Northern Virginia Catholic Bible Study & Apologetics

Every Tuesday, 7PM-8PM

This meeting is a lecture/Q&A format. It 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. These recaps are unedited and without the pictures. The edited version with pictures will be posted before the next class on the Website –  https://catholiccatacombs.wixsite.com/website. Taylor will notify everyone and provide a link.

4.      Questions highly encouraged. If you have questions, we ask that you keep them on topic and brief. You can ask in the zoom chatbox during the class, or email through Meetup.com, or email me directly 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, 15 min next Sun Gospel, 40 min main topic. 

Week 1:  Gospel Week: all Gospels!   

Week 2:  Bible Week (Gen to Rev):  We are in JOSHUA & JUDGES. 

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.     How do I live my Christian faith at work when my faith is not accepted there?

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

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

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

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

7.     Miracles since the NT

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

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

10.                        Was King David good or bad?

11.                        Was Emperor Constantine good or bad? Was he even Christian?

Major holy days in the Liturgy of the Church:   Advent: Dec 3 to Dec 24

Christmas: Dec 25

Christmas Octave: Dec 25-Jan 1 (ends on Mary, Mother of God)

Opening Prayer

Dear Lord

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

Here we are, Lord. As we continue our study of the most influential women in the Bible

We welcome your guidance to a better understanding of Salvation History.

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

1.     St. Nicholas

2.     Gospel reading –

3.     Women in the Bible –

Quote of the Week:

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.”   – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, French priest and astrophysicist

Christmas Octave?  What is an Octave?

An Octave refers to eight days of celebration for Christmas and Easter. Why 8? Some have traced it back to Jesus’ circumcision on the 8th day; also, the feast of the Dedication of the Temple of Solomon lasted 8 days; and, of course, Jesus rose from the dead on the 8th day of the week. Others say that Catholics know how to celebrate, especially since the joy of Christmas and Easter can’t possibly be contained in a single day. If it helps, think of Julie Andrews singing the musical octave: Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do!

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

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 (called Advent in Latin,

Parousia in Greek), Judgement Day, Heaven & Hell. In exegesis, you will hear Parousia (pair-oo-sia) more than Advent.     

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 manifestation from above (epi=above + phany=appearance). In Christianity, it refers to the sudden revelation that Jesus Christ was Savior of the whole World when the Magi gentiles arrived.  

    Theophany is a type of epiphany – it is the appearance of God (theos-God + phany=appearance). Examples are Yahweh to Moses on Mt. Sinai, or at God speaking at Jesus’ Baptism and Transfiguration.

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 material world or our temporary, material lives. The word “secular” means the same thing (Latin seaecularis - worldly/temporal). It is often used with a negative connotation, i.e., “The fall of man resulted from our choosing this world/ourselves over God.” 

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

Add: Concupiscence, Octave, Justice, Mercy, Kingdom, righteous

Gospel Reading for this Sunday (12/24): Fourth Sunday in Advent

Luke 1:26-38 The Annunciation

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary.

And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."

Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."

As we already discussed last week, this affirmation by Mary makes her the New Eve, ushers in the arrival of the Son of God and salvation of humanity, and she does it through the purest, humble example: “May your will, not mine, be done.” Once again, God has chosen the weak to shame the strong, the lowly to counfound the mighty. (1 Cor 1:26-28)

St. Nicholas of Myra – feast day Dec 6

Q:  Who was St. Nicholas?

While we recognize St. Nicholas as the source behind the legendary Santa Claus, we may not know the many fascinating facts of his life. Nicholas was not a mythical figure, but a man who served the Church, risked his life for the poor and persecuted, and whose charity made him a saint and a legend.

Nicholas was beloved during his life for his quiet generosity, always attuned to the needs of the poor and suffering. Many miracles were attributed to Nicholas’s intercession. Strong devotion to the saint known as the “gift-giver” grew rapidly until he was revered worldwide as Santa Claus.

Nicholas was born to a wealthy family on the southern coast of Turkey and his parents died in an epidemic while he was still young. Following Jesus’ words to “sell what you own and give your money to the poor,” Nicholas used his inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to God and was made Bishop of Myra at a relatively young age. He was not only known for helping the poor but also for his pastoring of sailors (Myra was a major port city). 

Nicholas served as Bishop of Myra (now Turkey) for 43 years, from 300-343 AD

Stories of St. Nick

Many of you know part of the story of St. Nicholas. The most famous was about a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of value—a dowry. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man's daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. Many other stories appeared after Nicholas’ death, which people claimed to be miracles. From Asia to France, the stories abound, from kidnapped children being returned to their parents to saving people from famines, all done in secret with nothing expected in return, and ,of course, at Christmastime. 

Imprisoned and Tortured

But it was not just gift-giving and service that defined St. Nicholas—he endured great suffering for Christ as well. Under the rule of Emperor Diocletian, Nicholas spent seven long, hard years tortured and imprisoned for his faith. He was freed in 313AD, when the first Christian emperor, Constantine, issued the Edict of Milan, giving religious liberty to Christians.

Attended The Council of Nicaea in 325 AD

Alongside 317 other bishops, St. Nicholas participated in the Council of Nicaea, the first formal council of the Church, in 325 A.D. The main purpose was to resolve confusion—caused by the Arian heresy—over the nature of the Son in His relationship to the Father. As opposed to equality with God, Arianism held that Jesus was more of a finite, super angel who ought to be worshipped (making Christianity polytheistic).

At the Council, legend has it that while Arius was defending his teaching in front of the 317 bishops, Nicholas couldn’t believe his ears and walked up to the front of the room face to face with Arius and slapped him. Arius called for Nicholas’ expulsion but didn’t get his wish. The biggest outcome of the Council was the Nicene Creed that we pray at Mass every Sunday, which outlines the basic belief that the Son is “consubstantial” with the Father. In this way, perhaps the greatest gift St. Nicholas helped give us is our Creed!

Facts vs Myths about Christmas

Q:  Was Jesus born on December 25?

That’s the Church’s best estimate, based on the early Fathers of the Church, including St. Hippolytus of Rome in 204 AD, St. John Chrysostom in 386 AD, and St. Augustine in 408 AD. 

One of the first arguments one hears is that the shepherds wouldn’t be out tending sheep in the wintertime. This isn’t valid. First, there were no indoor facilities for flocks of sheep in those days, so they were outside year-round. Second, wintertime in Bethlehem averages 50 degrees. Third, winter is not an issue for sheep – it’s why they have wool. 

Q:  Was there no room at the Inn? Was Jesus born in a stable?

Kind of.  The Greek word, kataluma, usually translated as “Inn” was in fact used for “guest room” and “reception room” in a private house; the word was also used to describe the “Upper Room” where Jesus and his disciples ate the last supper. A different Greek word, pandocheion, is usually used to describe an “Inn,” which would be more like a hotel.

Even if there was a “hotel” in Bethlehem at the time, Joseph and Mary would not likely be staying there. The reason for traveling to Bethlehem for the census was because that’s where Joseph was from, and so he surely had relatives there. In that context, the kataluma where he stayed would have been a guest room in the house of the family where Joseph and Mary were staying, which could very well have been filled with other relatives who arrived before them. Remember, there was no way to “call ahead” and tell them they were even coming.

The actual design of Palestinian homes makes sense of the whole story.  Most families lived in a single-room house, with a lower compartment for certain animals to be brought in at night, and either a room at the back for visitors, or space on the roof.  The family living area would usually have hollows in the ground, filled with straw, in the living area, where the animals would feed. So rather than Jesus being born in a detached stable, he would have been born in the lower floor of a peasant house, where the animals were kept (which is also a stable).

“…and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”  (Luke 2:7)

A manger is a trough for animals to eat from, and it would generally be close to the house kitchen.

Nothing is lost in our original story by this except evolving legend. It also makes sense that the Holy Family would be staying with relatives of Joseph, and also why Jesus would later be visited by the Magi in a “house” (Mt 2:11). 

Q:  Who were the Magi, where did they come from, when did they come, and how many were there?

·        They were religious advisors of a higher class, experts in the “sciences” (i.e., astrology). 

·        They were “from the east,” which could be anywhere from Nabataea to Persia.

·        They came as much as 1-2 years later, which is why Herod said to kill all boys under the age of two.

·        We don’t know how many there were. We assume three because there were three gifts – gold, frankincense, and myrrh (King, Priest, Sacrifice).   

Most Influential Women in the Bible

x Eve, x Sarah, xRebekah, xRachel, xLeah, Miriam, Rahab, Deborah, Ruth, Hannah

Our study of the most influential women in Scripture is not so much about individuals as their roles in the bigger story of salvation history. Salvation may be “effected” by men, such as Adam, Noah, and Abraham, but salvation comes to us “through” the women of Eve, Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah – not only by having children, but by influencing events.

Through the seed of Eve humanity was promised a Savior; through Sarah, a new nation.

Where we left off…

Laban tricked Jacob into marrying his eldest daughter, Leah. Jacob still wants to marry Rachel and agrees to give his Uncle another 7 years of labor to secure the marriage.

Leah has no problem having children, but Rachel is barren and bitter, feuding constantly with Leah. Eventually, Rachel learns to turn to God and after 14 years of marriage bears a son, Joseph; and a few years later, Benjamin.

Altogether, there are 12 sons, and they come to represent the “Twelve Tribes of Israel.”

EGYPT – 400 years

Egypt

Fast forward another 20 years and we find that Jacob continually favors his 15-year-old son, Joseph, and the other brothers are not happy about it. In addition, Joseph has great dreams of the future, and the brothers mock him for it – especially the dream where his brothers will one day bow down to him!

One day, while far off in the fields tending the flocks, the brothers decide to kill Joseph. Out of nowhere, a caravan of Ishmaelites heading to Egypt happen by, and so they instead decide to sell Joseph to them for 20 pieces of silver. They figure they are doing the noble thing since they didn’t kill him.

Q: This event also prefigures Joseph as a type of Jesus. Why?

There were 12 Apostles and 12 brothers. Both Jesus and Joseph were betrayed for 20-30 pieces of silver (inflation!) Joseph eventually becomes the savior of his family and the 12 tribes. Jesus goes on to save humanity.

In Egypt, Joseph is sold as a slave to a servant of Pharaoh. In time, his uncanny ability to interpret dreams becomes known. One day, the Pharaoh is upset that his magicians and astrologers cannot interpret his repeating dreams, so Joseph is brought before the Pharaoh and asked if he can interpret them. Joseph interprets them as the coming of a seven-year famine. The Pharaoh recognizes the truth of this and eventually makes Joseph the PM of Egypt to plan for the coming drought. Joseph is about 30 at this time. Joseph begins storing up grain for the coming famine.

As Joseph predicted, the famine strikes hard, and people come from the countries all around in the hope of buying grain. The famine has also struck Canaan and so Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt for the same reason and find themselves face to face with Joseph. Joseph forgives them saying God must have had a bigger plan all along, and all the Jews are invited to come to Egypt and settle in fertile Goshen on the Nile.

One can only wonder why the Hebrews didn’t return to their land when the famine was over. Was life too good? They lived in much more fertile land than their own, plus they had the protection of the strongest nation on earth, at no cost to them!  What’s not to like? Except that wasn’t supposed to be.

Perhaps that is why a generation later, a new Pharoah is in charge and Joseph’s great name is forgotten. The Hebrews are flourishing so much that the Egyptians are worried about them. They finally put them in slavery. 

Even enslaved, over the next few centuries the Hebrew population grows faster than the Egyptians. It is interesting that God uses even their slavery to do accomplish His ends – he is building a nation.

Another new Pharaoh enters and decides to exercise population control by ordering the midwives to throw all the newborn Hebrew boys into the Nile. However, the midwives “fear the Lord” and refuse to do so. Pharaoh calls the midwives before him and asks why they have disobeyed him. You have to love their answer: they tell Pharaoh that the Israelite women are more vigorous than the Egyptians and give birth before they can get there!

In Exodus 1:21, it says that God rewarded the midwives for their courage by giving them families.

Q: How was “giving them families” considered a reward, especially since they were slaves?

            Families were always considered a blessing and a gift. There was also the belief that a nation that has children is a nation who has hope for the future. Their hope came in the name of Moses.

Jochebed

Jochebed gives birth to Moses and hides him for 3 months. When she can no longer hide him, she puts him in a basket and places it in the reeds along the Nile riverbank. Her teenage daughter, Miriam, was with her when she did this. In one sense, you could say Jochebed was honoring the Pharaoh’s command to throw the male babies into the Nile, except she didn’t “throw” him.

At least we know Miriam stays behind until the basket floats near the place where the Pharaoh’s servants bathe, except that on this day the Pharaoh’s daughter herself is there. She has the basket retrieved and finds the baby. She realizes it is one of the Hebrew babies but desires to keep it. Miriam has the guts to approach them. “Shall I find you a Hebrew woman to nurse the child for you?” Pharoah’s daughter says yes, and Miriam goes and gets her mother. Pharoah’s daughter takes him as her son and names him Moses.

Do you think this idea of putting Moses in the basket on the Nile was Miriam’s idea or Jochebed’s? We don’t know, but the question gets asked because Miriam turns out to be both intelligent and courageous. The Talmud and other Jewish writings speak highly of Miriam. While we mostly discuss the actions and events surrounding her younger siblings, Moses and Aaron, the Jewish writings put Miriam on par with them and even call her a “prophetess.”

As incredible as figure as Moses is, we shouldn’t forget Miriam’s role on the Nile that day that helped make his life possible. The Prophet Micah recognizes her 700 years later, recalling the Exodus:

“For I brought you up out of the Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you.” – Micah 6:4

So far, we have the midwives, Jochebed, Miriam, and even Pharaoh’s daughter!

We are not done with Miriam. She shows up next after God splits the Red Sea to allow the Hebrews to escape Pharoah’s army. On the other side, we read this:

Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.” – Exodus 15:20

They just left 400 years of slavery. Where do you think they would have gotten these tambourines? True hope is the expectation of deliverance, and the Prophetess Miriam had it. And the people didn’t hesitate to follow her, either. Often women do their work behind the scenes, but then that’s what God rewards, not those who flaunt their work.

Now, was Miriam perfect? Of course, not.

Later on in Exodus, she and Aaron grow jealous of Moses’ role and his relationship with God. Both Aaron and Miriam are leaders and leadership comes with great responsibility. What do I mean?

Remember, the people are grumblers and continuously critical of Moses. The temptation for them to join in and lead that opposition of speaking against Moses would be easy, and perhaps quite an ego trip. The grumblers and naysayers were looking for a leader! Miriam and Aaron give in to it, and Miriam is apparently the leading instigator.

There’s a lesson for us in this. Do we jump on the bandwagon of disgruntlement too quickly? Or do we set an example? Servant leadership says that we should live in the solution, not the problem. Joining the problem is easy and solves nothing.

The Lord calls them out and punishes Miriam further with leprosy.

Q:  Why leprosy?

            Miriam was guilty of the sin of pride – to desire to be considered great, like a god. Leprosy is the opposite of ego. It requires one to be separated from absolute everyone – outside the acceptance of all others.

When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous —it became as white as snow. 

Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease, and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed.”

So, Moses cried out to the LORD, “Please, God, heal her!” – Num 12:10-13               

The Lord said she would be healed after 7 days of penance.                                                                                             

Rahab

The final woman of the Exodus period is a person we just happened to meet last week as we reviewed the Book of Joshua and her role in the Fall of Jericho.

Rahab was a prostitute in Jericho who operated an inn/boarding house. The spies sent by Joshua meet her and she hides them and helps them. As happens so often in our faith – which Jesus himself demonstrates in spades – is that God loves everyone and often uses the lowly to bring down the proud and mighty.

Rahab helps the Jews because she fears Yahweh, as His reputation has preceded Joshua’s entrance into the land. She is not only protected by Joshua after this, but she marries Salmon whose child was Boaz, who marries Ruth, who is the great, great grandmother of King David. What people making up a religion would allow a prostitute to be a progenitor of the Son of God?  Answer: no one but God, who does not fear human opinion.  

Rahab is even remembered for her acts of courage later in Scripture:

By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies in peace, did not perish with those who were disobedient.    – Hebrews 11:30-31

You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?      – James 2:24-25

Rahab would never have guessed that she would be rewarded by her entry into the genealogy of Jesus Christ. (Mt 1:5)

Rahab reminds us that we are not defined by our past nor our worldly status, but by our faith and trust in God.

Closing Prayer

Father in Heaven

As we read about the influential women in Salvation History

We learn to see how much they resemble us.  

May we learn from their stories just as countless others throughout history have before us.

We ask for Mary’s intercession to have Jesus change the water of our lives into fine wine!

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.