Talk Four presented at the Fullness of Truth Conference entitled “Mercy and the Psalms”
In the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis called the Church to contemplate the mercy of God in the face of Christ. Even more fundamentally, he has called us to give and receive mercy, to seek it for ourselves and others.
But what is mercy? Is it an emotion? An action? An affront to justice or an expression of justice? Moreover, what does it look like in action? Where do we find it described in Sacred Scripture? What do we need to do to receive it? And how do we share God’s mercy as we go about our lives in the world today?
At the 2016 Fullness of Truth Conference, “The Gospel of Divine Mercy,” those questions and more were explored in an attempt to plumb the depths of this all-important manifestation of God’s healing, forgiving, transforming, faithful love with help from the Sacred Page.
Held at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Houston, Texas, from June 24–25, 2016, the Fullness of Truth Conference featured six talks by St. Paul Center President Dr. Scott Hahn and St. Paul Center Fellows Dr. John Bergsma and Dr. Michael Barber.
Talk Three presented at the Fullness of Truth Conference entitled “Jesus and the Miracle of Mercy in the Gospels”
In the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis called the Church to contemplate the mercy of God in the face of Christ. Even more fundamentally, he has called us to give and receive mercy, to seek it for ourselves and others.
But what is mercy? Is it an emotion? An action? An affront to justice or an expression of justice? Moreover, what does it look like in action? Where do we find it described in Sacred Scripture? What do we need to do to receive it? And how do we share God’s mercy as we go about our lives in the world today?
At the 2016 Fullness of Truth Conference, “The Gospel of Divine Mercy,” those questions and more were explored in an attempt to plumb the depths of this all-important manifestation of God’s healing, forgiving, transforming, faithful love with help from the Sacred Page.
Held at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Houston, Texas, from June 24–25, 2016, the Fullness of Truth Conference featured six talks by St. Paul Center President Dr. Scott Hahn and St. Paul Center Fellows Dr. John Bergsma and Dr. Michael Barber.
Talk Two presented at the Fullness of Truth Conference entitled “Mercy and the Psalms”
In the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis called the Church to contemplate the mercy of God in the face of Christ. Even more fundamentally, he has called us to give and receive mercy, to seek it for ourselves and others.
But what is mercy? Is it an emotion? An action? An affront to justice or an expression of justice? Moreover, what does it look like in action? Where do we find it described in Sacred Scripture? What do we need to do to receive it? And how do we share God’s mercy as we go about our lives in the world today?
At the 2016 Fullness of Truth Conference, “The Gospel of Divine Mercy,” those questions and more were explored in an attempt to plumb the depths of this all-important manifestation of God’s healing, forgiving, transforming, faithful love with help from the Sacred Page.
Held at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Houston, Texas, from June 24–25, 2016, the Fullness of Truth Conference featured six talks by St. Paul Center President Dr. Scott Hahn and St. Paul Center Fellows Dr. John Bergsma and Dr. Michael Barber.
Talk one presented at the Fullness of Truth Conference entitled “The Gospel of Divine Mercy”
In the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis called the Church to contemplate the mercy of God in the face of Christ. Even more fundamentally, he has called us to give and receive mercy, to seek it for ourselves and others.
But what is mercy? Is it an emotion? An action? An affront to justice or an expression of justice? Moreover, what does it look like in action? Where do we find it described in Sacred Scripture? What do we need to do to receive it? And how do we share God’s mercy as we go about our lives in the world today?
At the 2016 Fullness of Truth Conference, “The Gospel of Divine Mercy,” those questions and more were explored in an attempt to plumb the depths of this all-important manifestation of God’s healing, forgiving, transforming, faithful love with help from the Sacred Page.
Held at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Houston, Texas, from June 24–25, 2016, the Fullness of Truth Conference featured six talks by St. Paul Center President Dr. Scott Hahn and St. Paul Center Fellows Dr. John Bergsma and Dr. Michael Barber.
As we continue our journey through the Gospel of John, Sharon looks back at John 3, showing how the bridegroom imagery flows into chapter 4. With the fall of mankind, marital discourse entered the world and has persisted ever since, as demonstrated in the stories of Adam and Eve and of Abraham and Sarah. Living by the flesh, Abraham and Sarah conspire to preserve his heritage by having her servant Hagar bear a son, Ishmael. As punishment, God is silent for 13 years until in an act of obedience, Abraham lives by the Spirit, trusting the Lord to bless his aged wife with a son, Isaac. Sharon then teaches us about the Samaritans, whom the Jews consider to be apostates. Believing they preserve the authentic faith, the Samaritans practice the ritual of circumcision and observe the Sabbath, but they only follow the five books of the Torah. Contrary to the Jews who worship at the temple in Jerusalem, the Samaritans believe that Mt. Gerizim is the original holy place and center of worship. The Samaritan faith traces its origins to the Assyrian exile of 722 BC. After conquering the northern 10 tribes of Israel, the Assyrian king imported people from five different countries to live and intermarry with the people of the northern kingdom, which effectively diluted their culture and religious practices. In 120 BC, the Maccabees from the southern kingdom destroyed the Samaritan temple at Gerizim. In 9 BC, the Samaritans retaliate by desecrating the temple in Jerusalem at the required Passover time. Clearly, there was bad blood between the Jews and the Samaritans. This background sets the stage for the dramatic interaction between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. Her story is an intimate encounter with the person of Christ, yet it can also be seen as symbolic of the story of the northern tribes. She represents northern Israel, the unfaithful bride that intermarried with five different countries (husbands). Later in John 8, we will hear the story of the adulterous woman in Jerusalem who represents the unfaithful southern tribes of Israel. Jesus fully reveals himself as Messiah to this Samaritan woman, offering to her the living water that she thirsts for. Through her spiritual betrothal to Jesus, her final, seventh, perfect, bridegroom, the Samaritan woman undergoes a radical transformation and brings Christ to her own people. We learn more about this woman, who is identified by the Church as St. Photina: she became a bold witness to Christ throughout the region, ultimately suffering a martyr’s death at the hand of Nero when she dies at the bottom of a well.
Sharon Doran serves as the teaching director of “Seeking Truth.” An experienced Bible Study teacher, Sharon has a passion for scripture that will motivate and challenge you to immerse yourself in God’s Word and apply His message to your everyday life.
“Seeking Truth” is an in-depth Catholic Bible Study, commissioned by the Archdiocese of Omaha in response to John Paul II’s call to the New Evangelization as well as Pope Benedict XVI’s exhortation for all Catholics to study scripture. To learn more go to www.seekingtruth.net
Before focusing on John 3, Sharon gives us a teaching on how Catholics approach scripture study. We are encouraged to use a canonical approach when studying the Bible; that is, we should consider the entire canon of the Bible whenever trying to understand a particular passage. The Bible is not meant to be a collection of isolated stories.
In addition, we learn about the senses of scripture: literal and spiritual, with the spiritual sense further divided into allegorical (a foreshadowing of future events and people), moral (virtues that can be learned) and anagogical (referencing eternity or the eschaton).
We then turn our attention back to John 3 and learn about Nicodemus, whose spiritual journey is a beautiful example of progressive growth in faith. Nicodemus was a member of the Great Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court of first-century Israel. At the time of Jesus’ adult ministry, the president of the Sanhedrin was Rabbi Gamaliel, the teacher of Paul. Gamaliel also advised his fellow members of the Great Sanhedrin to reduce their scrutiny over Jesus’ followers lest they find themselves fighting against God himself. Tradition holds that both Nicodemus and Gamaliel converted to Christianity. Nicodemus and Deacon Stephen the martyr of Acts 7 were buried together at Gamaliel’s estate outside of Jerusalem. Gamaliel and his son ultimately shared this same grave. Turning back to John 3, Sharon then focuses on the interaction between Jesus and Nicodemus, who struggles with understanding the meaning of being born from above by water and spirit. Nicodemus, a teacher of the law, would have understood the significance of his earthly lineage, yet he failed to recognize the divine lineage of Jesus Christ, who was born from above, by the Holy Spirit overshadowing a pure earthly creature named Mary of Nazareth. Being in the form of God, Jesus did not think equality with God was something to be grasped so he lowered himself and took on human form (Phil 2). By taking on human form he showed us the face of God the Father and by His humble obedience made a way for us to get back to the Father and partake once again in our divine nature in the heavenly beautiful vision.
John 3 concludes with nuptial imagery, as John the Baptist identifies himself as the best man to Jesus, the bridegroom. Sharon teaches us about a traditional Jewish wedding, shedding light on the significance of John as the best man, whose role was to bear witness to the consummation of the marriage. Jesus the bridegroom had come and the best man’s job was done. John would decrease and allow Jesus to increase.
Sharon Doran serves as the teaching director of “Seeking Truth.” An experienced Bible Study teacher, Sharon has a passion for scripture that will motivate and challenge you to immerse yourself in God’s Word and apply His message to your everyday life.
“Seeking Truth” is an in-depth Catholic Bible Study, commissioned by the Archdiocese of Omaha in response to John Paul II’s call to the New Evangelization as well as Pope Benedict XVI’s exhortation for all Catholics to study scripture. To learn more go to www.seekingtruth.net
We begin our study of the beautiful Gospel of John with an overview lecture. John the Evangelist wrote this powerful book for a specific purpose: “So that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name (Jn 20:31).” Sharon starts off with some background information about John, son of Zebedee, who with his brother James, are surnamed by Jesus as the Sons of Thunder. Salome, their mother, petitions the Lord on behalf of her sons that they be granted a seat beside him in heaven. Salome is also one of the myrrh bearing women who prepare the crucified Lord’s body for burial. John, the youngest of the Apostles, refers to himself as the one whom Jesus loved, illuminating the intimate relationship they shared. John was an eye witness to the defining events of Christ’s ministry, including the Transfiguration as well as the resurrections of Lazarus, Jairus’ daughter and, most importantly, Jesus himself. John, the only Apostle present at the foot of the cross, was entrusted with the care of Mary, bringing her to safety in Ephesus where she lived until her assumption. John’s Gospel differs from the synoptic Gospels, presenting a highly theological perspective of the life of Christ. Unlike the synoptic writers who begin with historical facts surrounding the life of Christ, John begins at the beginning, drawing us back to Genesis and the creation of the world. His Gospel is rich with imagery, irony, symbolic themes. It contains the seven signs and the seven “I am” statements. John’s Gospel contains unique stories not found elsewhere: the Samaritan woman at the well, the wedding feast at Cana, the raising of Lazarus, the woman caught in adultery, the doubt of Thomas. His bread of life discourse lays the foundation for our understanding of the Eucharist. Highly sacramental, the Gospel of John reveals the nature of baptism, reconciliation, Eucharist, confirmation, matrimony and Holy Orders.
Sharon Doran serves as the teaching director of “Seeking Truth.” An experienced Bible Study teacher, Sharon has a passion for scripture that will motivate and challenge you to immerse yourself in God’s Word and apply His message to your everyday life.
“Seeking Truth” is an in-depth Catholic Bible Study, commissioned by the Archdiocese of Omaha in response to John Paul II’s call to the New Evangelization as well as Pope Benedict XVI’s exhortation for all Catholics to study scripture. To learn more go to www.seekingtruth.net
“That Jonah is You” is the lead topic of this episode of “The Spiritual Journey Podcast with Kris McGregor.” A portion of this podcast was originally recorded during an episode of “The Good Book Club” segment on the Spirit Morning Show. Kris reflects on the story of Jonah, the working of the Holy Spirit and the prophetic call. She also addresses the call to listen to the small still voice of God and how we, like Jonah, are reluctant to respond to the will of the Father.
The book of Jonah Chap 1: 1-10 (RSVCE)
1Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.” 3But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.
4But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. 5Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried to his god; and they threw the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down, and was fast asleep. 6So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call upon your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we do not perish.”
7And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. 8Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And whence do you come? What is your country? And of what people are you?” 9And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
The Gospel of Matthew Chapter 12:38-42
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign; but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nin′eveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts mentioned in the podcast:
Roots of the Faith – From the Church Fathers to You with Mike Aquilina, makes clear that just as an acorn grows into a tree and yet remains the same plant, so the Catholic Church is a living organism that has grown from the faith of the earliest Christians into the body of Christ we know today.
The Rosary is so powerful a prayer because it re-presents, or makes present again, the events of the Gospels each time and within the context it is prayed. “For Christians, the first of books is the Gospel and the Rosary is actually the abridgment of the Gospel” (Lacordaire).
And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, 52 he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.”
“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women,” (Luke 1:28), the angel to Mary.
“Blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Luke 1:42), Elizabeth to Mary
Redemptoris Mater, (John Paul II) She knows that as such she can point out to her Son the needs of mankind, and in fact, she “has the right” to do so. Her mediation is thus in the nature of intercession: Mary “intercedes” for mankind. And that is not all. As a mother she also wishes the messianic power of her Son to be manifested, that salvific power of his which is meant to help man in his misfortunes, to free him from the evil which in various forms and degrees weighs heavily upon his life (29).
Sonja Corbitt is the Bible Study Evangelista. She’s a Catholic Scripture teacher with a story teller’s gift – a Southern Belle with a warrior’s heart and a poet’s pen.
We’re all sweating and dirty with the effort to love and lift all He’s given to us – those people, duties, callings, and longings that break our hearts and make them sing, sometimes at the same time. But most times, we need to be loved and lifted ourselves.
So her Bible study media are created with you in mind, bites of spinach that taste like cake, to help you make space in your busy heart and schedule for God to love and lift you all the way up into His great lap, where all you’ve been given is loved and lifted too.
“That Jonah is You”
Pick up a copy of Mke’s book. You’ll find so much more and invaluable references and resources, as well
