Bible Study: 3rd Sunday of Easter

1 John 2:1-5a
Jesus is the expiation for our sins
Et in hoc cognoscimus quoniam novimus eum: si mandata eius servemus.
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Bible Study resuming

After taking two weeks off (Holy Week and Easter Week), the Young Adult Bible Study is resuming. This week, we're going to read 1 John 2:1-5. I'll post the notes (and the notes from the previous weeks) soon.

Bible Study: 1st Sunday of Lent

1 Pet 3:18-22
Baptism is an appeal for a clear conscience before God
Cuius antitypum, baptisma, et vos nunc salvos facit.
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Bible Study: 7th Sunday of Ordinary Time

2 Cor 1:18-22
God establishes truth and certainty
Deus ... signavit nos et dedit arrabonem Spiritus in cordibus nostris.
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Bible Study: 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time

1 Cor 10:31-11:1
Glorify God in all that you do
Imitatores mei estote, sicut et ego Christi.
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Bible Study: 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time

1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23
We must go to great lengths to preach the Gospel to all men
Omnibus omnia factus sum, ut aliquos utique facerem salvos.
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Bible Study: Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul

1 Cor 7:29-31
Live as a citizen of the eternal Kingdom
Praeterit enim figura huius mundi.
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Bible Study: 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20
Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit
Glorificate ergo Deum in corpore vestro.
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Corinth is a city in Rome west of Athens. It was a bustling commercial center for trade in the Mediterranean, the capital of Southern Greece, and located between two major seaports. It also had a reputation for shameless immorality, which was a problem for the early Christian community there (as Paul's letter makes clear).

Paul first went to Corinth during the same trip that took him through Macedonia with Silvanus and Timothy. Paul arrived in Corinth around AD 51 and stayed there for more than a year and a half. (Acts 18:1-18)

Paul wrote this letter from Ephesus (1 Cor. 16:8), in what is now Turkey; it was probably written around AD 56 (more than four years after his stay), during the second part of his third missionary journey. Paul had learned through the associates of a woman named Chloe. (1:11) Corinth had many problems: internal divisions (1:12-15), a case of incest (5:1-5), frivolous lawsuits (6:1-8), sexual immorality (6:12-20), and even the denial of the resurrection (15:12)! They were not celebrating the Eucharist properly (11:17-34) and they were exercising their charismatic gifts in a manner that was more disruptive than edifying (14:1-40).

Paul addresses these issues, as well as others that were put forth in a letter from the Church to him, concerning marriage, celibacy, food offered to idols, and tithing (7:1, 8:1, 12:1, 16:1). The excerpt we will read is about sexual purity as it relates to worship of God.

Bible Study: 4th Sunday of Advent

1 Thess 5:16-24
The mystery of God’s plan is finally revealed
Soli sapienti Deo per Iesum Christum, cui gloria in saecula!
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Bible Study: 3rd Sunday of Advent

1 Thess 5:16-24
Rejoice always, even to the coming of the Lord
Semper gaudete, sine intermissione orate.
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Bible Study: 2nd Sunday of Advent (Year B)

2 Peter 3:8-14
Wait in holiness for the Lord
Propter quod, carissimi, haec exspectantes
satagite immaculati et inviolati ei inveniri in pace!

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Take a listen to the carol Angelus ad Virginem being performed by the Tallis Scholars (2:35).

Bible Study: Last Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King, Year A

1 Corinthians 15:20-26,28
Christ will hand over the Kingdom to the Father
Sicut enim in Adam omnes moriuntur, ita et in Christo omnes vivificabuntur!
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Bible Study: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
Live as sons and daughters of the Light
Vigilemus et sobrii simus!
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Bible Study: 1 Thess 4

1 Thessalonians 4
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Bible Study: 1 Thess 2-3

1 Thessalonians 2-3
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Bible Study: 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10
Be an example even for other Christians
Vos imitatores nostri facti estis et Domini.
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Bible Study: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b
Thank God for your brothers and sisters in Christ
Evangelium nostrum non fuit ad vos in sermone tantum
sed et in virtute et in Spiritu Sancto et in plenitudine multa.
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Bible Study: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20
Contentment comes from trust in God
Omnia possum in eo, qui me confortat.
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Bible Study: 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Philippians 4:6-9
True peace is found in God
Deus pacis erit vobiscum.
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Bible Study: 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Philippians 2:1-11
Imitating Christ’s Humility
In nomine Iesu omne genu flectatur caelestium et terrestrium et infernorum!
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Listen to the Gregorian chant Christus factus est, the Gradual for this coming Sunday; it is being sung by the schola of Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary and can be found on the CD In Cena Domine: Gregorian Chants for the Vesperal Mass of Maundy Thursday, produced by the Priestly Society of St. Peter (FSSP).



Here are the words (in Latin, with English translation) and the music:


Also, here are my answers from the study:

1. What does Paul mean by “being of the same mind” (v. 2)?

See Acts 4:32, 1 Cor. 1:10, 2 Cor. 13:11, Phil. 1:27, 4:2. “An appeal to share a common outlook on Christian living and a common vision for Christian unity. This ideal can become real only if humility and service take the place of pride and selfishness among them.” (ISB, CCC 2842)

2. The phrase “a thing to be grasped” (v. 6) is the Greek word harpagamos; this is the only place in the Bible where this word is used (known as a hapax legomenon, which means “said only once”). The word in secular Greek sources refers to “robbery”. What does it mean here?

(1) Latin Fathers: “something seized”, Jesus didn’t have to aggressively acquire it, because it belonged to him by nature and right. (2) Greek Fathers: “something held fast”, Jesus didn’t cling to it because he could not lose it. (3) Others: “something to be seized that is not already possessed”, Jesus (as a man) did not try to be an equal to God. (4) Another: “something to be exploited for personal gain”, Jesus was not like the ambitious world rulers who believed they had divine dignity. (cf. ISB)

Consider Also Genesis 3 (Adam and Eve “grasping” for equality with God).

3. How does the description of Jesus (vv. 6-8) relate to the attitude which Paul wishes the Philippians to have (vv. 2-4)? What is “the mind that was in Christ Jesus”? (v. 5)

Jesus emptied and humbled himself, being a servant to others, being obedient to God. We should think of the needs of others, being humble and not selfish, discerning the mind of God for us.

4. What does the description of Jesus say about who and what he is?

He was “in the form of God” but “emptied himself”, “taking the form of a servant”, born “in the likeness of men”. He pre-existed creation. He was “in the form of God” before the Incarnation. See Col. 1:15-16, 2:9, and Heb. 1:2b-3a.

5. What does it mean that Jesus “emptied himself” (v. 7)?

Kenosis means “empty out” or “render void”. He didn’t lose his divinity, but his glory was concealed by his flesh (cf. Isaiah 52:13-53:12). He accepted human restrictions and limitations (cf. Luke 2:52). (cf. CCC 472)

6. Paul writes that God “bestowed on him the name which is above every name” (v. 9). What name is that?

Lord, which in Greek is kurios (“kyrie”). This was used to translate Adonai in the O.T., which is rendered as LORD in English. Adonai was used in place of YHWH, the “tetragrammaton”, which was how Yahweh (we think) was written by the Jews. Because Jesus is called “Lord”, this is a statement of his divinity, his unity and equality with God the Father.

Even further, “Lord” was the title that a secular ruler (like Caesar) would take for himself. But there is only one Lord, and that is Jesus. Only by the Holy Spirit can we confess that “Jesus is Lord” (1 Cor. 12:3). (cf. CCC 446-450)

7. Here is what God said through Isaiah the prophet: “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.’” (Isaiah 45:22-23) What does it mean that Paul applies this oath to Christ (vv. 10-11)?

Paul is making Christ the center of this prophecy, making Jesus the divine Lord destined to be revered by all creation. There is no other God and no other Lord. (cf. IBS)

8. What was God the Father able to teach us by example, through His Son Jesus?

Obedience. God can give us rules and tell us to follow them, but in God the Son we see God teaching us how to obey Him.