11.10.26 - Sloth | Parable of Talents | NT-Jesus is the New Moses |

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Catholic Understanding & Biblical Defense Class 11/10/26

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.       

Bible Study Format

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 & 2:  Bible Timeline – 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 & 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.

• There will be questions just to stimulate thinking, conversation, and memory. Knowing the answers is not important.  

• 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 thy 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!

Upcoming holy days:  First Sunday of Advent (Nov 29) 

Memorials – Nov: Presentation of Mary-21, Jesus Christ King of the Universe-22

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

    TODAY:

• Reflection:  Sloth and Diligence

• Gospel Reading for 33^rd Sun in Ord Time (11/15), The Parable of the Talents, Mt 25:14-30 

• New Testament:  The New Moses/New Law

   Item of the Week: Nov 9 was the Feast of the Dedication of the St. John Lateran Basilica. What is this?

Consecrated by Pope Sylvester in 324AD, 11 years after Emperor Constantine the Great legalized Christianity in 313 AD, it was  the first official public church in Rome. Dedicated to Jesus Christ and John the Baptist.

    Quote of the Week: 

              “Great occasions to serve God come seldom, but small ones surround us daily.” 

                         – St. Francis de Sales

Reflection:  Sloth and Diligence

What is Sloth? TayQuiz

Sloth can be described as physical or spiritual apathy – or laziness – that shuns duty and prayer. It comes from the Latin term acedia, which means “without care.”  This “not caring” can be both internal and external and is often both. It draws us away from life, and we often try to fill up our time with distractions until the time is used up. 

The sloth animal (top right) got its name from these definitions of the word, due to its exceptionally slow movements and low metabolism. 

Sloth is doing nothing – or doing things that will not make any difference – and the fact is, we all need to make a difference at something. The more we make a positive difference in our own lives and in the lives of the of others, the more meaningful our life feels. Conversely, the more we live a meaningless life, the more we have to put on airs to appear different than we are. The danger is that the slothful person sees oneself, and this can lead to depression.

Satan loves sloth, because he only needs to keep finding mind-numbing distractions for you. ABG - Anything but God.   

Why do you think sloth is one of the more difficult sins to define?

Because we think of most sins as things we “commit” – anger, lying, cheating, violence/murder, etc. These are sins of commission. Sloth, on the other hand, is a sin of “omission” – of the failure to act. Something to think about.   

In Dante’s Divine Comedy, we encounter the Slothful in the middle level of the mountain of Purgatory. This level is for those who are too lazy to pursue truth or love, regardless where they lead. They are lukewarm about good or evil, right or wrong, or taking any stand on anything. 

What does Jesus think about people who won’t take a stand, make any commitment, or take any risk?

"I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth" (Revelation 3:15–16). 

Jesus’ use of “cold” is not suggesting that rejection of the Gospel is preferable to middle of the road (lukewarm) commitment. He is condemning just going along, or getting along, with people of no commitment at the expense of the truth. Hot means to stand up for your faith; cold means to walk away rather than taking the middle ground of nothing.  Sloth is taking the middle ground on everything because it takes the least effort. Jesus says he will spit you out.  

What is Diligence?

Diligence is virtue that cures sloth. It is the virtue of carefully, methodically, and persistently carrying out your daily duties and spiritual responsibilities just to please God in all you do. When we do our tasks, we must focus on them by doing them with love and care, for the glory of God, no matter how insignificant they are. While doing our work, we should not be thinking of the next several tasks because then we cannot be put our love and attention into the current task.  

The root words of diligence are attention, care, and love. You can see how this is the opposite – and the fix – for sloth. 

A prayer for those who fight sloth and/or seek diligence:

“As I go about my daily routine, Lord, please open my eyes and my heart to see your glory. Remind me that you are in every detail of our lives, no matter how small or ordinary.” – Teresa Tomeo

The Parable of the Talents, Mt 25:14-30

Context:  

  Jesus is nearing the end of his teaching on the Temple grounds during Holy Week. This Sunday’s reading – the Parable of the Talents – seems strangely about money, but it is not. It is about Judgement Day and the Kingdom. 

In the story, the Master of the House gives varying amounts of “talents” to his servants and goes away on journey. He comes back after long absence and calls his servants to give an accounting of their activity. 

One of the reasons the story seems to be about money is because Jesus uses the term “talents.” A talent in those days represented a lot of money. A “talent” refers to weight, so its value depended on what metal was being weighed. For instance, a talent of silver was worth 15-20 years’ wages. A talent of gold would be worth much more. The parable doesn’t indicate which metal, so we will assume silver for this example. If a year’s wage was $50,000 in today’s money, then 20 years’ worth of wages would be $1 million.  

As we said, we are talking about Judgment Day, so whatever the meaning Jesus is giving to the word “talent,” we must assume it’s an incredibly high value from Jesus’ perspective.       

Remember that in Jesus’ parables there are unusual twists in the story that will not make sense to his audience (nor to us). These twists indicate that some other meaning is in play. Let’s look for these, and then we will find Jesus’ meaning.   

The Parable of the Talents

Matthew 25:14-30

Jesus told his disciples this parable:

"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was travelling into a far country who called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one – to each according to his ability. Then he went away.

Immediately, the one who received five talents went and traded with them and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two talents made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money.

After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them.

The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.'

His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.'

Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, 'Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.'

His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.'

Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, 'Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.'

His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I would have received it back with interest? 

Now then, take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given; and he will have abundance; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 

Now cast this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'"

Exegesis/Interpretation: Matthew 25:14-30

Who is the man (master) and where was he traveling?

Jesus is the man and the journey he went on was his Ascension into Heaven. 

Who are the servants?

The servants are Christ’s disciples in every generation. The servants are us. 

How much was a talent worth in those days?

Most opinions say one talent was worth about 20 years’ wages = roughly $1M+ in today’s currency.  

What is the meaning of “talent” in the parable? 

Talents are the abilities given to each human being by God. It is where we get the term “talent” from – those things we are good at. No matter how big or how small they are, God expects us to use our talents in the service of God and others. When we do, we are advancing the Kingdom of God on earth.    

Why are people given different talents?

The differing amount of talents simply illustrate that each person is unique. God gives us a rich variety of gifts, skills, and creativity. As members of the Body of Christ, we use these gifts to help one another—family, friends, coworkers, and especially those less fortunate. The danger is that we too often think we are the cause of our own talents, when God is the cause; we just cooperate/develop them. Those with many talents should also remember this: 

“To those whom much is given, much will be expected” – Luke 12:48.

When the Master returns, what does this represent? TayQuiz

Jesus’ return at the Second Coming, also called the Second Advent.  Note: “Advent” is Latin for “coming.” 

Speaking of which, in a few weeks we will begin the season of Advent, which is to celebrate both the First Advent (Jesus’ Incarnation/First Coming on Christmas) and the Second Advent (Jesus’ “Second Coming” on Judgment Day). 

What did the first two servants do that made the Master happy? 

They used their God-given talents to make the world a better place for others, and in doing so they expanded the Kingdom of God. Notice that both servants received the Master’s Joy (salvation), irrespective of their number of talents. 

3^rd Servant: “Master, I knew you were a hard man, reaping where you had not sown, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; and being afraid, I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is back.”

The 3^rd servant seems to know he is in trouble. He is not only defensive but he has the audacity to accuse the master of being a thief. I’m reminded of when Adam was caught in the Garden after eating from the forbidden tree. When God asked what happened, Adam replied, “The woman You gave to me, she gave me the fruit, so I ate.”  

The master repeats the accusation in the form of a question to expose the servant’s lie – “You knew that I harvested where I did not plant and gathered where I did not scatter? – and then asks why, if he believed that, wouldn’t he have at least gotten interest from a bank. If he was so fearful of the master, that would have been smarter than burying it.    

What did the Master mean about interest in a bank?  

Getting interest on your money from a bank takes no effort – the bank does all the work; but it’s better than nothing! Another comparison would be if he gave his money to the synagogue or someone else who would do some good with the money. 

At the end of the day, although paying others to do your good deeds in life is not bad, God expects more from us – to do good personally. Why?  

Because charity is as much for the giver as for the givee. We are transformed every time we love our neighbor, not just our neighbor.   

As for Jesus reaping where he didn’t sow, the 3^rd servant must be referring to the additional talents the other two gave to the Master, but these are the fruits of love and good works. The 3^rd servant seems to think doing good was only to benefit the Master – nothing in it for the servants. Clearly, he has a selfish view of the world. He doesn’t understand the mission – or perhaps he doesn’t care to understand the mission. He is both selfish and guilty of sloth.  

For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will have abundance; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 

What does this mean?

Jesus promises that those who use their spiritual gifts to serve others and advance the Kingdom will receive even more gifts to enrich their lives in the service of Jesus Christ, while those who neglect their spiritual gifts will eventually lose what they were initially given.

     And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.

What does this mean?

This is an Old Testament idiom that refers to Gehenna/Hell. As the CCC says, Hell is being separated from God for eternity and the choice is made by each human being in this lifetime. If we want nothing to do with God in this life – or do not lift a finger to at least try like our 3^rd servant – then our wish will be fully granted in the next life. 

What temptations could we easily have today that might resemble the 3^rd servant?  

“I don’t really have the time – I’m too busy with my job and friends and my other commitments.”   

“My talents are my own and they all my doing. I’m good-looking, smart, and successful, thank you! 

“My one talent (or no talent) isn’t going to make much of a difference, anyway.”

Remember, even the smallest talent – even a disability – can be used for goodness and gain a place in Heaven equal to the saints.  

What are the three lessons of this parable? 

1. Sloth:  Sins of “omission” are not an excuse. Doing nothing serves no one but yourself. Not lifting a finger to help others or serve God is as the same as rejecting God. 

2. Gratitude:  Notice the first two servants didn’t claim their successes for themselves – they happily gave them back to the master. The point is this:  when we are successful with our talents, do we claim credit for them, or do we give God the credit?  Give all glory to God and remember, humility is the doorway to Heaven. 

3. Stay Awake:  We all know that our lives could end at any time. This is not to cause us panic, unless we are not ready. So… how do we “stay awake”?  Stay in touch with God every day; look for ways to serve others; be humble.  

Bible Timeline – The New Testament

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

How many books in the OT? 

46

How many books in the NT?  

27

Total in Bible:  

46 + 27 = 73   

How many books in the Protestant Bible 

66

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. ✔

1. The Roman Republic and Caesar Augustus ✔

2. Herod the Great ✔

3. Jesus’ Birth ✔

4. The Ark of the New Covenant … Mary first 🡪 then us. ✔

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

1. Jesus’ Early Life ✔

2. John the Baptist, Devil in the Desert ✔

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

4. 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

The Gospels: The Life of Christ, Jesus’ Public Ministry

John the Baptist, Devil in the Desert, Wedding at Cana, The New Kingdom, The New Jubilee 

The New Moses/New Law

Last week, we discussed how Jesus begins preaching with a message: 

“The time is fulfilled, the Kingdom of God is at hand – repent, and believe in the Gospel”

The Gospel:  Jesus came to usher in the Kingdom of God by dying for our sins, opening the gates of Heaven, and sending us the Holy Spirit. We are presently in the beginning of God’s Kingdom that will culminate on Judgment Day.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, On Earth as it is in Heaven.

This week, we will discuss Jesus as the New Moses/New Law.  

New Moses/New Law

For the ancient Hebrews, the terms “Moses” and “The Law” were inseparable. The first 5 books of the Old Testament were from Moses; they were called the “Torah,” which means “Law,” all originating with the Ten Commandments given to him on Mt. Sinai. Because of this, Moses was the most important Jewish figure in the Old Testament. Nobody could be compared to him. 

Until Jesus.

Notice the following prophecy given to Moses from God Himself in the Book of Deuteronomy. God says to Moses:  

“I will raise up for them (the Israelites) a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I instruct him” – Deut. 18:18. 

God is promising to raise up a new Moses.   

And now, let’s look at a comment Jesus makes in the Gospel of John. Jesus is responding to the crowd’s disbelief: 

For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me, because he wrote about me.” – John 5:46   

In the first part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus takes the old Torah (law) and deepens it, redefining it with interiority aimed at the heart. Six times he redirects the teaching of Moses by saying, 

“You have heard it was said … but I say to you ….”

Whereas most of law of Moses dealt with exterior actions, like adultery, Jesus’ new law delves deep into the heart. 

“Everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart” – Mt. 5:27.

The second half of the Sermon on the Mount focuses on worship, prayer, and almsgiving (generosity towards others). He says these things are not for public display but for an audience of one: God the Father. 

Rather than focusing on Temple worship, Jesus speaks about personal worship in terms of prayer, almsgiving, and fasting. This is why today our three focuses during Lent each year are:  prayer, almsgiving, and fasting. 

Jesus uses the term “Father” seventeen times in the Sermon. He introduces to us a new, fuller relationship with God.  Since Jesus – the 2^nd Person of the Trinity and eternal Son – assumed a human nature, saved us on the cross, and sent us the Holy Spirit – we have truly become adopted sons and daughters of the Father. As Jesus articulated for us in the Lord’s Prayer, we now speak of “Our Father” in a new, more intimate way. 

When Jesus fed the 5,000 at the beginning of John chapter 6, we know the season because John mentions the green grass, meaning Passover was near (it was Spring). A Jewish reader would have immediately recognized the Passover timing and connected the 5,000 people being fed in a wilderness to the original Exodus, when God fed His people in the wilderness with manna. John is signaling that Jesus is the new Moses. The crowd recognized the pattern too, which is why they tried to make Him king right after this (Jn 6:15). They weren't just impressed by the miracle – they saw the Exodus happening again right in front of them. But they don’t know truly who Jesus is yet. 

That's why what happens next in John 6 matters so much. After the feeding, Jesus says, 'I am the bread of life.'  The manna of the first Exodus fed their bodies, but he came to feed their souls. And when he says the bread is his  body, he is standing in the middle of a Passover narrative. The bread is not a metaphor – it is the new manna. And that is the purpose of the Last Supper and why we receive the Eucharist. This bread is the elevated manna from God, not to nourish us for another day, but to nourish us from here to the next life. 

Closing Prayer

Go forth, Julie Maillet, Christian soul, from this world in the name of God the almighty Father, who created you, in the name of Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who suffered for you, in the name of the Holy Spirit, who poured forth upon you: go forth in peace, true Christian, may God welcome you into His arms. 

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