Jesus and Zacchaeus

 Lk 19:1-10

At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. 
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature. 
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said,
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house.” 
And he came down quickly and received him with joy. 
When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying,
“He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.” 
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
“Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over.”
And Jesus said to him,
“Today salvation has come to this house
because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. 
For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost.”

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This is the Gospel reading from Mass yesterday. Here are some thoughts that come to my mind. What do you think? 

1. The Lord said to this little man, Zacchaeus, that He wanted to go to his house that day. Jesus knew the man’s reputation. Everyone did. Why would Jesus choose to invite Himself over to Zacchaeus’ home to spend the day with him? Pretty amazing.  

2. Spiritually speaking, He says the same thing to each one of us.  “Today I must stay at your house.” 

3. Put youself into the story. You are the one up in the tree trying to get a glimpse of Jesus. He comes right to you. What is your next move?


4. Revelation 3:20, is one of my favorites. The latch of the door is on the inside. It has to be opened from the inside. Think about it. 


5. Both Luke 19:1-10 and Rev. 3:20 are related to the Eucharist,- Christ’s real presence. “Take. Eat. This is my body...” 
1 Corinthians 11:24.
and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”


Revelation 3:20
 Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.

Jesus, Lover of My Soul

Wis 11:22-12:2

Before the LORD the whole universe is as a grain from a balance
or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth.
But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things;
and you overlook people's sins that they may repent.
For you love all things that are
and loathe nothing that you have made;
for what you hated, you would not have fashioned.
And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it;
or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you?
But you spare all things, because they are yours,
O LORD and lover of souls,
for your imperishable spirit is in all things!
Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little,
warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing,
that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!

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This was the first Mass reading yesterday. The phrase that caught my attention was “O LORD and lover of souls.” 

It reminds me of the John Wesley hymn “Jesus Lover of My Soul.” It is often set to the Welsh hymn tune “Aberystwyth”. 

If you feel like no one cares about you, these words and this music is for you, for me, for us. 

The Wisdom passage is breath taking. 

Jesus, Lover of My Soul

1. Jesus, lover of my soul,
   Let me to Thy bosom fly,
   While the nearer waters roll,
   While the tempest still is high.
   Hide me, O my Savior, hide,
   Till the storm of life is past;
   Safe into the haven guide;
   Oh, receive my soul at last.
2. Other refuge have I none,
   Hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
   Leave, ah! leave me not alone,
   Still support and comfort me.
   All my trust on Thee is stayed,
   All my help from Thee I bring;
   Cover my defenseless head
   With the shadow of Thy wing.
3. Wilt Thou not regard my call?
   Wilt Thou not accept my prayer?
   Lo! I sink, I faint, I fall—
   Lo! on Thee I cast my care.
   Reach me out Thy gracious hand!
   While I of Thy strength receive,
   Hoping against hope I stand,
   Dying, and behold, I live.
4. Thou, O Christ, art all I want,
   More than all in Thee I find;
   Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
   Heal the sick, and lead the blind.
   Just and holy is Thy Name,
   Source of all true righteousness;
   Thou art evermore the same,
   Thou art full of truth and grace.
5. Plenteous grace with Thee is found,
   Grace to cover all my sin;
   Let the healing streams abound;
   Make and keep me pure within.
   Thou of life the fountain art,
   Freely let me take of Thee;
   Spring Thou up within my heart;
   Rise to all eternity.

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958): Household music, three Preludes on Welsh Hymn tunes (1920).

No. 1. Crug-Y-Bar: Fantasia. Andante sostenuto
No. 2. St. Denio: Scherzo. Allegro vivace (Start at 4'.50'')
No. 3. Aberystwyth: Variations. Theme: Lento (Start at 8'.09'').

Perseverance

Yesterday's readings at Mass were from Exodus 17:8-13, 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2, and Luke 18:1-8. Each one of these passages has something to do with perseverance and faithfulness. Not everyone has the same gifts. 

I hope I can get a photograph of the beautiful wooden “key of the kingdom” that someone in the parish had made. It showed great Scandinavian style craftsmanship. Fr. David uses it as an object lesson for children. Yesterday he was going to use it in the 11 AM Mass, which was to be a children’s Mass. Even though his homily was mainly designed for children, I thought it was very appropriate for adults as well. 

Of course, I love object lessons anyway. 

Fr. David talked about how it would make no sense for him to try to persevere in the kind of wood working that was required to make the key. He would barely even know how to begin the work let alone how to persevere to its completion.

He believes that God wants him to persevere in contemplative prayer and his service to God as a priest. That is his area of struggle as well. Sometimes it is easy, and other times it is difficult. Sometimes all goes well, and other times there are failures. 

Others have different gifts where perseverance is needed.  

It was a good reminder that not everyone has to be good at everything. At the same time, everyone has gifts that need to be developed. Each of us needs to persevere. 

We rely on God’s grace in Christ. The Holy Spirit gives us strength. 

To illustrate this, Fr. David used a basketball. The object lesson was designed for children, but it works with adults as well. 

He pointed out that the basketball is imperfect, even though it is well made. It is not a perfect sphere. Even so, he had learned how to make it spin on his index finger much like the Harlem Globe Trotters do in their exhibition games. 

It was kind of impressive, because he really can do it. Eventually, though, because of the imperfections in the ball and in his own finger, the ball would fall - and it did. So, what did he do?  He tried again and got the ball spinning again. 

That is very much like our lives as Christians. Because of our imperfections we eventually fall for one reason or another. We get discouraged or lazy or sloppy and then stumble and even fall into sin. What do we do?  We get up and continue on. We persevere if we really do love God. 

He pushes us onward and upward. 

I thought that these 2 object lessons were great. I don’t think I could do the basketball trick, but maybe a top would work instead. It would go well for any children’s group - or even adult. 

Fr. David also explained how Luke 18:1-8 passage would be understood by Jesus’ audience in this way. Everyone in the community would have witnessed this exchange between the widow and the dishonest judge. They were all watching to see what the judge would do. In fact, it was likely that they encouraged her in her efforts to get justice. 

The Exodus passage also shows how the battle involved more in the community than just the soldiers. Moses did not go into battle, but he held his arms up the whole time. Others helped him keep his arms up. This is generally understood much like the story of the widow and the dishonest judge as an example of perseverance in prayer as a community, in communion with all the saints. 

The 2 Timothy selection emphasizes the patience, love, endurance, steadfastness, and faith that were Paul’s aim in life. They should be our aim as well, along with persistence. 

We need those qualities in our lives now as much or more than ever. 

Gospel Lk 18:1-8Jesus told his disciples a parableabout the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, “There was a judge in a certain townwho neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say,‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought,‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering meI shall deliver a just decision for herlest she finally come and strike me.’” The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen oneswho call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Walk on Water

My friend has a big decision to make. She has had some physical problems that make it very difficult for her to do her job. If she can’t meet a minimum requirement of hours, she will lose her job.  Even harder for her is the fact that her benefits include a home where she, her husband, and 3 sons now live. 

They have nowhere else to go at this time. 

She has to make a big decision. Either way, it is a huge step of faith for her.  If she stays, she will need to trust God for the physical strength to meet her work schedule. If they move, she will lose her salary and benefits. 

She and her husband are also in full-time Christian ministry, so quitting her job would be a relief in many ways, but a financial burden at the same time. 

So, I sent her this picture and reminded her of the story of Peter walking on the water. I told her that I didn’t know if she should move or stay where she was.

I told her that either way, Jesus was with them for their good. 

Maybe someone else needs to be reminded of this message today. 

Matthew 14
Jesus Walks on the Water22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land,[a] for the wind was against them. 25 And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”28 Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he noticed the strong wind,[b] he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

What is a Saint?

Matthew 5:13-16
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father.”

- Yesterday’s Gospel reading for Mass

The Daily Video Reflection for June 7, 2016 from the USCCB website had a lovely little story told by Fr. Conrad Stachowiak. This Fr. works with deaf Catholics. 

Watch the video if you have time. I will try to get the story right. It relates to what it means to be salt and light in this world. All Christians are called to be salt and light. In fact, we are all called to be saints. That is God’s goal for all of us, to be like Christ. That is what a saint is - someone who is like Jesus. Some have the special designation of Saint because of the extraordinary way that the grace of God was reflected in their lives. 

Yes, Protestants have trouble with that designation. However, I know from my many years as an Evangelical Protestant that even in my circles there are men and women, young and old, who are revered. There are some Christians in all groups who are held up as examples of what it means to follow Christ. 

In fact, some Protestant groups even call those special people “saints.” Their lives are an encouragement to all of us. 

Now for the story. 

There was a teacher at a Catholic school for the deaf who took her 3rd grade class to a cathedral.  The children were fascinated with all they saw, especially in the stained glass windows. One child asked the teacher who those people depicted in the windows were. She simply answered that those were saints. 

The next day in class she asked her students questions about their field trip. She asked, “Who can tell me what a saint is?”  The little boy who had asked the question the day before raised his hand and answered, “A saint is a person who lets the light shine through.”

We are all called to this, to allow the light and love of Christ shine through us. Fr. Conrad reminds us that we need to lay aside our arrogance so that the light of Christ can shine through us. People need to see Christ in us. 

What a great little story and application of this Gospel passage!

Find this reflection and others at the USCCB website. 

Three

 I love  hidden object games. You know the kind. There are objects hidden within a picture and a person has to find them all in order to pass on to the next level. Some clues are available, but mostly a player just has to look until all of the objects on the list are found. 

In some ways the  Bible is like that. There are certain patterns that are found scattered throughout its pages. A person needs to have good observational skills among other things.

Think about this.

Jonah spent 3 days and 3 nights in its belly.

Jesus spent 3 days and 3 nights dead in the belly of the earth.

Jesus was “lost” for 3 days while the family caravan started for home without Him.

At the Wedding in Cana, the wine ran out after 3 days of feasting.

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit - One God, three Persons.

At Jesus’ baptism, the Son was baptized, the Father spoke from Heaven, and the Spirit descended in the form of a dove.

At the Mount of Transfiguration the Son was glorified, the Father spoke, and wasn’t the Holy Spirit present in the cloud?


Are there more “threes" in the Bible?  Yes, there are. Can you find more?

Kind of cool to contemplate. God’s revelation all fits together and all points back to Him.  He is the Mystery who reveals Himself in the details. God is in all of them.  

A person has to pay attention, though. Jesus said it this way. 

Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? 

Matthew 18:8 

What got me thinking about this?  The Mysteries of the Rosary for one. Another is  that I was not paying attention to all the clues that lead to the fact that Jesus has only One body, not many. Things like that.  

It is so easy to miss the things that are right under one’s nose. May God give us ears to hear and eyes to see. 

Christ, the Good Shepherd

I have always loved the Shepherd analogies in the Bible. Psalm 23 was the first Bible passages I learned. In fact, it was the only one my mother taught me. It has always stayed with me from the time I was a little girl. 

The story of the Good Shepherd searching for the lost sheep is a story I love to tell to children. Jesus is that Good Shepherd who gave His life for His sheep. Such beautiful images come to mind, ones that bring comfort and encouragement. 

Christ loves us. Christ came to find us. We easily stray away. We get into messes. He gave Himself to us in love. We give ourselves to Him. 

Such beautiful simplicity! 
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Here is part of a homily from a long, long time ago. 

From a homily on the Gospels by Saint Gregory the Great, pope
Christ the good shepherd

I am the good shepherd. I know my own — by which I mean, I love them — and my own know me. In plain words: those who love me are willing to follow me, for anyone who does not love the truth has not yet come to know it.

My dear brethren, you have heard the test we pastors have to undergo. Turn now to consider how these words of our Lord imply a test for yourselves also. Ask yourselves whether you belong to his flock, whether you know him, whether the light of his truth shines in your minds. I assure you that it is not by faith that you will come to know him, but by love; not by mere conviction, but by action. John the evangelist is my authority for this statement. He tells us that anyone who claims to know God without keeping his commandments is a liar.

Consequently, the Lord immediately adds: As the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep. Clearly he means that laying down his life for his sheep gives evidence of his knowledge of the Father and the Father’s knowledge of him. In other words, by the love with which he dies for his sheep he shows how greatly he loves his Father.

Again he says: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them; they follow me, and I give them eternal life. Shortly before this he had declared: If anyone enters the sheepfold through me he shall be saved; he shall go freely in and out and shall find good pasture.He will enter into a life of faith; from faith he will go out to vision, from belief to contemplation, and will graze in the good pastures of everlasting life.

So our Lord’s sheep will finally reach their grazing ground where all who follow him in simplicity of heart will feed on the green pastures of eternity. These pastures are the spiritual joys of heaven. There the elect look upon the face of God with unclouded vision and feast at the banquet of life for ever more.

Beloved brothers, let us set out for these pastures where we shall keep joyful festival with so many of our fellow citizens. May the thought of their happiness urge us on! Let us stir up our hearts, rekindle our faith, and long eagerly for what heaven has in store for us. To love thus is to be already on our way. No matter what obstacles we encounter, we must not allow them to turn us aside from the joy of that heavenly feast. Anyone who is determined to reach his destination is not deterred by the roughness of the road that leads to it. Nor must we allow the charm of success to seduce us, or we shall be like a foolish traveler who is so distracted by the pleasant meadows through which he is passing that he forgets where he is going.

RESPONSORY See John 10:14, 15; 1 Corinthians 5:7

The Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep has risen from the dead.
— For the sake of the flock he willingly suffered death, alleluia.

One

I don’t pretend to be any kind of authority at all, but I am recording here some of the things that I am noticing in Scripture. See, when I was a Protestant, I had trained myself to ignore any evidence that would tend to support the Catholic teaching that Peter is the first Pope. Now I am noticing the Biblical evidence for the fact that Peter is indeed the first Pope. 

I know. For a non Catholic Christian, that is a stretch, but what if the Catholic Church is right?  I believe she is. I know you won’t take my word for it, but take a look for yourself.

Come and see. 

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 Jerusalem council. 

Notice a pattern developing.  

1. There was much debate first.

2. Then it came time to settle the matter.

3. Peter led the way. 

4. The debate ended and all grew silent. They must have been thinking through what Peter reported as well as what had been discussed. 

5. A decision was made. Scripture was invoked. James made his recommendation. 

Peter’s appeal was to the fact that in Christ, both Jew and Gentile are one in Christ. God makes no distinction based on ethnicity.  

James made his pastoral recommendations, but it was Peter whom God used to clarify the doctrinal matter. He was the one who saw that the debate needed to come to an end. 

The decision needed to be the only possible one. Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ had been given the same Holy Spirit. Therefore there is only one faith, one way to be saved. There is only one Holy Spirit who had been given to Jew and Gentile alike through their common faith in Christ.

Paul, in Ephesians 4:1-6 later elaborated on this oneness inherent in our faith. One times 7 still equals one. 

One faith. One Lord. One Baptism. One Spirit. One hope. One body. One God and Father of all. 

Here is a Ignatius Press Study Bible comment on Peter's and James’ roles in the decision making process. 

15:11 we believe: Peter speaks as the head and spokesman of the apostolic Church. He formulates a doctrinal judgment about the means of salvation, whereas James takes the floor after him to suggest a pastoral plan for inculturating the gospel in mixed communities where Jewish and Gentile believers live side by side (15:13-21).

Back
Hahn, Scott; Mitch, Curtis (2010-06-14). The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (Kindle Locations 14538-14541). Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition. 

[To access more of today’s Mass readings, click on the Bible references. You can also watch to a Daily Reflections video. 

Alleluia Jn 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep know my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Reading 1 Acts 15:7-21

After much debate had taken place,
Peter got up and said to the Apostles and the presbyters,
“My brothers, you are well aware that from early days
God made his choice among you that through my mouth
the Gentiles would hear the word of the Gospel and believe.
And God, who knows the heart,
bore witness by granting them the Holy Spirit
just as he did us.
He made no distinction between us and them,
for by faith he purified their hearts.
Why, then, are you now putting God to the test
by placing on the shoulders of the disciples
a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?
On the contrary, we believe that we are saved
through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they.”
The whole assembly fell silent,
and they listened
while Paul and Barnabas described the signs and wonders
God had worked among the Gentiles through them.

After they had fallen silent, James responded,
“My brothers, listen to me.
Symeon has described how God first concerned himself
with acquiring from among the Gentiles a people for his name.
The words of the prophets agree with this, as is written:

After this I shall return
and rebuild the fallen hut of David;
from its ruins I shall rebuild it
and raise it up again,
so that the rest of humanity may seek out the Lord,
even all the Gentiles on whom my name is invoked.
Thus says the Lord who accomplishes these things,
known from of old.

It is my judgment, therefore,
that we ought to stop troubling the Gentiles who turn to God,
but tell them by letter to avoid pollution from idols,
unlawful marriage, the meat of strangled animals, and blood.
For Moses, for generations now,
has had those who proclaim him in every town,
as he has been read in the synagogues every sabbath.”

St. Irenaeus - The Eucharist - Pledge of our Resurrection

From the treatise Against Heresies by Saint Irenaeus, bishop

The eucharist, pledge of our resurrection

If our flesh is not saved, then the Lord has not redeemed us with his blood, the eucharistic chalice does not make us sharers in his blood, and the bread we break does not make us sharers in his body. There can be no blood without veins, flesh and the rest of the human substance, and this the Word of God actually became: it was with his own blood that he redeemed us. As the Apostle says: In him, through his blood, we have been redeemed, our sins have been forgiven.

We are his members and we are nourished by creation, which is his gift to us, for it is he who causes the sun to rise and the rain to fall. He declared that the chalice, which comes from his creation, was his blood, and he makes it the nourishment of our blood. He affirmed that the bread, which comes from his creation, was his body, and he makes it the nourishment of our body. When the chalice we mix and the bread we bake receive the word of God, the eucharistic elements become the body and blood of Christ, by which our bodies live and grow. How then can it be said that flesh belonging to the Lord’s own body and nourished by his body and blood is incapable of receiving God’s gift of eternal life? Saint Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians that we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones. He is not speaking of some spiritual and incorporeal kind of man, for spirits do not have flesh and bones. He is speaking of a real human body composed of flesh, sinews and bones, nourished by the chalice of Christ’s blood and receiving growth from the bread which is his body.

The slip of a vine planted in the ground bears fruit at the proper time. The grain of wheat falls into the ground and decays only to be raised up again and multiplied by the Spirit of God who sustains all things. The Wisdom of God places these things at the service of man and when they receive God’s word they become the eucharist, which is the body and blood of Christ. In the same way our bodies, which have been nourished by the eucharist, will be buried in the earth and will decay, but they will rise again at the appointed time, for the Word of God will raise them up to the glory of God the Father. Then the Father will clothe our mortal nature in immortality and freely endow our corruptible nature with incorruptibility, for God’s power is shown most perfectly in weakness.

RESPONSORY John 6:48-52

I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate manna in the desert, and they died.
— This is the bread that comes down from heaven; anyone who eats this bread will never die, alleluia.

I am the living bread come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.
— This is the bread that comes down from heaven; anyone who eats this bread will never die, alleluia.
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Here are some of my thoughts on this. Check out what I say and compare it to official Catholic sources. Some years ago I began to read the Church fathers. Not long ago it dawned on me that they were my favorite theologians and that they were all Catholic.

Here is Irenaeus giving a very Catholic explanation of the Eucharist way back in the 2nd Century. I am not a scholar. I am not an apologist. I am not an academic. I am just a person who loves God and His Word and now the Catholic Church. So, I post things by Catholic scholars, apologists, academics, and saints that I find to be helpful. My own comments may or may not be helpful.  I hope they are.

This St. Irenaeus quote is evidence to the idea that the Catholic Church’s teaching on the Eucharist is the true and most ancient Christian teaching about the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The blood is the blood of Christ and the bread is the body of Christ at the Word of God. It is also a piece of evidence to support the Catholic Church’s claim that she has not changed key dogmas. 

Notice how Irenaeus relates the Eucharist to the Incarnation. Protestants get criticized for denying the Real Presence - Christ’s body, blood, soul, and divinity - in the elements. Protestants have a problem with both Scripture and the earliest teachings of the Church when they make the claim that the bread and the wine are merely symbolic. In Protestant teaching, Christ is present spiritually, but not physically in the bread and the wine.

There is plenty of evidence to support the Catholic teaching - both Scriptural and traditional.

Irenaeus dates from the early 2nd century, long before Emperor Constantine. In fact, as a young man, he had heard St. Polycarp, who was a disciple of the Apostle John. [1.]

Why is that significant?  We are taught in Protestantism that the Church became corrupted when Constantine declared Christianity to be the official religion of the Empire. That corruption - which allegedly began to be corrected over 1,000 years later by the Reformers - included what most Reformers believe to be the idolatrous meaning of the Eucharist as practiced by Catholics.

So, who changed the Eucharist? The Reformers did. I am not an academic scholar, of course. So please look into this for yourself.

It is interesting to note that Eastern Orthodox Churches have basically the same theology as Catholics - with very few differences. They are in agreement about the meaning of the Eucharist - the Real Presence of Christ.

The Reformers would have to say that the Holy Spirit allowed the Church to be in error for over 1,000 years before He corrected the teaching on the Eucharist through men like Luther and Calvin. That is highly unlikely if the Holy Spirit really had been poured out on the Church at Pentecost. [See Acts 1 & 2]

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would lead His people into all truth. Why would it take Him so long to correct such an error if it really were an error?  [2.]

No Church council had ever tried to change or “correct” the understanding of the Eucharist that Irenaeus clearly portrays. So why did the Reformers take it upon themselves to corrupt the clear meaning of Jesus’ words. [See John 6:48-52]

It is an offense to the Holy Spirit to say that He allowed the Church to be led into error for a long, long time instead of into all truth. 

This is from today’s Office of Readings. [3.]
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[1.] Entry about St. Irenaeus from The New Advent
[2.] John 16:13Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

[3.] April 14, 2016 - DivineOffice.org - Office of Readings for Thursday in the 3rd week of Easter

Lent - “Not by bread alone..."

This is why Jesus responds: “Scripture has it, ‘Not on bread alone shall man live” (Matthew 4:4). Life means so much more than sensual pleasure. Love, loyalty, relationship, family, moral excellence, aesthetic pleasure, and the aspiration after God are all so much more important.
- Bishop Robert Barron

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The above quote is from Bishop Barron’s Lenten reflections, Day 5. The reading for the day was about Jesus’ temptation as recorded in the book of Matthew.

His brief summary of Jesus’ words, “Not on bread alone shall man live” captures the meaning quite well. Look at the list of some good things that give life true meaning.

All of those things also appeal to the senses - to the whole person - but in ways that honor God.

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.