Northern Virginia Catholic Bible Study & Apologetics

Every Tuesday, 7PM-8PM

This meeting-class is FREE.

House rules/notes…

1.      Our meeting/classes are In-Person at St. John Neumann Catholic Church 11900 Lawyers Road, Reston, VA 20191 https://saintjn.org/  (usually held downstairs in Room 5), or ONLINE via Zoom (see #2).

2.      To sign up for Zoom notifications and to receive the Meeting Recaps, go to www.meetup.com/catholicbiblestudy and join us! The Zoom Logon is the same every week:  Zoom ID: 861 1782 2081  Password: 406952.  

3.      After each meeting, I send out Meeting Recaps of what we discussed. Please remember these recaps are unedited and without the pictures. The edited version with pictures will be posted on our website before the next class on the Website –  https://catholiccatacombs.wixsite.com/website. Taylor will notify everyone at that time and provide a link.

4.      Questions encouraged. If you have questions, we ask that you keep them on topic and brief. You can ask in the chat box during the class, or email through Meetup.com, or email me at ron@hallagan.net afterwards.

5.      Respectfulness. We will be discussing differences between religions and between Christian denominations, and we agree to be respectful at all times. Protestants especially are our friends and brothers-in-Christ; in fact, I personally owe part of my return to the faith to them!

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

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

8.      “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 captures Jesus better than any show I have ever seen. Highly recommended. 

9.      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!

Catholic Catacombs Website:  https://catholiccatacombs.wixsite.com/website

Bible Study Format:   Each week of the month has a repeating topic, as noted below.

Each meeting: 5 min greet, prayer, 10-15 min Catholic topic, 40-45 min main topic. 

Week 1:  Gospel Week:   

Week 2:  Bible Week (Gen to Rev):  We are in EXODUS, the 2nd book of Moses. 

Week 3:  Survey Topics Voted on by Members:       

x 1) Jesus’ Greatest Parables      x 2) Hell, Purgatory, Heaven      x 3) Comparative Religions  

    4) Great Women in the Bible                 5) Book of Revelation             6) Major Heresies and Church Councils

Week 4: Member Questions:

1.     Can you provide a brief review of the origin/meaning of the (12) statements in the Creed?

2.     Angels – who are they, what do they do? Do we really have guardian angels? What about devils/demons?

3.      Please explain exorcisms. Do they happen, are they real?

4.      What should our response be to those who ask us about priestly sex abuse?

5.     What about the atheist who leads a good life? Can I be a person be good apart from God?

6.      Miracles since the NT

7.     What’s the difference between Charity and Love? What are the highest forms of charity?

8.      How can I get more excited by the Mass?

Major holy days in the Liturgy of the Church

Advent – Dec 3-24

Immaculate Conception – Dec 8

Opening Prayer 

SHEMA

Hear O Israel, O Communion of Saints, O Body of Christ:

The Lord is God and the Lord is One

Whom we love with all our hearts, all our minds, and all our souls (Deut 6:4-5, Jn 17:21, Rom 12:5, Acts 2:42).

Lord, because of You we also love our neighbor and our enemy as ourselves (Lv 19:18, Mt5:44).

And as you 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.

Today

Advent

Recognition and Identity

Meditation

Quote of the Week:        

“Christian faith is not only a matter of believing that certain things are true, but above all a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” -Pope Benedict XVI

We will review a different apologetics or exegesis term each week (below)...

Apologetics and Exegesis Terms

Apologetics – to defend a belief.

    Catholic Apologetics– to defend the Catholic faith using reason, tradition, & Scripture.

    Exegesis – the study and interpretation of Scripture (it’s what we do here every week; you are all exegetes).

    Eschatology (Greek, eschaton=last/end): the study of the End Times – the Second Coming of Christ (also called

        Parousia), Judgement Day, Heaven and Hell.    

Bible = The OT = The Torah (Pentateuch, Books of Moses), the Prophets, the Writings (Wisdom, Novellas)

 The NT = The Gospels and the Epistles (Epistles: New Test Letters (Paul), Catholic Letters, and Revelation). 

Best Bibles – The Didache Bible, Ignatius Edition; Ignatius RSV 2nd Catholic edition; Augustine Bible; Douay    Rheims (Jerome). Starters: Bible Basics for Catholics-Ave Maria press.

Church – Greek kyriakon house of the Lord:  building for Christian worship; the whole body of Christian believers.

Ark of the Covenant:  a) The golden chest holding the 10 Commandments; b) Mary’s womb holding the Word of God

Tabernacle - the portable sanctuary used by the Israelites in the wilderness during Exodus the from Egypt and then in the Temple in Jerusalem by Solomon (and again later by Herod).  Latin tabernaculum – tent; temporary dwelling place.

Temple – Latin templum - space set aside for sacrifice/worship; replaced the Tabernacle; the Temple in Jerusalem.

Synagogue – Jewish house of worship often w/facilities for religious instruction. Greek synagogue: assembly/gathering. 

Church Authority – The Church is the only authority given by Jesus Christ to interpret the Word of God:  "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven" (Mt 18:18-20). Otherwise, there could be a different interpretation for every Scriptural passage for every person who ever read them, resulting in division vs unity (which is why there are 10,000 different Protestant churches and 17+ Eastern Orthodox churches). Catholic Church teachings are nothing more than the Church’s interpretation of that which has already been revealed by God, either through Scripture or what has been handed on from Apostolic Tradition. This body of the Church’s interpretation is called the “Magisterium” and it is not superior to the Word of God, but its servant. The Church cannot make up anything outside what has been handed to it, but rather guards and teaches it (CCC#86, 890). The Church believes that Divine Revelation ended with the Apostles. 

Doctrine refers to all of the official teachings of the Church. They fall into three categories:

1)            

a.     Those that the Church teaches authoritatively but not infallibly. Elements within these can change.

b.     Those which the Church teaches infallibly. 

c.      Dogma: Those teachings which the Church has infallibly taught to be divinely revealed. 

     “Theological Opinions” are teachings that express a pope’s views in a subject but are not doctrine/not binding. Encyclicals fall into this category. 

      Heresy is the rejection of dogma. If someone rejects a teaching belonging to the first or second categories of

doctrine, it may be very sinful, but it does not rise to the level of heresy. 

Epiphany – Epiphany means a sudden appearance, revelation, or manifestation from above. In Christianity, it refers to the revelation of Jesus Christ as Savior of the World to the gentiles (Magi) 12 days after Christmas. 

    Theophany means the appearance of God, such as Yahweh to Moses on Mt. Sinai, or at the Transfiguration. Note “phany” in both words, from the Greek phainein = to appear. [Theo=God + phany=appear]

Eucharist –the Lord’s Supper. The bread & wine become Jesus’ body/blood. From Greek eucharistia = thanksgiving.

    Mass – the celebration of the Last Supper/Eucharist. “Mass” is from the Latin missa meaning “to send (out).”

Evangelize – to make the Kingdom of God present in our world. 

Forgiveness – letting go of past harm to God or others; it presumes repentance, which presumes changes in behavior

     Mercy – withholding harsh treatment or judgment that is justified.

God as Father/He/Him – scriptural tradition (God is not a gender); God does set the gold standard for fatherhood.

    Man – generic for mankind, humanity.

    Deism – belief in a supreme being/creator who does not intervene in the universe, or who is indifferent to it.

    Theism – belief in the existence of God or gods, especially the believe in one God who is creator of the universe and is actively engaged in some way, intervening in it and sustaining a personal relationship with his creatures.

    Atheism – belief that gods of any kind do not exist.

    Agnosticism – belief that God may or may not exist but we cannot know. 

Preternatural – means “outside the natural”; refers to the preternatural state of grace Adam & Eve were in before the Fall.

The “World” – as used in the Bible, this term pertains to the nonreligious, secular world, or our material, temporary lives. In fact, the word “secular” (Latin seaecularis) = worldly/temporal. Biblically, “this world" usually has a negative connotation, i.e., “The fall of man resulted from our choosing this world/ourselves over God.” This world is not intrinsically bad, as God made all things good. It is man that reduces it to something less. The earth is home to all our “worldly temptations” that seek to block the light of Heaven in our lives.

“A lie travels around the globe while the truth is still putting on its shoes.”  – Mark Twain

Q: What is Advent? (Dec 3-24)

On Dec 3, Advent starts the beginning of the Church’s Liturgical year. The word comes from the Latin adventus = coming. In the Christian calendar, this is 1) a period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas, and 2) preparation for the Second Coming of Christ at the end of time.

We must remember that the beginning of our 2nd Advent period is individual, since it starts at the moment of our death and concludes at Jesus 2nd coming/judgment day. Therefore, the Church establishes Advent once a year to make sure we are awake and ready for our death.

Death was not feared by the earliest Christians because it was the end of our trials on earth. The same should be true for us. Be sure to use this Advent to reflect on your readiness, and the things you can do in the year ahead to help those less fortunate than us, because those people essentially become our witnesses.

Q: If the people we have helped become our witnesses, then who is our accuser?

The Devil. The word “devil" means our adversary and accuser. The implication is that, like in the Book of Job, the Devil carefully lays out his case against us before God, claiming we belong to him. We have two defenses: the sacrament of forgiveness and those people we have helped. Use Advent wisely.

For daily reminders/meditations…  https://www.mydailyvisitor.com/advent/

Themes of the 4 weeks correspond to the 4 candles of the Advent Wreath:  

Week One: The Prophet’s candle – OT Jesus is coming

Week Two: The Bethlehem candle – Arduous journey

Week Three: Shepherds candle or Gaudete (rejoice) candle – Hang in there; remember, God has already won.

Week Four: Angels candle, peace on earth, goodwill towards men

Only the 3rd week/candle is rose, representing joy. The others are purple, representing  penitence and overcoming this world.

Similarly, the vestments and altar cloths used during Advent Masses follow the same themes.

Q:  Is recognition a good or bad desire?

Recognition is part of the human experience from the day we are born to the day we die. Humanity values it continually, in giving our MVP awards in sports, medals in the military, Academy Awards, the Nobel Prizes, and on and on. We were made to seek recognition, so how could it be bad? 

Recognition – like money, power, or fame – is not good or evil thing in and of itself. It can be received humbly and used to attract more people to a good cause, or it can use you, making you addicted to it and a slave to this world.

However, if I am recognized for my accomplishments because I am good at what I do, I did it honestly, I helped people along the way, and I was humble and gave the glory to God, then I am using my talents correctly.  

IDENTITY… 

The power that recognition has over us is far greater than mere exterior acknowledgement and reputation. The reason is that it is tied to our “identity” – who we are – which includes our sense of being accepted, which is huge. If you don’t think so, just imagine your life for a moment where nobody could stand being in the same room as you, and compare that to everyone wanting to be in the same room as you and hear every word you say.      

Why is this? Why are we so addicted to having an acceptable identity?  We are earthlings, homo sapiens, and, like any other species, why can’t we just be content doing whatever it is that humans are supposed to do?  Why do humans absolutely require an identity far beyond what we have?  

What complicates the solution to this problem is that “the world” can only grant us identity and acceptance that is superficial and temporary (read: What have you done for me lately?).  The world has no authority to “grant” identities.

Q:  Identity is tied to meaning and purpose. If you don’t think so, then consider when we have neither meaning nor purpose, we have no reason to get up in the morning – essentially, no identity worth living for. What’s going on?

There actually is a simple answer. We know where our identities come from, and this also tells us where humanity’s identity crises comes from. Our identity comes from God. We are made in his likeness, and that’s one of the reasons why we seek to be so much more than we are. We are also Fallen, so our identities took a hit, and now we are trying to recover; but we won’t recover anything from this earth, from nature, or from other humans. Everyone is busy looking for, or expanding, their own identity.

Fortunately, God is a God of love and offers us the grace and forgiveness to close the gap between us and Him. In fact, once we realize the truth of this and establish our relationship with God, the crisis is over. Our identity can’t get any higher, no matter where or how far in the universe we go looking for it.  Once we have this, we have the brick/rock foundation that Jesus speaks of, so that no matter what storm comes, we cannot be swept away. 

Christian Meditation Class

   “All of man’s misfortune comes from one thing, which is not knowing how to sit quietly in a room.”                                                                                                                                  – Blaise Pascal

Our minds are distracted more today than in human history. 100 years ago people had quiet time all the time and couldn't run away from their thoughts as easily as we can now. Today we have distractions waiting for us every minute of our waking hours.

Transcendental Meditation(TM) – There was a craze in the 60s and afterwards to learn TM. It’s no wonder it was popular because it shut off the world’s distractions for 20 minutes twice a day, which gave the mind a much-needed rest. It was determined by modern testing that 20 minutes of a good meditation was worth several hours of sleep. My wife, Patsy, and I did this for some time and enjoyed it.

The essence is to relax in a quiet space and clear the mind completely. This is next to impossible, of course, so you are given a mantra – a word – to say over and over as necessary, to keep the mind from wandering. Even focusing on that one word was light years better than the mind wandering while bombarded with hundreds of uninvited thoughts. Anyway, any time you found your mind wandering, just relax and start saying the mantra again. The idea was that, as you improved, the less you would need to use your mantra, and the quieter your mind would get. Nothingness – also called pure consciousness – was the goal for 20 min.

When I came back to Christianity, I was surprised to find that there was Christian Meditation. When did this begin?

Early Christianity and the Desert Fathers

Once Christianity was legalized in the Roman Empire, committed Christians became distracted by everyday life pretty quickly. This began to weaken Christian thought and prayer. Civilization was suddenly being seen by some as a bad thing, and a number of Christians took off for the desert where they could be alone with God. They were called the “desert mothers and fathers,” which eventually led to our monasteries and convents. 

But Jesus refers to this kind of prayer, too, when he says in Matthew 6:6:

“When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father.”

And in the Psalms a millennium earlier:

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. – Psalm 37:7

Most forms of meditation are similar, and likewise Christian meditation is similar to TM except that instead of clearing your mind in the presence of nothing, you are clearing your mind in the presence of God. We are leaving our mind totally open to Him. The rest is the same – we still find a relaxing pose, we still need a mantra, and the recommended time is also 20 minutes.

Source: World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM)  https://wccm.org

The Mantra or Prayer Word

Although in TM everyone is given their very own private word for their mantra, this is not necessary in Christian Meditation. You can use whatever holy word you would like, but the trick is not to use one that invokes lots of thoughts, which would be counterproductive. Remember, this is all about simplicity.

The most common prayer word used by the desert mothers and fathers was the word Maranatha, an Aramaic word that Paul uses in the NT for greetings or farewells. It means Jesus has come (past), or Jesus is come (present), or Jesus is coming (future), depending on your context. Given that Jesus is all these things, it seems a cool choice. We will go with that tonight, although you are free to change it.

When you say the word, you say it slowly over and over in a kind of rhythm along with your breathing, i.e.,  Ma–ra–na–tha.

If your mind wanders – and it definitely will - do not get upset– that’s counterproductive. It’s no big deal, just bring your mind back to saying the mantra. It is normal for this to happen many times in the beginning, and yet you will still have a productive meditation.

I will watch the time and start with a short relaxation talk, and then it will be quiet for 10 min. When there is 1 minute left, I will notify you so you can slowly start coming back. Kind of like waking up.

That’s it.  Ready?

Sit down with your back straight.  You can fold your legs or not. Don’t get so comfortable that you fall asleep, although if you do, that’s not meditation but have a nice nap.

Shut your eyes.

Relax your body starting… feel the top of your head relaxing, letting go of the days stress. Feel your shoulders loosen, untighten. Let the calm run down your spine all the way to your legs and out your feet, carrying away the days excess residuals. 

Whatever prayer word you have chosen, stay with that word throughout the meditation – and from meditation to meditation.  I recommend the ancient prayer word, Maranatha. Say it a four equal syllables. Breathe normally and give your full attention to the word as you say it – silently, gently, faithfully, and simply.

I say simply because the essence of meditation is simplicity. 

Don’t visualize the word, just listen to it as you say it. Let go of all thoughts – even good ones – images, and words.

Don’t fight distractions: let them go by saying your word gently and attentively and returning to it as soon as you realize you have stopped saying it or when your attention wanders.

Maranatha...

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.

Together, let us pray for Mary’s intercession for all innocent life harmed in the conflicts of the world…

Hail Mary

Full of grace, the Lord is with thee

blessed are thou amongst 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.