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In this last of five episodes that treat Luke 1.26-38, we dive into the biblical text itself and attempt to understand the Annunciation narrative as a whole.
In this verse-by-verse interpretation, we contrast the annunciation to Mary with the annunciation of Zachariah. This is the only way to truly grasp what Luke is trying to communicate.
One of the highlights of this episode is seeing how Luke 1.26-38 supports the traditional Catholic belief that Mary had taken a vow of virginity before become betrothed to Joseph. Thus when Mary asked “How can this be, since I have no husband?” she was asking how she was to keep her vow of virginity with God’s desire for her to become a mother. The answer, of course, is the virginal conception of Jesus.
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In this fourth of five episodes on the Annunciation, we hone in on Luke 1.32-33, in which the angel Gabriel uses some highly charged Old Testament phrases to describe the mission of the Messiah. Our goal is to understand what is meant by the phrases “throne of David,” “house of Jacob,” and “everlasting kingdom.”
To do this, we spend much of our time trying to understand the history of Israel. We begin with the call of Abraham (Genesis 12.1-3) and see how contained in this call is the basic outline of the history of Israel — from is beginning as a tribal nation, to its development as a royal kingdom, and finally to its being the people that brings forth the savior of the world. This is only the first step.
We then turn to the first chapters of the Acts of the Apostles. We see that whereas Jesus did not promise to restore the Kingdom to Israel, he did promise to send the Holy Spirit. This happens on the Feast of Pentecost. In attempting to understand Pentecost, we see we must return once again to Genesis: This time we go farther back in the history of salvation, all the way to the Tower of Babel — indeed, all the way back to the creation of the world.
What we ultimately conclude is that the everlasting kingdom Jesus came to establish is the Church, which is the sacrament of salvation — the visible sign of our union with God as well as the visible sign of our union with one another.
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In this episode, we use Luke 1.35 as our springboard for discussing the doctrine of the Trinity. We see what the Trinity is the most important truth of Christianity. We speak of the inner life of the Trinity, as well as how the Triune God acts in history. We see that we know that God is a trinity of persons through the revelation of Jesus Christ. We seek to understand the notions of “nature” and “person” in order to understand the doctrine itself. And finally, we discuss how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, though always acting in unity, have distinct roles in the acts of creation, redemption, and sanctification.
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The second of five episodes on Luke 1.26-38, in which we focus on one question: Which is Mary’s greatest prerogative, her divine motherhood or her fullness of grace? To do this, we get some help from Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange’s The Mother of the Savior. Also, we dig into Pope Pius IX’s dogmatic statement on Mary’s Immaculate Conception.
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The first of five episodes on Luke 1.26-38. Topics include: a detailed discussion of the Catechism, nos. 328-336; that belief in the angels is a matter of Catholic doctrine; the office (ministry) and nature of the angels; how the angels belong to Christ; how the angels were active in the Old Testament; how the angels were active in the life of Christ; how the angels are active in the Church; our guardian angels.
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We conclude our discussion of John 1.1-18. Topics include: that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God made man; what the word “Incarnation” means; the Catholic teaching on grace; that we are able to call God, “Father,” only because Jesus revealed the Father to us.
Correction: I misspoke when I cited Galatians. I said that Paul said we were saved “by grace that works through love.” Rather, he says “by faith that works through love” (Gal 5.6). Sorry about that.
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We continue our discussion of John 1.1-18. Topics include: that John 1.1-18 was an ancient Christian hymn; the verses concerning John the Baptist; how the Greek word for “word” (logos) provides the transition from Word of God to the Light of the World; why the world cannot recognize the Light; how the Word of God enters a life of persecution; that becoming a child of God is the necessary requirement for entering the Kingdom, and how this is fulfilled in Baptism.
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We begin our discussion of the Gospel of John (1.1-18). Topics include: The Word’s transcendent divinity; the Word’s inimitable relationship to God; that the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ, is the only one capable of revealing the Father to us; the Word’s role in creation; and the Word’s role in redemption.
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I explain the two parts of the title: “Jesus” and the “Catholic Church.” I read and comment on a passage from one of Pope John Paul II’s Wednesday audiences (print-friendly version here). I also recommend some books, to which you can find links at the St. Peter Canisius Apostolate Online Bookstore.
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