Bible and Catechism in a year: Day 22

Genesis 31

This story of Jacob and his entourage being overtaken by Laban, and the ensuing drama, is actually quite exciting.  I'm not exactly sure what the purpose of Rachel stealing her father's idols was, but it certainly makes for a tense (or should I say 'tents') moment.  Rachel proves again to be very clever in hiding her thievery from her father.  Perhaps she was taking them to try and deliver her father from idolatry, or perhaps there is a different meaning hidden here in the symbolism of these "household gods."

In any case, both Jacob and Laban make good points in listing their grievances and responding to one another.  It is no surprise that Jacob's case is stronger, though.  We almost expect this meeting to end in bloodshed, but somehow the two come to an accord of peace.  In some way this involves making a heap of stones which serves as a witness...I suppose this is like making a monument to remind them of their agreement.

It is clear that, despite Laban's less than savory dealings with Jacob, he does love his daughters and wants what is best for them.

Psalm 21

And now we're back to blessings on the righteous and fire and brimstone on the unrighteous.  This one is particularly well put...it will be difficult to resist the temptation to wish some of these things on those who have wronged me...I pray that the knowledge that I could easily be put into this category of unrighteous at times will keep me humble enough not to wish things on others.

And yet, there is something satisfying in thinking of these things befalling evil itself...death itself...as Christ's victory over the grave certainly swallows up death and sin, aiming His bow at the face of evil.

Be exalted, O Lord, in thy strength!  We will sing and praise thy power!

Matthew 12:38-50

Finishing up chapter 12, we get Jesus foretelling his resurrection and calling it the sign of the prophet Jonah, and explaining that "something" greater than Jonah, and greater than Solomon, is here.

We end this chapter with a few verses which folks often try to say amounts to Jesus disrespecting his mother.  These same folks often also try to use this passage to "prove" that Jesus had siblings by Mary, and therefore refute her perpetual virginity. 

However, it does not say that Jesus refused to see his mother, or his "brethren," but certainly does show that he uses their appearance as a teachable moment, to show that the bonds of our faith are more important than the bonds of family...something he has already mentioned a few times in different ways.  It is possible that after making his point he received them.  I would argue that this makes sense, since it would certainly be remarkable if He had sent them away without seeing them, but not particularly remarkable if He did see them.  So it would make more sense to include it in the writings if He had sent them away than it would to include it in the writings if He did not.

As to the "brethren" or "brothers" of Jesus, I would refer readers to this well laid out article:  http://www.catholic.com/library/Brethren_of_the_Lord.asp

Catechism 172-184

A lot of St. Irenaeus in this passage regarding the fact that there is only one faith in Christ Jesus.  We Catholics get a lot of flak for saying that there is no salvation outside the Church...but in saying this we are acknowledging that no one says "Christ is Lord" without the Holy Spirit, and that the Church is not confined to her perceptible boundaries.  There is only one baptism, after all, and we practice what we preach in this regard.  That is, when a non-Catholic Christian asks to enter the Catholic Church, his or her baptism is considered valid if the proper form, matter, and intention were present when the baptism was performed.

It is the same Christ which saves us, even those outside the perceptible boundaries of the Church.  Certainly, we believe that the Catholic Church holds the fullness of the Christian faith, but we do not claim a monopoly on all truth.  In so much as some of the truths we hold are shared with those of other Christian faiths, we consider them brethren in Christ.  Separated brethren, perhaps, but brethren nonetheless.

Tomorrow's Readings:

Genesis 32-33
Psalm 22
Matthew 13:1-23
Catechism 185-197

Bible and Catechism in a year: Day 21

Genesis 30

The first half of this chapter deals with Rachel and Leah vying to provide Jacob with children, each giving him their maid servants as wives, as well as bearing them children of their own.  We also have an interesting exchange where Rachel asks Leah for some mandrakes which were found by Reuben (Leah's son).  Leah agrees, in exchange for being able to spend the night with her husband.  It gives some insight as to how this particular polygamous household works, if not others.

Then we have Jacob finally finishing his second seven year stint of work for Laban, and making a deal with Laban, and outsmarting him when Laban tries to "fix" the deal. 

It would seem that there is a trend of cleverness in our old testament heroes so far...

Psalm 20

A psalm of petition...asking that all petitions be fulfilled.  This one pretty much covers everything. 

Matthew 12: 22-37

Jesus heals a blind and dumb demoniac, and again the Pharisees say that Jesus is in cahoots with the forces of darkness.  Jesus responds with a well reasoned argument, the truth of which has been reiterated time and time again in sacred as well as secular circles:  no city or house divided against itself can stand.  He also tells us that blasphemy against Him will be forgiven, but blasphemy against the holy spirit will not.  This is a bit cryptic, but the footnote suggests that this the Pharisees' accusation against the Spirit whom Jesus is working in implies a hardness of heart that precludes repentance.  This is important to consider...a lot of folks interpret this to mean that if one blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, that person can not be redeemed.  We know that this isn't true, though, for all things are possible for God, and if one blasphemes against the Spirit without truly appreciating what they are doing, certainly they can be forgiven if they repent. 

Catechism 166-171

Though faith is an act, it is not something that one can do alone.  Just as we can't give ourselves life...we can't give ourselves faith.  It has to be transmitted to us by someone else.  And, just as we can, in cooperation with God, transmit life to others, so, too, can we transmit faith.  Our faith does not exist in a vacuum...revelation has ceased, and therefore it relies on each new generation to pass it on.

And so, we need shepherds to ensure that we pass on the right information, to keep unity.  In this, the Church is our mother, our teacher in the faith.  As an earthly mother teaches us to walk and talk in a physical sense, the Church teaches us to function as part of the mystical body of Christ.  That is, she teaches us the basics of walking and talking in the life of faith.

Tomorrow's Readings:

Genesis 31
Psalm 21
Matthew 12:38-50
Catechism 172-184

Good night and God bless!

Bible and Catechism in a year: Day 20

Genesis 28-29

Isaac apparently listened to his wife, and told Jacob that he needed to marry in the family to avoid any more distress.  So Jacob is sent to Haran to marry one of Laban's daughters.  Esau, upon learning the news that his mom and dad are not a big fan of his Canaanite wives, goes and marries Ishmael's daughter, Mahalath. 

On the way to Haran, Jacob has an encounter with God, where the promises made to his father and grandfather is renewed, and Jacob responds by setting up a pillar and anointing it, calling it God's house, and pledging to give his tithe to God.

In Haran, he meets his future wife, and is so taken by her that he up and offers to work seven years.  His love for her is so strong, that we are told that the seven years seemed like only a few days to him.  How poetically lovely.  Of course, he gets gypped by Laban, who passes off his older daughter, Leah, on him.  Seems Laban forgot to mention that he wouldn't marry off his younger daughter until the eldest was married.  So Jacob winds up taking both of them as his wives, and serving Laban for another seven years.  When I think about fourteen years of salary for a dowry (minus room and board, of course)...wow...that's love...

I feel badly for Leah, a little.  It isn't her fault that her father married her off to Jacob.  It is important to remember, though, that when it says "Leah was hated," it doesn't mean that she was hated in the sense of completely despised...rather it meant that she was loved less, or in comparison to Jacob's love for Rachel, she was hated.  Obviously Jacob still cared for her, and must have continued relations with her (since she bore him four sons.)  We see language like later in the new testament (hating mother and father etc.), and should bear this in mind.

Psalm 19

Here we have a Psalm without any doom and gloom or calling down destruction on foes...but just plain good-old praise and worship.  It's a nice change of pace.  The first part of this Psalm is often cited when starting an argument for the existence of God from design:  "The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork..."  We need only look to the world around us for evidence of an everlasting God, if we have eyes to see.  I am baffled by people who can look at the world as I once did, saying that this is all brought about by random chance.  Yes, that means I am baffled by my younger self...and yet, even at the height of my own atheism/agnosticism, I knew deep down what the truth was.  I suspect many who make atheistic claims today do as well.

Matthew 12:1-21

Jesus continues to shake things up to prove a point - He can break the Sabbath because He made it.  He starts out picking and eating grain, and finishes by healing a man's withered hand as well as healing other people.  "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice," he says, invoking Hosea yet again, as he did back in Chapter 9.

Matthew again points out the fulfillment of Isaiah at the end of this passage.  The bruised reed and smoldering wick are symbols of the weak, the poor, the lost.  Jesus does not cast these out, but ministers to them.  Incidentally, here is another use of the word "until" that does not imply something occurring afterward.  Are we to think that after Jesus brings victory, he will then break the weak and put out their light?  Rather, he strengthens the weak and enriches the poor, gathers the lost and makes them his own...

Catechism 160-165

Six very profound paragraphs.  We are not forced into our faith...Jesus does not coerce, but invites.  Yet faith is necessary...without it we can not please God and have no foundation to build upon.  And our faith must persevere...we can certainly lose it (though certain protestants of the "once saved, always saved" school of thought would disagree with me) and "make a shipwreck of our faith" through a loss of conscience.  We must always seek to grow in our faith.

Living our faith will always be a challenge, for we are called to be light in a darkened world.  We experience "evil and suffering, injustice, and death," which "seem to contradict the Good News."  Indeed, the best argument against God is the existence of these things.  But when we turn toward our faith in spite of this adversity, we find our faith strengthened.  This is no accident, and when we look to those who have witnessed to our faith in the last two thousand years and see how they have persevered, we know that we, too, can "run with perseverance the race that is set before us."

Tomorrow's readings:

Genesis 30
Psalm 20
Matthew 12:22-37
Catechism 166-171

And forgive me a little "Thank God it's Friday" prayer as I wish you all a wonderful weekend!

Bible and Catechism in a year: Day 19

Genesis 27

Well, yesterday we saw Esau trade his birthright for some stew and bread.  Today we see the fulfilment of that occurrence, as Jacob, at the urging of his Mother, fools his father into giving him the blessing meant for Esau.  On the surface this seems like a terrible deception...and yet, we have to look beyond the surface of the story to get the full meaning of what we are being taught.  The Lord told Rebekah that this would happen, and so perhaps that is why her favor fell on Jacob, and why she encourages him to impersonate his brother.  It doesn't say that she ever shared what God revealed to her with Isaac.  In addition, it appears that God isn't keen on having a guy who would sell his birthright for earthly food be the man from whom his chosen nation flows.  Therein lies the lesson...we should not sell our spiritual goods for material ones (even if the stew is really good!)

Naturally, Esau is pretty upset - he's lost his birthright and his blessing, and he's literally ready to kill Isaac.  Being that Isaac isn't a fighter (he was a quiet man who dwelt in tents, after all), Isaac is told to flee to Haran by his Mother.

Apparently Esau's wives haven't gotten any better either...Rebekah complains that the Hittite women are making her "weary of [my] life." and basically tells Isaac that she doesn't want another Hittite daughter-in-law.  We'll see where that goes tomorrow.

Psalm 18:31-51

As we continue this Psalm, we get a poetic listing of the things God has done for David.  I love it when God is described as a rock or a fortress, for he is unmovable and unchanging.  I also like the theme of God's "steadfast love."  As an aside, this description of how God has prepared David makes me want to get my body into better shape for some reason...

Matthew 11:16-30

Jesus has some pretty harsh words for "this generation" and for some cities where He has done mighty works.  Certainly, if these people saw what he did with their own eyes and did not follow him...wow. 

What really blows me away in this reading, though, is Jesus' description of his relationship with the Father. 

All things have been delivered to me by my father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

This is just so profound, and tells us so much about the intimate nature between Jesus and God the Father.  Certainly there is nothing strange about no one knowing the Son except the Father, for God knows each of us more intimately than we know ourselves.  But no one knowing the Father except the Son...let's face it...is any human being without a divine nature really able to "know" the Father like that?  I don't think so.  All we can know is what God himself reveals to us in his Word.  And Jesus, the Son, is the Word!  So it makes sense that the Son (The Word) can reveal the Father to us. 

We end with an invitation by Christ to receive this revelation by taking his yoke upon ourselves and learning from Him.  It can be hard to say 'yes' to taking on any yoke...but Jesus promises us that this yoke is easy and the burden is light.  It may not seem like it looking from the outside in...but once we take it on, we find His words to be true.

Catechism 150-159

Lots of talk about faith and what it is and how we relate to it.  We humans tend to think very two dimensionally.  We can't think as God thinks...His grace is so powerful, and yet, we can resist it in our humanity.  This is how He made it.  He gives sufficient grace to all, though not in the same way to everybody. 

I love this quote from Thomas Aquinas:  "Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace." 

Faith is an act.  An action.  When we receive an invitation to a party, it doesn't mean we magically show up.  We have to decide to go (and hopefully RSVP), then prepare for it, and ultimately get ourselves there.  Same goes with this.  God invites us, and ensures we have at least the bare minimum as far as what we need to get ourselves to the party...but we have to cooperate.  Some of us he might send a chauffeured limo and make it easy...but ultimately we still have to get into the car.  Others might have to ride their bicycles on half inflated tires over dirt roads, but if they choose to do so, they are able to do it.  Again, Aquinas says "Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt."  Just because the journey is hard doesn't make the destination less real.

Lastly, there is a blurb on Faith and Science.  This is particularly important in our day and age, where so many feel that these two things are competing and incompatible.  I loved science before I loved God...and science was partially responsible for my acceptance of God.  Paragraph 159 sums it up nicely.  I said it before, but it bears repeating:  Truth can not contradict truth.  We have nothing to fear from truth of any sort.

Tomorrow's readings:

Genesis 28-29
Psalm 19
Matthew 12:1-21
Catechism 160-165

God Bless and Good Night!

Bible and Catechism in a year: Day 18

Genesis 25-26

It seems that Abraham, even in his old age, saw fit to take another wife, and has six sons with her (and who knows how many daughters).  Still, Isaac inherits everything when Abraham dies at the age of 175.

Very sweetly, Abraham is buried with Sarah in the cave of Macpelah, and the story turns to that of Isaac and his descendants. 

Rebekah is blessed with twins who apparently start fighting even before they are born, and the Lord makes a prophecy to her, that their people will be divided, and that the elder will serve the younger. 

I find the episode between Jacob and Esau with the pottage to be curious, where Esau sells his birthright to Jacob apparently for bread and lentil stew.  All this after we just read that Esau was a skillful hunter, and had been out in the field.  Jacob is clearly the smart one...

Abimelech must be getting pretty old at this point.  Fortunately he has a good memory, because he calls Isaac out when Isaac "pulls an Abraham," trying to pass off his wife as his sister.  Now, granted, Rebekah is his cousin...but I had really hoped that Abraham would have let Isaac know that this trick wasn't a great idea...or perhaps it was because it worked so well for his father that he utilizes the strategy.  In any case, he doesn't do a good job of acting the part, because Isaac apparently isn't too good at controlling himself, "fondling" his wife where he could be seen through one of Abimelech's window. 

Abimelech takes Isaac to task, much like he did Abraham, and grants him protection, but after he becomes very successful asks him to leave.  Isaac leaves, and reminiscent of his father's exploits, has some disputes over wells (which oddly enough remind me of the swamp castle from Monty Python and the Holy Grail..."But the fourth one stayed up!") and eventually returns to Beer-sheba, where Abimelech makes an agreement with him to have peace between his people and the Philistines.

There is a lot going on here, and I think we have to resist the temptation to try and look at only the behavior of these old testament heroes, but how they respond to God's words and commands.  Perhaps Abraham and Isaac make mistakes as they move through their lives, but they are faithful to what God asks of them.  So it should be with us...we're going to mess up, and God knows it.  But if we keep his commands, things work out for the best, despite our unconscious methods to mess things up.

We end on an oddly cryptic note...that Esau takes a couple of Hittite wives who make life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah...We'll see where this goes.

Psalm 18:1-30

This is a longish psalm in comparison to the others read so far...and very beautiful indeed.  The 30th verse tells us something very profound:

"This God - his way is perfect;  the promise of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him."

It sums up the preceding 29 verses quite nicely.

If only we always had the presence of mind to go to God first when we are in trouble.

Matthew 11:1-15

I find it interesting in Matthew that we don't hear how John the Baptist wound up in prison.

Certainly, it is humanly understandable that John would want to know for sure that the man he baptized is indeed the Messiah, especially since he likely had a view of the messiah not unlike other Jews of his time.  Jesus speaks to the crowds about this, and calls out some Isaiah in explaining John's role as herald.  He also calls John out as Elijah's coming.  This can be a bit confusing...how can John be Elijah?  We Catholics don't do reincarnation, so what gives?

We believe that John comes in the spirit of Elijah.  I think I'll expand more on that when we get to the prophecies concerning Elijah's return and also Luke's Gospel.

Catechism 142-149

It is amazing how this ties in today...Talking about Abraham's obedience as I mentioned above.  We respond to God's invitation by submitting our intellect and our will to God and His revelation.  This does not mean that we shut off our intellect or simply allow our will to drift...rather it means that we orient our intellectual pursuits and our actions toward God.  We are not mindless (and anyone who claims Christians or Catholics are mindless should read some Aquinas!) in our faith, but mindful of our faith.  For truth can not contradict truth, be it scientific truth, spiritual truth, or natural truth.  There is one truth, and it is harmonious.

I love the way the Catechism holds up two individuals as examples of true obedience in faith.  Abraham, who held nothing back from God when asked, and Mary, who likewise gave completely of herself when God revealed His plan to her.

Tomorrow's readings:

Genesis 27
Psalm 18:31-51
Matthew 11:16-30
Catechism 150-159

God Bless and Good Night!

Bible and Catechism in a year: Day 17

Genesis 24:

We get a long narrative which follows an un-named servant's quest to find Isaac a wife from Abraham's homeland  There is a great deal of trust in God and his master by this servant, and it pays off.  The episode seems very strange to modern sensibilities, but taking into account the culture at the time, it is not particularly remarkable, though it does underscore Rebekah's goodness and hospitality, and therefore suitability as a mate for Isaac, from whom we know Abraham's great nation must come forth.  Curiously enough, Rebekah turns out to be Abraham's niece, Isaac's cousin.

Psalm 17:

This is a hard prayer.  How many of us can say that there is no wickedness in us, and that our feet have not slipped from the path of righteousness?  The call for "steadfast love" takes me back to the Genesis reading for today, where the good servant says "Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master." 

What is remarkable about this Psalm, however, is the way that it turns at the end.  After calling out for deliverance from the wicked "whose portion in life is of the world," it appears that David prays for his enemies, saying "May their belly be filled with what thou hast stored up for them; may their children have more than enough; may they leave something over to their babes."

The most beautiful part, is the end, though.  "When I awake, I shall be satisfied with beholding thy form."  This is the wish of all of us, the deepest desire that we have...to behold God, and be satisfied in that vision.

Matthew 10:24-42

Most of this series of verses seems pretty self explanatory.  He points out that those who think that he is from the prince of demons naturally malign him.  Don't fear those who can kill the body...we are worth much more than many sparrows, every hair on our heads is counted, etc.  Our relationship with God is more important that our familial relationships, or our societal relationships, or any aspect of our earthly lives.

These words, in particular, speak volumes:  "...and he who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it."

How often do we shrink away from adversity, from pain, from suffering, from putting ourselves out for others?  How often do we leave that cross right where we found it, rather than picking it up and carrying it?  And how beautiful would it be if we held it aloft, as much as it can hurt or inconvenience us, and say "This is for you, Jesus?"  I am reminded of blessed Chiara Luce Badano, who was beatified last Saturday.  If you don't know about this remarkable young woman, here is an article for you: http://www.archden.org/index.cfm/ID/2883/The-Good-News-on-Youth/  As she suffered and ultimately died from osteogenic sarcoma, she gave us a beautiful example of how to take up our cross, no matter what it might be.  She truly found her life in dying.

Blessed Chiara Badano, pray for us.

Catechism 131-141:

For anyone who thinks that the Catholic Church discourages the reading of scripture, they should read 131-133.  She echos the words of St. Jerome:  "Ignorance of Scriptures is ignorance of Christ."  Catholics, especially in the modern age where we have the means and the education, must become more familiar with scripture...which is exactly the purpose of this exercise.

Tomorrow's readings:

Genesis 25-26
Psalm 18:1-30
Matthew 11:1-15
Catechism 142-149

Bible and Catechism in a year: Days 15 and 16

It's Monday Madness with a two-for-one.  For those following along at home, Day 16's readings are:
Genesis 22-23
Psalm 16
Matthew 10:1-23
Catechism 120-130

So, let's sum up day 15 and 16...

Genesis 21-23

Chapter 21 gives us the birth of Isaac and the ultimate exile of Hagar and Ishmael.  Sarah becomes jealous and demands that Hagar be sent away, and naturally Abraham is distressed, for that would mean the loss of Ishmael as well.  But God promises Abraham that Hagar and Ishmael will be cared for, and tells him to listen to his wife, so Abraham sends her away.  God rescues Hagar and Ishmael when they run out of water, and they settle in the wilderness of Paran, and Ishmael grows up and takes a wife from Egypt.  It is important to note that Ishmael has been circumcised, and so he is part of the covenant with God.  We also have a covenant between Abraham and Abimelech regarding a well.  There is clearly some symbolism behind the setting apart of the seven ewes, but I'm not entirely sure what that is.

Chapter 22 gives us Abraham's test.  This is full of typology which prefigures the crucifixion of Christ.  Abraham lays the wood on Issac, prefiguring the carrying of the cross.  Abraham says "God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering", prefiguring his sending Christ to earth as an offering for our sins. And after Isaac is saved, we the angel says "for now I know that you fear God, seeing that you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me."  As such, God does not withhold His only son from us...

Then with Chapter 23, we have the death of Sarah at age 127, and her burial in the cave of Machpelah, which Abraham buys from Ephron despite Ephron's saying that he needs not buy it to bury her there...But Abraham buys it all the same.  I am curious to see if this place comes up again...

Psalms 15 and 16

Psalm 15 is some lovely poetry regarding those who are upright and how they are to act.  This is another one that I think I would like to put on a plaque and hang by my front door, to remind me that "He who does these things shall never be moved."

Psalm 16 is also lovely.  It is nice to have a break from "doom and gloom" psalms, or those which wish so much calamity against enemies or laments our tough place in the world, but simply rest in God as refuge. 

Matthew 9:18 - 10:23

Important highlights include the raising from the dead of a little girl, the giving of sight to two blind men, and the expulsion of a demon from a dumb man (which enabled him to speak).  He is laughed at once, and accused of being in cahoots with the prince of demons once.  He had compassion for these crowds who flocked to him like sheep without a shepherd...it makes sense that they would flock to him...

In this day and age, though, we can't help but think of how people still flock to influential figures...anyone who claims to have answers or can entertain draws a following...people WANT a shepherd...it seems to be in our nature.  It is up to us to choose the right ones, though.

Then Jesus begins to instruct his disciples.  We get a list of the twelve, and Jesus gives them instructions on evangelization and speaking, telling them to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.  He then gives them some rough news...they aren't going to be liked, but will be hated by all "for my name's sake."

We endure some of this today, and I think it will likely get worse in our lifetime, in this country, at least.

Catechism 109-130

Important highlights: 

We have to be attentive not just to what the words say when reading scripture, but what the human authors' intention, which reflects what God wanted to reveal by their words.  Therefore, we must read scripture in context (historical, literary, modal, etc.) as well as in unity with the rest of scripture.  It is a living and active word, of course, so we pray to the Holy Spirit to guide us in interpreting, but in cases of dispute, we look to the tradition of the Church.

This is an important point.  If we do not look to an authority in cases of dispute, then we wind up with multiple interpretations, with all claiming the Holy Spirit as their source.  As Steve Ray points out "Either someone is wrong, or the Holy Spirit is confused..."  The latter being impossible, we have to have something to "test all things" against...that something is the Tradition of the church.  It stands to reason, especially, that those who were closer in time to the writing of the scriptures would have a better idea of what was meant by certain things.  This is one of the reasons why we, as Catholics, look to the early Christians for guidance.  For they were taught by those who wrote the scriptures...it was for them that the new testament was originally written and they who preserved it and passed it down.  If they misinterpreted it, then we are all in very big trouble.  We are far more likely to misinterpret than they were, since they were reading in their original language, living in the historical context, and receiving instruction and clarification in real time.

We understand that scripture can be read in a literal sense as well as a spiritual sense, which consists of a allegorical sense, moral sense, and anagogical sense.

Discussing the Canon of Scripture, we have a lot of disagreements with our separated brethren with regard to the Old Testament.  For time's sake, I'm not going into the whole history, but if you want to know more, I recommend this article as a starting point:  http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2000/0009sbs.asp

We must always read the new testament being mindful of the old, and the old testament being mindful of the new.  "The New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New."

Tomorrow's readings:

Genesis 24
Psalm 17
Matthew 10:24-42
Catechism 131-141