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Friday, September 17, 2010

Bible and Catechism in a year: Day 6

Genesis 6:9-7:24

Noah.  Flood.  'nuff said?  Perhaps.  More tomorrow when we finish the flood story.

Psalm 6

This one is a bit of a downer.  Lamenting and begging for mercy.  Perhaps we don't do this enough.

Matthew 5:1-20

Yesterday I sort of left off the part where Jesus begins calling disciples.  It's important...he goes after fishermen first. 

Today we begin the sermon on the mount.  Jesus begins with the beatitudes.  We are reminded that our suffering on this earth is worthwhile, and that those things which are not often valued by the world are indeed valued by God. 

The he moves on to salt and light.  Salt of the earth.  Light of the world.  These are important images.  Light of the world is a bit easier to grasp than salt of the earth, though.  Turns out I'm not the only one who thinks so.  There is a lot of disagreement as to what exactly Jesus is trying to tell us about being the salt of the earth. 

As a chemical engineer, first thing that comes to my mind is that salt doesn't lose it's saltiness.  Assuming our Lord is speaking of sodium chloride...well, even old salt is salty.  So this is a mysterious saying. 

But salt is used for so many things...bringing out flavor, preserving foods, purifying things, etc.  So we can see how we are to do these things for the world...

Salt was also rather valuable in the ancient world, and often was cut with other substances by unscrupulous merchants.  Perhaps we are talking about the case where salt mixed with, say, white sand, gets wet, and the salt dissolves, and we are left with the sand...it would have no taste...it's a stretch, but a possibility, I suppose.

Some other scholars suggest that Jesus is using wordplay here.  Apparently, in Aramaic, there is a word which can mean either "to lose taste" or "to become foolish."  If we view salt as a metaphor for wisdom (as some rabbinic literature apparently did), then this might make sense.  For if one is given wisdom and does not follow it (becomes foolish), the wisdom given that person is doing them no benefit, and may as well be "thrown out and trodden under foot by men..."

That makes a lot of sense, actually.

Finally, we have Jesus saying that he has not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.  I'm sure this concept will come up more in the future...

Catechism 31-38

We know that we are meant for God.  But how do we seek God and how do we know Him?  Firstly, we find that the intellect, even so darkened by the fall, certainly points us to God's existence.  We can figure out a lot about God just by looking at the world and the human person.  The world is so well put together (and by 'the world' I mean, really, 'the universe') that it suggests design.  That we find can find beauty in creation is a dead giveaway that this did not all just pop into existence.  The world is not strictly utilitarian in nature, as though made by a mere laborer, but contains the artistry of a master craftsman.  We can observe not just utility, but beauty as well.  Then when we look at the human person (who is created in God's image), we certainly see a great deal of evidence.  That we have morals (even if we don't agree on them), that we can empathize, that we seek companionship, and seek God...these things again point to some higher purpose.  Somehow, we sense the infinite nature of our very souls, despite our finite grasp of the world.

But to truly know God, we need some help.  And since God wants us to know Him, He gives us some help in the form of revelation.  Because we are made to seek him, we welcome this, for it is indeed only by knowing God that we can better understand our purpose on this world and make our way to the next.

Tomorrow's readings:

Genesis 8-9
Psalm 7
Matthew 5:21-48
Catechism 39-49

Until tomorrow, God Bless!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Bible and Catechism in a year: Day 5

Genesis 5:1-6:8

I never noticed before that Chapter five opens with a reminder that we are created, male and female, in God's image.  My eyes always when straight to the long geneology of some very long lived individuals. 

The most interesting in this string is Enoch, who "walked with God."  He's the only one in the line that didn't die, but was taken by God (one of three humans to have that honor according to Catholic Tradition).  As it turns out, he is Noah's great grandfather. 

Then we get some rather poetic and cryptic verse about the sons of God and the daughters of men, and a race called the "Nephilim"  I spent the majority of my lunch hour reading up on this verse and getting some perspective.  Lots of people read into this one and come up with a lot of crazy ideas.  Though I am no scholar, the footnote seems to make pretty good sense:  "The writer, however, may be using an old story or myth to point out the progressive degradation of mankind before the Flood and to warn against the evil effects of intermarriage either of the descendants of Seth with the Kenites, or, more probably, of the Israelites with the native populations of Canaan." 

Psalm 5:

The Psalmist has a way of painting his enemies with his language.  His contrast of those who walk in the way of the Lord and those who are wicked is quite striking.  And yet, he makes clear is dependance on God:  "Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of my enemies; make thy way straight before me.

Matthew 4:

As an aside, this chapter begins with what Lino Rulli (AKA The Catholic Guy) calls "The most obvious statement in the Bible"
"And he fasted forty days and forthy nights, and afterward he was hungry"
Kidding aside, though, this is a very important bit of scripture, where Jesus is tempted by Satan in the desert. 

How beautiful it is that Jesus invokes the scripture "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."  Jesus IS the Word...and I had never really considered his response here that he was foreshadowing his gift of self in the Eucharist.

When Jesus tells Satan to be gone, Satan obeys.  This isn't surprising, but it certainly tells us something important about who Jesus is.  Not only do the evil spirits submit to his commands, but the prime evil spirit as well. 

It is also lovely that the angels come and minister to him after his ordeal.

Catechism  26-30:

OK, back to the Catechism today.  We begin Part one:  Profession of Faith.  It starts with a definition of what faith is - man's response to God, and then begins unpacking our capacity for God.  Since we are darkened by sin, it is sometimes difficult for us to do what we are made to do, which is to seek God.  And yet, as Augustine points out, our hearts are restless until they rest in Him.  So many things promise us fulfillment in this world, and they all fall flat when push comes to shove. 

We are reminded that from looking at evidence of societies throughout history that man is indeed a religious being.  Almost every culture has a creation story...and almost every culture has one or more religions to go with that story.  Certainly, the search for God is something that is written on the human heart.  Outright athiesm as a popular belief is a relatively new phenomenon, and yet, even that can be viewed as a religion of sorts, typically in which the self or the society takes the place of the divine. 

Tomorrow's readings:

Genesis 6:9 - 7:24
Psalm 6
Matthew 5:1-20
Catechism 31-38

God Bless and Good Night!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Bible and Catechism in a year: Day 4

Genesis 4:

Here we see the timeless story of Cain and Abel.  This story teaches us some important lessons, first of which is that we owe our very best to God.  Cain gives to God the fruit which had fallen to the ground, while Abel gives to God the firstlings of his flock.  Cain is upset when his offering is not pleasing to God, and we get lesson #2:  Don't be jealous of others, rather try to always do better than you did last time.  Comparing ourselves to others rarely ends well...as Cain discovers.

Thus humanity begins to see the fruits of sin in society...that which will ultimately lead to the flood. 

Incidentally, I remember having a problem with this in that we don't hear where Cain's wife came from.  Clearly, he must have married his sister, since there was no other source of humans.  I had a hard time with this idea until I came across what St. Augustine wrote of this in City of God:

As, therefore, the human race, subsequently to the first marriage of the man who was made of dust, and his wife who was made out of his side, required the union of males and females in order that it might multiply, and as there were no human beings except those who had been born of these two, men took their sisters for wives,—an act which was as certainly dictated by necessity in these ancient days as afterwards it was condemned by the prohibitions of religion . . . and though it was quite allowable in the earliest ages of the human race to marry one’s sister, it is now abhorred as a thing which no circumstances could justify. (The City of God XV.16)

More on this tomorrow when we look at the crazy longevity of these first humans...

Psalm 4:

Seems like you can pick a Psalm...any Psalm, and find something relevant.  I like how this one goes between addressing God and addressing men - praise and instruction.  The end is really striking, though, and underscores how we find our true happiness in God and not in worldly things:  "Thou has put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.  I n peace I will both lie down and sleep; for thou alone, O Lord, makest me dwell in safety."

No matter what trials we face, no matter what pain we endure, knowing how our God loves us should give us this ultimate peace.  I'm bookmarking this one for anytime I have trouble going to sleep due to anxiety or worry (not that it happens very often, but I think this is a perfect prescription for when it does).

Matthew 3:

Here we meet John the Baptist, and read about Jesus' baptism.  I love John.  This guy is crazy for God.  Matthew ties it into Isaiah (as we expect him to do), then gives us the full picture.  John is totally authentic.  He doesn't care what people think, and he says exactly what he's thinking.  First with the Pharisees and Sad'ducees, whom he tells off in grand fashion, then with Jesus himself, when he questions what Jesus is asking him to do.  John clearly has a deep faith and has been awaiting the coming of Jesus, but even he questions...Jesus gently explains himself, and he acquiesces.

If only we could be more like John the Baptist sometimes.  Certainly we can (and do) question Jesus when we don't understand what He asks of us.  When He answers us, hopefully we then consent to what He is asking, as John did.

We also get a look at the Trinity here...Jesus, the Son, being baptized, the Holy Spirit descending on him, and the Voice of the Father, all at once.  Awesome.

Catechism:

Skipping again today due to pilot error.  Discussion on the CCC will resume tomorrow.

Tomorrow's readings

Genesis 5:1 - 6:8
Psalm 5
Matthew 4

Catechism 26-30

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Bible and Catechism in a year: Day 3

Genesis 3:

The story of the fall.  There is a whole lot in this chapter.  We tend to see this again as a symbolic passage.  The fruit that our first parents took was likely not a physical fruit, but the decision that they could decide just as well as God what was good and evil.  That they could be like God without God...This is the sin of pride.  Immediately they know they've messed up, because they are ashamed, and they hide, but the fruit can't be put back on the tree...

Incidentally, reading the part where the man points the finger at his wife when asked by God if he has eaten of the fruit, Jimmy Buffet crooning "Some people claim that there's a woman to blame, but I know it's my own damn fault" pops into my head. 

Bottom line is both are guilty.  And both are punished, in accordance with their natural abilities.

But God, being both merciful and just, weaves a promise of redemption in with his justice, telling the woman that her seed will strike the serpent's (remember that the serpent represents Satan here...) head.  I find this curious, because if I recall (and I'll be on the lookout as I proceed), seed is usually referred to as a male thing.  Could this be a foreshadowing of Jesus' biological connection to Mary? 

I also think it is interesting that Adam and Eve's names don't pop up until God is giving his judgement.  Before that they are just man, woman, husband, and wife...

Psalm 3:

In this Psalm, we get a powerful song which contrasts worldly foes with the protection and guidance of God.  We also get the cryptic "Selah" which I've never noticed before.  After looking it up, it appears that this Hebrew word in the text indicates an instrumental interlude, a pause to consider what has been sung, and an affirmation not unlike "Amen" 

Matthew 2:

In Matthew's Gospel, we get little detail as to the birth of Christ, but quite a bit about his childhood.  We get the story of the wise men and their gifts. We are able to follow his family's flight to Egypt, the slaughter of the Holy Innocents, and the holy family's return to Israel and settlement in Nazareth.

Matthew goes out of his way to point out where Old Testament prophesies are fulfilled.  This makes it clear that this is a initially a Gospel written by a Jew for Jews. Of course, that doesn't mean that we gentiles can't learn something here as well :)

Catechism 11-17:

Since I mistakenly read this on day one, no commentary here today.

Tomorrow's readings:

Genesis 4
Psalm 4
Matthew 3
Catechism 18-25

Monday, September 13, 2010

Bible and Catechism in a year: Day 2

Genesis 2:

Here we get the second creation story.  For those who wish to interpret every bit of the Bible literally, we certainly see an error after just two chapters.  The order of things is different here, and that is our first clue that there is something allegorical and poetic about these descriptions of the creation.  Could it possibly be that because the true details of such an awesome undertaking by our God are just a bit beyond our capacity to understand?  That's my guess.  But still, there is a lot here that we can understand that the author is trying to convey.

After listening to my youngest cry for a good 20 minutes because he wanted his mother tonight, there is certainly something touching in this description of woman's arrival on the scene.  None of the animals is a suitable partner for the man...God fashions woman around a rib taken from his side.  Then, and only then, does man find his partner - bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh.  What does this tell us?  I see, certainly that man is not complete without woman.  This is an image of the first marriage, and those of us who are called to that vocation should understand very well that though we are certainly different in our abilities, gifts, and design, we are made to complement one another.  The male body makes no sense unless viewed in light of the female body, and vice versa, after all. 

I also love the last line, because it tells us something of the unfallen nature of man:  "And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed."  Such a beautiful image, really, and one which John Paul II expands on with great eloquence in Theology of the Body...but that's a discussion for another time.

Psalm 2:

This psalm talks much about kings and nations, and prophetically points towards the messiah.  That the very nations will be broken with a rod of iron and dashed into pieces like pottery is a powerful image.  It is easy to see how this would be interpreted without a Christian view of the Kingdom...but certainly the Kingdom of God is far superior to any earthly kingdom. 

Again, the last line is lovely.  "Blessed are all who take refuge in him"

Matthew 1:18-25

Usually we look to Luke to get details as to the annunciation.  Matthew condenses this to a paragraph, but how powerful it is.  I really like the matter of fact tone of verse 18:  "Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way..."

In contemplating the incarnation, I am filled with gratitude and awe.  That an infinite God would confine himself to a human body is beyond understanding, and yet, so fitting.  To share his nature with us, he meets us where we are, since we certainly can not elevate ourselves to His level.  This gift is much like the gift of life we see in Genesis.  It is a second gift of life...and even better than the first.

It is also worth mentioning verse 25 regarding Joseph "knowing her not until she had borne a son..."  Some folks like to use this verse to deny the perpetual virginity of Mary.  But the use of the word until does not always imply that something occurs after the event.  For instance, there are verses about sitting at the right hand of the Lord until the enemy is vanquished...does this imply that the subject ceases to be at the right hand once the enemy is vanquished?  The greek word here is also sometimes translated as "while" and "to."  While looking at the verse in this way does not in and of itself "prove" Mary's perpetual virginity, it does not disprove it, either.

Catechism 1-10

Admittedly, I messed up yesterday.  I took "Introduction" to mean the prologue, but the prologue is actually 1-25.  So today, I read the actual introduction, which in the second edition Catechism consists of an apostolic letter introducing the revised translation written in 1997, and an apostolic constitution regarding the publication of the catechism in 1992, both by Pope John Paul II.  He is so easy to read compared to some other popes...his writing is very accessible. 

My favorite quote from the introductory documents is this:

"It should take into account the doctrinal statements which down the centuries the Holy Spirit has intimated to his Church.  It should also help to illumine with the light of faith the new situations and problems which had not yet emerged in the past.  This catechism will thus contain both the new and the old, because the faith is always the same yet the source of ever new light."

In two-thousand years, the Church's teaching has been constant.  Disciplines change, certainly, but the dogma and doctrine, while they may develop in the "ever new light," have not changed.

I also love that John Paul II, always striving and praying for unity with our separated brethren, reminds us that part of the reason for this new catechism is "to support ecumenical efforts that are moved by the holy desire for the unity of all Christians, showing carefully the content and wondrous harmony of the catholic faith."  He also points us to 1 Peter 3:15, from which all apologetics should flow.

Tomorrow's Readings:

Genesis 3
Psalm 3
Matthew 2
Catechism 11-17

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Bible and Catechism in a year: Day 1

I'll admit...I actually read a little bit of my assignment yesterday...but as part of my SCI class which is not specifically related to this endeavor.  It was a good class, and though I've been through it before, The format has changed, as have the Master Catechists teaching the course.  Different teachers always bring something new to the table, so it is a blessing to be able to study with a variety of people.

Let us begin with Genesis 1:

Here we have the first creation story.  Every story has a beginning, including the most important ones.  Almost everyone has read this chapter, and I've read it countless times, but something new always presents itself.

What struck me reading this passage this time around was what we learn about God, which is relatively little in the specific sense.  He speaks things into being, creating all that there is, and this is our beginning.  He has/is Spirit.  And he created man, male and female, in His image, apparently after a brief discussion with himself about what He is going to do with man.  There is a lot of content here, and yet we don't really understand most of it...why is he creating?  If he was there at the beginning, where did He come from?  Who is he talking to?  And how exactly does he create with a word?

All of this is very mysterious.  But it is certainly fitting!  In every story we read, we are introduced to characters, and when those characters are first introduced, we know very little about them.  As we read, we learn more about their nature, their preferences, how they view things, etc.  The characters unfold. This word holds beautiful imagery when you think about a pop-up book, or origami, whereby something can unfold from an unseen place or non-descript piece of paper or cardboard and slowly be revealed.  Once we see a little of it, we want to see it all...but even when unfolded, we can only view the parts that are revealed to us (of course, here the analogy, like all analogies, breaks down, since I can tear apart a pop-up book or piece of folded paper to see how it is constructed, and yet, I still can't fully explain why this specific arrangement of sub-atomic particles results in a piece of foldable cellulose...)

We are introduced to God, and to creation, including man.  And we want to know more...We want Him to reveal more of Himself to us.

Psalm 1:

This Psalm is just 6 verses long...This Psalm is just 6 verses long (you either get this, or you don't)

Kidding aside, This is a beautiful way for David to begin his Psalms.  "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night."  This psalm contrasts the righteous man and the wicked.  We see language from this Psalm later in the New Testament, talking about fruit in relation to the righteous and chaff in relation to the wicked. 

We are also assured that our God knows our hearts and will not let the wicked ultimately judge us.  This is very pertinent today, as so many of us hide our faith for fear of being labeled as a zealot or religious wacko for discussing it in the open.  We need not fear their judgement, though.  In the end, the Lord alone judges us.

Matthew 1:1-17

The pamphlet says that God can speak to us even through a long line of "begats."  That's a good thing, considering this reading.  Here we see how Joseph is related to King David.  Fourteen generations seems key here...between Abraham and David, between David and the Babylonian exile, and between the Babylonian exile and Jesus.

Of course, we ask why Joseph's lineage matters.  After all, we Christians profess the virgin birth, and therefore Joseph is only the adoptive father of Jesus (yeah, only the adoptive father of the Messiah.  As though that diminishes the honor or the awesome responsibility of such a role...)  But in the Jewish tradition, an adopted son was still considered to be part of the lineage.  More on that in future readings.

Catechism of the Catholic Church:  Introduction

This really interfaced with and summarized a good deal of the first SCI class.

Paraphrasing Keith Borchers, Director of Catechesis and Evangelization for the Diocese of Oakland:  A toaster has a specific purpose:  to make toast.  A coffee maker has a specific purpose:  to make coffee.  If I try and make coffee in my toaster, I'm going to have a problem.  Likewise, human beings are made with a specific purpose:  To love and know God and share in His Blessed life. 

The introduction of the Catechism reminds us of this fact...that we do indeed have a purpose, and not just a purpose, but a mission.  It summarizes how we hand our faith on from generation to generation.  Another observation by Keith was that it only takes one generation not handing down the faith sufficiently to put us in a world of trouble.  Certainly, that is part of why we are in this crisis of catechesis in the Catholic Church. 

In its aim and structure, the Catechism is built to provide us with a concise (yes, in comparison to some things, the Catechism can be considered concise) summary of our faith, beginning with the Creed, from which everything springs, and then building on top of that the Sacramental life through which we receive grace throughout our lives, the Moral life through which we do God's will on Earth, and Prayer, by which we cultivate our relationship with God.  These are the four pillars of our church. 

And yet, we are reminded that knowledge of these things is not enough.  We have to let the knowledge seep into our very being, and transform us.  This is what we call conversion, which is the work of the Holy Spirit.  This is how we fulfill our purpose.  In teaching the faith, whether by specific design in the classroom or catechetical ministry of our choice, or by example in the workplace, at the store, on the train, on an airplane, on the street, or anywhere in the world, we must allow Christ to shine through us, so that they see that He is our motivation.  He is the reason for our faith.  He is our reason for hope.  He is the source of our love.  He is the love that never ends.

Tomorrow's readings:

Genesis 2
Psalm 2
Matthew 1:18-25
Catechism 1-10