we have yet another connection to Exodus and why he is called a New Moses.

Next:

Wedding at Cana

Jesus announces a New Kingdom and a New Jubilee

Closing Prayer

Lord, we thank you for the blessing of reading your word together.

We ask that these words of life, truth and hope enlighten our minds and strengthen our faith.

May your love and grace follow each of us as we return to our daily lives, refreshed and blessed by you.