Canon of Scripture

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On this Faith Check, let’s talk a little about how we got God’s Holy Word.

The early Christians relied on the Greek translation of the Old Testament, which is the version most often quoted in the New Testament and the one Jesus probably heard growing up.  This version also includes the books that Protestants call the “Apocrypha” and typically don’t include in their Bibles.

It took a while for the Catholic Church to compile the New Testament.  Some books such as the 4 gospels were accepted by all, and others, such as the spurious gospels one hears about in The DaVinci Code were rejected by all. However, other books were completely orthodox but disputed, including some that weren’t ultimately included such as The Didache and others that were like Hebrews and Revelation.

The “canon”, which is the list of books that belong in the Bible, was determined primarily to say which books could and could not be read at the liturgy, and was largely settled by a series of Church councils approved by the Pope and bishops in the late 300s.¹

Hence, when you trust in the inspiration of the Bible, you are trusting a Spirit-led decision of the Roman Catholic Church.

1 -  Council of Rome under Pope St. Damasus I [A.D. 382], Council of Hippo [A.D. 393], Council of Carthage [A.D. 397],
Epistle of Pope St. Innocent I to Bishop Exuperius [A.D. 405]

Reliability of Oral Tradition

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In the modern world, oral means of communication are deemed inherently unreliable as we’ve all heard of the game of telephone where a phrase is whispered around a circle and it comes out nothing like the original.

But scholars have shown that in the ancient world, and to this day in some places, oral traditions were memorized and passed down to multiple generations without alteration.¹

When the apostles went out to teach the Faith, they did not whisper it in secret, but proclaimed it publicly to the multitudes.  Oral tradition was the normative means of passing on the faith, as St. Paul’s says in 2 Timothy 2:2, “what you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

There is no evidence that a widespread change in belief took place among the early Christians.  Quite the opposite, at the end of the second century St. Irenaeus wrote that while the Church had spread over the entire known world, the Faith had been maintained in tact everywhere,² something only attributable to the Holy Spirit.

1 -  e.g., . Kenneth Bailey, “Informal, Controlled, Oral Tradition and the Synoptic Gospels” Asia Journal of Theology, 5.1
(1991)

2 -  Against Heresies 1:10:2 [ca. A.D. 180]

The Place of the Bible in the Church

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You know, as Catholics we believe that the Bible is God’s Holy and Inspired Word.

However, we don’t hold that our Lord intended the Bible alone to be our sole teacher in the Christian faith.

Just think how easily the meaning of our e-mails can be misinterpreted, sometimes causing great strife between people.  Then take the Bible, which is infinitely longer, more complex, and written over a millennia ago in a world very different from our own, and we can begin to see why Jesus wouldn’t leave His teaching to just a book.

The Church looks to what it calls Sacred Tradition—which is rooted in things like Church Councils, Creeds, and the early Fathers of the Church—to safeguard our interpretation of God’s Word.  All of the Catholic Church’s beliefs can be traced back to the earliest Christians.

Our Lord also chose the twelve apostles to go out and make disciples of all nations¹ and promised them the assistance of the Holy Spirit.² The apostles ordained bishops who have succeeded them down to this present day.³ The Catholic Church is a living voice that rings out for all to hear, proclaiming and interpreting God’s Word to every generation.⁴

1 -  Mt. 28:20

2 -  Jn. 14:26

3 -  cf. Acts 14:23; 1 Tim. 3:1-8; 2 Tim. 1:6; 2:2; Tit. 1:5; Js. 5:14; 1 Pt. 5:1; Jd. 8ff

4 -  cf. 1 Tim. 3:15; Mt. 16:18

Sacred Tradition

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On this Faith Check we’re talking about Tradition!
For many Christians, Tradition can be a sort of dirty word. This is probably because of Jesus’ harsh words for the tradition of the Pharisees,1 who added unnecessary rituals and ignored the weightier matters of God’s Law.
But some traditions can be good and helpful in our spiritual journey. Things like putting up a Nativity scene, praying the rosary, or fasting. These are not doctrines, but customs that we do as Catholics to help draw us closer to God.
Catholics also speak of Sacred Tradition with a “capital T,” which is the very message of Christ that has been faithfully handed down to us from the apostles.2 For example, St. Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 2:15 to “stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.” Here Scripture itself teaches that the Word of God can come to us both through written Scripture and oral Tradition—either way, we are to receive it equally as God’s Word.
For a synopsis of the Sacred Tradition today, pick up a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
1 – Mk. 7:6-23, etc.
2 – cf. 1 Cor. 11:2, etc.

Church Authority to Interpret the Bible

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Many say that the Bible alone is all we need to know God’s Truth. But just look at all of the questions that
divide Christians today because of differing views over what the Bible teaches: Should infants be baptized?, can I lose my salvation?, or what about the many moral issues that we face?
Our Lord said that a house divided cannot stand, and He never intended for His followers to interpret the Bible privately (2 Pet. 1:20). Jesus left us a visible Church whose leaders have authority to teach and govern God’s people.
In Matthew 18, Jesus said that insurmountable debates should be taken to the Church for resolution.1 For those that understand this and still refuse to listen to the Church, Jesus has a stern warning. Of course, to follow Jesus’ teaching on this necessarily requires a single Church that is organized and consistent.
For 2,000 years the Catholic Church has been fulfilling this role in order that the Body of Christ might experience the harmony of being truly unified in heart and mind. Small wonder St. Augustine said, “I would not believe in the Gospel myself if the authority of the Catholic Church did not influence me to do so.” 2
1 – Mt. 18:15-18
2 – Against the letter of Mani, 5,6, 397 A.D.

Holy Eucharist

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On this faith check let’s talk about the Holy Eucharist.

Catholics believe that the bread and wine are more than just symbolic reminders.  By the power of God working through the priest they are transformed into Christ’s Body and Blood.

Our Lord taught, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood you do not have life within you.”¹ The Jews scoffed at this and asked, “How can He give us his flesh to eat.”  Even His disciples said this was a hard saying and many stopped following Him.

Now when genuine misunderstandings occurred, Jesus corrected His listeners.  But Jesus meant what He said, and did not back down: “[M]y flesh is food indeed and my blood is drink indeed … He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

For 2,000 years the Eucharist has been the heart of the Catholic Faith.  In fact, the early Christians said, “without the Eucharist we cannot live,” preferring to risk their lives rather than miss Mass. Today He invites each one of us to receive His very flesh and blood.

1-  All citations from John 6:50 – 58

 

Dead Rituals

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You know, Jesus warned not to babble on like the pagans who think they’ll be heard because of their many words.1 Jesus was certainly warning against empty prayers not said from the heart, but He was not condemning any and all structured prayer or ritual, as some would suggest.
Jewish worship in the synagogue had repetitious, liturgical prayer, and Jesus participated in it. The Jews prayed Psalm 136 as a litany, which repeats the phrase “His love endures forever” over 25 times! And of course most of our songs are simply structured prayers set to music.
Rituals and rote prayers have immense value in enabling God’s people to pray together. They can also be helpful when praying alone, especially if you’re going through a spiritual dry spell and don’t have much spontaneous inspiration.
So we should use structured prayers in our worship, but always heed Jesus’ warning not to go through the motions mindlessly, but strive to worship with our whole heart, mind and strength.
1 – Mt. 6:7

Mary Our Mother

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On this faith check let’s talk about why Catholics believe the Virgin Mary is not just Jesus’ mother, but our mother too.

It was during the crucifixion in St. John 19 that Our Lord looked down at Mary and the apostle John at the foot of the cross and said to Mary, “Woman behold your son,” and to John, “Behold your mother.” ¹

Bear in mind here that Jesus is suffering the pains of the cross—He must be doing something bigger than simply asking John to watch after his Mother.  John here is a representative of all of Jesus’ followers, and Jesus is giving his mother to all of us.

In Revelation 12 John describes his vision of a “woman clothed with the sun,” ² who brings forth a male child to rule the nations and defeat the ancient dragon who is the devil.  Verse 17 says that the offspring of this woman are those who keep God’s commandments and bear testimony to Jesus.

Friends, God has given us Mary, the Woman chosen from all eternity, ³ to be our spiritual mother and draw us closer to her son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 -  Jn. 19:26-27

2 -  Rev. 12:1

3 -  cf. Gen. 3:15, Is. 7:14; Jer. 31:22, etc.

Praying to Saints

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On this faith check let’s answer the question, “why pray to a saint when you can pray straight to God?”

Of course, Catholics can and do pray straight to God.  But we also pray to saints, not to worship them, but simply to ask for their prayers on our behalf, just like we ask our friends on earth to pray for us.

In the communion of saints we are spiritually connected to believers in the here and now and in the hereafter.  For instance, Hebrews tells us we are surrounded by a “great cloud of witnesses,”¹ who are aware of what’s going on here.  We read in Revelation that the prayers of the elders and saints in heaven are ascending before the throne of God.²

The prayers of the saints are powerful because they have been perfected in God’s grace and as St. James says, “the fervent prayer of the righteous has great power.”³

Early Christian writings demonstrate that this practice was not a later corruption, but goes back to the very first centuries of Christianity.  So let us join with Christians of all ages in saying “all you holy men and women, pray for us!”

1 -  12:1

2 -  5:8; 8:3; etc.

3 -  5:16

Primacy of Peter

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On this faith check let’s talk about our first pope, St. Peter.  I remember well a conversation I once had with a Protestant pastor who told me that if Peter were truly the first pope, he thought he’d see him exercising his papacy more in the Bible.

Peter was no ordinary apostle.  Peter’s name appears more than all of the other apostles combined and in every list of the apostles’ names, Peter comes first, while Judas Iscariot is last.  Peter pays the temple tax on behalf of Jesus and the apostles in Matthew 17.¹

In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter is the one chosen by God to take the Gospel first to the Jews in Acts 2,² to the Samaritans in Acts 8 ³ and to the Gentiles in Acts 10.⁴ Peter performs the first miracle in Acts 3,⁵ pronounces judgment on Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 ⁶ and gives the decisive teaching at the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15. ⁷

Every team needs a coach and every company needs a CEO.  Yes, Jesus is our King, but he also left Peter to be the head pastor of his flock on earth.

1 – vv. 24-27

2 – 2:14-40

3 – 8:14-24

4 – 10:1ff

5 – 3:1-10

6 – 5:1-6

7 – 15:7ff

 

Keys of the Kingdom

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Many of our separated brothers and sisters ask where we find a “pope” in the Bible.  One example is in St. Matthew 16, where Jesus says to Peter, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”¹

In the ancient world, kingdoms would have a leader underneath the king who was responsible for the administration of the government—we might call them the prime ministers.  We find an example of this in Isaiah 22,² when God declares that Shebna, the Prime Minister of Israel, will be deposed for his sins and replaced by Eliakim, whom God says will be a father to Israel and will carry the key of the house of David—“what he opens none shall shut; and what he shuts none shall open.”

When Jesus gave Peter the keys in Matthew 16, the apostles already understood their significance.  Peter was to be their leader, the prime minister that will shepherd Christ’s Church.  “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”³

What a gift we have in Pope Benedict, who still carries the keys today.

1 -  Mt. 16:19

2 -  see Is. 22: 20-25

3 -  Mt. 16:19

 

The Teaching Authority of the Church

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Many scoff at the Church’s precepts and rules, and can’t fathom how our relationship with the Church could affect our relationship with Christ.

Let us remember that the high priests of Israel, due to their office, could inquire of the Lord.  And recall Caiaphas’ prophecy about Jesus’ mission, which John 11 states was not said of his own accord, but in virtue of his being high priest that year.¹

Our Lord upheld the legitimacy of the teaching office when He said in Matthew 23, “the scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you,”^ 2 though He quickly warned not to follow their bad example.

Jesus commissioned His apostles to be the leaders of His Church.  He told them, “As the Father sent me, so I send you,”³Â and “He who hears you hears me and he who rejects you rejects me.”⁴

The popes and bishops of the Catholic Church succeed the apostles in their teaching office,⁵ and it is they who, over the centuries, have passed on the Faith to us through creeds, Church councils, even Scripture itself.

We are called to accept the Church’s teachings with joy,⁶ knowing that the Church is a good mother who desires our eternal happiness—and, after all, who could reject his own mother?

1 -  Jn. 11:50

2 -  Mt. 23:2

3 -  Jn. 20:21

4 -  Lk. 10:16

5 -  See The Catechism of the Catholic Church 77, 861-2.

6 -  cf. Vatican II, Lumen Gentium 25

Organized Religion?

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It’s something we’ve all heard before: I believe in God, but not organized religion.
But as Catholics we believe that Jesus started a Church—yes an organized religion, if you will.

The Church is a gift to the world, which God has ordained as the vehicle in which we are sanctified and grow on the way to our heavenly destination.

Above all, the Catholic Church is a family.  Man is not an island, as it was once famously said, and we need the community found in our brothers and sisters in the Faith.
A visible Church is necessary for the dispensing of the seven sacraments, which Jesus instituted for the forgiveness of sins and growth in grace.

And God has always desired that His people gather to give Him glory by corporate, liturgical worship and sacrifice, which is fulfilled in the New Covenant by the Holy Mass.

Yes, the organized institution of the Church has often had its share of scandals and sins.  The human face of the Church can be messy and imperfect.  But God does not desire for us to escape to a spiritual island or alternative religion, but to serve Him and His people in the Church He founded and has promised to be with until He returns in glory.

 

 

Faith and Reason

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“Come let us reason together, says the Lord” – Isaiah 1:18.

Many in our day strictly divide faith and reason, seeing science as based on logic and objective truth, but religion as solely emotional and subjective.

Not so, says the Catholic Church.  Faith and reason complement and assist one another in the pursuit of truth.  All truth is God’s truth and ultimately leads to Him who is Truth itself, Jesus Christ, so there is nothing to fear from scientific inquiry.

In fact, for centuries the Catholic Church was the patron of the arts and sciences.  St. Thomas Aquinas used Greek philosophy to show the logical foundation of the Catholic Faith, many of the great scientific discoveries have been made by Catholic priests or scientists, convinced that the universe operated by fixed laws established by the one true God, not the mere whims of the gods as the pagans had previously believed.

Of course, faith is a gift and is not based on reason alone.  Nevertheless, as Sir Thomas More says in the classic film A Man For All Seasons, “God made the angels to show His splendor, the animals for their innocence, and the plants for simplicity, but God made man to serve him wittily in the tangle of His mind.”

 

Persecution of Catholics in England

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You’ve heard how the Pilgrims fled religious persecution in England, but have you ever heard how Catholics were persecuted there?

Recent scholarship such as Eamon Duffy’s book The Stripping of the Altars show that the vast majority of the English people did not freely choose to leave the Catholic Church, but were coerced into it.  In fact, prior to King Henry VIII’s break with Rome, England was known throughout Europe as “Mary’s Dowry” because of its great piety.  But under King Henry, Queen Elizabeth I, and others, failure to outwardly conform to the new state religion resulted in fines or imprisonment.  Hiding a Catholic priest was considered a treasonable act punishable by death.  Many suffered dearly, including famous martyrs like Sir Thomas More, or the 40 English martyrs that Pope John Paul II canonized.

Those openly professing Catholicism were barred from important positions in government and society well into the 1800s, and English law to this day prohibits a monarch from being Catholic.

Convincing evidence also shows that William Shakespeare was one such underground Catholic and that his plays included veiled appeals to the Queen for religious toleration.

So let us thank God that we can freely and openly practice our Faith, and honor all those who could not.