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My Prayer Box
the Newsletter of My Catholic Tradition
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A New Journey |
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"He shakes the earth out of its place,
and the pillars beneath it tremble." Job
9:6 |
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Recently, I enrolled in a couple of classes
given by the Archdiocese of Orange, California on
Introduction to the Old Testament and Introduction to Theology, with the goal of
having a deeper understanding of our faith.
And it has been nothing short of earth shaking
two weeks so far.
Up until two weeks ago I believed in the
literal interpretation of the Bible. I
believed that Moses wrote the first five books
of the Bible, and that in fact one of the
priests in my old parish convinced me (us
actually, since this happened during a homily)
that the first book put down in writing was
the Exodus.
I have always had a problem reconciling
some "inconsistencies" in the Bible and
apprehensive about what those pesky
archeologists and researches would find next
that will shake my world! My reactions to
those new digs had always been, "Oh no!
Another one of those!"
But thankfully, that has changed.
It is very liberating to read the Bible and
not be bound by every single word and
punctuation in it.
Let me be clear first: Every single underlying message in the Bible is inerrant.
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| Sure there are two Creation stories
(Genesis 1 and 2), and
they are very different from each other, both
in style and the story. But now I can look at
those stories and conclude that WOW! We ARE
made from God's image. And that is good!
I can read the flood story and come out of
it filled with promise that no matter what God
will be there to guide you. (Of course, I'll
have to look for that old man with a big stick
and the pairs of animals going to the ark and
follow him.) I can read the story of Jacob's
ladder and still find my God standing at the
foot of that ladder with Jacob.
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I was aware of the JEPD sources before now
but I always thought these were just
theoretical musings of tired academics who had
nothing else to do but deconstruct tradition.
Was I wrong. Considering that the Church got
on the literary criticism rather late, it is
quite encouraging how the researches into the
OT have changed my perception, and I am sure
those of other people as well.
Very liberating, indeed.
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| What in the world is JEPD,
anyway? Glad you asked, for you and I are in a new
journey. I will be writing and sharing with
you the essence of my studies. I hope you will
find these educational and enlightening. |
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Twenty-eighth Sunday in
Ordinary Time
October 11,
2009
All things are possible for God. |
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First Reading From
the
Book of Wisdom: |
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Wis 7:7-11 |
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I prayed, and prudence was given me;
I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.
I preferred her to scepter and throne,
and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her,
nor did I liken any priceless gem to her;
because all gold, in view of her, is a little
sand,
and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.
Beyond health and comeliness I loved her,
and I chose to have her rather than the light,
because the splendor of her never yields to sleep.
Yet all good things together came to me in her
company,
and countless riches at her hands. |
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Responsorial From the Book of Psalms:
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Ps 90:12-13, 14-15, 16-17 |
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R. (14) Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we
will sing for joy!
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will
sing for joy!
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our
days.
Make us glad, for the days when you afflicted us,
for the years when we saw evil.
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will
sing for joy!
Let your work be seen by your servants
and your glory by their children;
and may the gracious care of the LORD our God be
ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will
sing for joy! |
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Second Reading from the Letter to the
Hebrews |
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Heb 4:12-13 |
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Brothers and sisters:
Indeed the word of God is living and effective,
sharper than any two- edged sword, penetrating
even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow,
and able to discern reflections and thoughts of
the heart.No creature is concealed from him,
but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of
him to whom we must render an account. |
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Reading From the
Gospel of Mark:
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Mk 10:17-30 or 10:17-27 |
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As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran
up,
knelt down before him, and asked him,
"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal
life?"
Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments:
You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother."
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He replied and said to him,
"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my
youth."
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
"You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come,
follow me."
At that statement his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
"How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the kingdom of God!"
The disciples were amazed at his words.
So Jesus again said to them in reply,
"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of
God!
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye
of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of
God."
They were exceedingly astonished and said among
themselves,
"Then who can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said,
"For human beings it is impossible, but not for
God.
All things are possible for God."
Peter began to say to him,
"We have given up everything and followed you."
Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you,
there is no one who has given up house or brothers
or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more now in
this present age:
houses and brothers and sisters
and mothers and children and lands,
with persecutions, and eternal life in the age to
come." |
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or |
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As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran
up,
knelt down before him, and asked him,
"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal
life?"
Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments:
You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother."
He replied and said to him,
"Teacher, all of these I have observed from my
youth."
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
"You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come,
follow me."
At that statement his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
"How hard it is for those who have wealth
to enter the kingdom of God!"
The disciples were amazed at his words.
So Jesus again said to them in reply,
"Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of
God!
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye
of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of
God."
They were exceedingly astonished and said among
themselves,
"Then who can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said,
"For human beings it is impossible, but not for
God.
All things are possible for God." |
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References |
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Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life
by
Charles J. Chaput
(Author)
“At a time
when the ‘faith and values’ vote has never
been more important, Archbishop Charles Chaput
deftly explores the intersection of morality,
reason, and politics. |
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This isn’t
just a book for Catholics, but for anyone who
cares about the state of America’s soul —and
how that concern might shape the 2008
elections.”
—John
L. Allen Jr., NCR and CNN senior Vatican
correspondent,
Amazon |
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Happiness Is a Serious
Problem: A Human Nature Repair Manual
by Dennis Prager.
In this unique blend of self-help and moral
philosophy, talk-radio host Dennis Prager
asserts that we're actually obligated to be
happy, because it makes us better people.
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Praying With Frederic Ozanam (Companions for the Journey Series)
- Paperback, by Ronald Cm Ramson (Author) |
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Praying With Louise De Marillac (Companions for the Journey Series)
by Audrey Gibson (Author), Kieran Kneaves
(Author) |
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Praying with Vincent de Paul (Companions for the
Journey)
2004, by Thomas McKenna
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The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal, Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force ....
(Paperback)
by
Rodney Stark (Author)
From the Publisher |
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"... this account of Christianity's remarkable
growth within the Roman Empire is already the
subject of much fanfare. "Anyone who
has puzzled over Christianity's rise to
dominance... must read it," ...
Read
the first page. |
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Living Liturgy: Spirituality, Celebration, and Catechesis for Sundays and Solemnities - Year B - 2009
by C.PP.S. Joyce Ann
Zimmerman (Author), Thomas A. Greisen (Author),
S.N.D. de N. Kathleen Harmon (Author), M.S.
Thomas L. Leclerc (Author) |
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"Perfect for home use or to prepare for weekly
liturgy . . . It includes help for the
celebration, ideas for catechesis on the
particular event, and ways to understand the
readings more deeply. Finally, it includes
sample questions from which priests, deacons,
lay groups, ministers and others can jump off
into deeper discussion." |
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Straight Answers, Answers to 100 Questions about
the Catholic Faith
by Ph.D Rev. William P.
Saunders (Author)
Review by:
Reverend William G. Curlin Bishop of Charlotte
Straight Answers offers Catholics a simple and
direct response |
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to the many questions
concerning the Catholic Church. It spells out
profound truths in very simple language for all
who seek a better understanding of their Faith.
I highly recommend it for Catholics, both young
and old. |
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The Power of Intention: Learning to Co-create Your World Your Way
From Amazon: |
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After years of spiritual study and reflection,
inspirational speaker and bestselling
author Wayne Dyer has emerged a highly esteemed
teacher. His current message about tapping into
the power of intention may sound like good old
positive thinking: just stay focused on what you
want, rather than focusing on the lack of having
what you want. But the teaching here goes deeper
than just controlling thoughts (although he does
acknowledge that thought control is a
surprisingly challenging and significant
endeavor).
This book might
help readers land a better job, but it's more
relevant for those who are ready to detach from
an ego-driven life filled with quick fixes of
happiness and step into a more authentic,
joyful, and spiritually fulfilling life. His
core teachings speak to tapping into a universal
source of energy that can also be called the
"power of intention." |
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The Chariot of Israel: Exploits of the Prophet of Elijah
THE CHARIOT OF ISRAEL: When Elijah was caught up
to heaven, his disciple Elisha cried out, "the
chariot of Israel, and its horsemen." Elisha was
referring not to the chariot but to the prophet.
This study of Elijah’s life will captivate you
as |
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it walks you through a
pivotal period in Israel’s history, and
illustrative maps will give you a better
picture of the physical geography of this
ancient land. |
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The First Book of Kings (Cambridge Bible Commentaries on the Old Testament) This
volume of commentary on the New English Bible text of the First Book of Kings
follows the pattern of the now well-established series on the Old and New
Testaments. The main divisions of the text are those provided |
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by the New English Bible
itself, but these are further subdivided for the
purposes of the commentary, which is printed in
short sections following the relevant portion of
the text.
Canon Robinson suggests that the editors of I
Kings compiled their history in order to teach
the Hebrews that their existence as Israel, the
covenant people of God, depended upon their
continuing loyalty to their own religious
traditions, and their refusal to exchange them
for the very different traditions of the
Canaanites among whom they lived.
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I & II Samuel: A Commentary (Old Testament Library)
First sentence in
the book:
""THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL contain that
part of the history of Israel which describes
the foundation of the State, running from the
close of the period of the Judges to the
establishment of the united kingdom." |
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Read more about the Liturgical Year |
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The Origins of the Liturgical Year (Pueblo
Books)
by
Thomas J. Talley
(Author) The Rev. Dr.
Thomas J. Talley, Professor of Liturgics
at the General Theological Seminary in New
York, is one of the leading liturgists in
the country. He gives us a fresh
examination of the complex history of the
Liturgical Year. |
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The Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday, Cycle C. (Bestseller! the Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday)
by
John J. Pilch (Author)
Reader
Review: The book by Pilch provides those
who not only fill the pulpits across this
country but also all interested in the |
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cultural world in which Jesus lived with a lot
of pertinent information that sheds light on a
lot of areas that have been "muddled" in the
past. Yes, I highly recommend this book. -
James Mauldin |
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Learn more and read the Old Testament. |
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Preaching from the Old Testament
by Elizabeth Achtemeier (Author) Reader
Review: The author of these
thirty-two short chapters begins and ends
with the assumption that problems we
experience with the Old Testament are our
problem, not the Bible's. This
subordinating of the Bible reader to the
well-weathered book he holds in his hand
opens doors, not to forced
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harmonisations
of problematic passages, but to fresh
reappraisal of difficult texts on their
own terms. -
David A. Baer |
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The Navarre Bible: Pentateuch (The Navarre Bible: Old Testament)
This volume helps you make the first five
books of the Old Testament a vital part of
your spiritual reading and practical
growth in the Christian life. It contains
the full English and Latin texts of these
books, along with extensive and
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faithfully Catholic
commentaries. Like other volumes in the
world-renowned Navarre Bible series, these
commentaries draw on Church documents, the
exegesis of Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and the works of contemporary
spiritual writers — particularly St. Josemaría
Escrivá, who initiated the Navarre Bible
project. |
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Comments and
Suggestions are Most Welcome.
If you have any
comments or contributions, please
use the form in this link.
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Comments and Suggestions are Most Welcome.
If you have any comments or contributions,
please
use the form in this link.
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Copyright
© 2006. My Catholic Tradition. All rights reserved |
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Thank you.
Rey
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