January 1: Reflections on the Scripture Readings for the Solemnity of Mary, The Mother of God

An extra Scripture study for Friday, January 1, 2010 and the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God (a holy day of obligation for Catholics). You can find it on my webpage, located here.

Have a blessed holy day, and may you also have a prosperous, healthy, and blessed New Year!

In the Search for "The Historical Jesus," Beware "The Jesus Seminar"

Over at the Catholic Exchange website, there is an excellent article called In Search of the Historical Jesus, by author Louie Verrecchio. Here is an excerpt:

One of the most widely known and oft-quoted academic initiatives undertaken to divide fact from fiction among the Scriptural references to the life of Christ is a scholarly effort called the Jesus Seminar. The Seminar, which is comprised of some 150 individual bible scholars, biblical archaeologists and the like, was co-founded by a former Catholic priest, John Dominic Crossan.

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The group produces Bible translations, publishes position papers, and tours the world giving lectures, all of which outline their collective findings concerning the relative accuracy of those acts and sayings that are attributed to Jesus in Sacred Scripture. For instance, according to the Seminar, claims that Jesus walked on water and raised Lazurus from the dead are categorized as wholly unsustainable.

The secular media often behaves like a kid in a candy store when it comes to such "findings;" eagerly portraying those who believe that these miracles really took place as fanatical and naïve. I am sorry to say, however, that the media are not the only ones who eat this stuff up.

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"Scholarly" endeavors such as those undertaken by the Jesus Seminar are not limited to the confines of non-Catholic and secular institutions as even some professors teaching in our Catholic universities and seminaries have entered into the "historical Jesus" debate as well, sewing the seeds of doubt and division in their classrooms along the way.

This has long been one of my personal pet peeves -- about the tone and timbre of much of the Catholic Bible study materials used by the average Catholic, usually foisted upon them by mostly well meaning local parish or diocesan catechists (their having been taught with these resources themselves and considering them "up to date" and "modern"). This includes incorporating into Bible studies or Scripture classes ideas from the types of scholars discussed above and even referencing and recommending their books. While sometimes the errors found there can be subtle, deep down they are faith-killers for the person who instead was looking to the Scriptures to strenghten and deepen their faith. When that person runs into the type of skeptical, anti-supernaturalist and speculative drivel found in this type of literature, often the response is either "Why bother?" and give up Scripture reading completely, or--worse--conclude that Christianity is based on a series of lies or fables and entirely give up on the Faith as well.

The proper approach of course is to, yes, utilize historical (even critical scholarship) as just one Scripture study tool among many--and as an entirely subserviant tool to the literal meaning of the text and to the analogy of Faith --that is, in the light of what the Church has always taught about the Scriptures and within the rest of Church teaching.

December 27: Reflections on the Scripture Readings for This Sunday's Mass

To help you prepare for this coming Sunday, here are the readings and reflections for this coming Sunday's Scripture readings. Still in the midst of the Christmas season, this Sunday is the Feast of the Holy Family and the Gospel reading is the familiar story of the finding of the child Jesus in the Jerusalem temple.

Here are the Scripture readings from the U.S. Catholic bishops website.

My own weekly study (along with Don Schwager's meditation) is not available on my website at this time due to technical difficulties. If you would like a copy, please e-mail me directly and I'll send it right to you. Sorry for any inconvenience! :)

Reflections on the Sunday Scriptures for the younger ones in your family by Emily and Jeff Cavins can be found at Family Night .

Here also is the link to the current weekly audio/print meditation on the readings by Dr. Scott Hahn, and an audio reflection by Fr. Robert Barron.

The Navarre Bible Commentary for each reading can be viewed here.

Discussion and charitible comments are always welcome. Have a blessed and holy Lord's day!

Jesus-era Home Uncovered in Nazareth

You've probably already seen this story from a number of secular newsites, but this version, supplied by EWTN, offers a few more details:

Excavation Uncovers Nazareth Home from Jesus' Time, Provides Unprecedented Window into Ancient Lifestyles

NAZARETH, DEC. 21, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Excavations in Nazareth have uncovered an unprecedented discovery: the remains of a family home from Jesus' time.

A press release from the Israel Antiquities Authority announced today that this finding "is of the utmost importance since it reveals for the very first time a house from the Jewish village of Nazareth and thereby sheds light on the way of life at the time of Jesus."

This discovery is giving archaeologists new information about the way of life in Nazareth during Jesus' time.

Yardenna Alexandre, the authority's excavation director, explained: "The building that we found is small and modest and it is most likely typical of the dwellings in Nazareth in that period.

"From the few written sources that there are, we know that in the first century Nazareth was a small Jewish village, located inside a valley. Until now a number of tombs from the time of Jesus were found in Nazareth; however, no settlement remains have been discovered that are attributed to this period."

The discovery was made during excavations linked to the construction of the International Marian Center of Nazareth, which is being carried out by the Association Mary of Nazareth.
The center is being built next to the Church of the Annunciation, which tradition holds as the site where Mary, the mother of Jesus, lived.

The press release reported that the ancient building that was uncovered had two rooms and a courtyard with a rock-hewn cistern for collecting rainwater.

A few artifacts were found, including pottery fragments from the first and second centuries. As well, some pieces of chalk vessels were discovered, which were used by Jews because the "vessels were not susceptible to becoming ritually unclean," the authority explained.

Another pit with a hidden entrance was found, which was "probably hewn as part of the preparations by the Jews to protect themselves during the Great Revolt against the Romans in 67," Alexandre noted.

The Association Mary of Nazareth announced its plans to conserve the archeological remains inside its new center.

The center, which is scheduled to be completed next year, will be run by the Chemin Neuf Community, a Catholic organization with an ecumenical mission that is active in 25 countries. It aims to offer multimedia educational tools to teach about Nazareth and its role in the Christian faith.

The reason this story is significant is that there is a pile if literature out there (some as recently as 2008, I've found) that claims there is no evidence that the town of Nazareth ever existed, at least until the fourth century AD at least, and that biblical writers simply invented the town as part of a "Jesus Myth."

Once again, however, archaeology substantiates the biblical record. I say "once again" because many liberal scholars have been of the opinion that there are innumerable instances that such-and-such a person or such-and-such a place mentioned in the Scriptures has no hard evidence for existing outside the Scriptures. The inference is that the Bible, as a historical source, is largely unreliable (there are some parts of the Bible, of course--primarily found in the Old Testament-- that are read like history when they shouldn't be, but that does not apply to or detract from the truly historical accounts found there, especially in the New Testament).

Time and again, however, archaeologists as well as historians studying newly discovered or translated early manuscripts have proven the authenticity and accuracy of the Biblical historical record. This has been the case in finding contemporary evidence of Pontius Pilate, the "House of David," and the ossuary (burial box) of the High Priest Caiphas. More discoveries like this are being made all the time.

Next time your college professor or know-it-all co-worker at the watercooler smirks and tries to tell you the Bible is basically all made-up stories and that there is no scholarly evidence for the existence of a certain person, place or event found in the Bible, just smile and say, "You mean they haven't found it yet."

December 25: Scripture Readings for the Feast of the Nativity (Midnight Mass)

Here is a Bible study Extra for the readings that will be heard at the Midnight Mass for the Feast of the Nativity (Christmas).

Here also are some beautiful and inspiring Scripture meditations and quotes from the Saints on this most blessed time of year found on Don Schwager's site.

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From the Contreras family to you and yours, have a blessed, holy and happy Christmas!

December 20: Reflections on the Scripture Readings for this Sunday's Mass

To help you prepare for this coming Sunday, here are the readings and reflections for this coming Sunday's Scripture readings. This Sunday is the 4th Sunday of Advent and the Gospel reading is the familiar story of Mary's visitation to her cousin, Elizabeth.

Here are the Scripture readings from the U.S. Catholic bishops website.

My own weekly study (along with Don Schwager's meditation) is not available on my website at this time due to technical difficulties. If you would like a copy, please e-mail me directly and I'll send it right to you. Sorry for any inconvenience! :)

Reflections on the Sunday Scriptures for the younger ones in your family by Emily and Jeff Cavins can be found at Family Night .

Here also is the link to the current weekly audio/print meditation on the readings by Dr. Scott Hahn, and an audio reflection by Fr. Robert Barron.

The Navarre Bible Commentary for each reading can be viewed here.

Discussion and charitible comments are always welcome. Have a blessed and holy Lord's day!

December 13: Reflections on the Scripture Readings for This Sunday

To help you prepare for this coming Sunday, here are the readings and reflections for this coming Sunday's Scripture readings. This Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of Advent and in the Gospel reading we hear the people asking John the Baptist: "What must we do? "(to prepare the way of the Lord in our lives.)

This is one of my favorite Bible passages and one that intensely captured my imagination when I first started reading the Scriptures.

Here are the Scripture readings from the U.S. Catholic bishops website.

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If you want to learn more about John the Baptist as the precursor of Christ and the herald of Advent, go here.

You can find my own weekly study (along with Don Schwager's meditation) on my website. As I mentioned previously, Don has a treasury of beautiful and profound meditations and resources for the Advent season, found here.

Reflections on the Sunday Scriptures for the younger ones in your family by Emily and Jeff Cavins can be found at Family Night .

Here also is the link to the current weekly audio/print meditation on the readings by Dr. Scott Hahn, and an audio reflection by Fr. Robert Barron.

The Navarre Bible Commentary for each reading can be viewed here.

Discussion and charitible comments are always welcome. Have a blessed and holy Lord's day!

December 6: Reflections on the Scripture Readings for This Sunday

To help you prepare for this coming Sunday, here are the readings and reflections for this coming Sunday's Scripture readings. This Sunday is the 2nd Sunday of Advent and we will be hearing about John the Baptist and his call to "prepare the way of the Lord."

Here are the Scripture readings from the U.S. Catholic bishops website.

If you want to learn more about John the Baptist as the precursor of Christ and the herald of Advent, go here.

You can find my own weekly study (along with Don Schwager's meditation) on my website. As I mentioned last week, Don has a treasury of beautiful and profound meditations and resources for the Advent season, found here. Our family has used these every year since our boys were small.
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Reflections on the Sunday Scriptures for the younger ones in your family by Emily and Jeff Cavins can be found at Family Night .

Here also is the link to the current weekly audio/print meditation on the readings by Dr. Scott Hahn, and an audio reflection by Fr. Robert Barron.

The Navarre Bible Commentary for each reading can be viewed here.

Discussion and charitible comments are always welcome. Have a blessed and holy Lord's day!

Conversions to Catholicism in Shanghai -- From Reading the Bible!

This is such a great story on so many levels. The fact that people are finding Christ. In China. In the Catholic Church. Through reading the Sacred Scriptures.

Shanghai, China, Dec 1, 2009 / 12:04 pm (CNA).- Many conversions are taking place in Shanghai, China, in part thanks to the encouragement of Bible reading and youth outreach programs.

One convert’s story began in a classroom encounter with Catholicism and led to the conversion of another young man he met while reading the Bible at McDonald’s.

While most Catholics in China are born to Catholic parents, many of the nearly 300,000 Catholics in Shanghai are converts, the United Bible Societies China Partnership reports.

One convert, 27-year-old Shen Cheng, had little exposure to the Catholic faith as a youth. He became interested in Catholicism when one of his professors introduced him to a book by American legal scholar Harold J. Berman. The book so interested Cheng in Catholicism that he bought a Catholic Bible.

Exploring Scripture convinced him to convert to Catholicism. He calls the Bible his “daily bread,” essential to his soul’s well-being.

Shen would often read the Bible wherever he went. At one McDonald’s restaurant he frequented he would read the Bible with a crucifix in front of him.

Lu Xiaochen, now 25, was working at the same restaurant part-time during his university vacation. He became curious after seeing Shen reading the Bible each day and began a conversation with him.

Shen shared his faith with Lu. According to United Bible Societies, Shen’s sincerity in answering questions and his love for God made a huge impression on Lu who then decided to be baptized.

See entire article here.

Hey, we have a few Mcdonald's restaurants where you and I are, don't we? What's to stop us from evangelizing in this same manner? Fear? Fear of what? It isn't illegal, you know (not yet, anyway). Fear of human opinion? There is a Chinese proverb that says: “A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion.” And let's not forget Our Lord's words: "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)

So be not afraid to take that Catholic Bible to McDonald's or anywhere else. You just may lead someone to the Happiest Meal of all--the Table of the Lord.