Genesis 19
Here we have the famous story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, a cautionary tale about hospitality and the ways of the wicked, as well as doing exactly what God (or his angels) tell you to do.
Then we get a very interesting narrative as to how Moab and Ben-ammi came to be. Considering that Lot's daughters had a rough couple of days preceding these events (lost their future husbands, lost their mother, lost the city they had known most, if not all of their lives, relocated to a place where they were afraid for their lives...) perhaps we can be forgiving of their very poor judgement.
Psalm 13
Lucky Psalm 13 is another short one (a six verse wonder?) In it, David is lamenting the fact that God does not answer all prayers immediately. Still, even after five verses of doom and gloom lament, the Psalm ends on a happy note (if you'll excuse the pun), as he gathers courage in his trust of God's love, and states that he "will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me."
Matthew 8:18-34
Matthew certainly doesn't waste parchment. We have a short account of folks wanting to follow him, and Jesus appearing somewhat harsh toward them. But we have to look at what He is trying to say, that is, that we must be prepared to follow Him at all costs. Risking the loss of a heavenly destination for worldly concerns doesn't make sense.
Then we get into the boat and have Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee. "What wort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?" This is certainly something we can bear in mind as we make our way through life...there is no storm in our lives that Jesus can't calm. When we panic, or freak out over something that has happened, perhaps we can turn to Him and He will say "Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?" If Jesus is with us, truly he can calm our fears just as he did the stormy sea.
And finally, the expelling of demons from two demoniacs in Gadarenes. The dialogue here is telling, where the demons cry out "What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" It seems the demons didn't expect this...what a shock. They beg to be put into a herd of swine, instead of simply cast out, and Jesus grants them their request. Of course, the swine then drown...so it seems not to have been *much* better for the demons.
Oddly enough, the inhabitants of the city beg Jesus to leave after this episode. Perhaps they were upset over their pigs...or perhaps they were afraid because Jesus had dominion over the demons.
Catechism 91-100
What stands out here is the three legged stool of the Church - The Magisterium, The Scriptures, and the sacred Tradition, all serving God by preserving His revelation and teaching it to us. "Working together, each in its own way, under the action of the one Holy Spirit, they all contribute effectively to the salvation of souls."
Many protestant sects have been born out of the lack of a central authority to interpret the scriptures and to preserve and pass on a sacred Tradition. God wanted us to be united, and this particular fruit of protestantism is one of its greatest signs that it is not from God (this is not to say that protestants are not good people, or don't love Jesus with their whole heart, or that the Holy Spirit can't work in those churches, but simply that the creation of protestant sects is a human, not divine endeavor) . While the Catholic Church in its human administration is far from perfect (and don't we know it!), with regard to its authority and consistent teaching over 2000 years, it is in fact a divine institution and free from error with regard to its scope.
As Fr. Dave Dwyer of Busted Halo would say: "Three simple words: Thanks be to God!"
Happy Friday, everyone!
Tomorrow's readings:
Genesis 20
Psalm 14
Matthew 9:1-17
Catechism 101-108
Friday, September 24, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Bible and Catechism in a year: Day 12
There are a lot of very rich readings in today's series.
Genesis 18
God literally shows up on Abraham's doorstep. Oddly enough, God chooses to appear as three men. Abraham addresses them as one Lord, though, and they seem to speak with one voice. It certainly gives us something to think about with regard to the trinity, especially when some folks deny the trinity altogether. It would seem that God is sending a subtle message, foreshadowing a more complex revelation of His nature.
I love the scene where Sarah is listening to The Lord tell Abraham that she will have a son in the spring, and Sarah laughs. The Lord questions her laughter (Is anything too hard for the Lord?), and she does just what we do sometimes when we are caught in an inappropriate expression - denial - "I didn't laugh." The Lord calls her on it, though. I can imagine the Lord smiling, too, "Oh, yes you did!" (And I knew you would)
Then we move on to the famous bargaining for Sodom scene. I never realized that this came immediately after the visit to Abraham and Sarah...it's in interesting backdrop. Abraham talks The Lord down to ten, and does so with such great humility, reminding himself that he is but dust and ash before his God.
Psalm 12:
We've all felt this way at one time or another, haven't we? That the world is falling apart? That there is no good left in man? That we can't trust anyone? This psalm is so relevant to today. "Do thou, O Lord, protect us, guard us ever from this generation. On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the sons of men."
I think we see a lot of vileness exalted in this age. It is easy to forget that the Lord can help us navigate and thrive, even in this toxic environment.
Matthew 8:1-17
So Jesus comes down off the mountain, and people now have an idea of who He is as a result of His teaching. We get some amazing miracles here, but it is very telling to see how they unfold.
The first instance we see is the leper who really lays down the way supplication should be done: "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." The faith is soooo there...I know you can, it's just a matter of if you will. We so often ask things (and sometimes even demand things) of God, but how often do we offer it to Him in a form that makes it clear that we understand that He answers prayers at His discretion, not our own? Just as Abraham lays out his desires in humility and leaves the decision making to God, so does this leper.
The Centurion, also, teaches us quite a bit. Here we have a Roman who, after hearing about Jesus, beseeches him to heal his servant. And Jesus offers to come and heal him, but the Centurion declines! What?!?!? Jesus offers to come to your house and you turn him down? But the Centurion has a good reason, and speaks the words "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed." For we Catholics, these words should be very familiar, since we say a form of them prior to receiving Holy Communion. Jesus responds by praising this man, and hinting at the salvation of gentiles, before granting his request.
Jesus then heals Peter's mother-in-law, and many others. Matthew, true to form, points us back to Isaiah to show how this fulfills the prophecy.
Catechism 70-80
Lots of meat here about what we call "Big 'T' Tradition" and why it is important, and why Sola Scriptura is insufficient. The first generation of Christians had no new testament. Jesus left behind eleven men when he ascended, not a book! So initially everything was passed down orally. Eventually people began to record things in writing. While the writings were important, certainly, there was no way to write down everything that was important. Some things were still handed down orally among the first Christians, particularly from those who were entrusted with the deposit of faith (The apostles) and those who succeeded them...hence, apostolic succession. As Catholics, we believe that the authority and the deposit of faith still resides within this succession as guarded and taught by our bishops lead by the Pope. The bible is important, and never contradicts our Tradition, for the New Testament was born from Tradition.
Tomorrow's readings:
Genesis 19
Psalm 13
Matthew 8:18-34
Catechism 91-100
Genesis 18
God literally shows up on Abraham's doorstep. Oddly enough, God chooses to appear as three men. Abraham addresses them as one Lord, though, and they seem to speak with one voice. It certainly gives us something to think about with regard to the trinity, especially when some folks deny the trinity altogether. It would seem that God is sending a subtle message, foreshadowing a more complex revelation of His nature.
I love the scene where Sarah is listening to The Lord tell Abraham that she will have a son in the spring, and Sarah laughs. The Lord questions her laughter (Is anything too hard for the Lord?), and she does just what we do sometimes when we are caught in an inappropriate expression - denial - "I didn't laugh." The Lord calls her on it, though. I can imagine the Lord smiling, too, "Oh, yes you did!" (And I knew you would)
Then we move on to the famous bargaining for Sodom scene. I never realized that this came immediately after the visit to Abraham and Sarah...it's in interesting backdrop. Abraham talks The Lord down to ten, and does so with such great humility, reminding himself that he is but dust and ash before his God.
Psalm 12:
We've all felt this way at one time or another, haven't we? That the world is falling apart? That there is no good left in man? That we can't trust anyone? This psalm is so relevant to today. "Do thou, O Lord, protect us, guard us ever from this generation. On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the sons of men."
I think we see a lot of vileness exalted in this age. It is easy to forget that the Lord can help us navigate and thrive, even in this toxic environment.
Matthew 8:1-17
So Jesus comes down off the mountain, and people now have an idea of who He is as a result of His teaching. We get some amazing miracles here, but it is very telling to see how they unfold.
The first instance we see is the leper who really lays down the way supplication should be done: "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." The faith is soooo there...I know you can, it's just a matter of if you will. We so often ask things (and sometimes even demand things) of God, but how often do we offer it to Him in a form that makes it clear that we understand that He answers prayers at His discretion, not our own? Just as Abraham lays out his desires in humility and leaves the decision making to God, so does this leper.
The Centurion, also, teaches us quite a bit. Here we have a Roman who, after hearing about Jesus, beseeches him to heal his servant. And Jesus offers to come and heal him, but the Centurion declines! What?!?!? Jesus offers to come to your house and you turn him down? But the Centurion has a good reason, and speaks the words "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed." For we Catholics, these words should be very familiar, since we say a form of them prior to receiving Holy Communion. Jesus responds by praising this man, and hinting at the salvation of gentiles, before granting his request.
Jesus then heals Peter's mother-in-law, and many others. Matthew, true to form, points us back to Isaiah to show how this fulfills the prophecy.
Catechism 70-80
Lots of meat here about what we call "Big 'T' Tradition" and why it is important, and why Sola Scriptura is insufficient. The first generation of Christians had no new testament. Jesus left behind eleven men when he ascended, not a book! So initially everything was passed down orally. Eventually people began to record things in writing. While the writings were important, certainly, there was no way to write down everything that was important. Some things were still handed down orally among the first Christians, particularly from those who were entrusted with the deposit of faith (The apostles) and those who succeeded them...hence, apostolic succession. As Catholics, we believe that the authority and the deposit of faith still resides within this succession as guarded and taught by our bishops lead by the Pope. The bible is important, and never contradicts our Tradition, for the New Testament was born from Tradition.
Tomorrow's readings:
Genesis 19
Psalm 13
Matthew 8:18-34
Catechism 91-100
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Bible and Catechism in a year: Days 10 and 11
Genesis 14-17
Here we see what happens when you mess with Abram's family. Lot is taken prisoner (along with all of his goods and all of the goods of Sodom) by Chedorlaomer, king of Elam and his cohorts, but someone escapes the battle and tells Abram what happened. Abram takes 318 men (wonder if there is significance to that number?) and sets out in hot pursuit. Abram and his men catch up to the enemy, rout them by night, and rescue Lot along with all of the goods of Sodom, and return them.
Of course, the king of Sodom is grateful, but what is interesting is the appearance of Melchizedek, King of Salem, who "brought out bread and wine" in a prefiguring of the Eucharist.
Then we get the vision of the Lord to Abram where God promises that his descendants will number as the stars. Certainly Abram is not entirely sure what to make of this since Sarai is barren. To make matters worse, God reveals to Abram that his descendants will suffer oppression (foretelling the Egyptian captivity), but promises that they will return.
Turns out Sarai is also concerned about being barren, and tells Abram to take her servant, Hagar, as a wife (Polygamy was considered AOK at that point, so this was not considered a moral problem). However, when Hagar conceives and gives Sarai the stink-eye, Sarai gets pretty upset. Further, it seems that Hagar's marriage to Abram hasn't improved her social standing...she's still Sarai's slave...so Sarai deals harshly with her and Hagar runs away. But God sends his angel to talk to her and Hagar returns, bearing Abram's first son, Ishmael.
After this, God establishes the famous covenant with Abram, changing his name to Abraham, and Sarai's name to Sarah. Further, he promises that Sarah will bear a son.
Psalms 10 and 11:
These are lovely...Though the subject matter is nothing new at this point, but the poetry is beautiful. "For the Lord is righteous, he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face..."
Matthew 7
We start with the famous "Judge not, that you be not judged." Jesus continues on to explain himself. This is not about turning a blind eye to everything anyone does, but about addressing our own faults before we look at the faults of others.
We then move on to ask, seek, knock...God in heaven gives us good things always...
Enter by the narrow gate...
Beware wolves in sheep's clothing...
And then "Not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven" This follows on the heels of knowing false prophets by their fruits, and is followed by the requirement that we do the will of the Father. This is an important passage for Catholics to know, as it is important in arguing against Sola Fidei.
Building houses on rock versus sand...
And then Jesus' sermon ends, and everyone is astonished at his teaching "for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes."
Authority. What a concept!
Catechism 65-79
As God prepares the world gradually for the fullness of revelation, eventually the fullness of revelation must come. God's word comes in the form of Jesus, who is the fullness of revelation. This is not to say that He explained everything there is to explain, but everything we need to know.
With Christ (and the death of the last apostle), the deposit of faith is complete. We may continue to delve deeper into this deposit, for it is deep and full of layers, and we continue to learn from it, but nothing can be added to it.
So we have a deposit of faith which is communicated by the apostles both orally and verbally, and continues to be passed down through apostolic succession, protected from error by the Holy Spirit. This quote from Dei Verbum sums it up nicely:
"God, who spoke in the past, continues to converse with the Spouse of his beloved Son (the church). And the Holy Spirit, through whom the living voice of the Gospel rings out in the Church - and through her in the world - leads believers to the full truth, and makes the Word of Christ dwell in them in all its richness." - Dei Verbum 8s3.
Tomorrow's reading:
Genesis 18
Psalm 12
Matthew 8:1-17
Catechism 80-90
Good night and God Bless!
Here we see what happens when you mess with Abram's family. Lot is taken prisoner (along with all of his goods and all of the goods of Sodom) by Chedorlaomer, king of Elam and his cohorts, but someone escapes the battle and tells Abram what happened. Abram takes 318 men (wonder if there is significance to that number?) and sets out in hot pursuit. Abram and his men catch up to the enemy, rout them by night, and rescue Lot along with all of the goods of Sodom, and return them.
Of course, the king of Sodom is grateful, but what is interesting is the appearance of Melchizedek, King of Salem, who "brought out bread and wine" in a prefiguring of the Eucharist.
Then we get the vision of the Lord to Abram where God promises that his descendants will number as the stars. Certainly Abram is not entirely sure what to make of this since Sarai is barren. To make matters worse, God reveals to Abram that his descendants will suffer oppression (foretelling the Egyptian captivity), but promises that they will return.
Turns out Sarai is also concerned about being barren, and tells Abram to take her servant, Hagar, as a wife (Polygamy was considered AOK at that point, so this was not considered a moral problem). However, when Hagar conceives and gives Sarai the stink-eye, Sarai gets pretty upset. Further, it seems that Hagar's marriage to Abram hasn't improved her social standing...she's still Sarai's slave...so Sarai deals harshly with her and Hagar runs away. But God sends his angel to talk to her and Hagar returns, bearing Abram's first son, Ishmael.
After this, God establishes the famous covenant with Abram, changing his name to Abraham, and Sarai's name to Sarah. Further, he promises that Sarah will bear a son.
Psalms 10 and 11:
These are lovely...Though the subject matter is nothing new at this point, but the poetry is beautiful. "For the Lord is righteous, he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face..."
Matthew 7
We start with the famous "Judge not, that you be not judged." Jesus continues on to explain himself. This is not about turning a blind eye to everything anyone does, but about addressing our own faults before we look at the faults of others.
We then move on to ask, seek, knock...God in heaven gives us good things always...
Enter by the narrow gate...
Beware wolves in sheep's clothing...
And then "Not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven" This follows on the heels of knowing false prophets by their fruits, and is followed by the requirement that we do the will of the Father. This is an important passage for Catholics to know, as it is important in arguing against Sola Fidei.
Building houses on rock versus sand...
And then Jesus' sermon ends, and everyone is astonished at his teaching "for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes."
Authority. What a concept!
Catechism 65-79
As God prepares the world gradually for the fullness of revelation, eventually the fullness of revelation must come. God's word comes in the form of Jesus, who is the fullness of revelation. This is not to say that He explained everything there is to explain, but everything we need to know.
With Christ (and the death of the last apostle), the deposit of faith is complete. We may continue to delve deeper into this deposit, for it is deep and full of layers, and we continue to learn from it, but nothing can be added to it.
So we have a deposit of faith which is communicated by the apostles both orally and verbally, and continues to be passed down through apostolic succession, protected from error by the Holy Spirit. This quote from Dei Verbum sums it up nicely:
"God, who spoke in the past, continues to converse with the Spouse of his beloved Son (the church). And the Holy Spirit, through whom the living voice of the Gospel rings out in the Church - and through her in the world - leads believers to the full truth, and makes the Word of Christ dwell in them in all its richness." - Dei Verbum 8s3.
Tomorrow's reading:
Genesis 18
Psalm 12
Matthew 8:1-17
Catechism 80-90
Good night and God Bless!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Preview Day 10
I'll be posting a combo of days 10 and 11 tomorrow. But for those of you following along, here are the readings for tomorrow:
Genesis 16-17
Psalm 11
Matthew 7:15-29
Catechism 65-73
Suffice it to say it was a busy day. I got the reading done, but really can't blog right now due to the pesky human need to sleep. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Genesis 16-17
Psalm 11
Matthew 7:15-29
Catechism 65-73
Suffice it to say it was a busy day. I got the reading done, but really can't blog right now due to the pesky human need to sleep. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Bible and Catechism in a year: Day 9
Oops.
I fat fingered and accidentally deleted everything I wrote this evening. Then in a panic, I tried to get out of the web page before it autosaved...but I was too late. And only now do I see that there is indeed an undo button in this here composition window...
Live and learn.
Highlights:
Genesis 12-13
Story of Abram's deception of Pharoah was troubling. But after researching a bit about the Jewish tradition's teachings about this story, I'm a little more clear. Not completely there, but there is another similar instance coming up in about 7 chapters when I can revisit it.
Psalm 9
I liked the part of this Psalm about the wicked basically being their own downfall.
Matthew 6:19-34
Sermon on the Mount continues...We shouldn't be so worried about material things. Sparrows are provided for. So, too, shall we.
Catechism 54-64
Sums up the stages of revelation in the Old Testament in terms of covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Israel.
Tomorrow's readings:
Genesis 14-15
Psalm 10
Matthew 7:1-14
Catechism 65-74
Good night and God bless. Remember, Jesus Saves; you should too! ;)
I fat fingered and accidentally deleted everything I wrote this evening. Then in a panic, I tried to get out of the web page before it autosaved...but I was too late. And only now do I see that there is indeed an undo button in this here composition window...
Live and learn.
Highlights:
Genesis 12-13
Story of Abram's deception of Pharoah was troubling. But after researching a bit about the Jewish tradition's teachings about this story, I'm a little more clear. Not completely there, but there is another similar instance coming up in about 7 chapters when I can revisit it.
Psalm 9
I liked the part of this Psalm about the wicked basically being their own downfall.
Matthew 6:19-34
Sermon on the Mount continues...We shouldn't be so worried about material things. Sparrows are provided for. So, too, shall we.
Catechism 54-64
Sums up the stages of revelation in the Old Testament in terms of covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Israel.
Tomorrow's readings:
Genesis 14-15
Psalm 10
Matthew 7:1-14
Catechism 65-74
Good night and God bless. Remember, Jesus Saves; you should too! ;)
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Bible and Catechism in a year: Day 8
Genesis 10-11
We have more genealogy tonight. Lifespans are getting shorter (assuming that we are taking them literally) as they go on...I've heard some folks suggest that the super long life spans get shorter and shorter as original sin ravages the human body...but then levels out eventually. I'm not sure if I buy that, or if it is more likely that the long ages are symbolic...but it is interesting to contemplate.
Then we get another famous Old Testament story: The Tower of Babel. This story appears to be dropped in between genealogies, and feels totally out of place. It strikes me as a reminder of the fall...that when we humans decide that we can be like God, it gets us into trouble.
Psalm 8
This is a beautiful Psalm of praise to God...nothing depressing here, just a beautiful expression of how David saw the Lord in all things. What jumped out at me was the phrase "thou has founded a bulwark because of thy foes" - I am sure it is no accident that Paul refers to to the church as the "pillar and bulwark" of truth in first Timothy...
Matthew 6:1-18
We continue with the Sermon on the Mount with some very important passages regarding praying in secret, giving alms quietly, fasting without showing it, and forgiveness. We also get the Our Father, which is of course the most perfect prayer.
We have to remember, though, that just because it is important to pray in private, that doesn't mean we can't pray together. After all, later He will tell us that where two or three are gathered in His name, He is there.
Catechism 50-53
We begin a new section discussing God's revelation. Though we can know some things about God through reason, there are some things we simply can't know without revelation. God chooses to share these things with us, so that we might better know Him. That is, He comes down to us to reveal himself to us, since many truths about Him can not be sought from a natural perspective. Further, he reveals himself to us a little at a time. This is true from a historical perspective (thinking through all of Salvation History) and on a personal level (as I alluded to in my welcome message). God comes to us gradually, because otherwise we just wouldn't be able to handle it at all...
Tomorrow's readings:
Genesis 12-13
Psalm 9
Matthew 6:19-34
Catechism 54-64
God Bless and Good Night!
We have more genealogy tonight. Lifespans are getting shorter (assuming that we are taking them literally) as they go on...I've heard some folks suggest that the super long life spans get shorter and shorter as original sin ravages the human body...but then levels out eventually. I'm not sure if I buy that, or if it is more likely that the long ages are symbolic...but it is interesting to contemplate.
Then we get another famous Old Testament story: The Tower of Babel. This story appears to be dropped in between genealogies, and feels totally out of place. It strikes me as a reminder of the fall...that when we humans decide that we can be like God, it gets us into trouble.
Psalm 8
This is a beautiful Psalm of praise to God...nothing depressing here, just a beautiful expression of how David saw the Lord in all things. What jumped out at me was the phrase "thou has founded a bulwark because of thy foes" - I am sure it is no accident that Paul refers to to the church as the "pillar and bulwark" of truth in first Timothy...
Matthew 6:1-18
We continue with the Sermon on the Mount with some very important passages regarding praying in secret, giving alms quietly, fasting without showing it, and forgiveness. We also get the Our Father, which is of course the most perfect prayer.
We have to remember, though, that just because it is important to pray in private, that doesn't mean we can't pray together. After all, later He will tell us that where two or three are gathered in His name, He is there.
Catechism 50-53
We begin a new section discussing God's revelation. Though we can know some things about God through reason, there are some things we simply can't know without revelation. God chooses to share these things with us, so that we might better know Him. That is, He comes down to us to reveal himself to us, since many truths about Him can not be sought from a natural perspective. Further, he reveals himself to us a little at a time. This is true from a historical perspective (thinking through all of Salvation History) and on a personal level (as I alluded to in my welcome message). God comes to us gradually, because otherwise we just wouldn't be able to handle it at all...
Tomorrow's readings:
Genesis 12-13
Psalm 9
Matthew 6:19-34
Catechism 54-64
God Bless and Good Night!
Bible and Catechism in a year: Day 7
Finishing up week one here...feels pretty good. I think I could get used to spending time reading scripture every day.
Genesis 8-9:
We finish up the flood story. There is nothing super surprising here, after all, the flood story is one of the most told stories. We have numerous children's books in our own bookshelf devoted to this story, and most of them are pretty accurate. But we often forget that this is one of those stories that is not entirely literal, and has a lot of what we call typology in it. Certainly, we can believe that there was a flood event. Whether it was truly global, or local but on a large enough scale to seem global is up for debate. But really, here we have a prefigurement of baptism. Purification by water. Being saved through water. And a covenant coming about!
The last part of this reading is interesting, with the drunkenness of Noah. At first glance, it appears that Ham gets the short straw. He walks in and finds his Father naked, then goes and tells his brothers. Then his brothers walk in backwards and cover their father. It would seem that Ham has done his father a favor...but his father curses Ham and Canaan! What's up with that? After all, Noah is the one who got drunk.
After some reflection, though, it would seem that Ham's error is telling anyone at all. Perhaps he himself should have simply quietly covered his father and held his tongue. There was no need to involve his brothers...Ham is guilty of the sin of detraction in sharing information, though true, that his brothers didn't really need.
Psalm 7:
I love the descriptive words chosen in this Psalm. The poetry of them, even in translation, is amazing. The Psalmist here lays himself out and offers himself, his life, if he has not pleased God, and then asks God to deliver him. My favorite here are verses 14 and 15...I just love the imagery.
Matthew 5:21-48
Further into the sermon on the mount we have nothing but the words of Jesus. Here he makes stricter some of the prohibitions regarding anger (not of the righteous variety), adultery and sins of impurity, divorce, swearing oaths, reciprocity, and tells us to love our enemies.
In addition, he gives us great wisdom to back these things up. My favorite is the idea of making friends quickly with one's accuser on the way to court and avoiding the entire ordeal that way.
Catechism
We find that human language is inadequate to truly describe God. And, yet, somehow it is sufficient for our purposes, because there are limits to our intellect. So we are able to develop language that gets us as far as our intellects can go, but still remember that God is even beyond that. "Our human words always fall short of the mystery of God."
Tomorrow's readings:
Genesis 10-11
Psalm 8
Matthew 6:1-18
Catechism 50-53
Genesis 8-9:
We finish up the flood story. There is nothing super surprising here, after all, the flood story is one of the most told stories. We have numerous children's books in our own bookshelf devoted to this story, and most of them are pretty accurate. But we often forget that this is one of those stories that is not entirely literal, and has a lot of what we call typology in it. Certainly, we can believe that there was a flood event. Whether it was truly global, or local but on a large enough scale to seem global is up for debate. But really, here we have a prefigurement of baptism. Purification by water. Being saved through water. And a covenant coming about!
The last part of this reading is interesting, with the drunkenness of Noah. At first glance, it appears that Ham gets the short straw. He walks in and finds his Father naked, then goes and tells his brothers. Then his brothers walk in backwards and cover their father. It would seem that Ham has done his father a favor...but his father curses Ham and Canaan! What's up with that? After all, Noah is the one who got drunk.
After some reflection, though, it would seem that Ham's error is telling anyone at all. Perhaps he himself should have simply quietly covered his father and held his tongue. There was no need to involve his brothers...Ham is guilty of the sin of detraction in sharing information, though true, that his brothers didn't really need.
Psalm 7:
I love the descriptive words chosen in this Psalm. The poetry of them, even in translation, is amazing. The Psalmist here lays himself out and offers himself, his life, if he has not pleased God, and then asks God to deliver him. My favorite here are verses 14 and 15...I just love the imagery.
Matthew 5:21-48
Further into the sermon on the mount we have nothing but the words of Jesus. Here he makes stricter some of the prohibitions regarding anger (not of the righteous variety), adultery and sins of impurity, divorce, swearing oaths, reciprocity, and tells us to love our enemies.
In addition, he gives us great wisdom to back these things up. My favorite is the idea of making friends quickly with one's accuser on the way to court and avoiding the entire ordeal that way.
Catechism
We find that human language is inadequate to truly describe God. And, yet, somehow it is sufficient for our purposes, because there are limits to our intellect. So we are able to develop language that gets us as far as our intellects can go, but still remember that God is even beyond that. "Our human words always fall short of the mystery of God."
Tomorrow's readings:
Genesis 10-11
Psalm 8
Matthew 6:1-18
Catechism 50-53
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