Catholic Understanding & Biblical Defense Class 8/25/26

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

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

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

House Rules and Catholic Resources…

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

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

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

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

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

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

7.     Catholic Answers – www.catholic.com. Best site for Catholic Apologetics there is.

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

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

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

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

Bible Study Format

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

·        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       Attributed to Jean-Pierre de Caussade, The Path to Heaven is Mary’s Path

“The life of faith is nothing less than the continued pursuit of God throughout the world’s endless efforts to disguise, disfigure, destroy, and annihilate Him. This life of faith is in truth a reproduction of the life of Mary who, from the Stable to the Cross, remained unalterably united to that God whom all the world misunderstood, abandoned, and persecuted. In like manner, faithful souls endure a constant succession of trials. But in spite of every obstacle these souls follow Him and love Him even to the Cross… and beyond.”

And as Jesus taught us to pray …

Our Father

Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily Bread;

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

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

Major holy days:  All Saints Day (Nov 1)

 August Memorials:  St. Monica -27, St. Augustine-28

 September Memorials:  Mary’s Nativity-8, Archangels Michael, Gabriel, Raphael-29

 www.masstimes.org   Mass or Confession any time of the day, anywhere in the world!

Today’s Agenda…

     Reflection:  “Call no man your father” – Matthew 23:9

   Gospel Reading for 22^nd Sun in Ord Time 8/30: Jesus Foretells His Passion; The Cross & Self-Denial, Matthew 16:21-27

     Topic:  Modern Cosmology and Catholicism

Quote of the Week:  

If the world is against the truth, then I am against the world.” — St. Athanasius, 350 AD

Reflection: “Call no man your father…” – Mt. 23:9

Jesus's quote from Matthew 23:9 – "Call no man your father on earth" – is sometimes used by non-Catholic Christians to say that Catholics violate Jesus’ clear instructions (i.e., Catholics call priests “father”), which is proof that we make up our own rules and are thus less Christian. Like other similar claims, this verse is taken out of context and distorts its meaning.

If we read the entire statement Jesus made – not just one part of it – we’ll see a real problem if we read it literally:

As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; you have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your ‘Father’; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Teacher’; you have but one teacher, the Messiah.

He was certainly not saying that we should never use these terms – rabbi, father, teacher. “Teachers” speaks for itself, but even of we take ‘father’ literally, it would forbid us from calling our biological male parents “father,” which contradicts other scriptures like the Fourth Commandment to “Honor our father and mother.” We even find Jesus himself calling Abraham “father” in Luke 16:24 (Parable of the Rich Man).

 “And the rich man cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’” – Luke 16:24

Later in the NT, Paul calls himself the “spiritual father” of the Corinthians (1 Cor 4:15).

“Even if you should have countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many fathers, for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Therefore, I urge you, be imitators of me.”  (1 Cor 4:15).

Jesus is simply using hyperbole – an exaggeration for emphasis – rather than a strict, literal ban. This is similar to Mt 12:48-50 when Jesus was told his mother and brothers were outside and his response was, “my mother and brother are those who do the work of my Father in Heaven.”  Do you think he was speaking literally?  Of course, not; and that’s why we don’t see ‘father’ banned from the rest of the Bible.

So what exactly does Jesus mean by this statement?

     Jesus is giving two warnings:

1)     A warning to human leaders against self-exaltation to draw attention away from God.  

2)     A warning against the rest of us not to grant any human leader the supreme spiritual place that belongs to God.

Matthew 16:21-27

Jesus Foretells His Passion; The Cross and Self-Denial

Context:

Sunday’s reading briefly covers two key revelations in the New Testament: The first is that Jesus must suffer and die, which is shocking so soon after the revelation that he is the Divine Messiah.  The second is that his disciples must learn the meaning and spiritual value of self-denial.

The first verse below announces a turning point in Jesus' ministry as Matthew introduces this passage with the phrase, “From that time on …”. This will be the first of three predictions that Jesus gives concerning his Passion (the other two are in Mt. 17:22-23, 20:17-19). In sharing this secret with the disciples, Jesus is correcting the common misperception that the Messiah is coming in triumph and glory to vanquish Israel's enemies and to re-establish the Davidic kingdom on earth, just as it had been in the glory days of kings David and Solomon. Instead, Jesus' revelation is a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecies of the Suffering Servant (Is 52:13-53:12).

In the second part of the reading, Jesus uses the image of a cross, an instrument of death in the execution of criminals, as a shocking metaphor for the obedience of discipleship. This is a tough thing to accept – especially at first – for his disciples then and for us now.

Matthew 16:21-27

Part I. Jesus predicts his Passion, Peter rebukes Jesus, Jesus rebukes Peter: 

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. 

Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you." 

He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

The first thing to understand in this difficult exchange is that the Hebrew word satan means adversary, opponent, or accuser. The word was a description; and was not originally the name of the devil. It eventually became a name for the devil because he was God’s Chief Adversary. So, whenever one stands as a roadblock to God's plan for man's salvation – as Peter was doing; you could say that person is indeed acting “like Satan.” But again, it was primarily a description; Jesus wasn’t calling Peter a devil. 

Nonetheless, it was amazing just how fast Peter went from naming Jesus as “the Christ” and Jesus naming him the rock upon which he would build his Church, to Jesus calling him “satan.” It is worth noting that if Christians were going to make up a religion, they would have taken stuff like this out.  

Why did Peter reject what Jesus said about His suffering and death?

As we discussed, Peter had just come to understand that Jesus was the “Divine Messiah.” But he was not thinking of Suffering Servant prophecies but rather the kingly messiah in Ezekiel 34 where God Himself comes to gather His scattered people and reestablish the kingdom. Peter knows the Temple hierarchy has no power over the Christ, and so he cannot comprehend why Jesus would allow himself to be killed by those currently in authority when He could simply consume them in holy fire like the rebellious priestly sons of Aaron in Leviticus.

When Peter said, “God forbid it, Lord, this must never happen to you!”, no doubt he was speaking out of love and human affection, but the problem was that he was rejecting the very means by which all humanity was to be saved. The issue was not that Peter was a bad person, but that his counsel was opposed to God’s plan of salvation.

The significance of “Get behind me.”

This phrase is important. It comes across as kind of harsh at first reading but mostly because the phrase ended with satan. Actually, Jesus isn’t saying to Peter, “Begone,” as he said to the devil during his temptation in the desert. He said, “Get behind me” – which also means, “Follow behind me.” To follow behind Jesus is a good thing. To try and get in front of Jesus and lead is probably not a good idea. Origen (185-255 AD) said as much, pointing out that Scripture says being “behind” Jesus is a good thing:

“Come behind me and I will make you fishers of men” – Mt 4:19

“Whoever does not take up the cross and follow behind me is not worthy of me” – Mt 10:38.

Part II. Jesus States the Conditions of Discipleship – Take up our Cross and Self-Denial: 

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? 

Or what can one give in exchange for his life? 

For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay all according to his conduct."

What does Jesus mean by the first verse (24)?

“To deny oneself” means a willingness to deny selfish desires. When we put others ahead of ourselves – especially when it costs us, we are denying the self, the ego. This is also called “dying to oneself.” It is selfless love.

“To take up one’s cross and follow me” means a couple of things. First, it is a willingness to take and endure the struggles that come with following Jesus' teachings faithfully. Second, it means handling our suffering humbly and transforming our sufferings into something good, like Jesus did on the cross (he transformed his execution into payment for our sins and opened Heaven to us). He will help us do the same when we attach our sufferings to him/his cross. Third, it is the promise that whoever loses his life (literally or selflessly) for the sake of Christ will live eternally in His heavenly Kingdom.

"What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?

What is Jesus' warning?

Earthly profit is only temporal and not worth one's eternal soul. Denying Christ for earthly pleasures, or out of fear of human rejection, is to choose against God. The cost on Judgment Day will be the loss of Heaven.

“For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct."

This verse is a prophecy of the return of Christ (the Parousia) at the Last Judgment. It also speaks to our “works.”

Faith and Works are necessary for salvation (in that order).

For those who don’t think “good works” must accompany our faith to receive salvation need to reread this verse very carefully.  “For the Son of Man … will repay everyone according to his conduct.”   These may be helpful as well:

“Faith without works is dead” –  James 2:17.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Mt 7:21 

“As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent me.” – John 9:4.

“For it is not those who hear the law who are just in the sight of God; rather, those who observe the law will be justified.” – Romans 2:13

Modern Cosmology and the Catholic Church

Sources:  The CCC, Catholic Answers, and Institute for the Theological Encounter with Science and Technology (ITEST)

CREATION STORY, Genesis 1

Do Catholics believe that Genesis 1 – the Creation Story – is literal?  

The Church does not hold to the literal interpretation of the Creation Story in Genesis One, but it does hold to its absolute truth in the figurative sense. St. Augustine said as much already in the 5^th century, which was a thousand years before the scientific revolution. The Bible was not written to be a science or history book, but a faith and salvation map.

The Church says that prior to Abraham (~2000 BC, late Stone Age), the stories in the Bible may or may not have happened literally, but the truth conveyed by them is both accurate and inspired by the Holy Spirit. Some stories are like Jesus’ parables (i.e., Book of Job), where the truth is not in the literal words but just below the surface. Many stories are a combination of allegorical and literal.  

Not only is the Catholic Church totally compatible with science, the Church helped usher in the scientific age. It also helped create the first universities in the Middle Ages and the Vatican even has its own observatory. Some of the most famous scientists in history were Catholic scientists, such as Isaac Newton, “the father of modern science,” and Fr. Georges Lemaitre, who developed the theory of the Big Bang. If Christianity is publicly considered at odds with science, they are not talking about Catholicism but fundamentalist Protestants who read the Bible literally. 

Catholics believe that science is the investigation of God’s physical creation – a beautiful thing! However, the Church does warn against “scientism” where science seeks to replace God and every effort is employed to rule out His existence. “Scientism” is when science becomes its own religion. Never forget that the definition of science is the study of the physical universe, and thus, by its own definition, has no capability for evaluating anything pertaining to the spiritual realm, including our own spiritual natures.   

The story of creation in Genesis 1 occurs over 7 days. What is meant by the biblical number 7?

Seven represents perfection or completeness. Here it symbolizes the whole of creation as summarized by God for Moses in 1300 BC.  Some have called the synopsis poetic.

As we will see, this also points to the danger of reading the Bible too literally.  

Genesis 1, Day One

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and void, with darkness over the abyss. And the Spirit of God was moving over the waters. Then God said: “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that it was good and He separated the light from the darkness.

What does all this mean?

“In the beginning” means the universe is finite. The naming of “earth” simply means its existence was a part of God’s plan from the beginning, before it existed; “formless and void” tells us it had not yet developed into the world we know today. The “darkness over the abyss” suggests “nothingness” – that all creation came out of nothing. We know the Holy Spirit is the “Giver of Life” and that water also represents life, so the “Spirit of God moving over the waters” (before water was organized in Day 2) suggests this is the origin of life in the universe.

Notice that the “light” created on Day One comes before the sun, moon, and stars in Day Four. How? Why?

            Remember, the verse begins with “when God created the heavens and the earth,” which indicates the spiritual and physical realms. Therefore, the light created in Day One is not material light but the light of the spiritual realm, which would include not only heaven and the angels but the light of truth, goodness, and wisdom. Humans will be given access to this light when God breathes His spirit into them in Gen 2.         

Rather than go through each day in Genesis 1, which has many details, following is the summary of the chapter.

After each “day,” God says what He created was “good.” This is important and theologically foundational to Catholicism: the premise that all physical creation, including humanity, is essentially good. 

Humans

Animals show up on Sixth Day. At the end of the day, God says: “Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness.” This is clarified in Gen 2:7 when God breathes his spirit into man, and then man is “like God.” You can easily read this as man had already been around when this happens. Man was made from the earth (Adam means “dirt or clay”), meaning humans evolved from the earth like everything else. It is God’s breathing a spiritual nature into Man that changes everything. Once we are given a spiritual nature, humans have free-will, an immortal soul, and the understanding of abstraction, conception, time, beauty, good, and evil.

Man’s initial job given by God is the stewardship of the earth, where he must also learn how to use his spiritual gifts.  

What about the Seventh Day?

            The 7^th Day plays out in Chapter 2. This is the ‘Lord’s Day’ and the ‘Day of Rest’ for humans. The Lord’s Day represents the end of Creation – Heaven – which the universe is still heading towards. Man is part of this unfolding creation. The Day of Rest is not about physical inactivity so much as ceasing earthly activity in order to focus on a relationship with God. Building his relationship with God is to teach him how to practice 7^th Day behavior (love, justice, truth…) during his other 6 days.   

Pope Benedict XVI (future Doctor of the Church) suggests that “the new reality, paradox, dimension of reality is the ultimate evolution of human union with God.” – Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, Disc 7.  FYI, this is not a physical mutation but a spiritual transformation of our existence.

Genesis and Cosmology

Once again, the Creation Story in Genesis 1 is not a scientific account, but a theological proclamation: “God freely creates an ordered universe, brings light and life from primordial chaos, and declares creation good.” 

That said, it can be placed alongside modern cosmology in several broad ways. “In the beginning” is compatible with the universe having a finite cosmic history, as described by Big Bang cosmology.

The text’s movement from light, sky, and sea to land, vegetation, animals, and humanity also broadly resembles an ascending order of cosmic and biological development. 

The “days” ought not be read as six ordinary 24-hour periods; the literary structure repeatedly separates and orders realms of creation. Genesis’s central claims concern God as Creator, creation’s goodness, humanity’s dignity as made in God’s image, and responsible stewardship, not the mechanisms or timescales by which the cosmos developed. 

Thus, modern cosmology may explain how the universe develops, while Genesis addresses why it exists and what it means. Catholic theology holds that faith and science are complementary, not adversarial, when each respects the other’s proper purpose.

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord,

You are the fount of all blessings, source of all life, and giver of all grace:

We thank You for the gift of life: for air, food, and water;

for the love of family and friends;

for all the things without which we couldn’t continue to live.

We thank You for the mystery of creation:

for the beauty that the eye can see, for the marvels that the ear can hear,

for all the amazing mysteries that fill the universe with wonder.

Help us to grow in knowledge and appreciation of Your Creation,

To be good stewards of what You have given us,

And to always remember that every good gift comes only from You.

We thank You for this day and for our life.

We thank You that You are our God, our Creator, and our Savior.

For these, and all our blessings,

we give You thanks, eternal, loving God,

through Jesus Christ we pray.

Amen.