One more on the canon of Scripture

I use the name “The Little Mermaid” because the owner of Old Life started calling me Mermaid and telling me I was all wet. He calls me naive and ignorant. He is pretty insulting. That’s okay. That’s his bad, not mine.

So, I thought I’d just go with it. I like the Little Mermaid. What’s wrong with mermaids?

The Little Mermaid

Posted December 28, 2015 at 6:01 pm | Permalink

J:
The list I provided earlier shows that the deuterocanonicals were not unanimously accepted, nor was there a defined canon. Luther did not “remove.” He chose the more likely correct canon from several offered ones.>>>>

Several points.:

1. It is fascinating for me to study the history of the Protestant canon. Well, maybe study is too strong a word. It is more like taking a fresh look at how Protestantism developed its canon and what happened to those books, anyway? 

2. Luther did do some removal. He removed the deuterocanonical books from their normal place in the Vulgate and put them in the back of his Bible bus. He made it clear that they were good books, but not inspired. 

3. He did something similar with his Antilegomina – which is not the same Antilegomina that contained contested books during the time of the early Church. What was the issue being debated at that time? Whether or not they contained apostolic teaching. That is, were they written by apostles or did the apostles approve of their teachings. Luther questioned the canonicity of 4 of those books – Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation. 

Wikkipedia’s entries on the subject seem to be uncontested for the most part. Anyone can Google it and see which books were contested in the early Church and why. Here is part of the entry for Luther’s canon. I won’t link to it, because this format gets kind of weird when it comes to links. 

He also wanted to include the whole book of Esther in his “Apocrypha”, but lost on that score. 

3. The Vulgate was the translation into Latin of the Septuagint. That was the only Bible being offered on a large scale. Anyone studying theology had to do so from the Vulgate. There were translations of the Bible into vernacular languages as well, but the Vulgate was the standard, authorized text. 

For example. The standard Protestant translation of the Bible into Spanish was not the first Spanish translation of the Bible into Spanish. There was already a Catholic version when Reina and his team began their work. The Catholic Church was also doing a translation into German. Luther talks about it in his intro. to his own translation. His criticism of their translation is pretty colorful, shall we say. 

His translation was superior because he was superior. Luther had a very high view of his own abilities, and in large part, he was justified in thinking highly of his own natural abilities. No one denies the fact that he was indeed very clever. He was also a doctor of theology and had been a professor for what was it? 30 years before he nailed his thesis to the church door. He was confident in his own knowledge and one can hardly blame him, really. That did not make him right, but he was sure. 

4. He chose his own canon based on his own conscience and his own theology. Read his intros to his translation as well as his intros to the books of Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation to see exactly what process he was following. He expected everyone to make up his or her own mind on the subject, even. 

5. Now, I have mentioned it several times, but can anyone answer why the KJV and then other Protestant versions do not have the “Apocrypha” even in the back of the Bible bus? Where did they go? They were in Luther’s Bible. In fact, they were in the first KJV Bibles. Who removed them? They were removed. The answer may surprise you. 

Not sure what to do with the WCF stuff

For now I will leave the WCF posts up and the links to Reformed theology resources.

See, the Reformers and their descendants did not jettison all of Christianity when they left the Catholic Church.

Well, it can be argued that Luther was forced out and that he really didn’t want to be. He wanted to bring about necessary change, but he did not set out to establish his own religion.

Calvin, though, left under his own steam. He very definitely wanted to set up his own religion and call it catholic. He wrote his institutes of the Christian religion and his commentaries and all his writings as a kind of teaching magisterium for his new church. He believed he was the true catholic. He believed that the Church of his day was apostate.

All Reformed groups have believed that since his time. They believe themselves to be the true church and everyone else is measured by their Reformed rules of faith and practice. No, not the only  church, but the only church that really represents the Gospel as it should be preached.

No, they don’t say they are the only Christians.  They do believe their standards to be the closest to the truth.

The biggest problem with the Reformed Churches is that most of them have apostatized.  Most of them have “gone liberal."

Of course, Jesus did say that when He comes, He may not find faith on the earth. Apostasy is the rule in many if not most of the churches in both Europe and No. America. We are living in a time of unbelief in many ways, at least in those two continents. This has affected the Catholic Church as well, of course.

See, in these times, I wonder at the wisdom of trying to paint Catholicism as the Whore of Babylon and the Pope as the antichrist, especially when Protestantism is such a mess.

It seems that all who believe in the truth of the Gospel should join forces against our common enemies. These Reformed guys want to keep fighting a 500 year old battle when the enemy is attacking all of us on other fronts. We are all battling apostasy from within and aggressive atheism and secularism from without and within at times. Why can’t we at least accept the fact that we are all in this together?

Well, I must be patient. It wasn’t that long ago that I was anti Catholic as well. So, the Holy Spirit will do whatever it takes to prove the promises of Christ made to the Church to be true.

He stands behind His promises. Read John 16-18 to see, as well as the Book of Acts.

So, I guess for now I will leave the Reformed information.
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I decided to take down the information about Reformed theology that I had been studying. Why?  Well, I decided not to go the full on Reformed route after all. Since I am now Catholic, it seems strange to have all the Reformed information on my blog.

Some Thoughts on Apostolic Succession

Common Protestant Objection to Apostolic Succession:
Neither the Son of God, nor the apostles, ever claimed they would have successors.>>>>> 

Have you ever considered these passages in relation to apostolic succession?

1. 2 Timothy 2:2
and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

There is certainly an infallible apostolic teaching that needs to be passed on to faithful men who will teach other faithful men so the truth of the Gospel can be transmitted without error to future generations. 

Do you see my point? I don’t think that Protestants would disagree with it, but some might just because it is a Catholic making it. 

2. 1 Corinthians 11:2
Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. 

Notice that there were apostolic traditions that the Christians at Corinth were supposed to be maintaining. So, we have apostolic teachings that define doctrine. We have apostolic traditions that govern gathered worship and the Eucharist. 

3. You have Jesus handing the keys of the Kingdom to Peter. Check out the book of Acts to see the prominent role Peter played. Check out the end of the Gospel of John as well to see how Jesus commissioned Peter to feed His sheep and lambs. John was a witness of that, so it wasn’t just Peter making things up. 

Peter given the keys of the Kingdom and using them.
Peter made the rock upon which Jesus would build His Church.
Peter being commissioned to feed the sheep and lambs. 

Matthew 16:18
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock[b] I will build my church, and the gates of hell[c] shall not prevail against it. 

Now, your Protestant point of view will take you straight to what you think those passages cannot mean. Why not consider another point of view? What do those passages mean? You will at least see why all of Christiandom except Protestants see in that a primary role for the Bishop of Rome. 

It could be that everyone else is wrong and has been wrong for a long, long time, but it could be that Protestants are wrong. 

Relate it to the Trinity if you like. Where is the Trinity in the Bible? I believe it is there, but it is the Church that defined it as dogma. 

Now, you may not agree, but at least you might be able to see that there is a Biblical basis for Catholic traditions. The Church’s teachings are not just made up out of thin air.

What is the Best Bible?

Now, my answer to the question “What is the best Bible?” will probably annoy everyone, but that’s okay. I have my favorite translations. There are many good ones. The US Catholic Bishops website has a list of authorized Catholic versions. There are numerous.

Protestants have their favorites.

So, what is my answer?

The best Bible is the one you actually read.  Ask the Holy Spirit to open your understanding to His Word, but read.

I think of the example of St. Augustine and how God saved him. He heard a child chanting the words “take and read.”  He took that as a command from God. He took up the Scripture that was on the table and he read these words. :

Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying; but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, in concupiscence.

God gave him peace of heart and mind, and created him to be one of His finest servants. 

So, take up the Bible you have sitting on a shelf or a table. Read it. Ask God to speak to you. I am not saying that you will have the same experience as St. Augustine, but you will find Jesus on the pages of Scripture. You will fine peace if you open yourself to God’s grace. Start with the Gospels. 

Of course, don’t forget that God immediately put St. Augustine in His Body, the Church. She loves you and wants you to come home. There is a place at the table for you. Let her be your teacher. 
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Confessions of St. Augustine

But when a deep consideration had from the secret bottom of my soul drawn together and heaped up all my misery in the sight of my heart; there arose a mighty storm, bringing a mighty shower of tears. Which that I might pour forth wholly, in its natural expressions, I rose from Alypius: solitude was suggested to me as fitter for the business of weeping; so I retired so far that even his presence could not be a burden to me. Thus was it then with me, and he perceived something of it; for something I suppose I had spoken, wherein the tones of my voice appeared choked with weeping, and so had risen up. He then remained where we were sitting, most extremely astonished. I cast myself down I know not how, under a certain fig-tree, giving full vent to my tears; and the floods of mine eyes gushed out an acceptable sacrifice to Thee. And, not indeed in these words, yet to this purpose, spake I much unto Thee: and Thou, O Lord, how long? how long, Lord, wilt Thou be angry for ever? Remember not our former iniquities, for I felt that I was held by them. I sent up these sorrowful words: How long, how long, “to-morrow, and tomorrow?” Why not now? why not is there this hour an end to my uncleanness?

So was I speaking and weeping in the most bitter contrition of my heart, when, lo! I heard from a neighbouring house a voice, as of boy or girl, I know not, chanting, and oft repeating, “Take up and read; Take up and read. “ Instantly, my countenance altered, I began to think most intently whether children were wont in any kind of play to sing such words: nor could I remember ever to have heard the like. So checking the torrent of my tears, I arose; interpreting it to be no other than a command from God to open the book, and read the first chapter I should find. For I had heard of Antony, that coming in during the reading of the Gospel, he received the admonition, as if what was being read was spoken to him: Go, sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come and follow me: and by such oracle he was forthwith converted unto Thee. Eagerly then I returned to the place where Alypius was sitting; for there had I laid the volume of the Apostle when I arose thence. I seized, opened, and in silence read that section on which my eyes first fell: Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying; but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, in concupiscence. No further would I read; nor needed I: for instantly at the end of this sentence, by a light as it were of serenity infused into my heart, all the darkness of doubt vanished away.

5 Myths about 7 Books

There are many good articles and websites that talk about the canonicity of the Deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament.  I am certainly not speaking authoritatively on the subject. I just hope that people will examine the evidence for themselves and at least understand why Catholics accept these books.

There is really little or no reason for Protestants to not at least read these books. They did have a lot of influence over the NT writers even if they are not inspired. I believe they are inspired, though, and have begun to see how NT writers used them.

For me, it is simple. Jesus and the NT writers used the Septuagint. The Septuagint has the 7 books. So, they didn’t have any problem thinking they were authoritative.

Many of the arguments against their inclusion in the canon are really arguments from silence it seems to me. Check into it. What have you got to lose? You may have something to gain. At the very least you will gain a better understanding of some NT references that may seem puzzling to you.

The whole story of the woman with the 7 dead husbands makes more sense to me now, for example.

Check out this article called 5 Myths about 7 Books by Mark Shea. He was a Protestant who left it to join the Catholic Church. I like his writing style. He shows intelligence and good humor. He is much more scholarly than I could hope to be. See what you think.

5 Myths about 7 Books by Mark Shea.

Here is the list of 5 myths. The article gives quite a detailed explanation of why each of these 5 objections are really myths. 

Myth 1 
The deuterocanonical books are not found in the Hebrew Bible. They were added by the Catholic Church at the Council of Trent after Luther rejected it.

Myth 2 
Christ and the Apostles frequently quoted Old Testament Scripture as their authority, but they never quoted from the deuterocanonical books, nor did they even mention them. Clearly, if these books were part of Scripture, the Lord would have cited them.

Myth 3 
The deuterocanonical books contain historical, geographical, and moral errors, so they can't be inspired Scripture.

Myth 4
The deuterocanonical books themselves deny that they are inspired Scripture.

Myth 5
The early Church Fathers, such as St. Athanasius and St. Jerome (who translated the official Bible of the Catholic Church), rejected the deuterocanonical books as Scripture, and the Catholic Church added these books to the canon at the Council of Trent.

The book of Wisdom and the Apostle Paul

This is a passage of the Old Testament that Martin Luther believed did not belong in the Bible. That is a tragedy, really.  The Apostle Paul makes reference to the Book of Wisdom in his 1st chapter of the book of Romans. The parallel is unmistakable. 

Protestants, you would be amazed to read what you call the Apocrypha. We call it the Deuterocanonical Books. 

At least Luther put them at the back of his Bible, along with 4 NT books he did not think were up to his standards. To his way of thinking, there were teachings in James, Hebrews, Jude, and even Revelation that went against Reformed teachings, especially his particular view of sola fide. 

Since his time, almost all Protestants have believed the lies of the Reformers that the Deuterocanonical books were not inspired Scripture. At least Luther kept them in the Bible, but in the back. Most don’t even know there are books of the Old Testament that have been removed since all the major Protestant Bibles do not have them at all and never refer to them except to say that they are not the inspired Word of God. Most Christians never even read them for themselves to find out what they say. 

Yes, many Protestants accept them as part of Jewish history, and maybe even of some value spiritually, but not infallible or authoritative.  They would be taken by the most open minded of Protestants as maybe on the same level of good Christian literature, but not canon. 

That is a tragedy. Much of New Testament teaching is taken from these books. 

 Wis 13:1-9

All men were by nature foolish who were in ignorance of God,
and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing him who is,
and from studying the works did not discern the artisan;
But either fire, or wind, or the swift air,
or the circuit of the stars, or the mighty water,
or the luminaries of heaven, the governors of the world, they considered gods.
Now if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods,
let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these;
for the original source of beauty fashioned them.
Or if they were struck by their might and energy,
let them from these things realize how much more powerful is he who made them.
For from the greatness and the beauty of created things
their original author, by analogy, is seen.
But yet, for these the blame is less;
For they indeed have gone astray perhaps,
though they seek God and wish to find him.
For they search busily among his works,
but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair.
But again, not even these are pardonable.
For if they so far succeeded in knowledge
that they could speculate about the world,
how did they not more quickly find its Lord?

God's Wrath on Unrighteousness

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[g] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

About the Canon - evidences of NT quotes and references from the Deuterocanonical Books of the Old Testament

One of the things that has been fun for me as a lover of God’s Word, the Bible, is to discover that the Deuterocanonical Books of the Old Testament really are quoted and referred to in the NT, both by Jesus and by the other NT writers.

These references are quite extensive. Now, some will argue that even pagan poets are quoted, but that doesn’t make their writings Scripture.

In the first place, the writings of pagan poets were never included in Scripture. The Deuterocanonical Books have always been included in Scripture by both the Catholic Church and the Eastern Churches.  They are part of the Septuagint - the translation of the Old Testament into Koiné Greek. It was the Bible used by Jesus and the Apostles as well as all the NT writers. Many Protestants forget that, or they don’t know.

Here is part of the Wikipedia entry for Septuagint.

The Septuagint (from the Latin septuaginta, "seventy") is a translation of the Hebrew Bible and some related texts into Koine Greek. As the primary Greek translation of the Old Testament, it is also called the Greek Old Testament. This translation is quoted a number of times in the New Testament,^[1][2] particularly in Pauline epistles,^[3] and also by the Apostolic Fathers and later Greek Church Fathers. The title (Greek: Ἡ μετάφρασις τῶν Ἑβδομήκοντα, lit. "The Translation of the Seventy") and its Roman numeral acronym LXX refer to the legendary seventy Jewish scholars who solely translated the Five Books of Moses as early as the 3rd century BCE.^[4][5]

The traditional story is that Ptolemy II sponsored the translation of the Torah (Pentateuch, Five Books of Moses). Subsequently, the Greek translation was in circulation among the Alexandrian Jews who were fluent in Koine Greek but not in Hebrew,^[6] the former being the lingua franca of Alexandria, Egypt and the Eastern Mediterranean at the time.^[7]

The Septuagint should not be confused with the seven or more other Greek versions of the Old Testament,^[4] most of which did not survive except as fragments (some parts of these being known from Origen's Hexapla, a comparison of six translations in adjacent columns, now almost wholly lost). Of these, the most important are those by Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion.

One of the most controversial teachings of the Church is that of Purgatory. Part of that is because of the abuses in the sale of indulgences.  This was one of the things that really bothered Martin Luther. He righty spoke out against those abuses. The Church had to quit those practices, and clarify what an indulgence really is. It is not something to be bought and sold like a commodity. 

Most Protestants believe that the Catholic Church made up the teaching about Purgatory. Actually, the idea of Purgatory has Biblical support. Since no one is completely sanctified in this life, there has to be a final purification so that the person can enter God’s presence for all eternity and not be bothered by any tendency to sin as even the best believer is now. 

That final purification is called Purgatory. 

Here are two passages that support the doctrine of Purgatory. No, not all theories about what it is and how long a person spends there are official Church dogma. Some are pretty elaborate. The basic idea is clear, though. The person in Purgatory will enter Heaven and will see the Beatific Vision just like any other saint. The process of sanctification will produce the effect of holiness in the life of the believer. Purgatory is part of that. 

Check out the Catechism of the Catholic Church on that. You may not agree, but at least know what you do not agree with and be able to explain why you disagree. Look at these two Scriptures and think about what they mean and how they relate to a believer’s sanctification and final purification. 

The wood, hay, and stubble will be burned away. The gold, silver, and precious stones will remain. We will be saved as though by fire if we persevere by the grace that God freely bestows on us in Christ. 

Reading 1 Wis 2:23–3:9

God formed man to be imperishable;
the image of his own nature he made them.
But by the envy of the Devil, death entered the world,
and they who are in his possession experience it.

But the souls of the just are in the hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
They shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the Lord shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
and his care is with his elect.

1 Corinthians 3

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Some thoughts on the canon of Scripture

You have to trust the Church for preservation of the New Testament. It took more than human authors, though it took that as well. It took other human beings to infallibly recognize which books of the many manuscripts circulating at the time actually belonged in canon. That also had to be the work of the Holy Spirit infallibly guiding the Church into all truth as Jesus promised He would. 

What method did they use to decide what books were inspired by the Holy Spirit? It could not have been merely rationalistic based on the best discoveries in philology, though the Holy Spirit uses human instruments to accomplish His will.

Now, there is a fair amount of variation for different Christian groups about what the canon of the OT is. It is clear, though, that the Septuagint was what Jesus and the apostles used. There are numerous quotes and references to the Deuterocanonical books in the NT writings. The logical conclusion would be that they considered these books to be Scripture and useful for doctrine, for reproof, and for instruction in righteousness. IOW, God-breathed. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17)

On what authority do Protestants say that their Bible is the only true canon of Scripture? See, Protestants always have a problem of authority. By whose authority was the Protestant canon of the OT determined  and who gets to decide? 

It would be better if Protestants at least allowed for the idea that they may have gotten it wrong about the OT canon. I mean, can the Catholic and EO Churches that existed long before Luther – some 1,500 years – have gotten it wrong and one German have gotten it right? 

Not likely.

It is my understanding that Protestants went along with 3rd Century Jews - no offense meant to God’s people on that - who decided that their canon did not include the Deuterocanonical books. Since it was the Jews who were entrusted with the preservation of the Old Testament, - the oracles of God -  they are the ones who should decide what their Scripture is. That is true, but it doesn’t mean that they should decide what the Christian canon is. 

It seems that Christians should use the Scripture that Jesus and the Apostles used, which includes the Deuterocanonical books. After all, the Septuagint  includes everything that the Jewish people consider to be Scripture, so nothing is being taken away by Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Churches. 

There are many fine articles written on the subject, but for my purposes as a Catholic, I do not see that Protestants have a justification for eliminating the Deuterocanonical books from their Scripture. 

Of course, we share the New Testament in common, so there is no problem in that regard. 

2 Widows

Today’s reading is taken from 1 Kings 17 and Mark 12. Once again I was blessed and encouraged by the words of Fr. Don Miller, OFM. Here are some notes I took from the brief reflection on these Scriptural passages about kingdom living. You can find these Daily Reflections at the USCCB website.  Look at the entry for November 8, 2015.

Not all of the reflections are equally good, but Fr. Miller is consistently good. I have been listening to them daily for almost a year now and have been pleasantly surprised. Why surprised? Well,  I used to think that Catholics didn’t know their Bibles very well. That may be true in a way since not all who claim to be Catholic actually attend Mass regularly to hear Scripture read and commented on.

I am finding that Catholic Christians are indeed Bible Christians. I feel a bit foolish for making that discovery - kind of like what Chesterton shared about his discovery of Catholicism after spending much of his life as a Protestant. He felt a bit like a man who discovers England. It had been there all along, so he felt rather foolish when he  discovered the obvious.


These are two faith filled women who were both poor and widows. That makes them examples for all of us. We are all like those women. They teach us about kingdom living.

1. I Kings 17 is the story of the widow of Zarephath and her encounter with the Prophet Elisha. 

8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’” 15 And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.

Even though she had little left, the Prophet insists that she feed him first. He also gives her the wonderful promise that God would provide. Because of her faith, she does it and finds out that God’s word is true. She let go of the little she had, trusting that God would take care of her and her son. 

2. Mark 12 has the little story about the widow’s offering - The Widow’s Mite as it is known by many. 

Mark 12 

41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.[f] 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Her model of faith is similar to that of the other widow. She probably wasn’t even aware of Jesus’ presence in the Temple. She gave everything she had. 

This raises the questions. Do we give out of our surplus or do we give sacrificially?  We are to trust God even when it hurts.  How will we respond?  Each one must decide. 

3 Parables about being lost

The Daily Reflections Video today at the USCCB website (Nov. 5, 2015)is simple and sweet. I like the way that Msgr. James C. Vlaun relates the Scripture reading to daily life. Maybe because I work with children a lot I like simple and clear illustrations - either verbal or visual. 

In today’s reflection, Msgr. Vlaun emphasizes the need to “sweat” the small things in life. It is often in the small things that we get lost or lose ourselves.  When we skip Mass, forget to pray, don’t read our Bibles even a little, forget to thank God and others for what we are given and what we are enabled to do, we easily stray off the path that Jesus has set out for us. 


The Gospel reading is from Luke 15.  I love to tell these  parables to children.  I  remember how they touched my life when I was young. 

1.  The lost sheep - carelessly straying and becoming lost. It wasn’t paying attention and lost sight of the path.

2. The lost coin - accidentally falling from a table, perhaps. The climate it was in caused it to get lost. It wasn’t really the fault of the coin. 

[In the story I tell children, the cultural aspect of how meaningful that coin was to the woman. Some say it would have been part of a coin necklace given to her on her wedding day. Its loss would be similar to a wife losing her wedding ring.   It was very precious to her, and it somehow got lost in the house.] 

3. The lost son - the son who deliberately disobeyed his father and sinned in great ways. 


Not paying attention.  The climate we live in. Deliberate disobedience. 

3 ways we can get lost.  Paying attention to the small things can keep us from losing our way spiritually. 

Clear. Simple. True. 

The hope we have is that Jesus came, sent by His Father, to seek and to save the  lost.   We are not groping around in the darkness trying to find our way. Jesus comes to us in our lostness. The Shepherd is Jesus, the woman is Jesus, the Father is God. 

Luke 19:10

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.