Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Exploring the Gospel of Mark

In June 2023, over four weeks I gave a series of talks at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Conway, Arkansas presenting my interpretation of the Gospel of Mark. Each week, we read four chapters. I then give three talks about those chapters. Each talk focuses on one of the major themes of the Gospel of Mark:

Who is Jesus?
What is the Kingdom of God?
What am I called to do as a disciple of Jesus?

Prior to undertaking the study below, I recommend finding time (approximately an hour and a half) to read the entire Gospel of Mark in one sitting. Total presentation duration is about 5.5 hours.

Presentations

Overview

Introduction to the Gospel of Mark (17:32)

Learning Objective: Understand the purpose, target audience, primary themes, and probable date of composition of the Gospel of Mark.
Discussion Questions

What aspects of your life experience and faith journey are similar to those of Mark's target audience?
How might exploring the three major themes of Mark help you better understand your faith?

Mark Chapters 1-4

Read Chapters 1-4 of the Gospel of Mark.
Mark 1-4 Notes
Mark 1-4: Who Is Jesus? (22:29)

Learning Objective: Understand how Mark shows that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine.
Discussion Questions

Caesar was neither the first nor the last earthly being to claim to bring "good news" and "salvation". Who are some others you have witnessed or heard about? How do their claims compare to those of Jesus?
Mark demonstrates that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. How do you relate to both natures of Jesus in your personal devotion and prayer life?

Mark 1-4: The Kingdom of God (16:06)

Learning Objective: Understand the universal and spiritual nature of the Kingdom of God.
Discussion Questions

How does Mark's explanation of the Kingdom of God influence how you understand the role of the Catholic Church?
What insights might you gain about resolving doctrinal disputes by observing how Jesus addressed the issue of Sabbath observance?
How do the parables of the Kingdom in Mark 4:21-34 help you gain a deeper understanding of the Kingdom of God?

Mark 1-4: Discipleship (21:53)

Learning Objective: Improve understanding of discipleship by observing how different people in the Gospel of Mark responded to Jesus's call.
Discussion Questions

What practical lessons about discipleship do you discern from analyzing the actions of various people in Mark's Gospel in light of the parable of the sower?
The disciples felt abandoned in the boat. What are some concrete ways in which one can cope with the feeling of being abandoned by God?

Mark Chapters 5-8

Read Chapters 5-8 of the Gospel of Mark.
Mark 5-8 Notes
Mark 5-8: Jesus Christ, our King (26:31; Video recording failed - audio recording is fine.)

Learning Objective: Understand how Jesus Christ, the King, defends us from evil, both through his own actions and those of his servants.
Discussion Questions

In the spiritual journey, we encounter both physical and spiritual evil. What similarities and differences are there in how we are challenged spiritually by these different types of evils?
What practical ideas for confronting these evils arise from contemplating these passages from the Gospel of Mark?

Mark 5-8: The Kingdom of God preached to all nations (27:07)

Learning Objective: Understand how the Kingdom of God manifests for peoples of all nations, and especially by means of the Sacraments of the Catholic Church.
Discussion Questions

How might we discern when Jesus is calling us to reach out to people to invite into the Kingdom of God?
How can the Sacraments sustain us in our spiritual journey?

Mark 5-8: Take up your cross (27:29)

Learning Objective: Understand the blessings that come forth when we willingly take up our cross and follow Jesus.
Discussion Questions

How might we discern whether a particular challenge is a cross that Jesus wishes for us to take up?
What are some practical strategies for sustaining ourselves when taking up crosses?

Mark Chapters 9-12

Read Chapters 9-12 of the Gospel of Mark.
Mark 9-12 Notes
Mark 9-12: Jesus leads us to eternal life (32:46)

Learning Objective: Understand how the cycle of consolation and desolation prepares us to follow Jesus through his death into eternal life.
Discussion Questions

How might we discern the blessings that we are meant to pass on to others in response to consolations we receive?
What are some practical ways to draw closer to God in light of the desolations we experience?

Mark 9-12: Receive the Kingdom of God like a little child (24:38)

Learning Objective: Understand the misinterpretation of the Kingdom of God as an earthly kingdom, and develop an intuition for the true spiritual meaning of the Kingdom of God.
Discussion Questions:

In what ways does the perspective of a child help us understand the true meaning of the Kingdom of God?
How might attachment to wealth distort our understanding of the Kingdom of God?
What are some practical ways to discern whether worldly attachments of any type are keeping us from properly seeing the Kingdom of God?
What are some concrete ways in which we can exercise true leadership through service to others?

Mark 9-12: Vocation (28:50)

Learning Objective: Deepening of awareness of what Jesus calls us to in vocations to matrimony and the religious life.
Discussion Questions:

How can we best support married couples in living out their vocation in the countercultural way taught in Mark 10:1-16?
What are some concrete ways in which men and women religious have shown themselves to be an essential part of the Catholic Church?

Mark Chapters 13-16

Read Chapters 13-16 of the Gospel of Mark.
Mark 13-16 Notes
Mark 13-16: The Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus, the Son of Man (29:27)

Learning Objective: Understand the meaning and significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and its commemoration in the Eucharist.
Discussion Questions:

Every time we participate in the Eucharist we are, in a sense, brought back to the moment that Jesus died. What might we do to best approach and appreciate the Eucharist in light of this insight?
How might various Catholic devotions (such as the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and the Stations of the Cross) help us walk with Jesus in his Passion?

Mark 13-16: The Catholic Church manifests the Kingdom of God in history (18:15)

Learning Objective: Observe how the prophecies of Mark 13 manifest through the history of the Catholic Church.
Discussion Questions:

What examples come to mind of a secular power behaving unjustly but ultimately facing judgment itself?
What implications do these examples have for how we as believing Christians should interact with secular powers?

Mark 13-16: Fear, Failure, and Faith (25:55)

Learning Objective: Examine how followers of Jesus portrayed in the Gospel of Mark, including St. Mark himself, succumbed to fear but ultimately rose past their failures to publicly proclaim their faith.
Discussion Questions:

In what ways can St. Mark serve as a role model for those of us whose fears often stop us from proclaiming our faith?
What are some practical ideas to allowing the Holy Spirit to help us say what we need to say?

Background Reading

The following books were useful resources for me in preparing the above presentations.

Catholic Sources

Michael Pakaluk, The Memoirs of St. Peter: A New Translation of the Gospel According to Mark

This book makes a strong argument for St. Peter's memories as the primary source of much of the material in the Gospel.
Dr. Pakaluk's commentaries influenced my interpretation in countless places. I would especially like to highlight his vocational interpretation of Mark 10.

Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, Volumes 1 and 2

These books are a valuable resource for understanding how Mark portrays Jesus as fully human and fully divine.

Ignatius Press: The Didache Bible: With Commentaries Based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church

This study bible provides many excellent insights in its study notes.

James Papandrea, Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine

Dr. Papandrea argues here for dating the composition of Mark as a response to the expulsion of the Jews from Rome.

Scott Hahn, The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth

This book greatly influenced my interpretation of the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross, with a particular emphasis on how it is commemorated in the Eucharist.

Non-Catholic Sources

Mark Goodacre, The Synoptic Problem: A Way Through the Maze

This book contains a convincing argument for Markan priority.

Craig Blomberg, The Historical Reliability of the Gospels

This book presents a strong case that the events recounted in the Gospels are authentic historical events.

Werner Kelber, Mark's Story of Jesus

When I was in college, I took Dr. Kelber's Synoptic Gospels course, and I read his book as part of that course.
I learned from him how to analyze the Gospels as works of literature, paying attention to plot, characterization, and themes. Much of the overall method behind the above presentations is inspired by his approach, although my interpretation differs from his in many ways.

Thursday, March 26, 2020

The Long Lent of 2020

In the shadow of the pandemic, this has proven to be a very intense Lent.

In the Catholic lectionary, the First Sunday of Lent features the temptation of Jesus in the desert after his baptism. Let's explore the temptation narrative from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 4:

1 Filled with the holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert 2 for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry.

Setting the stage, then, we see Jesus is tempted in the desert. If Jesus, Son of God, is to be subject to temptation, the rest of us cannot expect anything less. After baptism, what we can expect from life is spiritual warfare. As only Jesus and the devil were witnesses to this episode, as believing Christians, we understand that Jesus related this episode to his disciples for a purpose. And that purpose was to teach them, and us, about the nature of temptation.

Each of the three temptations that Jesus experiences typifies temptations against which each of us must be prepared to do battle. And that applies just as much during this pandemic as at any other time. It is an opportunity to prayerfully examine our consciences and ask, "What is God calling me to do now? And for what reasons am I tempted to reject doing that?"

In the season of Lent, the Catholic Church emphasizes three practices to counteract these temptations:

Fasting
Almsgiving
Prayer

Let's explore each of these in turn.

Stones Into Bread (Fasting)

3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." 4 Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'"

Jesus has been fasting and is now hungry. He is tempted to use his miracle-working abilities to transform stones into bread. This is not a bad thing or an evil thing, so why not? The reason he does not is that "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Obtaining even good material things has to be in thought about in light of what God wills for us. And, in a given moment, material goods might not be the blessings they appear to be.

In ordinary times, the most straightforward application of this passage is to ordinary material comforts. Food, alcohol, and sex are all material blessings. But those blessings must all be received in the right context. Gluttony, drunkenness, and promiscuity all represent abuses of those blessings that severely damage us, both materially and spiritually.

The Lenten practice of fasting helps us build the discipline necessary to properly receive these blessings. It is a practice that enables us to put aside our attachments to material things and focus on the love of God and neighbor.

In the time of this pandemic, we are deprived of the numerous blessings received by normal societal interactions. We are losing the human comforts of social interactions and the many material comforts provided by normal business activities. Many of us are losing income from jobs and businesses.

In short, we are fasting from normal life for the sake of saving lives. We are giving up good things because, right now, we cannot live by normal life alone.

The Kingdoms of the World (Almsgiving)

5 Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. 6 The devil said to him, "I shall give to you all this power and their glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I may give it to whomever I wish. 7 All this will be yours, if you worship me." 8 Jesus said to him in reply, "It is written: 'You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him alone shall you serve.'"

I find it interesting that the devil claims that he may give the power of the kingdoms of the world to whomever he wishes, and Jesus does not contradict him. Looking back at the 20th century, it does seem like leaders such as Stalin, Mao, and Hitler may well have been infernal appointees. The devil, not really understanding the mission of Jesus as a salvific Messiah, may well have been hoping for the same.

Leadership is, on its own terms, a good thing. Those with authority have the moral obligation to exercise that authority for the sake of those who have been entrusted to them. Sadly, it is all too easy for the legitimate exercise of authority to be misused for the sake of controlling others for the fulfillment of the leader's personal whims. Manipulation and abuse of others represents a serious temptation when other people aren't behaving quite the way we would like them to. We are tempted to seek money and wealth disproportionate to our needs, as money provides a means of dictating to others to fulfill our will.

So severe is this risk that Jesus repeatedly enjoins us throughout the gospels to make special provision for helping the poor. By giving alms to those who are in need, we relinquish control over our wealth, and entrust to those in need the power to determine how best their needs might be met. In this way, the Lenten practice of almsgiving helps us overcome this temptation.

Almsgiving is not limited to sharing money. The phrase "time, talent, and treasure" applies here. If it is not money we have, can we use our time to benefit another? What particular gifts or talents can we leverage to help those in need? The answer is distinctive and individual for each one of us. What we all have in common is the need to prayerfully explore what our particular contribution ought to look like.

The present pandemic crisis creates terrific opportunities for growing in holiness through almsgiving. The global economic shutdown is going to leave a lot of people out of work and impoverished. Those of us still in possession of wealth will have a grave obligation to share with the suffering during and after this crisis. Each of us has a distinctive role to play. Fulfilling this obligation will ultimately bestow upon us spiritual benefits that are far greater than any material wealth.

Guarded by His Angels (Prayer)

9 Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written: 'He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,' 11 and: 'With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'" 12 Jesus said to him in reply, "It also says, 'You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.'"

This particular temptation struck me as odd when I first read it. Why would anyone possibly find it tempting to jump off a building? A closer reading shows that the temptation is not so much in the leaping as it is in the catching. By leaping off the temple, only to be held aloft by angels instead of crashing down to the ground, one can imagine the awe and wonder by which one would be greeted by the teeming crowds of Jerusalem. These crowds were looking for a political savior to overthrow the Romans. What better credential could one imagine than being borne aloft by a host of angels?

This represents, then, a pervasive temptation: the temptation to be a focal point of honor and devotion. Being recognized for our achievements and virtues is not a bad thing. It can motivate us towards excellence, and it can enable us to serve as positive role models for others.

But realistically, it is logical to acknowledge that none of us is really all that great. Everything we do or have that makes us worthy of honor we have received from outside of ourselves. Perhaps it is genetics. Perhaps it is wealth. Perhaps it is upbringing. In all cases, it doesn't come from us.

Ultimately, anything we do, or can do, that is worthy of honor is a gift given to us by God. And the means by which we recognize and honor that gift is through the third great Lenten practice, prayer. Let us recall the four ways of prayer:

We thank God for all of the blessings he has given us.
We petition God for assistance with our earthly needs.
We express sorrow to God for our sins and failings.
We praise God in recognition of who he is.

In all of these ways of prayer, we acknowledge that it is God who commands the angels, not us. We have to trust in God that he will bring forth from all of our suffering, most especially this current pandemic, a greater good than we can imagine. We will trust that he will answer our prayers if doing what we request again brings out a greater good. We accept that not all of our prayers will be answered, as again we are not God and it is not for us to know what he ought to do or give.

We acknowledge as well that God does not make himself present where he is not wanted. When we petition God to assist us, we invite him to be present among us. That presence is a far greater gift than any intention for which we petition.

Prayer does not exclude work. Peter of Rebadineira said of St. Ignatius of Loyola:

In matters which he took up pertaining to the service of our Lord, he made use of all the human means to succeed in them, with a care and efficiency as great as if the success depended on these means; and he confided in God and depended on his providence as greatly as if all the other human means which he was using were of no effect.

And so too it is with us. We marshal forth every human effort we can for the safety and security of our families, our friends, our nation, the people of the world, and when our effort reaches its limit we pray to God for relief, understanding that our finite efforts will never be proportionate to what God has to offer.

Concluding Thoughts

In the season of Lent, through fasting, almsgiving, and prayer, we acknowledge and come to terms with our human limitations. The present pandemic is a vivid reminder of the power of these limitations. It gives us an opportunity to put into practice the lessons of the three great temptations:

To achieve holiness of the body, we must fast.
To achieve holiness in dealings with other people, we must give alms.
To achieve holiness in spiritual things, we must pray.

Saturday, February 15, 2020

The Catholic Church Revealed in the Gospel of John: A Meditative Retreat

On Saturday, February 8, 2020, I had the opportunity to present a meditative retreat on the Gospel of John at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Conway, Arkansas. We recorded the four 30-minute talks I delivered. The 60+ participants felt like they were able to deepen their knowledge of the Gospel of John and their understanding of how the Catholic Church fulfills the mission entrusted to her by Jesus Christ.

This retreat is designed with a Catholic audience in mind. That said, anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of how Catholic Christians interpret the Bible will likely find this experience very spiritually profitable.

A Retreat at Home

Because we have the recorded talks available, you can experience this retreat on your own. You can, of course, explore these materials in any manner you like. Here are three approaches that could work:

Long Version

If you have the time available, I recommend the following:

Read the Gospel of John, start to finish. If possible, I recommend doing so in one sitting, which takes about 2 hours. By doing so, you will have the entire narrative clear in your head before listening to my interpretation.
Listen to each talk, one at a time. As you listen, feel free to follow along with my lecture notes, included below. Afterwards, give yourself 15-30 minutes to reflect and pray. The reflection questions may be helpful during this time.

Following the above outline, I would estimate a total of 5-6 hours to complete the experience. It is easy to split it up across multiple days by committing to 45-60 minutes per talk, to allow both for listening and reflection.

Short Version

If you wish to walk through the experience without committing two hours to read the Gospel of John ahead of time, I suggest the following, which would require a total of 3-4 hours to complete:

One can listen to the talks in any order, so it would be worthwhile to start with whatever talk interests you most, and proceed from there.
Read the selected passages from John prior to listening to a suitable talk. Those passages are the subject of my exegesis in each talk. I suggest reading some of the verses before and after each selection, to have the right context. During the talk, feel free to follow along with my lecture notes.
Try to give yourself 15-30 minutes of reflection time after listening to the talk.

Express Version

For each talk, read over the lecture notes alongside your Bible. Read the passages referenced by the notes and see how they relate to the interpretation given in the notes. If your curiosity is sufficiently piqued, go ahead and listen to the corresponding talk to hear my more elaborated interpretation.

My Interpretation of the Gospel of John

The author was St. John the Apostle, calling himself the Beloved Disciple in the text.
St. John wrote the gospel to address the following crises:

St. Peter was dead. Because of this, many in the Church looked to St. John, as the last apostle, for leadership.
St. John was writing either during or after the Jewish Revolt, which took place from 66 to 70 AD. (I lean towards the idea that he wrote it during the revolt, perhaps in 68 or 69, but the heart of my interpretation holds even if he wrote it later.)

St. John addresses these crises as follows:

He emphasizes that St. Peter was the appointed leader of the Catholic Church. By implication, he shows that St. Peter's successors will continue to serve as the leaders. To further de-emphasize his role, he avoids referring to himself by name.
He shows that thanks to the Sacraments, the Catholic Church will continue to function perfectly well even after the Twelve have all passed away.
Furthermore, he shows that in the New Covenant (again thanks to the Sacraments) there is no further need for the Jewish Temple. Christians, then, need not preoccupy themselves with the conflict with Rome.

Confession, Holy Orders, and the Structure of the Catholic Church

Verses to read

John 1:1-20
John 3:16-21
John 8:2-11
John 11:49-53
John 16:8-13
John 20:21-23
John 21:15-19

The Talk

Presentation Notes

Prologue (1:1-20):

1:1-5

Incarnation: A new creation
Jesus brings life to all humanity

1:9-12

His own people rejected him
New Covenant: All who believe in him

1:17

The Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ to promulgate Grace and Truth

Woman Caught in Adultery (8:2-11)

Jesus came to the Temple

Law came from Moses; it was stored in the Temple
Tablets of stone, inscribed by the finger of God (Exodus 31:18)

Jesus authoritatively interprets the Law

Jesus wrote on the ground with his finger, just as God did with the tablets
Sin is severe

The Grace brought by Jesus Christ overwhelms it

The Grace of Forgiveness of Sin (20:21-23)

Greek term: pneuma (πνεῦμα): “breath” or “spirit”

Breath of God: Genesis 2:7
A “re-creation” of the apostles by the Holy Spirit

Holy Orders (20:22)

CCC 1536: “Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time…”
CCC 1573: Invocation of the Holy Spirit refers back to this verse
The purpose of Holy Orders at its institution: Forgiveness of sins!

Confession (20:23)

“Whose sins you forgive are forgiven; whose sins you retain are retained.”
The priest must hear the sins he is to forgive, and exercise judgment in forgiving:

“Bless me Father, for I have sinned… Here are my sins…”
Act of Contrition followed by Absolution

Why confess aloud? (3:16-21)

If we have done evil, but wish to be in the light, we expose our deeds to the light.
Jesus provides us this opportunity through the sacrament of Confession:

Expose your deeds to one other person, out loud, to enter the light.

Woman caught in adultery

Liberation from her sin led to earthly life (8:9-11)

Points to the greater truth: liberation from sin leads to eternal life (5:24)

The Ministry of Truth in the Catholic Church

Caiaphas, the High Priest (11:49-53)

Religious leader of the Old Covenant people.
The successor of Aaron.
John emphasizes his prophetic role (11:51-52) in addition to his liturgical role.
Due to his office, not his personal character, he teaches religious truth on inspiration from God.

Peter, first leader of the New Covenant people

John the Apostle defers to him (20:4-6)
His final commission (21:15-19)

Nature of Peter’s authority to lead us into truth

Jesus will send the Holy Spirit (16:8-13) to the apostles
Peter is their leader

Infallibility of the Pope

CCC 891: “The Roman Pontiff, head of the college of bishops, enjoys this infallibility in virtue of his office, when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful - who confirms his brethren in the faith he proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals.”
The Pope, the successor of Peter, as a person is not infallible; it is his doctrinal definitions that are infallible.
No guarantee of personal holiness.

Again, consider both Caiaphas and Peter, both of whom sin grievously…

Conclusion

Jesus established the Catholic Church to carry forward his two gifts to us: Grace and Truth.
His gift of grace is perpetuated by forgiveness of sins through Confession, the Sacrament that the priesthood was explicitly established to perform.
His gift of truth is preserved by the teaching office of the church. The unity of this teaching is guaranteed by the Successor of Peter, but all of his disciples partake in this blessing.

Reflection Questions

Read the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. In what ways is she in darkness? How does Jesus lead her into the light?
After his betrayal of Jesus (13:38, 18:15-18, 18:25-27), how does Jesus lead Peter back into the light? (21:15-19)
Examining my conscience, is there anything for which I feel right now the need to ask for the forgiveness of Jesus Christ?
How is the leadership role of Peter exercised in the following stories? 6:68, 21:3
Jesus tells Peter to feed his sheep. How does this relate back to the discourse on the Good Shepherd? (10:1-6)?
What is my relationship, right now, to the Catholic Church? Given what St. John reveals to us about the Catholic Church, how might this relationship be impacted?

The Eucharist

Verses to Read

John 1:29
Exodus 12:3-11
John 2:13-22
John 19:14-36
John 6:1-31
Exodus 16:4-36
John 6:32-69

The Talk

Presentation Notes

Jesus, the Lamb of God… (1:29)

Where else do we see a lamb as a sacrifice? Passover. (Exodus 12:3-11)
The sacrificial lamb is eaten. (Exodus 12:8)

…who takes away the sin of the world!

Other animal sacrifices for sin (Leviticus 4:3, 4:14, 4:23, 4:28, and so forth).
These sacrifices first took place in front of the Ark.
Why the Ark?

It is where Moses placed the tablets of the Law, inscribed by God.
Later, the Ark was moved into the Temple.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple (2:13-22)

It is Passover.
Cleansing the Temple is a Messianic act

Jesus quotes Psalm 69

Refers to his body as a Temple.

A shocking claim in context; what makes the Temple sacred is the presence of God!

The Crucifixion

Happens when the Passover lambs are slaughtered. (19:14-15)
An important regulation: Do not break the lamb’s bones (Exodus 12:46)
The death of Jesus Christ (19:31-36)

Feeding the 5,000 (6:1-13)

It is Passover again.

At least one year after the Temple cleansing.

The Multiplication of the Loaves is a true miracle.

Bread from Heaven (6:26-31)

Manna from Heaven (Exodus 16:4-36)

The Bread of Life (6:32-69)

Connection back to the miracle of the Loaves (6:35)
Eternal life (6:40)
Opposition (6:41-42)
Jesus doubles down! (6:43-51)
More objections (6:52)
Jesus triples down! (6:53-58)
Some disciples do not believe, and Jesus rebukes them (6:59-65)
The unbelieving disciples depart (6:66)
Peter’s Profession of Faith (6:67-69)

The Miracle of the Eucharist

The Jews ate of the Passover lamb, sacrificed for their salvation.
As Jesus is the Lamb of God, we must partake of his flesh, as he gave himself as a sacrifice for our salvation.
Jesus, by insisting on us eating his flesh and drinking his blood, confirms this for us.
How does this happen?

Jesus multiplies his body for us, under the appearance of bread and wine.
The miraculous multiplication of the loaves anticipates the Sacramental miracle.

It is by means of the Holy Spirit that this life-giving miracle occurs. (6:63)

The Real Presence

God was present for his people of the Old Covenant in the Ark.
Jesus is present for his people of the New Covenant in the Eucharist
St. Thomas Aquinas

The body and blood of Christ retain the appearance of bread and wine.
The senses cannot determine that the bread and wine are the body and blood of Christ.

Pange Lingua, a hymn by St. Thomas Aquinas

Sing, my tongue, the Saviour's glory,
Of His Flesh, the mystery sing;
Of the Blood, all price exceeding,
Shed by our Immortal King,
Destined, for the world's redemption,
From a noble Womb to spring.

Of a pure and spotless Virgin
Born for us on earth below,
He, as Man, with man conversing,
Stayed, the seeds of truth to sow;
Then He closed in solemn order
Wondrously His Life of woe.

On the night of that Last Supper,
Seated with His chosen band,
He, the Paschal Victim eating,
First fulfils the Law's command;
Then as Food to all his brethren
Gives Himself with His own Hand.

Word-made-Flesh, the bread of nature
By His Word to Flesh He turns;
Wine into His Blood He changes:
What though sense no change discerns.
Only be the heart in earnest,
Faith her lesson quickly learns.

Down in adoration falling,
Lo, the sacred Host we hail,
Lo, o'er ancient forms departing
Newer rites of grace prevail:
Faith for all defects supplying,
When the feeble senses fail.

To the Everlasting Father
And the Son who comes on high
With the Holy Ghost proceeding
Forth from each eternally,
Be salvation, honor, blessing,
Might and endless majesty.
Amen. Alleluia.

Reflection Questions

Read 1 Corinthians 11:23-32. Given the words of St. Paul, what personal practices or habits might I need to change in order to worthily receive the Eucharist? The Catholic Church emphasizes that if we are conscious of a serious sin, we should go to Confession prior to receiving the Eucharist.
Read Matthew 5:21-24. Is there anyone in my life with whom I feel called to be reconciled, or whom I need to forgive?
Here at St. Joseph, we are blessed with the Perpetual Adoration Chapel.

If I have visited the chapel periodically, or if I have a weekly hour, what are some of the spiritual fruits I have experienced?
If I have not committed to a weekly hour, is Jesus calling me now to spend one hour per week with him? What might I be able to do to make this practical?

Baptism, Matrimony, and Anointing of the Sick

Verses to Read

John 1:32-34
John 2:1-11
John 3:1-8
John 3:22-23
John 4:1-3
John 4:9-14
John 9:1-41
John 19:33-34

The Talk

Presentation Notes

Living Water (4:9-14)

Jesus uses material gifts to convey spiritual gifts

Baptism

Baptize with the Holy Spirit (1:32-34)
The Baptismal ministry of the apostles (3:22-23; 4:1-3)
Born Anew (3:1-8)

The same Greek phrase: “Born again” and “born from above” (3:3)
Jesus intends “from above”; Nicodemus understands “again”
Necessity of Baptism (3:4-5)
Water and spirit (3:5)

Remember, Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit

The wind (“pneuma; πνεῦμα”) blows where it wills. (3:6-8)

Jesus instituted baptism as rebirth in the Holy Spirit early on in his ministry.

Rebirth in the Holy Spirit = Baptismal regeneration
The means by which we join the Catholic Church and the Kingdom of God.
Baptism is requested of all of us by Jesus Christ.

Matrimony

The Wedding at Cana (2:1-5)

Purpose of wedding guests

Hold couple accountable to publicly proclaimed wedding vows

Hospitality for wedding guests

In this culture, running out of wine was a major social failure

Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary

We follow this example in asking her to intercede with Jesus for us

Water into wine (2:6-11)

Filling with water was a lot of work.
Enthusiasm; to the brim! (2:7)
Jesus takes ordinary matter (water) and it becomes extraordinary (wine)

Jesus transforms marriage from a natural to a supernatural institution.
Raising of children goes from a natural to a supernatural responsibility.

Blood and water flow from the side of Jesus (19:33-34)

This is the depth of love to which we are called in marriage.
Jesus will give us the grace to love this deeply
The Eucharist connects the Wedding at Cana to the Crucifixion

Jesus makes himself present at our weddings, just like Cana
We must make Jesus present for our children

Anointing of the Sick

Received by a member of the faithful in danger of death from illness or old age (CCC 1514)
Effects of the Sacrament (CCC 1520-1523)

Strengthening, peace and courage to overcome the difficulties that go with the condition of serious illness or the frailty of old age.
This grace is a gift of the Holy Spirit, who renews trust and faith in God and strengthens against the temptations of the evil one, the temptation to discouragement and anguish in the face of death.
This assistance from the Lord by the power of his Spirit is meant to lead the sick person to healing of the soul, but also of the body if such is God's will.
Forgives venial sin; forgives mortal sin if the recipient can’t make a confession.

The healing of the blind man (9:1-41)

False belief (9:1-3)

Illness results from sin of the sufferer (or those close to him)

Water brings healing (9:4-7)

Jesus, the Light of the World, opens the eyes of the blind man

Physical illness as a sign of spiritual illness (9:35-41)
“…those who do not see may gain their sight.”

Those caught in sin can be healed by the forgiveness Christ offers

“…the ones who see may become blind.”

Everyone sins. To follow Christ, repent.
If you do not repent, you are blind.

The blind man does as Jesus instructs, washing the mud out of his eyes.
The Pharisees do not follow Jesus, and their “blindness” remains.

Concluding Thoughts

Jesus uses water throughout the Gospel of John to make natural things supernatural.
Through all of the Sacraments, the Catholic Church makes natural things supernatural.

Reflection Questions

For those who are married:

To what degree has the grace of Jesus Christ helped transform my marriage from a natural to a supernatural union?
How might I prayerfully invite Jesus into my marriage so that it might be a truly supernatural union?

For those who are unmarried but wish to be married:

How might I find a spouse who shares what Jesus Christ wants for us in matrimony?
Do I need to make any changes to my life to be more open to this?

Reflecting on my life since my Baptism:

Where have I seen the fruits of the graces of that Sacrament?
In what ways have I experienced being “born again from above”?

Baptism is requested of all of us by Jesus Christ.

Where in my life circumstances have I had a chance to extend that invitation?
How might I prepare myself to extend that invitation in the future?

The blind man suffered illness so that God could be revealed. (9:3)

In my own illnesses and physical sufferings, how might I offer those sufferings to God in union with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross so that God may be made known in my midst?

Read John 11:1-12:11.

How do the Jewish authorities respond to the raising of Lazarus?
Have I ever been tempted to respond in a similar way to a blessing from God?

Confirmation, the Holy Spirit, and the Trinity

Verses to Read

John 7:37-39
John 12:31-32
John 14:30-31
John 16:6-13
John 17:1-26

The Talk

Presentation Notes

Confirmation

Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the "sacraments of Christian initiation," whose unity must be safeguarded.
The reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace. (CCC 1285)
Institution of the Sacrament

Disciples experienced a separation between Baptism and the coming of the Holy Spirit (7:37-39)
Jesus tells us to trust his timing (16:6-7)

It is not always easy to understand his plan for us.
Always trust that following his plan somehow leads to something greater.
Jesus states clearly what was hinted earlier; after he departs, he will send the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit vs. the World

It is often the case that what worldly people insist is “right” or “moral” or “not sin” is not the way of the Holy Spirit.

The “ruler of this world” is the devil. (12:31-32)
Even though Jesus will be crucified, do not believe the devil has power over him. Instead, it is a sign by which the world will know that Jesus loves the Father. (14:30-31)
The devil has been condemned and will be defeated. (16:11)

Among effects of the Sacrament of Confirmation (CCC 1303)
It gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never to be ashamed of the Cross.

Guidance into all truth (16:12-13)

He proved the world wrong with regard to sin.
The Spirit guides us all into truth by means of the Church that Christ established.

Think back to our first talk.

The Spirit, then, leads you away from sin, if you listen for his voice.

The grace of the sacrament assists you in listening for his voice.
But you still must choose to do so.

Quiet time, prayer time.

Following the Prayer Example of Jesus (17:1-25)

Glorify God by doing the work he asks of us (17:4)
Pray for Christian Unity (17:9-11)
Judas, by his own choice, is not saved (17:12)

If we do not accept salvation, Jesus does not force it upon us!
We must invite Jesus into every aspect of our lives

The joy of Jesus will be fulfilled in us (17:13)
To “belong to the world” is to make the World the highest priority (17:14)
We must still be present in the world, but Jesus prays for us (17:15-19)
We must join Jesus in praying for everyone in the world (17:20-26)

Who is the Holy Spirit?

“…the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (17:26)
The Holy Spirit is the Love which the Father gives to the Son, the Word, who was with him at the beginning of time (1:3)
The Son returns this Love to the Father.

Nicene Creed

“I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.”
“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son,”
The Holy Trinity is taught directly by St. John.

Conclusion

What has John taught us?

Each of the sacraments perpetuates the gifts Jesus brought us through his incarnation.

What are those gifts?

To receive eternal life by:

Freedom from sin (living in the light)

Baptism
Confession
Anointing of the Sick

Receiving the food of everlasting life

Eucharist

To know who God is

Father, Son, Holy Spirit

To actively live the life God wants of us
Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

Confirmation

How do we receive these gifts?
Jesus instituted the visible, hierarchical Catholic Church give us these gifts:

Holy Orders
Matrimony

Reflection Questions

What might I change in my life to create more space for the activity of the Holy Spirit? Is there anything to which I am attached that I could let go, in order to be more open to the Holy Spirit?
Read Chapters 14-17 of John’s Gospel slowly.

How do I see myself as one of the disciples of Jesus Christ?
How has his great prayer for all of us borne fruit in my own life?

Do I have any friends or family who do not understand the mission that Jesus Christ entrusted to the Catholic Church? How might I help them better understand this mission?