👉Watch the class recording here.👈

Catholic Understanding & Biblical Defense Class 8/11/26

Every Tuesday, 7PM-8PM (EST), 🖥️Zoom ID: 861 1782 2081  🗝️Passcode: 406952

Join to receive notifications and study notes on Meetup: www.meetup.com/catholicbiblestudy

Past classes are posted on our Catholic Catacombs Website:  www.CatholicCatacombs.org 

House Rules and Catholic Resources…

1.     RSVP Reminder: Please RSVP whether you are attending the meeting or just reading the Recaps afterwards. The more RSVPs, the more Meetup will give exposure to “Catholic Bible Study” – a good thing!

2.     Questions. We encourage questions although we ask that you keep them on topic and brief. You can ask during the meeting, or in the chat box, or if you prefer you can email us through Meetup.com, or Ron directly: ron@hallagan.net.

3.     Respectfulness. We will be discussing differences between Christian denominations and religions in general, and we seek to be respectful at all times. Protestants especially are our friends and brothers/sisters-in-Christ; in fact, I owe much of my return to Christianity to them. Therefore, any critique of our brethren is in loving pursuit of apostolic truth.    

4.     No politics.  It would be easy for us to self-destruct, but that’s not our goal :). Our goal is to learn, understand, and apply the Bible and our faith to our everyday lives.

5.     Word on Fire. Bishop Robert Barron has reached millions through his 10 min Sunday homilies, podcasts, educational series and certifications, bibles, and other lectures and apologetics. www.wordonfire.org 

6.     Hallow App. Daily prayers and reflections, especially for the high holyday seasons. www.alex@mail.hallow.com 

7.     Catholic Answers – www.catholic.com. This is the best group/source for Catholic Apologetics on the planet.

8.     Dynamic Catholic. Interested in daily inspirations to grow closer to God and the Church, not to speak of the many educational resources? Sign up for Matthew Kelly’s powerful insights, quotes, and reflections at www.dynamiccatholic.com.

9.     “The Chosen” TV series.  All of us seek a relationship with Jesus Christ, which is not always easy. It can help if we have seen and heard Him. The Chosen series captures Jesus better than any show I have ever seen. Highly recommended. 

10.Cursillo. Interested in meeting with other men or women weekly over coffee to discuss God in your personal and professional life? Join Cursillo (cur-see-yo). Contact Jennifer Pence (Jennifer.pence@gmail.com) for more information.       

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

Bible Study Format

Our Bible Study is a combination of Exegesis and Apologetics.

Each meeting is (roughly) as follows:

15   min   Apologetic Reflection

15   min   Upcoming Gospel Reading

30 min   Weekly topic/theme

1 hour

Week 1:    Gospel Week – we study several Gospel stories, especially the tough ones.    

Week 2:    Bible Week – we are working our way through the Bible. We are studying the New Testament. 

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  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: 

O LORD

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

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

And as you taught us to pray together…

Our Father

Who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.

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

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

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

    TODAY:                 

·         Reflection:  Mary as “Woman” in the Bible.

·        Gospel Reading for 20^th Sun in Ord Time (8/16), The Canaanite Woman’s Faith, Mt 15:21-28

·        The Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15)

·        Skip:  Bible Timeline, New Testament – Wedding at Cana, Jesus announces the New Kingdom and New Jubilee

   Quotes of the Week:

If you are suffering from a bad man’s injustice, forgive him – lest there be two bad men. – St. Augustine

I just found out tonight that John the Baptist and Winnie the Pooh have the same middle name!

How often can we apply the term “woman” to Mary in Scripture?

What was the first Messianic prophecy in the Bible? 

·        The First Prophecy, Genesis 3:15.  "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head and you will strike his heel.” 

From the beginning, the Jews saw this as the first Messianic prophecy. The verse promises that the serpent will ultimately be defeated by the offspring of the woman. The offspring who conquers Satan is indeed the Messiah, Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary. The victory belongs to Jesus, but Mary shares in the victory because she is the woman who said “yes” to the Incarnation. As Jesus is called the New Adam because he ushered in a new creation, Mary is called the New Eve because her yes reversed the first Eve’s rejection of God that led to the Fall.

“The poison that deceived man was presented him by woman, so through woman the salvation for our recovery is presented him by agreeing to give birth to Christ.” – St. Augustine

·        The Wedding at Cana, John 2:4.  At Cana, Mary brings the newlyweds’ need to Jesus: “They have no wine.” Jesus replies, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” This is not an insult. “Woman” was a respectful form of address at the time, similar to “ma’am” today; but it also has theological significance. The better translation is, “What does this have to do with you and me?”  Remember, Jesus already knew what he was going to do. He is not only drawing attention to what is about to happen, but it was always his will to begin his miracles by Mary. Jesus presents Mary not merely as his human mother but as the “woman” associated with him in the work of salvation.

“Do whatever he tells you.” – Mary’s last words recorded in Scripture

·        The Cross, John 19:26.  While on the cross, looking at Mary and the disciple he loved, Jesus says, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then to the disciple he said, “This is your mother.”  At the literal level, Jesus provides for his mother by entrusting her to the beloved disciple. (By the way, if Jesus had siblings, this would have violated their legal obligations to take care of their mother.)  At the theological level – especially given Jesus’ reference to Mary as “woman” – the beloved disciple becomes representative of all the disciples. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is therefore received as the mother of Christ’s members, and as mother of the Church. Her motherhood is not a replacement for Christ’s mediation and headship; rather, it is a maternal participation in and service of his saving work.

“Woman, behold your son.”

·     Mary in Revelation 12:1-4   In John’s vision, God’s Temple in heaven was opened and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the Temple.

A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.

Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth.

Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth. She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne.

Revelation 12 presents a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars. She gives birth to a male child who is destined to rule the nations. This has two meanings: The woman points to Mary giving birth to the Messiah, and it also symbolizes the Church – the people of God (Israel) – preparing for the coming of the Messiah. As for Mary’s queenship, it was common in the OT for the mother of the king to have the title “queen.” Because Jesus is the King, Mary is honored as Queen, not as a goddess or as an independent ruler, but as the Mother of the King, the New Eve, and mother of the Church.  This description of Mary can be found in the writings of the Early Church Fathers as early as St. Epiphanius ~360 AD.

Just a note on a central revelation at Guadalupe in 1531 that connects Mary to Rev 12.  Mary appeared as a pregnant woman clothed exactly as it says in Rev 12 with the sun, the moon beneath her feet and with a crown of twelve stars. This image was miraculously captured on the cloak of Saint Juan Diego. Like the Shroud of Turin, this image has been rigorously studied, and it uses unknown pigments and shows no brushstrokes.

The Canaanite Woman’s Faith, Mt 15:21-28

Context:

Today’s reading is one of the more difficult ones to explain, as Jesus alludes to the Canaanites as dogs. Jesus actually uses the term “little doggies” or “puppies” rather than unclean scavenger dogs, but that doesn’t help much! It is important to keep a couple of things in mind:  1) Jesus knows that the woman will persevere, and that he is going to help her, so he will use this to teach his disciples what real faith is, and 2) “dogs” was a common term used for non-Jews.

Our reading for this Sunday takes place in the region of Tyre and Sidon. This is outside Galilee/Israel so it would be mostly inhabited by Gentiles/pagans. Still, there were some devout Gentiles, such as the Canaanite woman in today’s story, who  also looked forward to this “Messiah” promised by the Jews.

Speaking of Canaanites, where did the name “Canaan” come from?  

               Genesis 10:15. Canaan was the grandson of Noah who settled in the land long before Abraham came in 1,900 BC.  They were gravely corrupt, violent, idolatrous, and practiced child sacrifice. Canaan eventually became a general term for the entire region, encompassing the various descendants of Canaan, such as the Amorites, Hittites, Jebusites, and others. 

Matthew 15:21-28

At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, "Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon." 

But he did not answer her. Jesus' disciples came and implored him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

But the woman came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." 

He said in reply, "It is not good to take the bread of the children and give it to the dogs." 

And she said, "Yes, Lord, for even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table." 

Then Jesus said to her in reply, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you desire." And the woman's daughter was healed from that very hour.   

Exegesis/Interpretation

Jesus enters the region of Tyre and Sidon, a largely Gentile area outside Israel. There he is approached by a Canaanite woman whose daughter is suffering. Her very presence highlights the distance between her and Jesus: she is not Jewish, she belongs to a people historically opposed to Israel, and yet she recognizes Jesus as “Lord” and “Son of David.”

When Jesus says, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” He is describing the first stage of His earthly mission, not placing a permanent limit on God’s mercy. This was what had restrained Him. The wandering sheep of Israel, without a shepherd, were the appointed objects of His care. Were He to go beyond that, it may be followed by thousands and he would cease to draw to himself the hearts of Israel as their Redeemer. The Gentiles were to be included, too, but they would come next. God had chosen Israel to receive His covenant and prepare the way for the Messiah. Through Israel, God intended to bless all nations. After his resurrection, Jesus clearly commands His disciples, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt. 28:19). – Ellicott’s Commentary

In spite of this, Jesus knows this woman’s heart and loves her persistence, so he will make an exception and a lesson out of her great faith for his disciples. What are the faith qualities that the Canaanite woman demonstrates?

·        First, she was confident that Jesus could help her. She wouldn’t have called out to him otherwise. You can also see her confidence in the way she addressed him: “Lord.” She sensed that Jesus could bring God’s healing to her daughter.

·        Second, this woman was persistent. She was not going to let her status as an outsider stand in the way of asking for what she needed. “No” was not an acceptable answer, and silence wouldn’t deter her.

·        Finally, she was humble. Many people would have been offended if Jesus compared them to a dog, but not her. In fact, she took that comparison and used it to her advantage: “Even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.”

Jesus gave everyone in the story what they needed most: the woman – her faith answered and her daughter’s health;   her daughter – freedom from the demon; the demon – to go back to hell; the disciples – a lesson on faith and humility; the world needed to see Jesus’ love and wisdom and power, the three attributes that most clearly manifest who he was.

If you ever feel God is testing you, take this Canaanite woman as your model. Persist in your prayers. Hold onto your confidence in Jesus’ love. And remain humble/open to whatever answer you receive. Jesus knows exactly what you need.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

What does the Assumption of Mary refer to?

The Assumption of Mary, originally called “The Dormition” (falling asleep), was held by the Church since the early days of Christianity and says that at the end of Mary’s life on earth she was assumed – body and soul – into heaven. This was informally celebrated in the East and West until the 17^th-18^th centuries as Protestants continued to distance themselves from the Church’s Marian traditions. The Church under Pope Pius XII finally decided to raise this ancient tradition from informal to formal doctrine in 1950. 

Meaning of the Assumption:

1. The Assumption does not mean that Mary "ascended" into heaven. Only Christ, under his own power, ascended into heaven. Mary was assumed – or taken up – into heaven by God. She did not do this under her own power. 

2. The Assumption does not necessarily mean Mary was alive when she was taken up. The consensus is that she was assumed into Heaven shortly after her passing.  

Was Mary’s bodily assumption into Heaven without precedent?

No, there were two others:  1) Enoch was the 7^th generation from Adam. Scripture says:  “Enoch walked faithfully with God: and then he was no more, for God took him away” – Gen 5:24. 2) The Prophet Elijah in the 9^th century BC: “As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.” – 2 Kings 2:11

            If these two prophets qualified to be taken directly into Heaven, surely the mother of God/Jesus would have qualified many times more.

Why would God have waited to take Mary until right after she died rather than beforehand like Enoch and Elijah?

            Remember, death before Jesus was a “fallen death,” meaning afterwards there was no access to Heaven. But Christ transformed death – it is no longer a dead end. We sometimes forget, but death is now a good thing for those who are ready. In addition to this, one tradition we have tells us that Mary preferred to die first because that’s what her Son did.

Why does it make sense that Mary would be assumed body and soul into Heaven?

Because she was born without Original Sin and because of her unique role as the Mother of God/Jesus.  

What does it mean that she was born without Original Sin?

During the Fall of Man, mankind chose not to follow God and lost their Sanctifying Grace, which represents the relationship with God needed to get into Heaven. Mary being born without Original Sin therefore means she had Sanctifying Grace since the moment of her conception.   

Our first parents chose against God and lost Sanctifying Grace

When would Mary have received sanctifying grace?  

At her conception. Since God chose Mary from the beginning of time and knew that she would say yes, He gave sanctifying grace to her at conception so that she could bear the Christ-child in a womb full of grace and free from Original Sin. This is the reason we celebrate Mary’s “Immaculate Conception” every December 8. 

This is also what the Angel Gabriel meant by his greeting when he said to Mary, “Hail, full of grace!” Notice, he used “full of grace” as a title, and he phrased it in the past-perfect tense, meaning she already had this grace. In other words, Mary had the grace and purity necessary to be the mother of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.

“May it be done to me according to your word.”

Isn’t Jesus’ death on the cross what gives all of us his “saving grace?” How could Mary have it before then?

God is not bound by time and was granted Jesus’ saving grace at her conception. As Gabriel said above, she already had it and Jesus wasn’t born yet.     

Was the Assumption challenged by Protestants?

Yes, but not right away. It was challenged for the first time after the Protestant Reformation in the 16^th century.  I say “after” because even the first Protestant reformer, Martin Luther, was a strong believer in the Assumption:   

“For Martin Luther, Mary's Assumption was an understood fact, as his homily of 1522 indicates, in spite of the fact that Mary's Assumption is not expressly reported in Sacred Scripture. For the Protestant reformer, there was no reason to doubt about the Assumption of the Virgin into heavenly glory: "Indeed, no Christian doubts that the most worthy Mother of the Lord lives with her beloved Son in heavenly joy." (Marienlexikon, vol 3, 200)

The rejection of Mary’s Assumption came as Protestantism began splintering into separate groups within the first 10 years of the Reformation, due to differences of opinion. One of those differences was the claim that Catholics were too infatuated with Mary. One day, they will to explain this opinion to Jesus, not us.

What should our response be to the statement that the Assumption is not in the New Testament? 

That is a tiring claim. There are lots of things that all Christians believe (Protestants included) that are not explicitly written in Scripture, such as The Trinity, Christmas, Easter, Bible, nor the Protestant claims of “Sola Fides” and “Sola Scriptura.” None of these show up in Scripture and yet they believe all of them.  Consider this quote from St. Paul:

“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.” – 2 Thessalonians 2:15 

That said, another obvious reason it wasn’t in the NT was that Mary was still alive when most of the NT was still being written. You can’t write about something before it happens.  

One last reason is the same reason Mary would give you:  that the Gospel is about her Son, not her. Everything Mary ever said and did during her life – and in her apparitions thereafter – always points us towards her Son.

The Assumption Details

The latest estimate for the date of the Assumption would be in the 50s-60s, either in Jerusalem or Ephesus. The consensus is likely Jerusalem. There is still an empty tomb for her in the Garden of Gethsemane.  It is worth noting that, as important as tombs and relics of the saints were back then – and still are – here is the most highly regarded saint who ever lived and we have no relics or bodily remains being venerated anywhere. 

In one of her appearances written about in the book, “The Life of Mary as Seen by the Mystics,” Mary relayed how she diligently avoided attention during her life after Christ’s Ascension because she did not want to take attention away from her Son and his message of salvation. She indicated many people had tried to make her a focal point and a hero, but she would have none of it.  

There are several Marian apparitions written about in the book, and in one of them Mary states that Jesus offered to take her into Heaven alive, and Mary said no, she wanted to die first just like he did. Still, there are traditions that say she was taken up before dying. As Pope Pius XII stated in the 1950 declaration Munificentissimus Deus:  Mary "after the completion of her earthly life was assumed body and soul into the glory of heaven." Note the statement doesn’t say anything about before or after death.

There are also several 2^nd and 3^rd century writings on the Assumption. One is St. Epiphanius, the great bishop and defender of orthodoxy, who in 350 AD gives us key insights into the antiquity of the Assumption.

Below is one example of early writings from the Eastern Church that tells of Mary's passing from this life to the next. The text, more commonly known as Transitus Mariae (transitus means passing on, crossing over), tells of Mary's homegoing in some detail. The Apostles, who were all preaching in different countries, were miraculously notified by the Holy Spirit and brought together where Mary was at the end of her life.

In the presence of the apostles gathered around her bed, also in the presence of her divine Son and many angels, Mary died and her soul rose to heaven, accompanied by Christ and the angels. Her body was buried by the disciples. Difficulties developed among certain of the Jews about the disposition of her body. Various types of miracles occurred to convince them to honor Mary's body. On the third day, Christ returned, and Mary was reunited with her body. Accompanied by singing angels, Christ brought Mary to paradise.

          Dormition-Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the first to be bodily glorified in Heaven

As we have noted, Mary's story does not end with her Assumption. After being assumed, Mary was crowned Queen of Heaven (Rev 12, the 5^th glorious mystery) and remains active in the service of her Son for the life of the Church. Many Christians believe that she has manifested her concern in visible appearances and miraculous cures. Some of these events are commemorated in the Church’s liturgical calendar, such as Our Lady of Fatima on May 13, Our Lady of Lourdes on February 11, Protection of Mary on October 1, and Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12.

Bonus Question

Would Mary receiving Sanctifying Grace at her conception have made Mary the first Christian?

Ha, although anything is possible for God, but let’s remember that a Christian is a disciple of Christ, and she was not technically a disciple of his at conception, although she was certainly “saved” then. Perhaps a more appropriate time to call her the “First Disciple” would have been at her Annunciation when she said “Yes.”

CLOSING PRAYER

Hail, Holy Queen,

Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope.

To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve.

To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us,

And after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.