Let’s talk about John the Baptist. We don’t tend to see him as much more than the herald of Christ, and some of us may remember that he baptised our Lord in the Jordan river. We know that he had a particular ministry to the people, and his own baptismal rite for a spiritual washingContinue reading “John the Priest (Sunday III of Advent)”
Category Archives: Theology and philosophy
Humanity renewed (Sunday II of Advent)
“The link of our gospel story to Baruch’s prophecy is clearly in the levelling of mountains and filling in of valleys, in order to allow Jerusalem and Judah to be more quickly restored, as per Baruch. But S. John the Baptist has a greater vision: it isn’t only the Hebrew nation returning to God in the Messiah, but all nations of the earth – all mankind.”
Awaiting the King (Sunday I of Advent)
“…we are to watch ourselves, take up self-control to avoid possible drunkenness and debauchery, we are to stay awake, praying for the strength to survive every threat to our perseverance and faithfulness to God, and to stand confidently in all purity before the Son of Man.”
All hail the King (last Sunday of Ordered time)
On the last Sunday of the liturgical year we honour the High King and track His progress from Old Testament prophecy, through the witness of the Gospel and unto the apocalyptic fulfilment in the book of Revelation. First, consider that at the beginning God was named sovereign over His Creation, but the sins of humanityContinue reading “All hail the King (last Sunday of Ordered time)”
‘Lo, He comes with clouds descending…’ (Sunday XXXIII of Ordered time)
Once more, as we come to the end of the liturgical year, in these last Sundays before Advent, our readings become apocalyptic and speak of the end of all things. This sort of thing can be frightening to the people of this world – those who have set their hearts upon the things of thisContinue reading “‘Lo, He comes with clouds descending…’ (Sunday XXXIII of Ordered time)”
Supplying divine worship (Sunday XXXII of Ordered time)
One of my favourite Christmas carols is In the bleak mid-winter, and I can’t easily sing the last bit without choking up. If you know it, it is the song of the Christian soul before the Christmas crib, saying, ‘What can I give to You, poor though I am? if I were a shepherd, IContinue reading “Supplying divine worship (Sunday XXXII of Ordered time)”
True sacrifice (Sunday XXXI of Ordered time)
We have something of an identity statement of the Hebrew religion in our first reading today, which you can still hear Jewish people using today, several times weekly, if not daily. They call it the Sh’ma (pictured above in the Hebrew Bible), which is the Hebrew word for ‘hear,’ the first word of the statementContinue reading “True sacrifice (Sunday XXXI of Ordered time)”
The light of Faith (Sunday XXX of Ordered time)
Let’s attempt to establish a timeframe for our readings this weekend. Jerusalem and the Jerusalem Temple was destroyed calamitously twice, once in 587 BC by the Chaldeans and the second time in AD 70 by the Romans. So, the first time was a little less than 600 years before our Lord, and the second timeContinue reading “The light of Faith (Sunday XXX of Ordered time)”
To reign from a Cross (Sunday XXIX of Ordered time)
“But the souls of the just are in God’s hands, and no torment, in death itself, has power to reach them. Dead? Fools think so; think their end loss, their leaving us, annihilation; but all is well with them. The world sees nothing but the pains they endure; they themselves have eyes only for whatContinue reading “To reign from a Cross (Sunday XXIX of Ordered time)”
The true measure of holiness (Sunday XXVIII of Ordered time)
There’s something I mention reasonably often: integrity and sincerity. Let us define religion as rite and ritual: the ceremonies that walk us from soon after we are born, through the period of adolescence and early adulthood, that sanctify our ordinary life throughout and that then finally carry us into the tomb. Why do people whoContinue reading “The true measure of holiness (Sunday XXVIII of Ordered time)”
Marriage: in the fire of love (Sunday XXVII of Ordered time)
With our readings this weekend we drift into a new meditation on human marriage. Those of you who hear me regularly know that I talk a great deal about marriage in passing, because one of the grand themes of Holy Scripture is the marriage of God to His chosen people. The Jews dwelt a greatContinue reading “Marriage: in the fire of love (Sunday XXVII of Ordered time)”
Treasuring divine Wisdom (Sunday XXVI of Ordered time)
Our readings this weekend begin with the delegation of apostolic authority for ministry within the Church. Remember that the Greek word ‘apostle’ simply refers to somebody who is sent, but in the Christian context that refers to a very particular missionary with extraordinary delegated power and responsibility to govern and sanctify. We’re talking here aboutContinue reading “Treasuring divine Wisdom (Sunday XXVI of Ordered time)”
Christian leadership (Sunday XXV of Ordered time)
As with last weekend, we meditate upon the suffering of our Lord in the course of His great Sacrifice, so let’s again try to unite all three of our Mass readings together to establish a common message. Remember that September is traditionally the month of our Lady of Sorrows, when we stand with our blessedContinue reading “Christian leadership (Sunday XXV of Ordered time)”
Treasures in heaven (Sunday XXIV of Ordered time)
In our Gospel reading today we have the great confession of the Apostle S. Peter, at Caesarea Philippi, far, far north of Judah and Jerusalem, near what they call today the Golan Heights. Far beyond Galilee even, and the tranquility of the fishing villages. And so, far away from all things, Christ asks His menContinue reading “Treasures in heaven (Sunday XXIV of Ordered time)”
A divine vengeance (Sunday XXIII of Ordered time)
I often take things back to the garden of Eden. That is so very significant, that fall of mankind, and everything else that takes place throughout the rest of the Bible is related straight back to that, as is also the great ending of the book of Revelation, when the tree of life – onceContinue reading “A divine vengeance (Sunday XXIII of Ordered time)”
Ritual washings (Sunday XXII of Ordered time)
I think that one of the reasons the Pharisees and the disciples of Christ had so many arguments, as we are told by the gospel stories, is that they were both groups of orthodox Jews. And in the best tradition of the Jewish people, the Orthodox have a good old argument every now and againContinue reading “Ritual washings (Sunday XXII of Ordered time)”
Reading through the book of the Apocalypse of S. John (aka. Revelation)
And finally, here is my last short essay on the books of the Bible, part of a marathon read through the entire Knox English version of Holy Scripture, a copy of which I acquired when I worked at the cathedral in Nottingham. Monsignor Knox was a twentieth-century Anglican clergyman who became a Catholic priest, following an intellectualContinue reading “Reading through the book of the Apocalypse of S. John (aka. Revelation)”
‘Will you leave me, also?’ (Sunday XXI of Ordered time)
Our readings this weekend demonstrate invitations by God to a chosen people, who are always given the freedom to either accept or decline. But if they do accept, they do so not on their own conditions but on His. We should remember that in the relationships that God arranges with an elect people, He paintsContinue reading “‘Will you leave me, also?’ (Sunday XXI of Ordered time)”
Reading through the Gospel of S. Luke
The Gospel of Saint Luke, third and longest of the lot, is particularly interesting for the way it is arranged, with much of the material in the Gospels of Saint Matthew and Saint Mark, but reordered to form a different narrative. At the same time, Luke added new material the other two Gospels don’t contain,Continue reading “Reading through the Gospel of S. Luke”
Reading through the Song of Songs
This is a difficult one. The Song of Songs is probably the hardest to understand in its place in the canon of Sacred Scripture – even more so than Ecclesiastes. It seems to be a series of love letters thrown back and forth between various couples, with no obvious point. Could it be taken as wordsContinue reading “Reading through the Song of Songs”
Reading through the book of Deuteronomy
The Greek term deutero-nomos is literally ‘the second law.’ We may be aware that God gave the prophet Moses a law on Mount Horeb/Sinai after the dramatic escape from Egypt; this is outlined at the end of the book of Exodus, and throughout the book of Numbers, and is a first Law for the observance of the people, toContinue reading “Reading through the book of Deuteronomy”
Reading through the book of Genesis
How do you summarise the first and greatest of the books of the Torah? Let’s put it into the following portions: (i) the Creation and the early prehistory, (ii) the story of Abraham, and (iii) the son of Israel and the heads of the tribes The most significant theme of the first three or fourContinue reading “Reading through the book of Genesis”
Reading through the letter of the Apostle S. Jude
Here’s an old prayer-card image of the Apostle Saint Jude, aka. Thaddaeus, better known to us today as the patron Saint of hopeless causes. One of Jude’s letters – a rather short one – sits in our collection in the New Testament. This letter has a common theme that it shares with other early letters, thatContinue reading “Reading through the letter of the Apostle S. Jude”
Reading through the Wisdom of Solomon (aka. the Book of Wisdom)
The Wisdom of Solomon is traditionally attributed to the king of that name, although Scripture scholars have attempted to throw doubt on that (as Scripture scholars are wont to do). But let’s use the traditional attribution to keep things simple. There are three great themes of the book: (i) the triumph of the Just (oftenContinue reading “Reading through the Wisdom of Solomon (aka. the Book of Wisdom)”
Wisdom builds herself a home (Sunday XX of Ordered time)
“See, where Wisdom has built herself a house, carved out for herself those seven pillars of hers! And now, her sacrificial victims slain, her wine mingled, her banquet spread, this way and that her maidens are dispatched, to city keep and city wall, bidding her guests make haste. ‘Simple hearts,’ she says, ‘draw near me;’Continue reading “Wisdom builds herself a home (Sunday XX of Ordered time)”
Reading through the letters of S. John
The first letter we have of S. John’s is not a very long letter at all, and has many features from the Gospel of Saint John, such as the theology of light and dark, good and evil and attachment to Christ. It is marvellously black and white, the constant theme being that if you loveContinue reading “Reading through the letters of S. John”
Reading through the book of Ecclesiastes (aka. Qoheleth)
Here’s the slightly controversial Old Testament book called Ecclesiastes, or Qoheleth. The word ecclesia in Greek means ‘assembly’ and, like the other book called Ecclesiasticus, was designed to be read to an assembly. As indeed was most of Scripture. The Hebrew word Q’hal has a similar meaning, but some scholars treat ‘Qoheleth’ as a proper name. My own BibleContinue reading “Reading through the book of Ecclesiastes (aka. Qoheleth)”
Reading through the Book of Numbers
This fourth book of the Torah is mixed material. It begins with a detailed census of the people who found themselves at the foot of Mount Sinai, being entered into a serious covenant with the God of their forefathers. This was done in the second year after the escape from Egypt, and counts a surprisingContinue reading “Reading through the Book of Numbers”
Reading through the first letter of S. Peter
The first letter of the Apostle Saint Peter that is preserved in our New Testament was addressed to Christians of Asia Minor, what is now called ‘Turkey.’ As we can see from the map just below, in Greek times, Pontus and Bithynia were on the north, sitting on the Black Sea, Galatia was the greatContinue reading “Reading through the first letter of S. Peter”
The Carpenter’s son (Sunday XIX of Ordered time)
We continue this weekend with a discourse on the divine providence, because of the readings we have been given. The first reading tells of the prophet Elijah, in flight from the wicked queen of Israel, Jezebel, who wished to have him killed; in distress and on the way to the mountain upon which Moses receivedContinue reading “The Carpenter’s son (Sunday XIX of Ordered time)”
Reading through the Book of Proverbs
Pictured above is the interior of one of the greatest churches we ever built, the great Hagia Sophia of Constantinople, now unfortunately desecrated multiple times and (as I understand) functioning as a mosque. Hagia Sophia is Greek for Sancta Sapientia in Latin, or Holy Wisdom in English. That church was built to honour the Wisdom of God (of which human wisdom is onlyContinue reading “Reading through the Book of Proverbs”
Reading through the Book of Job
Now, however, let’s get through the excellent book of Job, so useful to those of us who suffer greatly and without remedy, and find it difficult to understand why the good God doesn’t arrive with some relief at the very least, or even complete healing? Doesn’t God wish our happiness at all times? Well, theContinue reading “Reading through the Book of Job”
Reading through the Book of Esther
The book of Esther contains a charming and, to be honest, a little frightening story about a devastating pogrom against the Jewish exiles in Mesopotamia, and throughout the vast Persian empire, probably also including the valiant band of returnees to Juda and Jerusalem, who were in the process of restoring the City and the TempleContinue reading “Reading through the Book of Esther”
Reading through the second letter of S. Peter
It’s the feast day of the Transfiguration! So, let’s get through the second letter of the Apostle Saint Peter, sent much later in his ministry as bishop of Rome, for he hints at his upcoming death. The Apostle here demonstrates a high theology of grace, the benefit on the Church of her embracing the God-Man,Continue reading “Reading through the second letter of S. Peter”
Reading through the Gospel of S. John
This Gospel is my favourite of the four, if I am allowed to pick a favourite. It is unlike the others because its very construction is unique. It provides a more personal description of Christ, which is appropriate, for it was written by the Apostle who called himself the Beloved Disciple (of Christ). He undoubtedlyContinue reading “Reading through the Gospel of S. John”
Hand to the plough, but looking back… (Sunday XVIII of Ordered time)
Let’s identify in our readings this weekend not only the miraculous provision of food for the elect people of God, but also the preparation that was required for them to receive it. This was not an easy story at all, miracle or not, and it still isn’t an easy lesson to learn. Let me makeContinue reading “Hand to the plough, but looking back… (Sunday XVIII of Ordered time)”
Reading through the Book of the Judges
An immediate problem faced by readers of the book of Judges is that, despite its traditional position after Exodus, Deuteronomy and Numbers, the people in the book of Judges do not seem to have moral guidance. And some of the stories contained in this narrative are horrendous, the atrocities they contain are astonishing. It couldContinue reading “Reading through the Book of the Judges”
Reading through the Book of Joshua
This book is a history of the original settlement of the Holy Land by the Israelites, and is interesting in the similarities it has to the more recent settlement of the Holy Land by the Jews, followed by the establishment of the Zionist State of Israel. If today we hear loud cries of ‘Colonialism!’ andContinue reading “Reading through the Book of Joshua”
Reading through the letter (of S. Paul) to the Hebrews
Almost twenty years ago, the Holy Father Benedict XVI named 2009-2010 as a Year of Priests, which was crucial for its time, because it created a great enthusiasm among young gentlemen, and for a time the seminaries began to fill up, and the priesthood received a renewed focus especially on social media. After the ongoingContinue reading “Reading through the letter (of S. Paul) to the Hebrews”
Reading through the Prophecy of Malachi (aka. Malachias)
Moving on to the end of the long list of prophetic books, I have arrived at Malachy’s short work, which was a later prophecy of the second Temple period, after the return from exile in Babylon. This is the pre-eminent Messianic prophecy. In the very first chapter, we hear of the malignancy of the HebrewContinue reading “Reading through the Prophecy of Malachi (aka. Malachias)”
The desert experience (Sunday XVII of Ordered time)
“After this, Jesus retired across the sea of Galilee, or Tiberias, and there was a great multitude following Him; they had seen the miracles He performed over the sick. So Jesus went up on to the hill-side, and there sat down with His disciples. It was nearly the time of the Jews’ great feast, theContinue reading “The desert experience (Sunday XVII of Ordered time)”
Reading through the letter of S. Paul to Philemon
Coming to the end of the Pauline corpus of the New Testament, i.e. the set of letters that we have in the New Testament that are traditionally attributed to Saint Paul, the second to last (or the last, if as scholars tend to do today you discount the letter to the Hebrews) is the ratherContinue reading “Reading through the letter of S. Paul to Philemon”
Reading through the Book of Nechemyah (aka. Nehemiah, and II Esdras)
So, we’re back at the tail-end of the sixth century before Christ, and Jewish companies are returning to Juda and Jerusalem from exile all over the Persian empire, but especially from Babylon. We looked at some of these groups in the book of Ezra, and the second Temple had been erected and the city revived.Continue reading “Reading through the Book of Nechemyah (aka. Nehemiah, and II Esdras)”
Reading through S. Paul’s letter to S. Titus
Saint Titus, who is often grouped together with Saint Timothy, the bishop of Ephesus, was Saint Paul’s representative on the island of Crete. Titus was a disciple and companion of Saint Paul, and became the first bishop of Crete, during which ministry he must have received this letter from his old teacher. We know fromContinue reading “Reading through S. Paul’s letter to S. Titus”
Reading through the Book of Ezra (aka. Esdras I)
Reading through the book of Haggai, we discovered a prophet who encouraged the Successor of David and the Successor of Zadoc the priest to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple, when the Jews had arrived in Juda from exile in Babylon at the end of the sixth century BC, and had done their best to secureContinue reading “Reading through the Book of Ezra (aka. Esdras I)”
Reading through the prophecy of Haggai (aka. Aggaeus)
Anybody following these posts is familiar with the historical fact of the calamity that struck Jerusalem in 587 BC, when after several sieges the Holy City fell at last to the Chaldean hordes arriving from Babylon in Mesopotamia, and was utterly destroyed. The prophet Jeremiah, still alive as the City was levelled to the ground,Continue reading “Reading through the prophecy of Haggai (aka. Aggaeus)”
Reading through the second letter of S. Paul to S. Timothy
Paul comes off brilliantly in this letter to Saint Timothy, the second one to that bishop of Ephesus that we have in the New Testament. This is certainly my favourite of all his surviving letters for its brevity and its completeness as a note of encouragement and instruction to Saint Timothy, his beloved disciple and son,Continue reading “Reading through the second letter of S. Paul to S. Timothy”
‘Woe to the shepherds!’ (Sunday XVI of Ordered time)
We’ve come past the Sunday readings about prophecy in the last few weeks to a condemnation of false prophets and bad shepherds. There will always be false prophets and bad shepherds. There is a hint in the readings of the last few Sundays of professional prophet yes-men, who were basically secularised and happy to supportContinue reading “‘Woe to the shepherds!’ (Sunday XVI of Ordered time)”
Reading through the prophecy of Sophonias (aka. Zefaniah)
At the tail-end of the Hebrew Bible, in the collection of the ‘minor’ prophecies, is the rather short prophecy of Sophonias, the prophet of the Remnant, the royal prophet of the family of David. Sophonias was apparently working in the reign of the good King Josias of Juda and ministering to the southern Judaite kingdom.Continue reading “Reading through the prophecy of Sophonias (aka. Zefaniah)”
Reading through the first letter of S. Paul to S. Timothy
This most touching letter of Saint Paul to one of his first bishops, after Saint Timothy had been given the care of the See of Ephesus, provides a short series of counsels for an infant church, establishing basic practices and providing counsel to the new bishop and the priests under him. I should begin withContinue reading “Reading through the first letter of S. Paul to S. Timothy”
Catholic Louth and Mablethorpe 