November 28 2009 Saturday Thirty Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Saint of the Day – St. James of the Marche

About the sources used. The readings on this site are not official for the Mass of Roman Rite of the Catholic Church in the USA, but are from sources free from copyright. They are here to present the comparable readings alongside traditional Catholic commentary as published in the Haydock Bible for your own personal study. Readings vary depending on your local calendar.

Official Readings of the Liturgy at – http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/112809.shtml

Daniel 7:15-27
Douay-Rheims Challoner

My spirit trembled; I, Daniel, was affrighted at these things, and the visions of my head troubled me. I went near to one of them that stood by, and asked the truth of him concerning all these things, and he told me the interpretation of the words, and instructed me:

These four great beasts, are four kingdoms, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the most high God shall take the kingdom: and they shall possess the kingdom for ever and ever.

After this I would diligently learn concerning the fourth beast, which was very different from all, and exceeding terrible: his teeth and claws were of iron: he devoured and broke in pieces, and the rest he stamped upon with his feet: And concerning the ten horns that he had on his head: and concerning the other that came up, before which three horns fell: and of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth speaking great things, and was greater than the rest. I beheld, and lo, that horn made war against the saints, and prevailed over them, Till the ancient of days came and gave judgment to the saints of the most High, and the time came, and the saints obtained the kingdom. And thus he said:

The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be greater than all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns of the same kingdom, shall be ten kings: and another shall rise up after them, and he shall be mightier than the former, and he shall bring down three kings. And he shall speak words against the High One, and shall crush the saints of the most High: and he shall think himself able to change times and laws, and they shall be delivered into his hand until a time, and times, and half a time. And a judgment shall sit, that his power may be taken away, and be broken in pieces, and perish even to the end. And that the kingdom, and power, and the greatness of the kingdom, under the whole heaven, may be given to the people of the saints of the most High: whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all kings shall serve him, and shall obey him.

Responsorial Psalm Daniel 3:82-87
DR Challoner Text Only

O ye sons of men, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O let Israel bless the Lord: let them praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye priests of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye servants of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye holy and humble of heart, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.

The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to Saint Luke 21:34-36
Haydock New Testament

Jesus said:

And take heed to yourselves, lest perhaps your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and the cares of this life: and that day come upon you suddenly. For as a snare it shall come upon all that sit upon the face of the whole earth. Watch ye, therefore, praying at all times, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come, and to stand before the Son of Man.

Haydock Commentary Daniel 7:15-27
Notes Copied From Haydock Commentary Site

• Ver. 17. Earth. The first was on the point of disappearing.  C. v. 31.  H.
• Ver. 18. Most High, (Th.) or rather Chal. “the very high saints of God;” as also v. 22, 25, and 27.
• Ver. 21. Saints. The Machabees at last prevailed.  Christ will punish the Jews.  Mat. xxiv. 30.
• Ver. 23. Greater. Chal. “unlike,” as v. 7.  Epiphanes was a greater scourge of the Jews than any of the preceding.
• Ver. 24. Mightier. Chal. again, “unlike.”  Antiochus the great had lost many provinces: but his son was the most implacable enemy of God’s people.  He subdued them, Egypt and Armenia; or his three competitors.  v. 8.
• Ver. 25. Against, or “over against,” like an accuser.  Sym. “as if he were God.” — Laws. He did this with regard to the Jews, (1 Mac. i. 41.  C.) prohibiting their festivals.  Antichrist will do the like, and pretend to work miracles.  H. — A time, &c.  That is, three years and a half; which is supposed to be the length of the duration of the persecution of antichrist.  Ch.  Apoc. xi. 2. and xii. 14. — Josephus (Bel. pref.) says the sacrifices were discontinued so long, or rather this time elapsed from the publishing his edict till the temple was purified.  During six months, people offered sacrifice clandestinely.  1 Mac. iv. 36. 52.
• Ver. 27. Him. The power of the Machabees was too limited, to be here understood.  The Church and Christ must be meant.

Haydock Commentary Luke 21:34-36

• Nothing

Catena Aurea Luke 21:34-36
From Catechetics Online

• THEOPHYL. Our Lord declared above the fearful and sensible signs of the evils which should overtake sinners, against which the only remedy is watching and prayer, as it is said, And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time, &c.
• BASIL; Every animal has within itself certain instincts which it has received from God, for the preservation of its own being. Wherefore Christ has also given us this warning, that what comes to them by nature, may be ours by the aid of reason and prudence: that we may flee from sin as the brute creatures shun deadly food, but that we seek after righteousness, as they wholesome herbs. Therefore said He, Take heed to yourselves, that is, that you may distinguish the noxious from the wholesome. But since there are two ways of taking heed to ourselves, the one with the bodily eyes, the other by the faculties of the soul, and the bodily eye does not reach to virtue; it remains that we speak of the operations of the soul. Take heed, that is, Look around you on all sides, keeping an ever watchful eye to the guardianship of your soul. He says not, Take heed to your own or to the things around, but to yourselves. For you are mind and spirit, your body is only of sense. Around you are riches, arts, and all the appendages of life, you must not mind these, but your soul, of which you must take especial care. The same admonition tends both to the healing of the sick, and the perfecting of those that are well, namely, such as are the guardians of the present, the providers of the future, not judging the actions of others, but strictly searching their own, not suffering the mind to be the slave of their passions but subduing the irrational part of the soul to the rational. But the reason why we should take heed He adds as follows, Lest at any time your hearts be overcharged, &c.
• TIT. BOST. As if He says, Beware lest the eyes of your mind wax heavy. For the cares of this life, and surfeiting, and drunkenness, scare away prudence, shatter and make shipwreck of faith.
• CLEM. ALEX. Drunkenness is an excessive use of wine; crapula is the uneasiness, and nausea attendant on drunkenness, a Greek word so called from the motion of the head. And a little below. As then we must partake of food lest we suffer hunger, so also of drink lest we thirst, but with still greater care to avoid falling into excess. For the indulgence of wine is deceitful, and the soul when free from wine will be the wisest and best, but steeped in the fumes of wine is lost as in a cloud.
• BASIL; But carefulness, or the care of this life, although it seems to have nothing unlawful in it, nevertheless if it conduce not to religion, must be avoided. And the reason why He said this He shows by what comes next, And so that day come upon you unawares.
• THEOPHYL. For that day will not come when men are expecting it, but unlooked for and by stealth, taking as a snare those who are unwary. For as a snare shall it come upon all them that sit upon the face of the earth. But this we may diligently keep far from us. For that day will take those that sit on the face of the earth, as the unthinking and slothful. But as many as are prompt and active in the way of good, not sitting and loitering on the ground, but rising from it, saying to themselves, Rise up, be gone, for here there is no rest for you. To such that day is not as a perilous snare, but a day of rejoicing.
• EUSEB. He taught them therefore to take heed to the things we have just before mentioned, lest they fall into the indolence resulting therefrom. Hence it follows, Watch you therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all those things that shall come to pass.
• THEOPHYL. Namely, hunger, pestilence, and such like, which for a time only threaten the elect and others, and those things also which are hereafter the lot of the guilty for ever. For these we can in no wise escape, save by watching and prayer.
• AUG. This is supposed to be that flight which Matthew mentions; which must not be in the winter or on the sabbath day. To the winter belong the cares of this life, which are mournful as the winter, but to the sabbath surfeiting and drunkenness, which drowns and buries the heart in carnal luxury and delight, since on that day the Jews are immersed in worldly pleasure, while they are lost to a spiritual sabbath.
• THEOPHYL. And because a Christian needs not only to flee evil, but to strive to obtain glory, He adds, And to stand before the Son of man. For this is the glory of angels, to stand before the Son of man, our God, and always to behold His face.
• BEDE; Now supposing a physician should bid us beware of the juice of a certain herb, lest a sudden death overtake us, we should most earnestly attend to his command; but when our Savior warns us to shun drunkenness and surfeiting, and the cares of this world, men have no fear of being wounded and destroyed by them; for the faith which they put in the caution of the physician, they disdain to give to the words of God.

Have you ever been in a place where you were in such trouble (or felt that you were) and, with all your heart, all your emotions, all your willpower, you sought refuge under the Lord’s wing? As I have said on these pages before, it is at those times that God’s presence is so sweet and his peace overwhelms you. God loves desperate prayers. How great is such a God?

King David was a brave man as a youth. He confronted a lion by himself and went after Goliath with the same fearlessness. And yet, even as he was full of this bravery, his bravery was always qualified by a faith that God would back up that bravery.

But as David grew in stature, he also saw an increase in his enemies. If you look at the book of Psalms, there are many Psalms there authored by David and a good number of them are desperate prayers during the times that David feels overwhelmed by his enemies. Even though David’s brave front may have grown slightly dimmer in his later years, he never stopped going to the source of his strength and, therefore, was preserved by the Almighty during his entire life.

There are times when you can just feel David’s entire engagement with a query to God. David is fully committed to his faith in the God he loves. If you ever feel overwhelmed by your situation, do like David and, with all your might and with all your soul, cry out to God and you’ll feel the touch of his loving presence. I know I have.

Psalm 11

For the director of music. Of David.

¹ In the LORD I take refuge.
How then can you say to me:
“Flee like a bird to your mountain.

² For look, the wicked bend their bows;
they set their arrows against the strings
to shoot from the shadows
at the upright in heart.

³ When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do ?”

⁴ The LORD is in his holy temple;
the LORD is on his heavenly throne.
He observes the sons of men;
his eyes examine them.

⁵ The LORD examines the righteous,
but the wicked and those who love violence
his soul hates.

⁶ On the wicked he will rain
fiery coals and burning sulfur;
a scorching wind will be their lot.

⁷ For the LORD is righteous,
he loves justice;
upright men will see his face

Bible Study Question 1

Verse 3 says, “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” I don’t know about you but this Psalm sounds like he’s describing our day and age. When the wicked are all about us preparing to do violence against those who are upright in heart, what can the righteous do? (Hint: Read the first line of the Psalm again)

Bible Study Question 2

If you ever wonder what God is doing in heaven currently, consider verse 4. Sometime I assume that God already knows the whole story and how it ends so is not really leaning over to see what we are doing. But David says he examines us and those who are wicked and love violence “his soul hates”. God is aware of those who are plotting violence, not only against the innocent but also against the godly. These wicked people say they are after justice but there is no justice in their actions. But God loves justice.  Do you have any thoughts concerning these comments?

Bible Study Question 3

There are many ways in which we can seek God as a refuge, not just when we feel surrounded by enemies. What about financial troubles? What if you made a major error in any context and the hammer is about to come down? Can you think of other ways to seek God as a refuge?

Thou said: Go forth and DOWNLOAD my son. Every track is bomb.

Peter Bjorn & John- Writer’s Block

There’s an old story, one that exists in a number of forms, and which I’m sure a number of you have heard many times before.  It concerns a man who was in the habit every morning of opening the Bible at random and, with eyes closed, he would place his finger upon the page; he would then open his eyes and read what he regarded as God’s inspirational word to him for the day. 

One day, he carried out this procedure as usual, but when he opened his eyes, he discovered to his consternation that his finger had landed on a passage that read: And he went from that place and hanged himself.  Feeling that this was an insufficiently inspirational passage, he repeated the whole process, only the second time to discover that his finger alighted on a passage reading: Go thou and do the same.

It’s a story that cautions us against loading our expectations on the Bible, against trying to make Scripture fit our biases and parochial interests.  There are many passages in Scripture that are difficult and perplexing; and instead of either ignoring or airbrushing them, we need to wrestle with them, to let them take us out of our comfort zones and into the mystery that is genuine encounter with the Living God.

But this story also tells us that even the seemingly benign passages in Scripture need to be handled with care and paid proper attention, for beneath the surface of the text lurk hidden depths of meaning that we can miss if we only observe the obvious, or only what we want to see.

Take today’s short reading from Jeremiah.  It is, as they say, an Advent perennial, one of those Old Testament texts that are typically used at the start of the season of Advent because it seemingly foretells the coming of Christ; and since Advent is the season of waiting for Christ’s birth, it’s a good, anticipatory text with which to commence our own season of expectation. 

But if we look closer at this text, we may notice a certain amount of disturbing irony; irony that upsets our inclination to read this passage with an assurance that we know what it means.  It’s an irony that challenges any reading of the Old Testament as nothing more than a precursor to the New, of the thinking that regards everything which happened before the time of Jesus was nothing more than a kind of historical prologue to Jesus – so that every time the prophets opened their mouths, they did so only to predict the coming of Jesus. 

In other words, the irony in today’s reading from Jeremiah is a caution against complacency; it’s a call to humility and proper listening for God that is central to the waiting that is itself the season of Advent.

But where is this irony in this passage? The NRSV translation of Jeremiah reads: The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”

If we consider the word execute, the irony immediately becomes apparent.  Because in the context of Jeremiah, execute means to enact; the “righteous Branch” is depicted as a ruler and lawgiver in the mould of David and Solomon, who through his direct rule enforces the law and protects the weak and the vulnerable.  But viewed in the light of Jesus’ life, the word execute has a different meaning altogether – because it was by those considered righteous through their manipulation of the law that Jesus was executed.  Far from being a powerful ruler executing justice, Jesus was a powerless individual executed in an act of great injustice.

Consider also the phrase: Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety.  In the context of Jeremiah, this passage was written during the Exile, just after Jerusalem had been conquered by the Babylonians and the people carried off into captivity.  And within four decades of Jesus’ lifetime, Jerusalem was razed to the ground when the Romans crushed the Jewish revolt in AD70.  So the prophetic vision of Jerusalem’s safety occurs in the context of its destruction; a tragedy that was to be repeated through the centuries. Jerusalem has never been safe; and the land of Israel has been occupied and re-occupied, over and over.

What do these ironies tell us? Perhaps the most important thing they do is caution against reading the Old Testament in such a way as makes assumptions about the text.  That is to say, we should not treat the prophecies in the Old Testament as nothing more than predictions about the coming of Jesus.  Because if we regard this passage from Jeremiah as a prediction about Jesus, how do we reconcile its image of the lawgiving king with the sordid reality of Jesus’ execution as a criminal? How do we reconcile the promise of Jerusalem delivered from enemies to the reality of the Jewish people as a subject nation?

In other words, prophecy is not a prediction about the future – it is speaking God’s truth.  And God’s truth does not conform to human expectations or meet the demands of human need.  Because God’s truth speaks to the “big picture”, to the truth that whatever happens in human history, there exists an underlying solidarity between God and creation that means God has the final word – not kings or armies or priests or people of faith.  The final word belongs to God.

And so God’s truth is a call to humility, a call to lay aside our prejudices and preferences and listen.  We cannot make God’s truth mean what we want it to mean; we must instead wait in hope and trust, allowing God’s truth to speak to us in our lives.  Which is not to say that the call to silence is a command to shut up, to do nothing and say nothing and be nothing.  We must receive God’s Word, we must engage with it and struggle to interpret it and make it meaningful in the context of our lives.  But that is not the same as imposing meaning upon Scripture, as assuming that a prophecy in Jeremiah is an automatic reference to Jesus.  Instead, Scripture calls us to pay attention to the deeper truths, not just those meanings which suit our purposes or conform with our desires.

And we see this call repeated in today’s reading from Luke’s Gospel.  Luke has Jesus speaking prophetically, calling on his listeners to wake up, to pay attention.  What’s more, Luke is writing after the Jewish Revolt has been crushed, after the Temple has been destroyed by the Romans.  So he has no illusions about a hero-king who’ll get rid of the occupying foreigners and rule in glory.  The prophetic words which Luke has Jesus speak have nothing to do with human expectations or concerns; they are concerned with greater things, with things to which we need to pay attention.

And those things are concerned with hope.  Luke, along with the Jewish people and the early Christians community, has lived through the horror of the Jewish Revolt and the destruction of Jerusalem.  And so the prophetic language which Jesus uses is full of images of terror and destruction: nature gone awry, confusion among and between peoples, a general atmosphere of foreboding and doom.  But in the midst of all this prophetic language of impending destruction, Luke has Jesus say a remarkable thing: when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

Talk about overthrowing our expectations! The language of horror, instead of being the gateway to torment and death, instead becomes the threshold of hope, the passageway into redemption.  So here we see clearly illustrated the message of God’s truth: no matter what happens in human history, God’s will overrides any human agenda.  And isn’t that a powerful message in this time of global economic crisis, when we feel so helpless in the face of market forces we barely understand and over which we have so little control? And isn’t that a powerful message in this age of global warming, when climate change threatens not just our way of life, but the very survival of our species?

Not that we will escape the consequences of our stupidity or sinfulness, any more than the people of Israel did.  The redemption which Luke speaks of in today’s reading is not a guarantee that God will save us from ourselves.  So we can’t read the hope which Jesus proclaims as an unqualified assurance that the life of faith will insulate us from harm, or that we can blithely follow a path of unchecked and self-indulgent consumption at the expense of the planet’s resources or justice for the poor.  But the hope of which Jesus speaks – and which Jesus himself embodies – is that no matter what stupidity or sinfulness humans are guilty of, and regardless of the consequences which we suffer as a result, the fact of suffering and pain and hardship – even of sin and death – do not overwhelm the grace of God’s love. 

But neither can we imagine that reading Scripture will give us information about how or when the redemption begun in creation and confirmed in Christ will be brought to its fulfilment.  We cannot read Scripture like an instruction manual or a text book – nor should we try and make the events of this world line up with the prophetic language used in the Bible. Luke warns us: Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with…the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap.  Many have sought to use Scripture to confirm their predictions about the end of the world, and have come a cropper; and there is a certain fashion for apocalyptic prediction at the moment, with the release of the film 2012, depicting the end of the world and the destruction of humanity.   

But what today’s readings from Jeremiah and Luke tell us is that these exercises are futile, that waiting in hope is not about trying to second-guess God or reading into Scripture what we want to see and hear.  On the contrary, waiting in hope involves listening faithfully for the Word of God, for the still, small voice that speaks the ageless truth of God’s love amid all the chaos and uncertainty of life.  Hope is not founded in claims to definitive knowledge about the meaning of Scripture, knowledge which enables us to know the mind of God.  Rather, hope is founded in the humility that trusts in God’s promise, that seeks to live life in accordance with that promise, and which understands that everything that humans do is done in the context of God’s will that all creation be brought to salvation.   

Which is why these readings from Jeremiah and Luke are so relevant to the beginning of Advent.  For we are now in a season of waiting and expectation, a season that requires that we reflect on exactly what it means that God came among us as one of us.  Amid all the hype and noise surrounding Christmas, we are called on to be still and silent, and to listen.  And, unlike the man who with his daily ritual of opening the Bible at random, tried to use Scripture for his own purposes, we are called on in this Advent season to consider the deep truths of Scripture, to hold those truths in the silence of our hearts and minds, and to wait in hope and trust on the undying love of God.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Earlier this month, I was speaking at a Korean American church in Los Angeles. One or two of the chaps worked hard to put this video of it together, so here it is. If you can’t face the thought of actually having to look at me, then i completely understand.

Here is a pdf of the handout: Bible in Hour & Why It Matters

For those who’d prefer the text (infinitely preferable, in my view), here is the original article on which it was based (for CMF’s Nucleus magazine).

November 27 2009 Friday Thirty Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Saint of the Day – St. Francesco Antonio Fasani

About the sources used. The readings on this site are not official for the Mass of Roman Rite of the Catholic Church in the USA, but are from sources free from copyright. They are here to present the comparable readings alongside traditional Catholic commentary as published in the Haydock Bible for your own personal study. Readings vary depending on your local calendar.

Official Readings of the Liturgy at – http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/112709.shtml

Daniel 7:2-14
Douay-Rheims Challoner

I saw in my vision by night, and behold the four winds of the heavens strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts, different one from another, came up out of the sea. The first was like a lioness, and had the wings of an eagle: I beheld till her wings were plucked off, and she was lifted up from the earth, and stood upon her feet as a man, and the heart of a man was given to her. And behold another beast, like a bear, stood up on one side: and there were three rows in the mouth thereof, and in the teeth thereof, and thus they said to it: Arise, devour much flesh.

The Ancient of Days William Blake

After this I beheld, and lo, another like a leopard, and it had upon it four wings, as of a fowl, and the beast had four heads, and power was given to it. After this I beheld in the vision of the night, and lo, a fourth beast, terrible and wonderful, and exceeding strong, it had great iron teeth, eating and breaking in pieces, and treading down the rest with his feet: and it was unlike to the other beasts which I had seen before it, and had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold another little horn sprung out of the midst of them: and three of the first horns were plucked up at the presence thereof: and behold eyes like the eyes of a man were in this horn, and a mouth speaking great things.

I beheld till thrones were placed, and the ancient of days sat: his garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like clean wool: his throne like flames of fire: the wheels of it like a burning fire. A swift stream of fire issued forth from before him: thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him: the judgment sat, and the books were opened. I beheld, because of the voice of the great words which that horn spoke: and I saw that the beast was slain, and the body thereof was destroyed, and given to the fire to be burnt: And that the power of the other beasts was taken away: and that times of life were appointed them for a time, and a time.

I beheld, therefore, in the vision of the night, and lo, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and he came even to the ancient of days: and they presented him before him. And he gave him power, and glory, and a kingdom: and all peoples, tribes, and tongues shall serve him: his power is an everlasting power that shall not be taken away: and his kingdom that shall not be destroyed.

Responsorial Psalm Daniel 3:75-81
DR Challoner Text Only

Mountains and hills, bless the Lord:
praise and exalt him above all forever.
O all ye things that spring up in the earth, bless the Lord:
praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye fountains, bless the Lord:
praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye seas and rivers, bless the Lord:
praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless the Lord:
praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O all ye fowls of the air, bless the Lord:
praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O all ye beasts and cattle, bless the Lord:
praise and exalt him above all for ever.

The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to Saint Luke 21:29-33
Haydock New Testament

And he spoke to them a similitude:

See the fig-tree, and all the trees: When they now shoot forth their fruit, you know that summer is nigh. So you also, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that the reign of God  is at hand. Amen, I say to you, this generation shall not pass away, till all things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

Haydock Commentary Daniel 7:2-14
Notes Copied From Haydock Commentary Site

• Ver. 2. Winds, to imply the tumults occasioned by fresh kingdoms (W.) in the world.  Theod.
• Ver. 3. Four great beasts; viz. the Chaldean, Persian, Grecian, and Roman empires.  But some rather choose to understand the fourth beast of the successors of Alexander the great, more especially of them that reigned in Asia and Syria, (Ch.) or in
• Egypt.  C. ii. 40.  H.
• Ver. 4. Man. The emperors of Babylon were forced to confess that they were nothing more.  C. — Their cruel and rapid conquests (W.) are denoted by this monstrous animal.  Its wings shew how the lands were divided between the Medes and Persians.  Perhaps Neriglissor, &c. shared a part.  C. v. 1.  C.
• Ver. 5. Bear, which is cruel, and eats what is set before it greedily.  W. — Side. Cyrus did not attack the Jews.  S. Jer. — He stood ready to attack the Chaldeans. — Three. He ruled over the Medes and Chaldeans, as well as over the Persians.  C. — Rows. Gr. “wings or sides” of an animal, (H.) or “bones.”  Grot. — Cyrus was always at war; and Justin (1.) says, that Tomyris II. of Scythia, ordered his head to be cut off, and thrown into a vessel full of blood.  His troops are styled robbers, Jer. li. 48.  The ambition of Cambyses, Hystaspes, &c. are insatiable.
• Ver. 6. Leopard, a small spotted beast, may denote the size and disposition of Alexander, as well as his rapid conquests.  When he was asked how he had subdued so many, he answered, “by never putting off.”  C. — Four. He led his forces on all sides; (H.) and after his death, his empire was divided into four, (W.) Egypt, Syria, Asia, and Macedon, (Theod.) as he had united in his person the empire of the Chaldees, Medes, Persians, and Greeks.  C.
• Ver. 7. Unlike. It is not named: but shews the incomparable power of the Romans, governed by kings, consuls, tribunes, dictators, emperors, at different times.  W. — This in the opinion generally received, which we shall explain.  Yet many think that the kingdoms of Syria and Egypt are designated, as C. ii. 40.  S. Jerom acknowledged that what is understood of antichrist, had been partly verified in Epiphanes, his figure.  The beast was to be slain before the coming of the Son of man.  v. 11, 26.  It would persecute for three years and a half; but God would grant victory to his saints, as he did to the Machabees.  Yet they only exhibited a faint idea of what has been done by the Church.  The same subject is treated, C. xi.  Many things caused the dominion of the successors of Alexander to be unlike that of others.  It was never united, and was very destructive to the Jews.  C. — Horns. That is, ten kingdoms, (as Apoc. xvii. 12.) among which the empire of the fourth beast shall be parcelled: or ten kings of the number of the successors of Alexander, as figures of such as shall be about the time of antichrist.  Ch. — Epiphanes was the eighth king, and Laomedon, Antigonus, and Demetrius, had been governors of Syria before.  Most understand this of antichrist, whom Epiphanes foreshewed.  Others think that it points out Vespasian, the tenth successor of Cæsar, who made war on the Jews.  The same prediction may regard different events, as the abomination (C. ix.) may allude to the profanations committed by Epiphanes, by the Romans at the last siege, and by antichrist.  Others apply this to the Turkish empire, which may be paving the way for the great antagonist of Christ.  C.  Dioclesian and Julian may also be meant, as well as other forerunners of the man of sin. H. — He shall overcome many, but his fury shall continue but a short time.  v. 25.  W.
• Ver. 8. Little horn. This is commonly understood of antichrist.  It may also be applied to that great persecutor, Antiochus Epiphanes, as a figure of antichrist.  Ch. — He was the youngest son of Antiochus the great, and was a hostage of Rome.  While he was returning, his elder brother died, and Epiphanes excluded his son Philometor, of Egypt, and the usurper Heliodorus.  He also defeated three, Philometor, on the south; Artaxias, king of Armenia, on the east; and the strength, or God’s people, v. 24. and C. viii. 9. — Man. He gained several at first, by his affability. — Things: blasphemy.  1 Mac. i. 23. 43.  C.
• Ver. 9. Ancient. The Son is born of the Father, and the Holy Ghost proceeds from both, yet all three are coeternal.  W. — Hence the Father is sometimes painted in this manner, though he be a pure spirit.  His throne resembled that seen by Ezechiel, C. i.  H. — He takes cognizance of all, and punishes accordingly.  C.
• Ver. 10. Fire. Ps. xcvi. 3. — Thousands. Gr. implies one million and one hundred millions.  M. — The angels are very numerous, particularly the  highest, styled assistants.  S. Tho.  W.
• Ver. 11. Spoke. I wished to see how the king would be punished.  He felt the hand of God as he was going to destroy all the Jews, when he pretended to repent.  1 Mac. vi. and 2 Mac. ix. 4.  His successors could not much disturb the Jews.  v. 13.  C.
• Ver. 12. Time. Each of the four empires had its period assigned.  That of Rome attracted the prophet’s attention most, and is mentioned first.  M.
• Ver. 13. Heaven. Christ appeared about sixty years after the subversion of the Syrian monarchy.  Yet these expressions literally refer to his second coming.  Mat. xxvi. 64.  C. — He had the form of man, as he had the nature.  M. — He is clearly predicted.  by his power antichrist is overthrown.  W.
• Ver. 14. Destroyed. The eternal dominion of Christ could not be expressed in stronger terms.  He seems to allude to them, Mat. xxviii. 18.  C.

Haydock Commentary Luke 21:29-33

• Nothing

Catena Aurea Luke 21:29-33
From Catechetics Online

• EUSEB. He speaks these things to His disciples, not as to those who would continue in this life to the end of the world, but as if uniting in one body of believers in Christ both themselves and us and our posterity, even to the end of the world.
• GREG. That the world ought to be trampled upon and despised, He proves by a wise comparison, adding, Behold the fig tree and all the trees, when they now put forth fruit, you know that summer is near. As if He says, as from the fruit of the tree the summer is perceived to be near, so from the fall of the world the kingdom of God is known to be at hand. Hereby is it manifested that the world’s fall is our fruit. For hereunto it puts forth buds, that whomever it has fostered in the bud it may consume in slaughter. But well is the kingdom of God compared to summer; for then the clouds of our sorrow flee away, and the days of life brighten up under the clear light of the Eternal Sun.
• AMBROSE; Matthew speaks of the fig-tree only, Luke of all the trees. But the fig-tree shadows forth two things, either the ripening of what is hard, or the luxuriance of sin; that is, either that, when the fruit bursts forth in all trees and the fruitful fig-tree abounds, (that is, when every tongue confesses God, even the Jewish people confessing Him,) we ought to hope for our Lord’s coming, in which shall be gathered in as at summer the fruits of the resurrection. Or, when the man of sin shall clothe himself in his light and fickle boasting as it were the leaves of the synagogue, we must then suppose the judgment to be drawing near. For the Lord hastens to reward faith, and to bring an end of sinning.
• AUG. But when He says, When you shall see these things to come to pass, what can we understand but those things which were mentioned above. But among them we read, And then shall they see the Son of man coming. When therefore this is seen, the kingdom of God is not yet, but nigh at hand. Or must we say that we are not to understand all the things before mentioned, when He says, When you shall see these things, &c. but only some of them; this for example being excepted, And then shall they see the Son of man. But Matthew would plainly have it taken with no exception, for he says, And so you, when you see all these things, among which is the seeing the coming of the Son of man; in order that it may be understood of that coming whereby He now comes in His members as in clouds, or in the Church as in a great cloud.
• TIT. BOST. Or else, He says, the kingdom of God is at hand, meaning that when these things shall be not yet shall all things come to their last end, but they shall be already tending towards it. For the very coming of our Lord itself, casting out every principality and power, is the preparation for the kingdom of God.
• EUSEB. For as in this life, when winter dies away, and spring succeeds, the sun sending forth its warm rays cherishes and quickens the seeds hid in the ground, just laying aside their first form, and the young plants sprout forth, having put on different shades of green; so also the glorious coming of the Only-begotten of God, illuminating the new world with His quickening rays shall bring forth into light from more excellent bodies than before the seeds that have long been hidden in the whole world, i.e. those who sleep in the dust of the earth. And having vanquished death, He shall reign from henceforth the life of the new world.
• GREG. But all the things before mentioned are confirmed with greet certainly, when He adds, Verily I say to you, &c.
• BEDE; He strongly commends that which he thus foretell. And, if one may so speak, his oath is this, Amen, I say to you. Amen is by interpretation “true.” Therefore the truth says, I tell you the truth, and though He spoke not thus, He could by no means lie. But by generation he means either the whole human race, or especially the Jews.
• EUSEB. Or by generation He means the new generation of His holy Church, showing that the generation of the faithful would last up to that time, when it would see all things, and embrace with its eyes the fulfillment of our Savior’s words.
• THEOPHYL. For because He had foretold that there should be commotions, and wars and changes, both of the elements and in other things, lest any one might suspect that Christianity itself also would perish, He adds, Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away: as if He said, Though all things should be shaken, yet shall my faith fail not. Whereby He implies that He sets the Church before the whole creation. The creation shall suffer change, but the Church of the faithful and the words of the Gospel shall abide for ever.
• GREG. Or else, The heaven and, earth shall pass away, &c. As if He says, All that with us seems lasting, does not abide to eternity without change, and all that with Me seems to pass away is held fixed and immovable, for My word which passes away utters sentences which remain unchangeable, and abide for ever.
• BEDE; But by the heaven which shall pass away we must understand not the ethereal or the starry heaven, but the air from which the birds are named “of heaven.” But if the earth shall pass away, how does Ecclesiastes say, The earth stands for ever? Plainly then the heaven and earth in the fashion which they now have shall pass away, but in essence subsist eternally.

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth…” (Gen. 1)

“And the earth was without form, and void…” (Moses 2)

“Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start…” (from The Sound of Music)

In Chapter 1 of Genesis, it says God took six days to create the heaven & the earth, including the stars (with all of their own aspects) and earth, with all of its elements and life.

It also marked each section into days and nights – it appears that He practiced working on projects in “day-tight compartments.” He also rested on the seventh day, and it was perfectly appropriate that he recognize and praise the good work.

For some reason, I want to know everything at once, not pause to recharge (feel guilty), and only acknowledge someone else’s praise as valid, while minimizing it in myriad ways.

If taking a day to do a day’s work is good enough for God, it ought to be good enough for me. He’s shared with us some measure of the gift of creation and trusts us to use it well.

If resting for a day here and there is good enough for God, then it ought to be good enough for me.

If trusting His own judgment about work being complete and good is good enough for God, then trusting my own judgment in some matters should be good enough for me.

We are taught that He made us in His own image, therefore we have his attributes. We are also taught that we literally are His children and that He loves us. If He loves us and we have His attributes, then it stands to reason that He is raising us up to some good purpose. He instructs us through revelations, gives us commandments and provides guidance, testimony and warning through the Holy Ghost. Since He knows a whole lot more than we do, then obeying Him happily should be good enough for me, too.

In summary, there should be no guilt in resting sometimes, doing a day’s work in a day, and unabashedly using the seed of the ground, the beasts of the field, etc. for our sustenance, strength and creativity, and to be gratified by our daily work, the fruit of our labors. The one piece to add is, that if He trusts us, we should trust Him and check in with Him often to receive His opinion on matters. And that ought to be good enough for me too. Up to now, I thought I was the exception. Life keeps telling me I’m not. And it’s up to me to learn how it all works. Well, with a little help from my friends, that is.

The exiles’ return to Jerusalem was first and foremost a symbolic, national and political act. The scenario described, moreover, is consistent with the Biblical account: “The city was large and spacious; there were few people in it and no houses had yet been built” (Nehemiah 7:14). That living in Jerusalem at this time was a symbolic act is indicated by the fact that few of the returning exiles wanted to reside here—and those that did were blessed. As the Bible describes the situation: “The leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem; and the rest of the people cast lots to bring one in every ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine lived in other towns. And the people gave their blessing to all those who volunteered to live in Jerusalem” (Nehemiah 11:1–2).

Jerusalem in the Persian period is not the only case in which a large city includes many unsettled areas surrounded by a strong city wall. A similar situation existed, for example, in Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, in the period just before its conquest by the Ottoman Turks in ‘3 CE Steven Runciman vividly describes the situation in Constantinople at that time:

“The city itself, within its fourteen miles of encircling walls, had even in its greatest days been full of parks and gardens, dividing the various quarters. But now many quarters had disappeared, and fields and orchards separated those that remained. [To one observer in the first years of the 15th century,] it was astounding that so huge a city should be so full of ruins.” [1]

Persian period Jerusalem was much the same: A magnificent metropolis, heavily fortified, which, due to tragic historical circumstances, was emptied of the majority of its population, while the walls encircled an area as large as it had been before.
This leaves me with one small point concerning the location of the Persian period wall on the eastern slope of the City of David, where large portions of the MB wall have been found, as well as portions of the eighth-century BCE wall (in places a double wall). Kenyon uncovered a structure further up the slope that she identified as the new wall built in the Persian period. According to the minimalists, the exiles constructed here a new wall rather than restoring the old one further down the slope. In my view, here, too, Nehemiah restored the line of the previously existing First Temple wall: Even on the difficult lower slope, it would be easier to restore the wall than to build an entirely new one upslope.

NOTES:

[1] Steven Runciman, The Fall of Constantinople 1453 (Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1965), pp. 9–10

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Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! (Psalm 107:1 ESV)

Shepherd with sheep in the Land of Ararat. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

First page of John's Gospel, New Testament of the Bible

The Sanskrit version of the Old Testament was printed in four parts in 1848 and the New Testament in 1886 in Calcutta. Both these publications do not have English translations since these translations were obviously meant for Sanskrit scholars.

DOWNLOAD New Testament 1868 edition
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Old Testament of the Bible (in four parts)
Part 1 Part 2
Part 3 Part 4

Mathew’s Gospel Sanskrit Text with English Translation is available at sanskritweb

Psalm 53

(as read by Jenny)

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For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Mahalath.” A contemplation by David.

53:1 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity.
There is no one who does good.

53:2 God looks down from heaven on the children of men,
to see if there are any who understood,
who seek after God.

53:3 Every one of them has gone back.
They have become filthy together.
There is no one who does good, no, not one.

53:4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge,
who eat up my people as they eat bread,
and don’t call on God?

53:5 There they were in great fear, where no fear was,
for God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you.
You have put them to shame,
because God has rejected them.

53:6 Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When God brings back his people from captivity,
then Jacob shall rejoice,
and Israel shall be glad.

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November 26 2009 Thursday Thanksgiving Day
Saint of the Day – St. Catherine of Alexandria

About the sources used. The readings on this site are not official for the Mass of Roman Rite of the Catholic Church in the USA, but are from sources free from copyright. They are here to present the comparable readings alongside traditional Catholic commentary as published in the Haydock Bible for your own personal study. Readings vary depending on your local calendar.

Official Readings of the Liturgy at – http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/112609.shtml

Sirach 50:22-26
Douay-Rheims Challoner

Then coming down, he lifted up his hands over all the congregation of the children of Israel, to give glory to God with his lips, and to glory in his name: And he repeated his prayer, willing to shew the power of God. And now pray ye to the God of all, who hath done great things in all the earth, who hath increased our days from our mother’s womb, and hath done with us according to his mercy. May he grant us joyfulness of heart, and that there be peace in our days in Israel for ever: That Israel may believe that the mercy of God is with us, to deliver us in his days.

Responsorial Psalm 137:1-5 (Ps 138 NAB)
DR Challoner Text Only

I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart:
for thou hast heard the words of my mouth.
I will sing praise to thee in the sight of the angels:
I will worship towards thy holy temple,
and I will give glory to thy name.
For thy mercy, and for thy truth:
for thou hast magnified thy holy name above all.
In what day soever I shall call upon thee, hear me:
thou shalt multiply strength in my soul.
May all the kings of the earth give glory to thee:
for they have heard all the words of thy mouth.
And let them sing in the ways of the Lord:
for great is the glory of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Haydock New Testament

Grace to you, and peace from God, our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you, for the grace of God, that is given you in Christ Jesus: That in all things you are made rich in him, in all speaking, and in all knowledge: As the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that nothing is wanting to you in any grace, waiting for the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who also will confirm you unto the end without crime, in the day of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful: by whom you are called unto the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to Saint Luke 17:11-19
Haydock New Testament

And it came to pass, as he was going to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain town, there met him ten men, that were lepers, who stood afar off: And they lifted up their voice, saying:

Jesus, master, have mercy on us.

And when he saw, he said:

Go, shew yourselves to the priests.

And it came to pass, that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was cleansed, went back, with a loud voice, glorifying God. And he fell on his face before his feet, giving thanks: and this man was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering, said,

Were there not ten made clean? and where are the nine? There is no one found to return and give glory to God, but this stranger.

And he said to him:

Arise, go thy way: for thy faith hath made thee whole.

Haydock Commentary Sirach 50:22-26 (Ecclesiasticus)
Notes Copied From Haydock Commentary Site

• Ver. 23. Prayer. Gr. “adoration, that they might receive a blessing from the Most High.”  H. — Power. In keeping Philopator out of the temple.  God granted his request, (C.  litaneiaV) “and scourged him who was so insolent and bold…throwing him like a reed, unable to move, and speechless on the pavement.”  2 Mac. ii. 26.  After Philopator’s guards had removed him, the high priest congratulated the people, (v. 26.) expressing his abhorrence of their enemies in general, though the only mentions three neighbouring nations which had shewn a particular enmity to the Jews, when a contrary behaviour might have been expected.  v. 28.  H.
• Ver. 24. Now. A the sight of these wonders, the author exhorts the people to be grateful, and full of hope.  C.
• Ver. 26. His, Simon’s, (M.) or God’s days. When he may judge it convenient.  H.

Haydock Commentary 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

• Ver. 4. That is given you in, or by Christ Jesus.[1]  Where we may take notice with S. Chrys. for the understanding of other places, that in, is many times put for by or through.
• Ver. 5. Rich in him in all knowledge. The apostles never addressed any epistle, except to persons who had been previously converted to the faith.  Nor is it reasonable to expect, that infidel and pagan nations, merely by reading the inspired writings, will be able, by the light that is in them, to elicit from the said book the truths of religion.  Would they not be tempted to worship the wily serpent, that succeeded in deceiving Eve? and how will they know that this serpent is the devil?  A.
• Ver. 6. As the testimony of Christ, what Christ testified and taught was confirmed in you, that is, your faith in Christ hath been confirmed by those graces and gifts which you received from the Holy Ghost at your baptism, and when by imposition of hands you were confirmed by me, or some other bishop.  Wi.

Haydock Commentary Luke 17:11-19

• Ver. 14. To the priests. Jesus sends them to the priests, to convince the latter of the reality of the cures which he wrought, and oblige them by that to acknowledge him for their Messias; 2ndly, that the lepers might enjoy the fruit of their cure, by returning to the society of their fellow men, after they had been declared clean, and satisfied all the demands of the law; for there were may ceremonies previous to be gone through.  Calmet. — And lastly, to shew that in the new law, such as are defiled with the leprosy of sin, should apply to the priests.  Hence, says S. Austin, let no one despise God’s ordinance, saying that it is sufficient to confess to God alone.  Lib. de visit. infirm.
• Ver. 19. Thy faith hath made thee whole. Were not the others also made whole?  They were cleansed indeed from their leprosy, but it no where appears that they were justified in their souls like this Samaritan, of whom it said, thy faith hath made thee whole; whereas it was said of the others, that they were made clean, viz. of their leprosy in their body, though not justified in their soul: this the Samaritan alone seems to have obtained.  Maldonatus.

Coffee Art Updated

I Know I have Blogged It Before But …I dont care…The Funk Brothers are my hero’s and these clips are from my all time favourite film

19.2 million people watch Donny Osmond win

NEW YORK — An estimated 19.2 million people watched Donny Osmond win “Dancing With the Stars” — the smallest audience for the show’s finale since the first season. This was the ninth edition of the contest, one of television’s most popular shows. The Nielsen Co. says ratings have been down all season for the show, an indication that viewers weren’t as attached to the contestants as they had in the past. Osmond said the show has been a highlight in a career of ups and downs. He competed during the show’s finale Tuesday against singer Mya and Kelly Osbourne, daughter of rock star Ozzy Osbourne.

Donny Osmond was declared the new champion of “Dancing With Stars” on Tuesday night, taking home the show’s mirror ball trophy in the season finale of the ABC contest reality program. Osmond, the former teen pop star of the singing Osmond family, said the show has been a highlight in a career of ups and downs. “I did it!” Osmond exclaimed. He promptly rushed to the audience and plucked out his wife, Debbie, whom he carried across the stage. Helping push Osmond over the top was the tango he performed Tuesday with his professional dancing partner, Kym Johnson. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba hailed it as “artistry in motion.” It earned the top score of the final performances. Three celebrities made it to the finale of the show’s ninth season — Osmond, Mya and Kelly Osbourne, the daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. The show picks a winner with a combination of judges’ scores and viewer votes. Mya entered as the favorite, having won the highest scores on Monday’s show. Dancing with Dmitry Chaplin, she performed a jive. “I’m just so happy to have made it to the finals,” Mya said after the loss. The 30-year-old singer is most famous for collaborating on the Grammy-winning hit “Lady Marmalade” from the soundtrack of 2001’s “Moulin Rouge!” Osbourne was the first of the three eliminated. With her famous family — Ozzy, Sharon and Jack — looking on, Osbourne and professional partner Louis Van Amstel danced to a cover of Ray LaMontagne’s “Trouble.” The 25-year-old was clearly moved and began crying after her last dance She thanked the audience and said she had “grown so much” during the show. Co-host Samantha Harris said Osbourne had become “a swan.” The finale culminated a season of good ratings for “Dancing With the Stars,” which consistently ranked as one of the most-watched shows of the fall. The contestant who grabbed the most headlines, former Congressman Tom DeLay, had to withdraw in the third week of competition because of stress fractures in both feet. A healed DeLay returned Tuesday night to dance the Texas two-step routine he had hoped to perform. All former contestants returned, including former Dallas Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin, who performed a dance-off to the theme of “Monday Night Football” with another NFL receiving great, Jerry Rice, who was a contestant on the second season of “Dancing With the Stars.” The judges declared Rice the winner. Pop singer Aaron Carter, voted off this season, performed a dance to the theme of “The Muppet Show.” Animal took the drums, while Miss Piggy lurked backstage. Mistakes on the dance floor weren’t the only missteps of ABC’s live broadcast. At the top of the show, as highlights from Monday’s show ran, the video froze on shot of Miss Piggy, prompting host Tom Bergeron to remind viewers that the broadcast was live and send the show to an early commercial break. Whitney Houston also made a guest appearance to perform her “Million Dollar Bill” and the fitting “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Gymnast Shawn Johnson won last season’s “Dancing With the Stars.” ABC can expect high ratings for Tuesday’s finale. Last week’s results show attracted an audience of 16.2 million.

Amazing !!!

Astounding !!!

Was Jesus taught by the Druids of Glastonbury? New film claims it is possible he came to England

As a book of record the New Testament doesn’t do too well on the early life of Jesus Christ. The large holes may explain why so many outlandish theories have been able to build up about what the Son of God got up to as a boy. But among those myths most perpetuated is that he visited Britain  -  an idea immortalised in the opening lines of William Blake’s Jerusalem.

But did Jesus build a chapel beneath Glastonbury Abbey (pictured here), as a new film suggests?

Now a film has sought to add flesh to the fable by claiming it’s perfectly plausible the Messiah made an educational trip to Glastonbury. And Did Those Feet explores the idea that Jesus accompanied his supposed uncle, Joseph of Arimathaea, on a business trip to the tin mines of the South-West. Whilst there, it is claimed he took the opportunity to further his maths by studying under druids. Unsurprisingly, the documentary stops short of concluding the visit did take place, noting ‘Jesus’s shoe has not turned up’. However, the makers insist that while the visit is unproven, it is possible. The theory is that he arrived by sea, following established trading routes, before visiting several places in the West Country. In the film, Dr Gordon Strachan, a Church of Scotland minister, says it is plausible Jesus came to further his education. The country is thought to have been at the forefront of learning 2,000 years ago, with mathematics particularly strong. Ted Harrison, the film’s director, said: ‘If somebody was wanting to learn about the spirituality and thinking not just of the Jews but also the classical and Greek world he would have to come to Britain, which was the centre of learning at the time. ‘Jesus was a young man curious to find out about all sorts of things. ‘We know there is a huge gap in the life of Jesus between when he was born and when his ministry started.

‘He would have come to learn what was being taught about astronomy and geometry which was being taught at “universities” run by druids at the time.’Mr Harrison, a former BBC religious affairs correspondent, says Jesus may just have been a boy when he left the Middle East for England.Tresanton St Mawes in the west country which looks towards the Roseland peninsula, where the film claims Jesus spent some time He said: ‘He started the ministry at about the age of 30. There is only one mention in the Bible between his birth and the start of the ministry.’That is when he was around the age of 12 and went to the temple and astounded the learned experts with his knowledge. One could speculate he had just come back at that point.’ Alternatively, he may have made the visit when in his teens or 20s and used his earnings as a carpenter to fund it. Jesus is said to have built a chapel in Glastonbury  -  and when theologian St Augustine heard of it 1,400 years ago, he wrote to the Pope to tell him about it. Mr Harrison said: ‘The concrete evidence is this reference by St Augustine that at Glastonbury there was a small building or church that was put up by Jesus.’He added that Blake’s hymn Jerusalem refers to the visit with its opening lines: ‘And did those feet in ancient time Walk upon England’s mountains green? And was the holy Lamb of God on England’s pleasant pasture seen?’Mr Harrison said there were ‘no archaeological finds’ to back up the myth, but ‘by exploring the legend, we are opening up a fascinating new insight into early Christianity’.

How much would you spend to spice up your love life? Sales of luxury lingerie costing up to £900 rocket in the run-up to Christmas

I Love To See A Woman In Exquisite Lingerie….But Im Sorry….The Feather One Does Nothing For Me

Despite the unstable economy and looming expense of Christmas, it seems couples are determined not to neglect their love life – whatever the cost. Women across the country are snapping up luxury corsets in a bid to add a touch of spice in the bedroom, a leading retailer said today. Selfridges said sales of its luxury fashion corsets were up 70% as stocks of Bordelle’s £900 feather girdle sold out in 24 hours at its Oxford Street store in central London.

Beat the boredom: The Bordelle £900 feather girdle sold out within 24 hours

Luxury lingerie sales were up across the country, with the average spend increasing by 16% compared with this time last year at Selfridges’ stores in Birmingham, London and Manchester. British designer Alex Popa, 27, said: ‘The items are more flexible than the traditional pieces,’ said Miss Popa. ‘If you are daring enough you could pair a corset with a pair of leggings and go out clubbing or to a party, but they can also be worn in the boudoir. ‘It is more of a mix between outer-wear and underwear. There was nothing out there that was doing in-between. Lingerie was very static but my designs focus more on design. ‘It has helped a lot that we are popular with celebrities. We made one of our designs for Lady Gaga, and we have made items for Shakira as well as pieces for Christina Aguilera’s new movie Burlesque.

Wrapped up: Shoppers are desperate to snap up Bordelle’s Angela Cage £365 bandage dress

Tie me up: A more modest monochrome version

‘Everything is made in my workshop in London. We don’t out-source anything and make it with a technique which is unique to us. The pieces are expensive, but we have had people who have wanted to get stuff from us for some time and they have saved up to buy a piece.’ With winter drawing in and nights getting longer, women are choosing to invest in quality lingerie rather than spend on nights out. And British luxury lingerie brand Myla is cashing in on the new trend – with the launch of a £350 silk ‘Christmas’ corset, which will be unveiled by queen of burlesque, Immodesty Blaze, in Selfridges’ Oxford Street window tomorrow morning. Helen Attwood, Selfridges’ head buyer for lingerie, said: ‘The trend for underwear worn as outerwear is more popular than ever with customers investing more in fashion that adds a touch of spice to everyday life.’

And the driving force behind the sudden surge? Hollywood of course.

Sales of Bordelle’s Angela Cage £365 bandage dress also soared by 90% after 21-year-old Rihanna stepped out in a similar white leather bandage catsuit at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles earlier this week. The Bajan singer flashed the flesh on stage in a futuristic white catsuit with white shoulderpads, which shot lasers across the stage. Copies of the more modest version will no doubt be available on the High Street soon as teenagers scramble to covet the barely-there look. Women certainly appear to be doing their bit to boost the economy as high-end cosmetics are also bucking the recession with a surge in sales, according to recent figures. And what better way to cheer her up than some sexy underwear and a bit of red lipstick?

The look was made popular by Rihanna on stage at the American Music Awards

Many, if not all, of you know about my love for coffee – all things Starbucks or Caribou in particular.  I love its smell.  I love grinding my own coffee beans and brewing fresh java to drink throughout the day.  I love trying new beans and new blends of coffee.

Well, then, imagine my surprise when I came across the following article on an uncommon coffee:

“Thanks to the coffee culture explosion, connoisseurs are now proactively seeking new twists on their beloved bean-based beverage.  Cappa-this, frappa-that, double mocca doodah – the permutations are endless….  [Nevertheless] Civet Coffee, also known as Kopi Luwak, is indeed the most astonishing… coffee we’ve ever tasted.

The primary reason for Civet Coffee’s distinctive taste is that it’s been partially fermented by passing through the digestive system of a Sumatran Civet Cat (paradoxurus hermaphroditis).  No, really!  Basically, this feral feline prowls Sumatran coffee plantations at night, choosing to eat only the finest, ripest cherries.  The stones (which eventually form coffee beans) are then collected by sifting through the Civet’s “number twos.”

Revered for its luscious chocolatey flavour Civet Coffee is totally safe …and delicious.  Plus there’s no discernable aftertaste. … Put the kettle on!”  (http://www.firebox.com/index.html?dir=firebox&action=product&pid=1077)

That’s the straight p scoop on a rare coffee!

I laughed when I came across this article.  What will people come up with next?  How about you?  Would you consider drinking such a strange brew?  Does the thought of where it came from bother you somewhat?  I bet there are a few daredevils among us who would take a sip or drink a cup!

Palouse Falls Gorge ©Weatherstone/Ron Almberg, Jr. (2009)

Jewish religious leaders in Jesus’ day were very concerned about coming in contact with things that would defile them and make them unable to go into the Temple and perform their religious duties.  However, Jesus said, “It’s not what a man touches or eats that defiles him, but what comes out of his heart and mouth” (Matthew 15:11-20).

Jesus also said, “A person speaks from what is in their heart.  A good person speaks good things and an evil person evil things.  People will give an account on the day of judgment for every evil and careless word spoken” (Matt. 12:34-37).

If drinking from a brew passed through and out of the intestines of a Civet Cat bothers us, how much more should those things come out of our mouths – instead of in them!  Among the list of all the evil sins that prevent people from entering the Kingdom of righteousness are things that come out of our own mouths: false testimony, slander, gossip, lies, outbursts of anger, and arrogant boasting.

It is no wonder that the book of Proverbs constantly warns us about what we say.  Keep your spiritual garment of righteousness clean by taking the caution of Scripture to heart, “Guard your mouth!”  Be as concerned with what comes out of it as what you put into it.  What you say to other people about other people is more serious than a cup of Civet Coffee!

©Weatherstone/Ron Almberg, Jr. (2009)

One day I thought, what if the “great fish” mentioned in the book of Jonah wasn’t so “great”?

Back in the very early 1980’s, two animators at Bob Jones University, Terry Davenport & Bruce Polhamus, had this great idea for a series of kid’s cartoons based on Bible characters.  There were storyboards worked up, pencil tests and I remember some cel painting going on.  If I remember correctly, the “pilot” film was the story of Jonah.

But the whole idea was shot down.

Why?  Because the BJU Administration Gurus decided that it was “disrespectful” to animate Bible characters and turn them into “cartoons.”  It might confuse the wuttle kiddies out there and they may think that Jonah was just a fairy tale…

After all that work — and it looked really good, too — the drawings, the cels, the film was set aside — in favor of some stupid movie about gophers or squirrels or something…

So, I present my un-animated Jonah — with all due respect, of course.

What has all this to do with Jesus, Christianity, or for that matter being a Jew?

The information disclosed in this writing has been offered to Jews only, for several reasons:

To help Gentiles, Gentile Christians, Jewish Christians, and all Jews, understand the truth about the Jewishness of original Christianity: to assist Jews who are haunted by their own confusion concerning their acceptance of the New Testament and their Messiah Jesus: to aid Christian Evangelists to understand that God has not called every Jew into the ranks of Christianity: to tell everyone about the church system used by Rome to deceive the nations into accepting a man as Christ, who is a false Christ: and to lighten the burden of misguided Jews, who have converted to become part of the Gentile form of Christianity: to reduce the pain they inflict upon their own families and friends.

In so much as, the converted Messianic Jews are the ones in error, and not their families for rejecting a false Jesus.  Which rejection, I might add, will not keep them from entering heaven after physical death, as the deluded converts have been brainwashed into believing.  In the immortal words of Jesus, they err because they do not know the Scriptures…

Yet I wouldn’t want either of you Jews, Christian convert or not, to go away thinking you are right and the other guy is wrong.  That is not the case I intended to present.  On the contrary, both are right, even though the converted Messianic Jew may be misguided and deceived.

My argument has been, Jews who reject Jesus will not go to hell for not accepting Jesus.  Since the Jesus presented to the world, as stated in 2 Corinthians 11:1-5, by all Christian Churches is a phony!  Therefore, you Jewish brothers and sisters who reject the present day nonsense about Jesus are right in doing so.

While on the other hand, the converted Jewish Christians, who do not believe or realize they’ve been deceived (even though the New Testament has more warnings against being deceived than any other subject).

They have actually been called by God to cross over into the Gentile world to do a special job for God: which job is to help the misguided Gentile Christians learn the truth about Jesus (the gospel).  These Messianic Jews were called by God to be the teachers of the Gentiles, but there is little hope of them allowing the Jews in their private club: as foretold by Jesus in the parable of the rented Vineyard in Matthew 21:33 to 41.

Christians who have fallen victim to lying Roman teachings and have also been deceived into believing lies about Jesus, will not be forgiven by God for having been deceived.  The Lord plainly warned Christians to study their Bibles not to be deceived.  There is a plan revealed in the Bible concerning a remnant of Jews who would be chosen by God for this very important work amongst the Gentile Christians; but the Gentiles are in control of the kingdom of God.  They took it by force and stole it from the Jews.

The Gentile Churches have learned to deceive people well.  They have learned how to put a spin on the scriptures to use them to prove their teachings.  They have learned how to keep the remnant of Jews from becoming effective at their anointed jobs of teaching the Jewish scriptures.

Thus rendering the remnant of Jews, who were chosen by God to believe in Jesus, ineffective at helping the deceived Gentiles.  They keep these chosen Jews from following in the footsteps of Paul the Apostle; their Jewish predecessor who was destined to teach the Roman Gentiles.

The Messianic Jews are totally ineffectual and have no effect on the Gentiles in serious trouble by reason of deceit!  Therefore, both sides of the Jewish question are right.  The Jews who know Jesus is the Messiah are right; and the Jewish Old Testament of the Bible is right; and the Jews who reject the false Gentile Jesus are right; and know the Jewish New Testament of the Bible is right!

Now you will say, but Jews who do not believe in Jesus will go to hell because Jesus said, No one comes unto the Father but by Me…. Wrong again, oh misguided one!  In John Chapter 6, verses 43 to 45 Jesus said, No one could come to Jesus unless the Father draw him to Jesus, and everyone shall be taught by God. Therefore, everyone that has heard, and has learned of the Father comes to Jesus.

Not knowing the Scriptures you always put the cart before the horse.  Besides isn’t the “Me” in verse 44, “No one comes unto the Father but by Me”, referring to Jesus; and isn’t Jesus’ name the Word of God?

Doesn’t the Bible teach the Word is able to save your soul and that the Word is able to renew your mind?  The Word is the Holy Spirit. The Word is what a person has to do in order to enter heaven.

Perhaps the guy named Jesus that you purport to follow was just spinning His wheels when He told the rich young man, do the commandments and you shall receive eternal life.  Perhaps eternal life is something different than being saved?

God promised the Jews they would never be consumed, yet they die like other people.  Therefore, the consumption Jesus referred to was genocide in this lifetime and eternal death in the next life, which is hell!

God has a very definite plan for the Jews who reject the phony Jesus, and do so by God’s grace just as you Messianic Jews believe Jesus is the Messiah by the same grace… or perhaps you have set yourself up as the Judge of Israel!  Beware!  I don’t have to teach you what Jesus said about Judging.  Jews were chosen to bait the world into being jealous of them.  They were chosen by God to suck anyone into hell that would dare touch them!

It doesn’t sound like a great profession for an entire nation of people, but neither was being the High Priest of Israel.  If God didn’t accept the offering presented in the Holy of Holies by the High Priest, he was struck dead!

To be continued…

Кого замести Сит, как е изглеждал ръкописа, какво е представлявал десятъка, защо на вярващия му трябва коледна елха.

Това са четири въпроса сместени в един пост, без да са свързани, за пестене на място и защото ми дойдоха в главата по едно и също време.

Сит

Текста на Битие 4:25 е за раждането Сит, като по интересни са думите на Ева;

. . . : For God ^H430, [said she], hath appointed ^H7896 me another ^H312seed ^H2233 instead ^H8478 of Abel ^H1893, whom ^H3588 Cain^H7014 slew ^H2026

Смисъла на фразата на края на стиха е; ( . . . Бог определи следващо поколение след Авел, КАТО Каин-преминалия.) Сит е заместника на Каин след Авел, Сит бе зачената като Каин от Адам, за разлика от Авел, заместника на Авел трябва да има същия баща като него. Думата която се превежда некоректно като убийство, всъщност има смисъл на отстраняване и премахване, Каин бе отстранения и премахнатия от Божието присъствие. Авел дори и убит бе премахнат от земята, но не и от Божието присъствие.

Този стих е едно от многото доказателства за моето правилно разбиране относно съдбата на Каин и потомството му. Сит и потомството му се провалиха по същия начин. Но поне този блог ще се опита поправи и грешката на двете родословия на човешкия род.

Писанията и драконите

Древния начин на писане се е различавал от сегашния, всеки днешен човек може да остане с впечатлението че древния език е варварски а писанията архаични. Подобно идиотско мнение относно език и писменост е много добре осмяно от Толкин в новелата му „Фермера Джаилс от Хам“, оригинална пародия на Оксфордския речник „Червения дракон“, и хората които работят за него „Глупавите Великани“. Пародията на речника с дракон е много удачна, защото всеки казал нещо против речника се излага на унищожителното огнедишащо чудовище, което е събрало огромни съкровища. Не всички писмености днес се развиват както европейските, някои, като грузинската и таи всъщност са много близки до древно гръцкия начин на писане, със липсата на главни букви и пунктуация. Брата на Толкин, Хилари е писал без пунктуация, а ако се загледате в моите постове ще се забележи не особено удачно и ползване. Наскоро се замислих, какво ли е предимството или недостатъка на съвременната граматика, пунктуация, главни букви, изречения, заглавия и прочее строго форматиране на текста? Освен да се мъчат учениците, да се улеснява преподаването функцията на цялата тази модерност на писането е в способността да се правият разлики в текста, да се поставя допълнителен външен смисъл на правия текст. Точно такава особеност липсва както в старогръцкия, така и в наистина старите азиатски писмености като грузински и таиски, претендиращите за древност индийски и китайски всъщност не са никак древни, а арабския е също европейски и не е никак древен. Така следва въпроса, дали това е добро или зло? Защо ли древния библейски текст не се ползвал от такова средство? Отговора е в самата цел на текста, Библейския текст е като морето, то се вълнува от вятъра, но поглеждайки към хоризонта виждаме единственото място в природата с права линия и права равнина на по малка площ. Ето защо Христос ходеше по хоризонта на морето и за това той заповяда на вълните и вятъра сякаш не са свързани. Ето защо Петър потъна поради вълните, защото ако писанията са неравни или разбъркани това може да удави вярата. Основната идея е че този „архаичен“ метод на писане без граматика е начина, по които трябва да се предава смисъла на текста на Библията, без да се набляга на нещо си според нашето мнение и да се подценява друго според мнението на някой си. Този момент на съединяване на нечие мнение или на някаква доктрина заедно със смисъла на текста е неправилен, Именно това е „пръстена“ който огражда истината на Светите писания и трябва да бъде унищожен от хобитите или ситите.

Десятък

Противно на разпространеното мнение ще се опитам в няколко кратки изречения да опиша какво е десятъка. Десятъка в Библията не е нито дарение, нито данък нито някаква такса. Десятъка е дела, който се определя за левитите, които са племе без собственост. Тяхната собственост фактически е този десятък, той им се дава не като подарък а като заплата. Фактически хората които работя в самия шатър или след това Храма са малка група възрастни левити, по младите и всички работоспособни са работили на полето или са пастирували стадата, те не са имали свое стадо или нива, но са притежавали теоретично една десета от тях. Ето това е бил десятъка, всяко едно нещо в святата земя е било и тяхно на една десета. Няма никакви данъци в Библията, дори и по времето на Йосиф, през плодородните години, житото се е купувало. Даренията са били нещо отделно, за това даването на „десятък“ в църквата сега е нещо, което не трябва да се свързва с Библията.

Елха

Историята на коледната елха е от Мартин Лутер, той е имал практиката да пътува нощно време през горите. Неговата съпруга и деца са се безпокоили много за тези пътувания, в гората през нощта е доста тъмно и вероятността да се загуби човек е много голяма. Мартин е отговарял шеговито че при бързо движение звездите са се виждали и през най гъстите клони на елхите, за това неговите деца са си направили шега като са донесли елха в къщи, закачили са звездички и са напомняли на татко си дали познава пътя в къщи. Тук обаче трябва да спомена особената важност на това събитие. Лутер е живял през 5600АМ година на календара на ситите. Съотносително с часовника които са били с общи деления това се пада на 11-тия час, когато слънцето е било залязло и е започвало да се смрачава. В този час вероятно са се откривали и по ярките планети на слънчевата система които в миналото са се виждали на планетата на ситите. Този паралел от нашето време и планета с времето на изгубения свят на Библията е важен за разбиране на смисъла на историята и връзката на Библията и нейното време със нашето време. По времето на Лутер е започвала духовния залез на човечеството. Писмения вариант на Библията не е никаква придобивка за човечеството. Тя всъщност показва, че Бог няма нужда от добри вярващи а само от добри преписвачи и печатари или поне от bogoizbrani блогери.

Time, old testament, poetry, Tolkien, history