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Catholic Understanding & Biblical Defense Class 9/1/26

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. 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/

Bible Study Format

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. 

Weeks 3 & 4:   Survey Topics chosen by Members (explanations of our faith & apologetics):       

1.     Prison Ministry Stories  2. Plenary Indulgences  3. Gen 1-3 (Creation Story, Adam & Eve, the Fall of Man)

4.  Faith vs Doubts – does having doubts make us bad Christians? 5. Explanation of the Mass & Eucharist

6.     Dead Sea Scrolls   7. Catholicism vs modern cosmology vs evolution  8. Gifts/Fruits of the HS, 7 Deadly Sins     

9.  How to experience the Love of God   10. The Communion of Saints

11. Comparative Religions   12. 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       

Eucharistia (gratitude):  Thank you, Lord, I am grateful for your saving presence in my life.       

Kenosis (emptying self):  Lord, I will try to empty myself as you did, to be present to others.                       

Metanoia (change self): Today, every moment, Lord, I will turn my mind, my heart, and my world towards You. 

Maranatha (Come, Lord Jesus): Come, Lord Jesus, enter, and make your home with me.                 

And as Jesus taught us to pray …

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 Assumption of Mary (August 15)

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

Today’s Agenda…

Reflection:  St. Monica and St. Augustine

Gospel Reading for 23^rd Sun in Ord Time 9/6: Brotherly Correction within the Christian Community, Mt. 18:15-20

                Gospel Reading #2:

Quotes of the Week: 

To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest achievement.” – St. Augustine

“O Lord, You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.” – St. Augustine

Augustine’s last quote reminds us that we are spiritually hardwired for God, and that our endless desire proves it,  for nothing in this world can finally satisfy the restless longing of our souls.

St. Monica, August 27 

On Aug 27, the Church celebrated the feast of St. Monica, the patron saint of mothers. Her life is a powerful testament to the impact of persistent prayer and the fierce, patient love of a mother. Through years of tears and unwavering devotion, her son, St. Augustine, slowly underwent a profound transformation that led him to become one of the greatest philosophers and saints in history.

Saint Monica was born in 333 AD in North Africa. She married Patricius, a pagan man with a difficult temperament, but through her patience, prayer, and Christian example, Patricius eventually became a Christian before his death. Monica’s greatest sorrow was the troubled life and unbelief of her son Augustine. He pursued worldly pleasures and followed the Manichean religion for many years. Monica prayed, fasted, wept, and sought the help of Christian leaders, including St. Ambrose of Milan year after year, unceasingly.

Once, Monica’s local bishop told her to go home and stop worrying, that God could not possibly ignore the prayers, tears, and pleas of such a woman. This reminds us of the Parable of the Persistent Widow!

Monica’s perseverance was finally rewarded when Augustine converted in 387 AD at the age of 33. He was baptized by St. Ambrose, became a priest, theologian, then the Bishop of Hippo, and finally a Saint. 

All we know of Monica’s death is given to us by Augustine: She was in Ostia (near Rome) when she developed a severe fever an acute illness. She briefly lost consciousness, then grew progressively weaker, and died on the ninth day of her sickness.

Conversion of her son is all Monica wanted and God allowed her to live long enough to see him baptized. When Augustine realized that his mother’s prayers were instrumental in his eventual conversion, he could not bear to see her go. He later wrote that she gave birth to him “in her heart, that I might be born to eternal life.”

Monica is remembered as a woman of deep faith, charity, wisdom, and maternal love. St. Monica’s life teaches us to trust God’s timing, pray faithfully for those we love, and be a witness to God through perseverance and holiness. Her feast day is August 27 and she is especially honored as a patroness of mothers and married women.

“Each day is a coin that God gives us to buy his Glory.” – St. Monica

To every mother, father, or family member currently praying for someone who has stepped away from the faith:  May God praise your steadfast devotion. While statistics show that many young people leave the Church, your enduring faith is an inspiration and serves as a role model for your children. By remaining rooted in Christ, like St. Monica, you are showing them the way home, even if they cannot see it yet. You are not alone in this journey as the whole Catholic community is praying alongside of you for the return of all our lost sheep.

                           St. Monica Novena Prayer for those Lapsed from the Faith

O Good Shepherd, you never cease to seek out the lost, to call home the stray, to comfort the frightened, and to bind up the wounded. I ask You to bring _____________ back to the faith and to remove all obstacles preventing her/him from receiving your abundant forgiveness and grace.

Through the intercession of Mary, Joseph, and St. Monica, may you pardon _______ faults and unshackle her/him from whatever hinders their faith and relationship with You.

Lord, please help heal her/him and find their way to You.

For you, O Good Shepherd, loved us to the end and offered yourself to the Father for the salvation of all.

Amen.

St. Augustine of Hippo, August 28 … from Sinner to Saint

St. Augustine (354-430), born in Tagaste, North Africa (now Algeria), became fully Christian at 33, a priest at 36, and Bishop of Hippo at 41 and for the next 35 years (he passed at 76 yrs old). His mother, St. Monica, raised him in the Christian faith, but Augustine left the Church in search of happiness, ambition, philosophy, and worldly pleasures. He studied rhetoric and became a gifted teacher, author, and speaker. He was also quite the hedonist and woman’s man. A true “Roman!”

For a time, Augustine followed Manichaeism, a religious movement that offered easier answers about good and evil (equal and opposing good and evil gods). However, he gradually became dissatisfied with its teachings. His intellectual journey eventually led him to Milan, where he heard the preachings of another intellectual, St. Ambrose. Through Ambrose’s guidance, Scripture, God’s grace, and his mother’s daily passionate prayers, Augustine experienced a profound conversion in 387, at the age of 33.

Augustine was baptized by St. Ambrose and shortly after, his mother passed, which affected him deeply. Although Monica could now only watch from Heaven, Augustine returned to Africa and became a priest and then 5 years later, Bishop of Hippo. He served the Church through preaching, pastoral leadership, theological writing, and defending Catholic teaching against a series of heresies, especially Manichaeism, Donatism, and Pelagianism. Augustine taught that worldly things cannot fully satisfy us because our hearts ultimately find their true peace and fulfillment in God alone.

“O Lord, You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.” – St. Augustine

Augustine wrote many influential works, such as his famous Confessions and The City of God. Confessions beautifully describes his spiritual journey and all his mistakes. My favorite quote is when he was trying to begin living a chaste life:

O Lord, make me chaste… but not just yet! – St. Augustine, Confessions

He wrote The City of God after Rome fell to the Visigoths in 410, when the authorities tried to blame Rome’s failures on Christianity. Augustine replied by explaining the downfall of Rome in The City of Man, which he said began long before Christianity and then he explained how only a City of God can endure. The book is a theological and philosophical treasure trove of insights about Church and State, and their coexistence.   

St. Augustine defended Catholic Christianity against several major errors/heresies:  Manichaeism – A dualistic religion taught that good and evil were opposing eternal principles and that matter was intrinsically evil; Donatism – Donatists claimed that the Church’s sacraments were invalid if administered by clergy who had been morally compromised. Augustine argued that the sacraments were not dependent upon the moral perfection of each bishop or priest, but upon God only; and Pelagianism – Pelagius emphasized humanity’s moral ability in such a way that diminished any need for divine grace, meaning humans could be good enough to get to Heaven all on our own merits. Augustine argued (correctly) that without Christ’s saving grace from the cross, we are doomed.

Augustine’s writings and contributions shaped Christian theology on the most complex subjects up to that time: Creation, Free-will, the Nature of Sin, Grace, Salvation, and the Holy Trinity. Augustine turned out to be just the man the Church needed at just the right time, influencing Christian theology all the way to the present day.

He is honored as a Bishop and Doctor of the Church and his feast day is celebrated on Aug 28. His life reminds us that God’s grace can transform even a long and difficult search for truth.

An interesting story: Augustine also learned that friendships make us vulnerable. As a young man, he had an unnamed best friend whom he loved dearly. When the young man suddenly died, Augustine was shattered. “My heart was utterly darkened,” he remembered. His eyes looked everywhere for his friend. Familiar places became painful because his friend was no longer there. Augustine felt almost as though part of himself had died: “I felt that my soul and his soul were but one soul in two bodies” (Confessions IV.6). Perhaps such friendships were too risky – too difficult to bear!

Years later, Augustine understood that experience differently. The mistake wasn’t that he had loved his friend too much. Rather, he had expected a mortal friendship to bear a weight that it could not bear. Humans have been given the gift to love like God, and no human can bear this temporally. He had loved his friend without yet understanding that everything we love with the love of God is fragile unless we recognize that love is also in God. It is not just of this world, but eternal.  

Brotherly Correction within the Christian Community, Matthew 18:15-20    

Context:

You may recall a couple of months ago I said that there were five discourses in Matthew. We are now in the fifth discourse, the “Ecclesial Discourse.” Ecclesial refers to the Church and its related functions. In this Sunday’s reading, Jesus gives us – and the Church – a roadmap for reconciliation, a sacred process for healing the wounds caused by conflicts among us. He recommends beginning with a private conversation – an invitation to honesty and transparency – to face the difficult truth when someone has wronged us or we have wronged another. As opposed to gossiping or shaming, Jesus instructs us to approach the person quietly, preserving their dignity and our own. If resolution proves elusive, he suggests widening the circle to trusted witnesses. This step is not meant to escalate, but to bring accountability and clarity, helping both parties move toward understanding. Should reconciliation remain out of reach, Jesus directs us to involve the wider community – the Church. And if the person refuses the Church’s guidance? The person will have to leave the Church.  

Two issues:   First, this is a difficult reading for many in our day as people neither want to confront others nor be corrected by others. But is it better to leave a person in their sin? Second, this doesn’t sound like Jesus is being very inclusive, right?

Is Jesus being exclusive? Why?   

            We often read in Scripture that Jesus is very inclusive regardless of who the person is, or what their sins are. But… what is the one thing he requires first? Repentance. How often does Jesus say, “Repent, the Kingdom of God is near”? For that matter, how can anyone improve if they don’t repent? Repentance means to turn away from sin and towards God. It involves the following: 1) recognize our mistake, 2) regret our mistake, especially we hurt someone, 3) articulate our sin before God and request forgiveness, and 4) ask God to help us become a better person going forward. This is the original path to human improvement, designed by God. Any good therapist will follow it. On the other hand, without repentance humans are stuck in our “old selves” forever. Remember, repentance requires humility, which is the first step towards wisdom and Heaven.

Matthew 18:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples:

"If your brother or sister sins against you, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.

If they does not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every fact may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'

If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the Church; and if they refuse to listen even to the Church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

Exegesis/Interpretation

Jesus is instructing his community in the difficult task of correcting an errant brother or sister. What is so rich here is the pursuit of the issue (since speaking the truth, even when it is dangerous, is essential) coupled with a deep care for the person in question and also for the entire family of the Church (since love is our constant call).

Jesus gives us a remarkably practical theology of relationships. He knows that wherever people live together – in families, churches, friendships, or communities – there will be misunderstandings, disappointment, and selfishness/sin. The Christian response is neither revenge nor avoidance, but reconciliation.

Jesus first says, "If your brother or sister sins against you, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you.” Theologically, this reflects the dignity God gives every person. We do not immediately condemn someone publicly or turn others against him. This way, the difficulty is addressed, the loving concern of the complainant is shown, and the typical human process of rumor, attack, counterattack, innuendo, and scapegoating is respectfully prevented.

Why are rumors and backstabbing considered a form of murder?

            Character assassination. Don’t become part of it!  

So, we approach the other person privately because the purpose is not humiliation but restoration. Psychologically, this is also wise. When we are hurt, we often react by withdrawing, or gossiping, or attacking, or repeatedly replaying the offense action in our minds. These reactions may temporarily protect our pride, but they rarely heal the relationship. That is why Jesus asks us instead to communicate directly and honestly.

If private conversation fails, Jesus recommends bringing one or two others. This introduces accountability and perspective. Sometimes our own emotions prevent us from seeing the situation clearly. Mature, trustworthy people can help separate facts from assumptions and anger from truth.

Note that this phrase was in quotations: “… take one or two others along, so that 'every fact may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”  Why?

It is taken from the Deuteronomy 19:15, which describes ancient Israelite law. It says one witness is not enough; instead, the testimony of two or three is needed to sustain any factual claims. Here, Jesus is honoring Old Testament law.

So at this point, the wider community is involved, but only minimally – hopefully enough to bring the offender to repentance. Only if this small circle of concerned believers is ignored should the complaint be brought to the next step.

Jesus says the next step if they still refuse to listen is to tell it to the Church. The Church is not a building but the community of believers. In this case, it refers to the leaders of the Church community, those who are given authority. Hopefully this will do the trick. Note what is happening here: the Apostles are being told how to manage the church. 

Jesus says if they refuse to listen to the Church, then treat them like the pagans or tax collectors. What does this mean?

In the Jewish religion, pagans/gentiles and tax collectors were considered “outsiders,” meaning “outside of the people of God” and, therefore, excluded from the Temple.  

The Tax Collectors were Jewish. Why were they not allowed in?

1)     They were working for the Gentiles, collecting money from the Jews to support the Romans Empire and their gods.

2)     They were allowed to extort more money than was due to enrich themselves and their immediate overseers.

What is the other name for being “put outside the Temple/Church”?

This is what ex-communication means.

On the surface, this sounds rigid and exclusive. However, the Church must be protected. I remember getting kicked out of my family at 17 because I was truly disrupting the family. It was a good call. Also, I need to point out that this last step imposed by the Church (excommunication) is called “redemptive judgment,” not “punitive judgement.”

What is the difference between redemptive and punitive judgments?

Punitive judgment is simply concerned with the just punishment of the guilty person. The principal purpose of Redemptive judgment (also called “medicinal judgment”) is the offender’s correction and, hopefully, his/her eventual restoration to communion with the Church. This is taken directly from the CCC (#1444-45):

In excommunication, “the separating a Church member/believer from the Sacraments is a last measure to an attempt to bring that person back into communion with God and fellowship with his covenant brothers and sisters.”   

Let us remember how Jesus treated outsiders:

With love, patience, and hope for transformation. Jesus was not about punishment, but about restoring relationships, always rooted in mercy.

Yes, forgiveness, too. But forgiveness does not mean pretending that wrongdoing never happened. Healthy reconciliation requires taking responsibility and being accountable for one’s own actions and mistakes.

Remember, repentance is about nourishing and restoring the soul. Repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand!

Jesus next speaks about “binding and loosing,” which is the same binding and loosing rights given to Peter in Chapter 16, except that now Jesus is giving this authority to all of the Apostles, who are the first bishops of the Church.

Does granting the Apostles the ability to “bind and loose” make them equal to Peter? If not, what is the difference?

            Not equal, because only Peter was given “the keys to the Kingdom” (Mt. 16:9), which gave him governing authority over the whole Church.   

Finally Jesus says, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

This is the deepest theology of the passage. Jesus speaks of the profound power in our unity. Our prayers, our struggles for peace, and our efforts to forgive become sacred/elevated when carried out together in Christ’s presence. Heaven itself bends toward such unity, granting strength and healing. Why? The unity of people in anything (esp. prayer) is an act of love. God wants human unity. This is the meaning being the “Body of Christ.” We are all meant to be one in God.

Conclusion

The most important reality about Jesus’ incarnation, death, and resurrection is our forgiveness and reconciliation with God. The second great commandment is “love of neighbor,” which requires reconciliation. We must try to become experts!

Recall Jesus saying if you are offering a gift at the altar but remember that your neighbor has something against you, leave your gift at the altar and go first and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift (Mt 5:23-24).  The “gift” is any act of worship offered to God: prayer, praise, almsgiving, etc.  Jesus is saying that such offerings are not acceptable if we are lacking charity towards our fellow brother/sister.

Finally, remember that the goal of Christian correction is never to win an argument. It is to win back a brother or sister. And when we seek reconciliation with this in mind, Jesus promises that He is already there among us.

Closing Prayer

Prayer of Mother Teresa

People are often unreasonable and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you.

Be honest anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.

Give your best anyway.

In the end, it was you and God.

It was never between you and them, anyway.

 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.