In this episode, the Acts of the Apostles is read, specifically focusing on Chapter 4 from the New American Bible. We explore the confrontation between Peter, John, and the religious authorities of the time, highlighting their bold proclamation of Jesus' resurrection and the subsequent growth of the Christian Church in gaining 5,000 more believers. The episode discusses the communal life of early Christians, emphasizing their shared possessions and the significant role of the apostles in distributing resources according to need. We also touch upon the miraculous signs, such as the shaking of the place where they prayed, symbolizing divine presence and approval.
Additionally, we explore the significance of sacraments in the Catholic faith, discussing their role as remedies against sin, signs of God's grace, and markers of Christian unity. The episode includes a reading from the catechism on sacraments and a historical account of Saint Justin Martyr, highlighting his defense of Christian doctrine against pagans and heretics. We conclude with a reflection on the importance of sacraments in nurturing faith and maintaining the unity of the Christians.
[00:00:01]
Unknown:
Let's begin with the our father. Your father, and the son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. Alright, John. So we're on chapter three. No. We're on chapter four. Correct? Thank you. So what we'll do, I'll read the first part, and it's three parts tonight. I'll read the first part, you read the second part, and then I'll finish the third part. Okay.
So and what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna we're gonna read through the whole thing Okay. And then go back and do footnotes and discuss what we've read. Okay. Sounds good. Okay. Alright. The Acts of the Apostles chapter four, and this is the New American Bible. While they were still speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees confronted them. Disturbed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead, they laid hands on them and put them in custody until the next day, since it was already evening.
But many of those who heard the word came to believe, and the number of the men of men grew to about 5,000 Before the Sanhedrin, on the next day, their leaders, elders, and scribes were assembled in Jerusalem with Annas, the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all who were of the highly high priestly class. They brought them into their presence and questioned them. By what power or by what name have you done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered them. Leaders of the people and elders, if we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.
In his name, this man stands before you healed. He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved. Observing the boldness of Peter and John and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men, they were amazed, and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus. Then when they saw the man who had been cured on standing there with them, they could say nothing in reply. So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin and conferred with one another saying, what are we to do with these men?
Everyone living in Jerusalem knows that a remarkable sign was done through them, and we cannot deny it. But so that it may not be spread any further among the people, let us give them a stern warning, never again to speak to anyone in in this name. So they called them back and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Peter and John, however, said to them in reply, whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges. It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard. After threatening them further, they released them, finding no way to punish them on account of the people who were all praising God for what had happened.
For the man on whom this sign of healing had been done was over 40 years old.
[00:05:14] Unknown:
You wanna pick it up? Yep. I sure do. Prayer of the community. After their release, they went back to their own people and reported what the chief priest and elders had told them. And when they heard it, they raised their voices to God with one accord and said, sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth, and the sea, and of all that is in them. You said by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your father David, your servant, Why did the Gentiles rage and the people's entertain folly? The kings of the earth took their strand and the princes gathered together against the Lord, against his anointed.
Indeed, they gather in the city against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel to do your hand and your will have will have long ago plan to take place. And now, Lord, take note of their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with all bold boldness. As you stretch forth your hand to heal and signs and wonders are done through the name of your holy servant Jesus. As they prayed, the place where they were gathering shook and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
[00:06:42] Unknown:
Life in the Christian community. The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power, the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need. Thus, Joseph, also named by the apostles Barnabas, which is translated son of encouragement, a Levite, a Cypriot by birth, sold a piece of property that he owned, then brought the money and put it at the feet of the apostles.
Alright? That's the end of chapter four. And I'll I'll read out the footnotes, and we can discuss anything that that, came to our mind about this after. So the priests four four verse one, the priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees, the priests performed the temple liturgy. The temple guard was composed of Levites whose captain ranked next after the high priest. The Sadducees, a party within Judaism at this time, rejected those doctrines, including bodily resurrection, which they believed alien to the ancient Mosaic religion. The Sadducees were drawn from priestly families and from the lay aristocracy.
Verse 11. Early Christianity applied the citation from Psalm one eighteen two two verse two 22 to Jesus. That that was about about, he is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. Verse 12. In the Roman world of Luke's day, salvation was often attributed to the emperor who was hailed as savior and god. Luke, in the words of Peter, denies that deliverance comes through anyone other than Jesus. Verse 27. Herod, Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee and Perea from April to AD thirty nine, who executed John the Baptist and before whom Jesus was arraigned.
That was verse 27, which indeed they gathered in the city against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, Herod and Pontius Pilate together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel. Then verse 31, which reads, as they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. The place shook. The earthquake is used as a sign of divine presence. Here, the shaking of the building symbolizes God's favorable response to the prayer. Luke may have had, as an additional reason for using the symbol, in this sense, the fact that it was familiar to the Hellenic Hellenistic world Ovid and Virgil also employ ploy it.
So and so verses 32 through 37. This is the end of the footnotes, but here, this is the second summary characterizing the Jerusalem community. It emphasizes the system of the distribution of goods and inter introduces Barnabas, who appears later in acts as the friend and companion of Paul, and who, as noted here, endeared himself to the community by a donation of money through the sale of property. This sharing of material possessions continues, a practice that Luke describes during the historical ministry of Jesus, and is in accord with the sayings of Jesus in Luke's gospel.
So that was Barnabas. Barnabas sold his goods. His name thus Joseph, who also named by the apostles Barnabas, which is translated son of encouragement. So Joseph, son of encouragement. He was a priest. Mhmm. A Levite. A Cypriot by birth, which means Greek Cypriot and Cyprus. So So he must have been fairly well off to be able to afford to be able to take take the sea route on a ship, go back and forth.
[00:12:23] Unknown:
So is there anything that comes to your mind about this, John? The one thing is on verse four, it's talking about the people that gathered there. There were over 5,000. And prior to this, it's a lot of of persecution of Christians was happening. And before this, it was 3,000. So as it's gone on, even though the persecution was increasing, more Christians were multiplying. That really kinda set me there.
[00:12:54] Unknown:
Yeah. And the fact that they were sharing things in common meant that even poor people and ordinary people Yeah. We're following them. Just like the Sanhedrin noted that the that Peter and John looked like ordinary people. It didn't look like they were trying to lord it over everyone by dressing up in fancy guards. Rooms or whatever. Yeah. Yep. Yep. So they were living in common. They weren't they weren't looking for status, like, like, how much property you have gave you status in the church. It was actually equally divided by the the, priests who were Peter and John.
They went would go to them, give them their goods after they sold their property for them to equally distribute because they had the sense of justice. Right. Because they knew Christ firsthand. They had been chosen by Christ. And they're inspired
[00:13:53] Unknown:
by the Holy Spirit. Inspired by the Holy Spirit. Yeah. So
[00:13:58] Unknown:
Yeah. Anything anything else that okay. So this thing about the place shaking. That's what I mean. Yeah. Okay. So indeed gathered in the city and to do and know the Lord take note of the threats and enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness. As you stretch forth your hand to heal and signs and wonders are done through the name of your holy servant Jesus. As they prayed, the place where they gathered shook. And that must have been something for for this. So they went back to their own to their own people, and that's when it shook. It's not like it shook while they were addressing the Sadducees, which would have been something because the Sadducees were persecuting them. They put them in prison and then released them.
They released them there. They held them. The Sanhedrin held them. They said, what are we to do with these men? Everyone living in Jerusalem knows a remarkable sign was done through them, and we cannot deny it. But so that we may not it may not be spread any further among the people, let us give them a stern warning never again to speak to anyone in his name. So they called them back and ordered them not to speak, and they threatened them further after Peter spoke up. And after threatening them further, they released them, finding no way to punish them on account of the people. They were afraid of the people.
And the man that whom this sign of healing had been done was over 40 years old, which tells you something because then it means the majority of people knew who he was. Mhmm. Even the elderly people would have had an understanding. And so so they brought him back to the people. And once they came back to the people, they spoke again to the people. And then to show that God was even gonna gonna make it even more clear to the people that these were his servants, Peter and John. After they spoke, there was an earthquake, which is a sign of that God's presence was there and that with these people with the the apostles were teaching was true and to be listened to because it's such a great sign came after just after they spoke.
[00:16:42] Unknown:
So yeah. Let's I think the prayer of the community too, 23, when they're talking about the sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth and the sea and of all that is in them. You said by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David, your sir servant. And it says, why did the Gentiles rage and the peoples entertain for a folly? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the princesses gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed.
[00:17:15] Unknown:
Now John and Peter were the anointed. Right. Got so it was a prophecy from the Psalms, the book of Psalms. I believe that's Psalm two. According to this, it's Psalm two verses one through two. And the Psalms talks about that that, maybe we should read that Psalm just since since it mentions it in the reading. Sure. Okay. Yep. I'll just go to that. I'll go to that. I can get it pulled up. Okay, psalm two, A Psalm for royal coronation. Why do the nations protest and the peoples grumble in vain? Kings on earth rise up and the princes plot together against the lord and his anointed. Let us break their shackles and cast off their chains.
The one enthroned in heaven laughs. The Lord derides them. They speak to them in anger, terrifies them in wrath. He he then speaks to them in anger, terrifies them in wrath. So the the Pharisee the Sadducees were terrified Mhmm. By them. I myself have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain. Zion is where the the last supper took place. Okay. Yeah. The king being Jesus, his son. And I will proclaim the decree of the Lord who said to me, you are my son. Today, I am your father. Only ask it of me, and I will make your inheritance the nations. Your possession, the ends of the earth.
With an iron rod, you shall shepherd them. Like a clay pot, you will shatter them. And now, kings, give heed. Take warning. Rulers on earth, serve the lord with fear. With trembling, bow down in homage. Lest God be angry and you perish from the way in a sudden blaze of anger. Happy are all who take refuge in God. So prop that was prophecy of what was to come with Christ coming to Earth and then sending his apostles, his anointed ones forth to continue his church on Earth from Mount Zion, which is also where the the Pentecost of the Holy Spirit came down on upon the apostle the apostles and the Virgin Mary, and then they went out and they preached, and everyone heard them in their own tongue, in their own language.
So Mount Zion in that second Psalm is important in that regard because that's where all of these things in the life of Jesus and the church took place in the New Testament. So I think we should we should go to the catechism now. Okay. Unless you have any other questions. That's fine. Okay. That's good. So now I'm gonna read from the catechism on the sacraments is where we're we left off at the beginning of what we were talking about, the sacraments. Okay. So the question is, how many sacraments are there? Seven. Which the church, being the spouse of Christ and pillar of truth, having the apostles received from them received them from Christ himself, have always hitherto to kept and faithfully dispensed.
And they are these, baptism, confirmation, the blessed sacrament of the Eucharist, penance, extreme unction, order, and matrimony. Neither truly force forceth it at all if such names be not all of them extent in the scriptures, so that the matter itself be evident, and the verity and virtue of the sacraments be approved by divine testimony. Albeit such things as by the apostles' tradition, the universal church holds and commend commends to be kept and observed, though they be not to be found in scripture, yet do they deserve as of us full and perfect credit, as has been already declared.
In touching the instruction of every sacrament in particular, we will speak hereafter in their proper places. But the force and virtue of them, as the most faithful interpreter of the scripture, Saint Augustine says, it is of an unspeakable value and therefore the contenders of it are sacrilegious. For impiously certain is that despised without the which no piety can be perfected. And as the same holy father reacheth in another place, the contemnor of the visible sacrament can never be visibly sanctified can never be invisibly sanctified. Why were the sacraments instituted?
First, that they may be very present remedies against sin, which is a pestilent disease of the soul, and except it be cured in this life, bringeth everlasting damnation. And therefore, these do far excel the sacraments of the old law, as being in virtue greater, in commodity more profitable, in number fewer, in the conceiving of them more honorable, in observation more ex excellent, which besides their signification, do also sanctify and give salvation, as Saint Augustine hath very well gathered out of the scriptures. Secondly, that we may have some certain and effectual signs of god's grace and goodwill towards us, which signs wilts they represent themselves to the outward senses.
They do not only stir up our faith in Christ and in the mercy and goodness of almighty god, but are moreover lively instruments by which it hath seemed good unto almighty god effectually to work for us work our salvation. So that it was notably said of an ancient father that a sacrament even by itself alone is in of an inestimitable value. Thirdly, that there may be some tokens and as it were external marks of Christian profession, whereby the children of God and of the church may mutually know one another, and that they may fruitfully exercise and keep themselves in unity, humility, and obedience, and so remain linked amongst themselves with the necessary bond and league of one religion.
Otherwise, without sacraments, cannot any sort of religion either stand or be sufficiently discerned. So I'm gonna stop there and ask, is there anything you gather from that that is anything new or or I don't think it different than what you know? Yeah. It was kinda not defined good enough for me. Number one,
[00:25:20] Unknown:
the way I understand sacraments are they give graces. Yeah. Number two each sacrament has its own special graces you get by receiving it. Like in baptism, it's original sin. Then you go on to confirmation as a young adult and you're actually reconfirming to to to your baptism. And there, you become a soldier in Christ army. And so and Eucharist, and when we talked last week in our our in the religion portion of it, it was that we have an inner inner and outer being and our outer being is broken. And it's broken right from the time of Adam and Eve. And our inner being, which is our soul, and we feed our soul with the Eucharist.
So it kind of works hand in hand. So when you go all through that, when you're married by the church, well, you get the graces that go along with that. Makes you stronger, more committed, you know. And so I think I think it's it's it it's saying that, but it's not saying getting into the depth of it. You know?
[00:26:34] Unknown:
Mhmm. Yeah. It's it's what it what it's doing is it's like, for instance, it's of unspeakable value, and therefore, people who speak against it are sacrilegious.
[00:26:49] Unknown:
Oh, absolutely.
[00:26:50] Unknown:
Yeah. Like Saint Augustine said. My holy grail impious. And it's it's the basis of our piety, which piety most people don't talk about piety all that much. It's it's our reverence for God, and we show it through the sacraments. Right. And I would say that it's perfected. It it says here, for impiously certain is that is that is it despised. So if you're despising if you despise the sacraments, there's no way that your your your reverence can be considered perfect perfected. Like, if you if you don't like confession, let's say, for instance, if you you speak against confessing your sins Yeah. Yeah. There's no way for you to say to anyone else that you have perfect piety.
That you've you've got reverence for God's word and for his church and traditions. Because you deny that penance is a sacrament, that that it's, I mean, one of the most important sacraments after you're baptized because you fall back into sin by because of the inclination towards sin. For instance, baptism, it doesn't wipe out that inclination towards sin that we all have through through, living in the world. Yeah. We we live in this world. We're gonna have we we're gonna be tempted. And even after confirmation, we're gonna have that temptation, you know, to to sin.
And it never that temptation can be overcome by God's grace. And that's why he gives us the sacraments to go to a priest and confess our sins so that the priest can absolve us through his God given gift through Christ. That whatever you like he said to Saint Peter, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. And it was to Peter that we were just reading in the acts of the apostles that he was given this as the priest, his his chosen priesthood. The people his that were anointed to carry on Christ's mission on Earth and to bring Christ to the rest of humanity, like those 5,000, bringing bringing them the goods of the church, the things that they considered to share in common with each other. So it doesn't matter how rich you are or how poor you are, you still have access to those sacraments. Mhmm. Regardless.
Like, it's it's not something that's just reserved for the wealthy among us. No. It's not it's not divvied out like that.
[00:29:54] Unknown:
The other thing that I recall quite a bit is piety and fear of the Lord. And fear of the Lord means love of Lord, a love of the Lord. And, I think that that is it. And baptism takes care of the original sin of Adam and Eve. Right. But we're in a human world, so we're attempted for attempted by evil. We're living with the consequences of that sin. So, I mean, it's just, it's an ongoing situation. It's fluid,
[00:30:25] Unknown:
you know. So that's why we seek the Right. And and it says here first the first thing first, there it goes through here in three reasons why the sacraments are there. Right. It says the first that they may be remedies against sin. Right. So to simplify it, the first thing first reason the sacraments were instituted were as a remedy against sin by Christ. So that that sin you're talking about, the original sin of Adam and Eve, would be wiped out Right. As a remedy against the original sin and also to strengthen us in the temptations to sin.
Just as then confirmation gives us a greater ability through the Holy Spirit to overcome sin. It's through through that gift of the Holy Spirit that we reach a maturity in spiritually that we can engage in the the the world. We engage and say to the world, we're not of the world, we're of Christ. Right. But we can preach to you the words of Christ to give you a greater understanding of why you're here, what the purpose of life is. Alright. And and give you virtue. And because that and strength. And it's through through the sacraments we do that. And the second one is that we may have certain and effectual sign of god's grace and goodwill towards us with which signs, while they represent themselves to be outward senses, they they do they not only stir up our faith of Christ in mercy and goodness of god, but are actual instruments where that are good seem good to God to give to us to work out our salvation.
So that it is notably said of an ancient father that a sacrament, even by itself alone is a is of inestimitable value. So he gives us a sign kinda like we're talking in about the pot of Peter and John. Right. We gave them a sign of an earthquake
[00:32:44] Unknown:
Right.
[00:32:45] Unknown:
To show that they're certain that God's presence is there among us. That it's not a doubt, a doubtful matter. That's why he gives us the visible sign of the sacrament. Like, when you receive baptism, there's the visible sign of water being either immersed in water or water pouring over the person in order to cleanse, like cleansing of sin is a visible sign of an inward grace, which is the renewal of your soul, which is a greater thing than even your body. You know? The the your your your body is is the, form of the soul. So the the I'm losing that. Okay. So this is an ancient Greek even even the Greek philosophers knew this that your soul is in every part of your body. Yes.
And so your body is the form of your soul. Think think of think of that. Okay? So if your soul took on a form, it'd be of John Miller. You have a particular body that no one else has that's unique to you. That's the form of John Miller's soul. Same with me. I I look a certain way. I I act a certain way. That's all part of my soul. But you see it reflected by my bodily actions. You see how I behave. You see my actions. If they're good or bad, you can judge it. And then so by judging by what you see, you're able also to judge and see what kind of a soul this person has.
And if they're good person or bad person based on the things that they do outward outwardly to other people. Like, your words have consequence, for instance. Like, when you talk to somebody and you use good language or bad language, it reflects on your soul.
[00:34:38] Unknown:
But it's also a physical thing that you're doing in the world. Our soul came before the body. It came like when we were conceived, God gave us a soul.
[00:34:48] Unknown:
Yeah. And so Well, the soul is also was present with the physical nature of of of us, of our mother and our father coming together. Right. But I can't see where we lose an arm, where we lose a part of our soul. No.
[00:35:03] Unknown:
Our our souls You you
[00:35:05] Unknown:
you lose the ability to to do things, but you don't necessarily lose your entire soul when you lose a part of your body because a part isn't the entire soul. So just like a part of your body isn't your entire body. But when you sin,
[00:35:20] Unknown:
okay Yep. The sin is against your soul. Yeah. And it's against Christ. Yep. Not against your body. Some some people take what a sin is as pleasure No. In this day and age. Or they don't listen to the sacraments to say, why do I have to get married in the church? Or why do I have to be baptized? You cannot be I don't you have to go through the steps of the sacraments. In order to become a soldier in Christ's army, you have to have confirmation. And confirmation you're you're with the holy oils. Right? Mhmm. And then when when you there's then you take a patron saint for a name and then, there's many things that happen. You have a sponsor. Right. Someone else looking after you. And you can receive and confirm, confirmation, it seems like one segment builds upon the other to complete the whole package.
[00:36:17] Unknown:
Yeah. It's it's like And it's centered around the family. Right. Like you're talking about the community where everything was shared in common. Right. The sacraments are shared in common amongst the church. We all we all desire like a family. We were included in the family by bat our baptism. We become Christians through our baptism in Christ. That's why baptism is necessary for salvation to be to be baptized. And then from there on, it's how the the church who is the mother and and the Christ is is the, spouse of the church, so to speak.
They take care of their children, which we're the children of god, and the sacraments are there to nourish us and and give us strength. That's like the Eucharist is there to give us strength and nourishment so that we can continue on. And then we have just like in a family, you hurt someone, you apologize to them. You've asked for forgiveness, and then that person forgives you for what you did. And that's the way Christians are to behave, and it's a it's a way to show us that that through confession, we have that. And then we have peep people like Peter and John who are anointed, and that's where holy orders comes in, where we have people who are anointed by god to carry out these sacraments. Like, they're the proper minister of the sacraments. The priests are.
Priests give you baptism, confirmation with the bishop included in the hierarchy, matrimony, confession, Eucharist, extreme unction, and then holy orders. They all come through a priesthood. It baptism, though, can be given by anyone. It was the intention of doing what the church says because it's the initiation. It's the starting point. But then from there on, it's given by the priest.
[00:38:28] Unknown:
It's it it also highlighted is that we as Christians are sometimes very much, persecuted even to this day. And this time we take the persecution or whatever somebody's saying to us or what they're hurting us or stealing from us, and we we back up and back up. But at a certain point, it's like, forgive those who have done you harm and it will be restored to you. So so I mean, when you get into the depth of each sacrament, it has so many different facets to it. That, you know, by the time you go all the way through, you finish your Eucharist. I mean, how many Christians, Catholics would give their life today for Christ? One only.
[00:39:23] Unknown:
And and for one another. Like Christ said, what greater love does a man have than to give his life for his friends? So so we're we're rebuilding
[00:39:31] Unknown:
the family because even in our own faith, 70 to 75% don't believe in the interest of our own faith.
[00:39:40] Unknown:
So we're so we're told. Yeah. Yeah. Of people who are baptized. Yeah. I would assume that's what that means. So they just go up to cash. They receive it for whatever reason. Mhmm. But, So the third reason that the sacraments were instituted were as tokens and external marks of Christian profession, whereby the children of God and of the church may mutually know one another and fruitfully exercise and keep themselves in unity, humility, and obedience, and remain linked amongst themselves with the necessary bond of one religion. Otherwise, without sacraments, there can't be any religion.
And it because it can't stand or be sufficiently discerned. If we didn't have the sacraments, we wouldn't have the church.
[00:40:33] Unknown:
It just reminds me of all the other ones that have the, fellow that has the big church, but he doesn't have the sacraments, and he's Yeah. Just bible. Yeah. And whereas we Like the Protestants. Yeah. And so we have three different Or or even tradition. Yeah. And tradition is phenomenal because it gives us three legs. Or even or even Muslims
[00:40:52] Unknown:
or Jews or pagans, they don't have the sacraments. So they might they might have some sort of tradition even like the Jews had the old tradition and the idea of the sacraments like it said in here that they supplant those old old traditions, that those old traditions were given a few that's fewer in number. The sacraments are fewer in number than the sacraments of the old. So were the
[00:41:23] Unknown:
sacraments going right back to Christ?
[00:41:27] Unknown:
Yeah. These these sacraments. But there were there were other things that you could consider outward signs of an inward grace grace that took place before Christ came Right. That were given to Moses to do. The testament. Yeah. Yeah. Like, they would had to do certain rituals and keep certain things. He was still there and see them as God the father. Yeah. But they weren't perfect perfect sacraments. They weren't perfect outward signs until Christ came. When he, yeah. When he died for the sins and,
[00:41:57] Unknown:
I think that's where the perfection of the faith came and Christ is. We well, we couldn't The resurrection. We could yeah. We couldn't find it on our own. Look at the the Sadducees didn't believe in the resurrection. We'd we'd be slaves today if it wasn't for Christ.
[00:42:13] Unknown:
Yeah. Well, do you have any other questions before I get to the story? Story time? Story time? Alright. Let's get to the alright. I gotta I gotta find out what place I'm at in in this because it's a it's a long one tonight, and it's a it's an important one. Okay. So 123123. Alright. So this this is, Saint Alphonsus de Liguori, victories of the martyrs, This the lives of the most celebrated Martyrs of the Church. 01/23, I think, is it. And then tonight, we're gonna read this one because it's coming up. It's the closest one to our tonight's tonight's, bible study catechism study.
Because tonight is April 9, and then this weekend is April 13. Is okay. So chapter 22, Saint Justin, the philosopher. He's also known as Justin Martyr. In April 13 and among the Greeks, which would be the Eastern church like the Eastern Orthodox, Greek Orthodox Right. Russian Orthodox, they they keep the feast down June 1 or June 12. Okay. So and this one's a bit longer than the other one. So I'm gonna I hopefully can make it through it in time. Alright. So Saint Justin was one of the those glorious saints that have illustrated the Church of Christ by their extraordinary learning as well as by their eminent virtues.
He wrote in defense of Catholic truth against pagans, Jews, and heretics and presented to the emperors and Roman senate two famous apologies, wherein he vindicates the innocence of the Christians and proves that the crimes imputed to them were mere colonies of the pagans. By the sanctity of his life and the zeal and energy of his preaching, he converted many infidels and finally terminated his brilliant career by a glorious martyrdom. Saint Justin was born about the beginning of the second century at Neapolis, the capital of Samaria of Greek parents who were idolaters.
Having gone through the usual elementary course of studies, he found himself inspired with a great desire to know something concerning the great cause or creator of all, having in vain sought for truth among the Stoics, Peripatetics, Pythagoreans, and those of the Platonic school, Plato, like the philosopher Plato. God was pleased to satisfy his yearnings after a wonderful manner. Having wandered one day into a solitary place in order that he might the more with more quietude, enjoy his meditations, he met with an old man of very venerable appearance who told him that if he wished to arrive at the knowledge of the true God, he should leave the study of philosophy and begin to read the prophets, who in their writings had manifested to man the mysteries of God and announced Jesus Christ his son, through whom alone we can arrive at the knowledge of the true God, but continued this venerable personage.
Above all things, pray to the Lord to illuminate thy mind, because these things are not to be understood except by those to whom God hath given the knowledge of them. Having pronounced these words, he disappeared. After this interview, Justin applied himself continually to the reading of the holy scriptures, from which he derived the blessing blessed knowledge which made him embrace the faith and receive the sacrament of regeneration about the year January. So he was baptized just a half yeah. A hundred and thirty three years after the birth of Christ. Mhmm. Being then about 30 years of age, The constancy and fortitude of the martyrs in suffering tortures and laying down their lives for Jesus Christ, as he himself confesses, contributed much to his conversion, from which time he dedicated himself entirely to the love the love of Jesus Christ and the advancement of his religion.
To this end, he received the holy order of priesthood and exerted himself continually in the conversion of infidels and heretics, as considering himself called by God to the defense of his church. Hence, he used to say, since I have obtained from God the grace to understand the the scriptures, I labor to make them understood by others also, lest my neglect should be punished at the tribunal of God. And again, I am determined to manifest the truth, although I should be cut to pieces. Having proceeded to Rome, he instructed many in the doctrines of the Christian faith, and thereabout the year 01/1950 composed and presented to the emperor Anatonius Pius and to the Roman senate his first apology, wherein he demonstrates the truth of the doctrines and the sanctity of life with which the Christians professed.
He adds that many of them had lived in a state of inviolate purity for sixty or seventy years and the Christians are so enamored of this angelic virtue that they either live in perpetual continency or embrace the married state for the holy purpose of training children in the love and service of God, their desires being placed in the joys of eternal life, which they expect through the death of Jesus Christ. In testimony of the truth of the Christian faith, he brings forward the fulfillment of the prophecies which had been preserved by the Jews, the avowed enemies of the Christians.
We have seen, says the saint, those prophetic prophecies fulfilled in our own days by the birth of Jesus Christ from a virgin, by his preaching and miracles, by his passion, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, by the reprobation of the Jews and the destruction of Jerusalem by the conversion of the Gentiles and the establishment of the Church throughout the entire world. These prophecies, so perfectly fulfilled, must convince us that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God who shall come one day to judge mankind, as hath been foretold and as we believe.
The church in those days kept concealed from the uninitiated the celebration of the most holy mysteries, but Saint Justin thought it necessary to explain them in order to contradict the infamous calamities of secret lewdness and infanticide, which were being circulated against the Christians. Wherefore, having explained the sacred ceremonies of baptism, he proceeds to speak of the Eucharist in the following terms. He that presides in the assembly is presented with bread and a chalice of wine with water, whereupon in the name of the Son and the Holy Ghost, he renders glory to the Father, and by these gifts doth he make thanksgiving, which all the faithful confirm by the word, amen.
The prayers, praises, and thanksgiving being terminated, the the deacons take the take of the bread and the wine mixed with water over which all these holy prayers have been in recited, and having distributed them amongst those present, they carry some to the absent also. This food is by us called Eucharist, of which no one can partake who believeth not our doctrines, and who hath not been cleansed from sin in the laver of regeneration, which is baptism. Mhmm. This is not common food or drink. But as Jesus Christ, our savior, was for our redemption by virtue of the divine word composed of flesh and blood, so we are aware that by virtue of the prayer containing his divine words, the food by which we are nourished is the flesh and blood of the word incarnate.
Thus, we see that the present doctrine of the Catholic church is that which we was believed and practiced in the apostolic times in which our saint flourished. Because it was so soon after in Christ. Saint Justin proceeds to describe the meetings of the faithful upon the first day of the week. A general meeting takes place when, as time permits, the prophecies and writings of the the apostles are read. He's describing the mass. Mhmm. The reading must the reading being terminated by the lector, he preside he who presides makes an exhortation to excite the people to the imitation of worthy actions.
We then all rise and place ourselves in prayer, being nourished, bread and wine being finished, bread and wine with water are prepared, over which the bishop or priest recites the prayers and thanksgiving. The people answer, Amen. And finally, the distribution of the holy gifts is made by the deacons. The richer sort make a liberal collection, which by the president is distributed to widows and orphans, to the sick and to those in prison, to pilgrims or other persons in need. The reason but why we meet on Sunday is because it was the day upon which God began the creation of the world and upon which Jesus Christ arose from the dead.
We've got four minutes left. It is believed that although this apology of Saint Justin did not cause the persecution to cease, It made favorable impression on the emperor Antonius Pius, as is inferred from his letter written to the cities of Asia Minor in favor of the Christians and recorded by Eusebius. I'm gonna stop there. Alright. So And we'll do this next week because we'll finish this next week because it'll be the time between it'll actually be closer to next week's Sure. I think. So Saturday. Yeah. So yeah. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So and I don't know if there's there are any that are gonna be close to that day next week. We'll find out.
But that gives you kind of an let's see. I I probably have time for one more chapter. Our saint composed other works in defense of catholic doctrine against the Marcionites and the Valentinians, and also his dialogue with Trifo against the pernicity per per pertinacity of the Jews. Marcus Aurelius having succeeded Antonius Pius in the empire, the persecution was renewed and won Crescens, who, although styling himself a cynic philosopher, was in reality a very shallow fellow, took occasion to exclaim loudly against the Christians. Saint Justin, in public dispute, frequently convicted him of the most violent malice and the greatest possible ignorance of the doctrine and practices of the Christians and was induced to publish and present to the emperor his second apology in which he defends his religion against the count columnies of and others.
And And we'll stop there. Let's end with a prayer. Hail Mary, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. So we'd like to thank everybody for listening to the catechism and Bible study in our Council of Catholic men here. And we pray for everybody listening to us and we know that wherever two or more are gathered in Jesus name, Jesus's name, Jesus Jesus is there with them.
And thank you very much for joining and I'm gonna end it here with about a minute, a little under a minute to spare. God bless everybody. Alright.
[00:57:06] Unknown:
Thank you.
Let's begin with the our father. Your father, and the son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. Alright, John. So we're on chapter three. No. We're on chapter four. Correct? Thank you. So what we'll do, I'll read the first part, and it's three parts tonight. I'll read the first part, you read the second part, and then I'll finish the third part. Okay.
So and what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna we're gonna read through the whole thing Okay. And then go back and do footnotes and discuss what we've read. Okay. Sounds good. Okay. Alright. The Acts of the Apostles chapter four, and this is the New American Bible. While they were still speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees confronted them. Disturbed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead, they laid hands on them and put them in custody until the next day, since it was already evening.
But many of those who heard the word came to believe, and the number of the men of men grew to about 5,000 Before the Sanhedrin, on the next day, their leaders, elders, and scribes were assembled in Jerusalem with Annas, the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all who were of the highly high priestly class. They brought them into their presence and questioned them. By what power or by what name have you done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered them. Leaders of the people and elders, if we are being examined today about a good deed done to a cripple, namely, by what means he was saved, then all of you and all the people of Israel should know that it was in the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.
In his name, this man stands before you healed. He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved. Observing the boldness of Peter and John and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men, they were amazed, and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus. Then when they saw the man who had been cured on standing there with them, they could say nothing in reply. So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin and conferred with one another saying, what are we to do with these men?
Everyone living in Jerusalem knows that a remarkable sign was done through them, and we cannot deny it. But so that it may not be spread any further among the people, let us give them a stern warning, never again to speak to anyone in in this name. So they called them back and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Peter and John, however, said to them in reply, whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges. It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard. After threatening them further, they released them, finding no way to punish them on account of the people who were all praising God for what had happened.
For the man on whom this sign of healing had been done was over 40 years old.
[00:05:14] Unknown:
You wanna pick it up? Yep. I sure do. Prayer of the community. After their release, they went back to their own people and reported what the chief priest and elders had told them. And when they heard it, they raised their voices to God with one accord and said, sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth, and the sea, and of all that is in them. You said by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your father David, your servant, Why did the Gentiles rage and the people's entertain folly? The kings of the earth took their strand and the princes gathered together against the Lord, against his anointed.
Indeed, they gather in the city against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel to do your hand and your will have will have long ago plan to take place. And now, Lord, take note of their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with all bold boldness. As you stretch forth your hand to heal and signs and wonders are done through the name of your holy servant Jesus. As they prayed, the place where they were gathering shook and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
[00:06:42] Unknown:
Life in the Christian community. The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power, the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need. Thus, Joseph, also named by the apostles Barnabas, which is translated son of encouragement, a Levite, a Cypriot by birth, sold a piece of property that he owned, then brought the money and put it at the feet of the apostles.
Alright? That's the end of chapter four. And I'll I'll read out the footnotes, and we can discuss anything that that, came to our mind about this after. So the priests four four verse one, the priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees, the priests performed the temple liturgy. The temple guard was composed of Levites whose captain ranked next after the high priest. The Sadducees, a party within Judaism at this time, rejected those doctrines, including bodily resurrection, which they believed alien to the ancient Mosaic religion. The Sadducees were drawn from priestly families and from the lay aristocracy.
Verse 11. Early Christianity applied the citation from Psalm one eighteen two two verse two 22 to Jesus. That that was about about, he is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. Verse 12. In the Roman world of Luke's day, salvation was often attributed to the emperor who was hailed as savior and god. Luke, in the words of Peter, denies that deliverance comes through anyone other than Jesus. Verse 27. Herod, Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee and Perea from April to AD thirty nine, who executed John the Baptist and before whom Jesus was arraigned.
That was verse 27, which indeed they gathered in the city against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, Herod and Pontius Pilate together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel. Then verse 31, which reads, as they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. The place shook. The earthquake is used as a sign of divine presence. Here, the shaking of the building symbolizes God's favorable response to the prayer. Luke may have had, as an additional reason for using the symbol, in this sense, the fact that it was familiar to the Hellenic Hellenistic world Ovid and Virgil also employ ploy it.
So and so verses 32 through 37. This is the end of the footnotes, but here, this is the second summary characterizing the Jerusalem community. It emphasizes the system of the distribution of goods and inter introduces Barnabas, who appears later in acts as the friend and companion of Paul, and who, as noted here, endeared himself to the community by a donation of money through the sale of property. This sharing of material possessions continues, a practice that Luke describes during the historical ministry of Jesus, and is in accord with the sayings of Jesus in Luke's gospel.
So that was Barnabas. Barnabas sold his goods. His name thus Joseph, who also named by the apostles Barnabas, which is translated son of encouragement. So Joseph, son of encouragement. He was a priest. Mhmm. A Levite. A Cypriot by birth, which means Greek Cypriot and Cyprus. So So he must have been fairly well off to be able to afford to be able to take take the sea route on a ship, go back and forth.
[00:12:23] Unknown:
So is there anything that comes to your mind about this, John? The one thing is on verse four, it's talking about the people that gathered there. There were over 5,000. And prior to this, it's a lot of of persecution of Christians was happening. And before this, it was 3,000. So as it's gone on, even though the persecution was increasing, more Christians were multiplying. That really kinda set me there.
[00:12:54] Unknown:
Yeah. And the fact that they were sharing things in common meant that even poor people and ordinary people Yeah. We're following them. Just like the Sanhedrin noted that the that Peter and John looked like ordinary people. It didn't look like they were trying to lord it over everyone by dressing up in fancy guards. Rooms or whatever. Yeah. Yep. Yep. So they were living in common. They weren't they weren't looking for status, like, like, how much property you have gave you status in the church. It was actually equally divided by the the, priests who were Peter and John.
They went would go to them, give them their goods after they sold their property for them to equally distribute because they had the sense of justice. Right. Because they knew Christ firsthand. They had been chosen by Christ. And they're inspired
[00:13:53] Unknown:
by the Holy Spirit. Inspired by the Holy Spirit. Yeah. So
[00:13:58] Unknown:
Yeah. Anything anything else that okay. So this thing about the place shaking. That's what I mean. Yeah. Okay. So indeed gathered in the city and to do and know the Lord take note of the threats and enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness. As you stretch forth your hand to heal and signs and wonders are done through the name of your holy servant Jesus. As they prayed, the place where they gathered shook. And that must have been something for for this. So they went back to their own to their own people, and that's when it shook. It's not like it shook while they were addressing the Sadducees, which would have been something because the Sadducees were persecuting them. They put them in prison and then released them.
They released them there. They held them. The Sanhedrin held them. They said, what are we to do with these men? Everyone living in Jerusalem knows a remarkable sign was done through them, and we cannot deny it. But so that we may not it may not be spread any further among the people, let us give them a stern warning never again to speak to anyone in his name. So they called them back and ordered them not to speak, and they threatened them further after Peter spoke up. And after threatening them further, they released them, finding no way to punish them on account of the people. They were afraid of the people.
And the man that whom this sign of healing had been done was over 40 years old, which tells you something because then it means the majority of people knew who he was. Mhmm. Even the elderly people would have had an understanding. And so so they brought him back to the people. And once they came back to the people, they spoke again to the people. And then to show that God was even gonna gonna make it even more clear to the people that these were his servants, Peter and John. After they spoke, there was an earthquake, which is a sign of that God's presence was there and that with these people with the the apostles were teaching was true and to be listened to because it's such a great sign came after just after they spoke.
[00:16:42] Unknown:
So yeah. Let's I think the prayer of the community too, 23, when they're talking about the sovereign Lord, maker of heaven and earth and the sea and of all that is in them. You said by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David, your sir servant. And it says, why did the Gentiles rage and the peoples entertain for a folly? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the princesses gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed.
[00:17:15] Unknown:
Now John and Peter were the anointed. Right. Got so it was a prophecy from the Psalms, the book of Psalms. I believe that's Psalm two. According to this, it's Psalm two verses one through two. And the Psalms talks about that that, maybe we should read that Psalm just since since it mentions it in the reading. Sure. Okay. Yep. I'll just go to that. I'll go to that. I can get it pulled up. Okay, psalm two, A Psalm for royal coronation. Why do the nations protest and the peoples grumble in vain? Kings on earth rise up and the princes plot together against the lord and his anointed. Let us break their shackles and cast off their chains.
The one enthroned in heaven laughs. The Lord derides them. They speak to them in anger, terrifies them in wrath. He he then speaks to them in anger, terrifies them in wrath. So the the Pharisee the Sadducees were terrified Mhmm. By them. I myself have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain. Zion is where the the last supper took place. Okay. Yeah. The king being Jesus, his son. And I will proclaim the decree of the Lord who said to me, you are my son. Today, I am your father. Only ask it of me, and I will make your inheritance the nations. Your possession, the ends of the earth.
With an iron rod, you shall shepherd them. Like a clay pot, you will shatter them. And now, kings, give heed. Take warning. Rulers on earth, serve the lord with fear. With trembling, bow down in homage. Lest God be angry and you perish from the way in a sudden blaze of anger. Happy are all who take refuge in God. So prop that was prophecy of what was to come with Christ coming to Earth and then sending his apostles, his anointed ones forth to continue his church on Earth from Mount Zion, which is also where the the Pentecost of the Holy Spirit came down on upon the apostle the apostles and the Virgin Mary, and then they went out and they preached, and everyone heard them in their own tongue, in their own language.
So Mount Zion in that second Psalm is important in that regard because that's where all of these things in the life of Jesus and the church took place in the New Testament. So I think we should we should go to the catechism now. Okay. Unless you have any other questions. That's fine. Okay. That's good. So now I'm gonna read from the catechism on the sacraments is where we're we left off at the beginning of what we were talking about, the sacraments. Okay. So the question is, how many sacraments are there? Seven. Which the church, being the spouse of Christ and pillar of truth, having the apostles received from them received them from Christ himself, have always hitherto to kept and faithfully dispensed.
And they are these, baptism, confirmation, the blessed sacrament of the Eucharist, penance, extreme unction, order, and matrimony. Neither truly force forceth it at all if such names be not all of them extent in the scriptures, so that the matter itself be evident, and the verity and virtue of the sacraments be approved by divine testimony. Albeit such things as by the apostles' tradition, the universal church holds and commend commends to be kept and observed, though they be not to be found in scripture, yet do they deserve as of us full and perfect credit, as has been already declared.
In touching the instruction of every sacrament in particular, we will speak hereafter in their proper places. But the force and virtue of them, as the most faithful interpreter of the scripture, Saint Augustine says, it is of an unspeakable value and therefore the contenders of it are sacrilegious. For impiously certain is that despised without the which no piety can be perfected. And as the same holy father reacheth in another place, the contemnor of the visible sacrament can never be visibly sanctified can never be invisibly sanctified. Why were the sacraments instituted?
First, that they may be very present remedies against sin, which is a pestilent disease of the soul, and except it be cured in this life, bringeth everlasting damnation. And therefore, these do far excel the sacraments of the old law, as being in virtue greater, in commodity more profitable, in number fewer, in the conceiving of them more honorable, in observation more ex excellent, which besides their signification, do also sanctify and give salvation, as Saint Augustine hath very well gathered out of the scriptures. Secondly, that we may have some certain and effectual signs of god's grace and goodwill towards us, which signs wilts they represent themselves to the outward senses.
They do not only stir up our faith in Christ and in the mercy and goodness of almighty god, but are moreover lively instruments by which it hath seemed good unto almighty god effectually to work for us work our salvation. So that it was notably said of an ancient father that a sacrament even by itself alone is in of an inestimitable value. Thirdly, that there may be some tokens and as it were external marks of Christian profession, whereby the children of God and of the church may mutually know one another, and that they may fruitfully exercise and keep themselves in unity, humility, and obedience, and so remain linked amongst themselves with the necessary bond and league of one religion.
Otherwise, without sacraments, cannot any sort of religion either stand or be sufficiently discerned. So I'm gonna stop there and ask, is there anything you gather from that that is anything new or or I don't think it different than what you know? Yeah. It was kinda not defined good enough for me. Number one,
[00:25:20] Unknown:
the way I understand sacraments are they give graces. Yeah. Number two each sacrament has its own special graces you get by receiving it. Like in baptism, it's original sin. Then you go on to confirmation as a young adult and you're actually reconfirming to to to your baptism. And there, you become a soldier in Christ army. And so and Eucharist, and when we talked last week in our our in the religion portion of it, it was that we have an inner inner and outer being and our outer being is broken. And it's broken right from the time of Adam and Eve. And our inner being, which is our soul, and we feed our soul with the Eucharist.
So it kind of works hand in hand. So when you go all through that, when you're married by the church, well, you get the graces that go along with that. Makes you stronger, more committed, you know. And so I think I think it's it's it it's saying that, but it's not saying getting into the depth of it. You know?
[00:26:34] Unknown:
Mhmm. Yeah. It's it's what it what it's doing is it's like, for instance, it's of unspeakable value, and therefore, people who speak against it are sacrilegious.
[00:26:49] Unknown:
Oh, absolutely.
[00:26:50] Unknown:
Yeah. Like Saint Augustine said. My holy grail impious. And it's it's the basis of our piety, which piety most people don't talk about piety all that much. It's it's our reverence for God, and we show it through the sacraments. Right. And I would say that it's perfected. It it says here, for impiously certain is that is that is it despised. So if you're despising if you despise the sacraments, there's no way that your your your reverence can be considered perfect perfected. Like, if you if you don't like confession, let's say, for instance, if you you speak against confessing your sins Yeah. Yeah. There's no way for you to say to anyone else that you have perfect piety.
That you've you've got reverence for God's word and for his church and traditions. Because you deny that penance is a sacrament, that that it's, I mean, one of the most important sacraments after you're baptized because you fall back into sin by because of the inclination towards sin. For instance, baptism, it doesn't wipe out that inclination towards sin that we all have through through, living in the world. Yeah. We we live in this world. We're gonna have we we're gonna be tempted. And even after confirmation, we're gonna have that temptation, you know, to to sin.
And it never that temptation can be overcome by God's grace. And that's why he gives us the sacraments to go to a priest and confess our sins so that the priest can absolve us through his God given gift through Christ. That whatever you like he said to Saint Peter, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. And it was to Peter that we were just reading in the acts of the apostles that he was given this as the priest, his his chosen priesthood. The people his that were anointed to carry on Christ's mission on Earth and to bring Christ to the rest of humanity, like those 5,000, bringing bringing them the goods of the church, the things that they considered to share in common with each other. So it doesn't matter how rich you are or how poor you are, you still have access to those sacraments. Mhmm. Regardless.
Like, it's it's not something that's just reserved for the wealthy among us. No. It's not it's not divvied out like that.
[00:29:54] Unknown:
The other thing that I recall quite a bit is piety and fear of the Lord. And fear of the Lord means love of Lord, a love of the Lord. And, I think that that is it. And baptism takes care of the original sin of Adam and Eve. Right. But we're in a human world, so we're attempted for attempted by evil. We're living with the consequences of that sin. So, I mean, it's just, it's an ongoing situation. It's fluid,
[00:30:25] Unknown:
you know. So that's why we seek the Right. And and it says here first the first thing first, there it goes through here in three reasons why the sacraments are there. Right. It says the first that they may be remedies against sin. Right. So to simplify it, the first thing first reason the sacraments were instituted were as a remedy against sin by Christ. So that that sin you're talking about, the original sin of Adam and Eve, would be wiped out Right. As a remedy against the original sin and also to strengthen us in the temptations to sin.
Just as then confirmation gives us a greater ability through the Holy Spirit to overcome sin. It's through through that gift of the Holy Spirit that we reach a maturity in spiritually that we can engage in the the the world. We engage and say to the world, we're not of the world, we're of Christ. Right. But we can preach to you the words of Christ to give you a greater understanding of why you're here, what the purpose of life is. Alright. And and give you virtue. And because that and strength. And it's through through the sacraments we do that. And the second one is that we may have certain and effectual sign of god's grace and goodwill towards us with which signs, while they represent themselves to be outward senses, they they do they not only stir up our faith of Christ in mercy and goodness of god, but are actual instruments where that are good seem good to God to give to us to work out our salvation.
So that it is notably said of an ancient father that a sacrament, even by itself alone is a is of inestimitable value. So he gives us a sign kinda like we're talking in about the pot of Peter and John. Right. We gave them a sign of an earthquake
[00:32:44] Unknown:
Right.
[00:32:45] Unknown:
To show that they're certain that God's presence is there among us. That it's not a doubt, a doubtful matter. That's why he gives us the visible sign of the sacrament. Like, when you receive baptism, there's the visible sign of water being either immersed in water or water pouring over the person in order to cleanse, like cleansing of sin is a visible sign of an inward grace, which is the renewal of your soul, which is a greater thing than even your body. You know? The the your your your body is is the, form of the soul. So the the I'm losing that. Okay. So this is an ancient Greek even even the Greek philosophers knew this that your soul is in every part of your body. Yes.
And so your body is the form of your soul. Think think of think of that. Okay? So if your soul took on a form, it'd be of John Miller. You have a particular body that no one else has that's unique to you. That's the form of John Miller's soul. Same with me. I I look a certain way. I I act a certain way. That's all part of my soul. But you see it reflected by my bodily actions. You see how I behave. You see my actions. If they're good or bad, you can judge it. And then so by judging by what you see, you're able also to judge and see what kind of a soul this person has.
And if they're good person or bad person based on the things that they do outward outwardly to other people. Like, your words have consequence, for instance. Like, when you talk to somebody and you use good language or bad language, it reflects on your soul.
[00:34:38] Unknown:
But it's also a physical thing that you're doing in the world. Our soul came before the body. It came like when we were conceived, God gave us a soul.
[00:34:48] Unknown:
Yeah. And so Well, the soul is also was present with the physical nature of of of us, of our mother and our father coming together. Right. But I can't see where we lose an arm, where we lose a part of our soul. No.
[00:35:03] Unknown:
Our our souls You you
[00:35:05] Unknown:
you lose the ability to to do things, but you don't necessarily lose your entire soul when you lose a part of your body because a part isn't the entire soul. So just like a part of your body isn't your entire body. But when you sin,
[00:35:20] Unknown:
okay Yep. The sin is against your soul. Yeah. And it's against Christ. Yep. Not against your body. Some some people take what a sin is as pleasure No. In this day and age. Or they don't listen to the sacraments to say, why do I have to get married in the church? Or why do I have to be baptized? You cannot be I don't you have to go through the steps of the sacraments. In order to become a soldier in Christ's army, you have to have confirmation. And confirmation you're you're with the holy oils. Right? Mhmm. And then when when you there's then you take a patron saint for a name and then, there's many things that happen. You have a sponsor. Right. Someone else looking after you. And you can receive and confirm, confirmation, it seems like one segment builds upon the other to complete the whole package.
[00:36:17] Unknown:
Yeah. It's it's like And it's centered around the family. Right. Like you're talking about the community where everything was shared in common. Right. The sacraments are shared in common amongst the church. We all we all desire like a family. We were included in the family by bat our baptism. We become Christians through our baptism in Christ. That's why baptism is necessary for salvation to be to be baptized. And then from there on, it's how the the church who is the mother and and the Christ is is the, spouse of the church, so to speak.
They take care of their children, which we're the children of god, and the sacraments are there to nourish us and and give us strength. That's like the Eucharist is there to give us strength and nourishment so that we can continue on. And then we have just like in a family, you hurt someone, you apologize to them. You've asked for forgiveness, and then that person forgives you for what you did. And that's the way Christians are to behave, and it's a it's a way to show us that that through confession, we have that. And then we have peep people like Peter and John who are anointed, and that's where holy orders comes in, where we have people who are anointed by god to carry out these sacraments. Like, they're the proper minister of the sacraments. The priests are.
Priests give you baptism, confirmation with the bishop included in the hierarchy, matrimony, confession, Eucharist, extreme unction, and then holy orders. They all come through a priesthood. It baptism, though, can be given by anyone. It was the intention of doing what the church says because it's the initiation. It's the starting point. But then from there on, it's given by the priest.
[00:38:28] Unknown:
It's it it also highlighted is that we as Christians are sometimes very much, persecuted even to this day. And this time we take the persecution or whatever somebody's saying to us or what they're hurting us or stealing from us, and we we back up and back up. But at a certain point, it's like, forgive those who have done you harm and it will be restored to you. So so I mean, when you get into the depth of each sacrament, it has so many different facets to it. That, you know, by the time you go all the way through, you finish your Eucharist. I mean, how many Christians, Catholics would give their life today for Christ? One only.
[00:39:23] Unknown:
And and for one another. Like Christ said, what greater love does a man have than to give his life for his friends? So so we're we're rebuilding
[00:39:31] Unknown:
the family because even in our own faith, 70 to 75% don't believe in the interest of our own faith.
[00:39:40] Unknown:
So we're so we're told. Yeah. Yeah. Of people who are baptized. Yeah. I would assume that's what that means. So they just go up to cash. They receive it for whatever reason. Mhmm. But, So the third reason that the sacraments were instituted were as tokens and external marks of Christian profession, whereby the children of God and of the church may mutually know one another and fruitfully exercise and keep themselves in unity, humility, and obedience, and remain linked amongst themselves with the necessary bond of one religion. Otherwise, without sacraments, there can't be any religion.
And it because it can't stand or be sufficiently discerned. If we didn't have the sacraments, we wouldn't have the church.
[00:40:33] Unknown:
It just reminds me of all the other ones that have the, fellow that has the big church, but he doesn't have the sacraments, and he's Yeah. Just bible. Yeah. And whereas we Like the Protestants. Yeah. And so we have three different Or or even tradition. Yeah. And tradition is phenomenal because it gives us three legs. Or even or even Muslims
[00:40:52] Unknown:
or Jews or pagans, they don't have the sacraments. So they might they might have some sort of tradition even like the Jews had the old tradition and the idea of the sacraments like it said in here that they supplant those old old traditions, that those old traditions were given a few that's fewer in number. The sacraments are fewer in number than the sacraments of the old. So were the
[00:41:23] Unknown:
sacraments going right back to Christ?
[00:41:27] Unknown:
Yeah. These these sacraments. But there were there were other things that you could consider outward signs of an inward grace grace that took place before Christ came Right. That were given to Moses to do. The testament. Yeah. Yeah. Like, they would had to do certain rituals and keep certain things. He was still there and see them as God the father. Yeah. But they weren't perfect perfect sacraments. They weren't perfect outward signs until Christ came. When he, yeah. When he died for the sins and,
[00:41:57] Unknown:
I think that's where the perfection of the faith came and Christ is. We well, we couldn't The resurrection. We could yeah. We couldn't find it on our own. Look at the the Sadducees didn't believe in the resurrection. We'd we'd be slaves today if it wasn't for Christ.
[00:42:13] Unknown:
Yeah. Well, do you have any other questions before I get to the story? Story time? Story time? Alright. Let's get to the alright. I gotta I gotta find out what place I'm at in in this because it's a it's a long one tonight, and it's a it's an important one. Okay. So 123123. Alright. So this this is, Saint Alphonsus de Liguori, victories of the martyrs, This the lives of the most celebrated Martyrs of the Church. 01/23, I think, is it. And then tonight, we're gonna read this one because it's coming up. It's the closest one to our tonight's tonight's, bible study catechism study.
Because tonight is April 9, and then this weekend is April 13. Is okay. So chapter 22, Saint Justin, the philosopher. He's also known as Justin Martyr. In April 13 and among the Greeks, which would be the Eastern church like the Eastern Orthodox, Greek Orthodox Right. Russian Orthodox, they they keep the feast down June 1 or June 12. Okay. So and this one's a bit longer than the other one. So I'm gonna I hopefully can make it through it in time. Alright. So Saint Justin was one of the those glorious saints that have illustrated the Church of Christ by their extraordinary learning as well as by their eminent virtues.
He wrote in defense of Catholic truth against pagans, Jews, and heretics and presented to the emperors and Roman senate two famous apologies, wherein he vindicates the innocence of the Christians and proves that the crimes imputed to them were mere colonies of the pagans. By the sanctity of his life and the zeal and energy of his preaching, he converted many infidels and finally terminated his brilliant career by a glorious martyrdom. Saint Justin was born about the beginning of the second century at Neapolis, the capital of Samaria of Greek parents who were idolaters.
Having gone through the usual elementary course of studies, he found himself inspired with a great desire to know something concerning the great cause or creator of all, having in vain sought for truth among the Stoics, Peripatetics, Pythagoreans, and those of the Platonic school, Plato, like the philosopher Plato. God was pleased to satisfy his yearnings after a wonderful manner. Having wandered one day into a solitary place in order that he might the more with more quietude, enjoy his meditations, he met with an old man of very venerable appearance who told him that if he wished to arrive at the knowledge of the true God, he should leave the study of philosophy and begin to read the prophets, who in their writings had manifested to man the mysteries of God and announced Jesus Christ his son, through whom alone we can arrive at the knowledge of the true God, but continued this venerable personage.
Above all things, pray to the Lord to illuminate thy mind, because these things are not to be understood except by those to whom God hath given the knowledge of them. Having pronounced these words, he disappeared. After this interview, Justin applied himself continually to the reading of the holy scriptures, from which he derived the blessing blessed knowledge which made him embrace the faith and receive the sacrament of regeneration about the year January. So he was baptized just a half yeah. A hundred and thirty three years after the birth of Christ. Mhmm. Being then about 30 years of age, The constancy and fortitude of the martyrs in suffering tortures and laying down their lives for Jesus Christ, as he himself confesses, contributed much to his conversion, from which time he dedicated himself entirely to the love the love of Jesus Christ and the advancement of his religion.
To this end, he received the holy order of priesthood and exerted himself continually in the conversion of infidels and heretics, as considering himself called by God to the defense of his church. Hence, he used to say, since I have obtained from God the grace to understand the the scriptures, I labor to make them understood by others also, lest my neglect should be punished at the tribunal of God. And again, I am determined to manifest the truth, although I should be cut to pieces. Having proceeded to Rome, he instructed many in the doctrines of the Christian faith, and thereabout the year 01/1950 composed and presented to the emperor Anatonius Pius and to the Roman senate his first apology, wherein he demonstrates the truth of the doctrines and the sanctity of life with which the Christians professed.
He adds that many of them had lived in a state of inviolate purity for sixty or seventy years and the Christians are so enamored of this angelic virtue that they either live in perpetual continency or embrace the married state for the holy purpose of training children in the love and service of God, their desires being placed in the joys of eternal life, which they expect through the death of Jesus Christ. In testimony of the truth of the Christian faith, he brings forward the fulfillment of the prophecies which had been preserved by the Jews, the avowed enemies of the Christians.
We have seen, says the saint, those prophetic prophecies fulfilled in our own days by the birth of Jesus Christ from a virgin, by his preaching and miracles, by his passion, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, by the reprobation of the Jews and the destruction of Jerusalem by the conversion of the Gentiles and the establishment of the Church throughout the entire world. These prophecies, so perfectly fulfilled, must convince us that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God who shall come one day to judge mankind, as hath been foretold and as we believe.
The church in those days kept concealed from the uninitiated the celebration of the most holy mysteries, but Saint Justin thought it necessary to explain them in order to contradict the infamous calamities of secret lewdness and infanticide, which were being circulated against the Christians. Wherefore, having explained the sacred ceremonies of baptism, he proceeds to speak of the Eucharist in the following terms. He that presides in the assembly is presented with bread and a chalice of wine with water, whereupon in the name of the Son and the Holy Ghost, he renders glory to the Father, and by these gifts doth he make thanksgiving, which all the faithful confirm by the word, amen.
The prayers, praises, and thanksgiving being terminated, the the deacons take the take of the bread and the wine mixed with water over which all these holy prayers have been in recited, and having distributed them amongst those present, they carry some to the absent also. This food is by us called Eucharist, of which no one can partake who believeth not our doctrines, and who hath not been cleansed from sin in the laver of regeneration, which is baptism. Mhmm. This is not common food or drink. But as Jesus Christ, our savior, was for our redemption by virtue of the divine word composed of flesh and blood, so we are aware that by virtue of the prayer containing his divine words, the food by which we are nourished is the flesh and blood of the word incarnate.
Thus, we see that the present doctrine of the Catholic church is that which we was believed and practiced in the apostolic times in which our saint flourished. Because it was so soon after in Christ. Saint Justin proceeds to describe the meetings of the faithful upon the first day of the week. A general meeting takes place when, as time permits, the prophecies and writings of the the apostles are read. He's describing the mass. Mhmm. The reading must the reading being terminated by the lector, he preside he who presides makes an exhortation to excite the people to the imitation of worthy actions.
We then all rise and place ourselves in prayer, being nourished, bread and wine being finished, bread and wine with water are prepared, over which the bishop or priest recites the prayers and thanksgiving. The people answer, Amen. And finally, the distribution of the holy gifts is made by the deacons. The richer sort make a liberal collection, which by the president is distributed to widows and orphans, to the sick and to those in prison, to pilgrims or other persons in need. The reason but why we meet on Sunday is because it was the day upon which God began the creation of the world and upon which Jesus Christ arose from the dead.
We've got four minutes left. It is believed that although this apology of Saint Justin did not cause the persecution to cease, It made favorable impression on the emperor Antonius Pius, as is inferred from his letter written to the cities of Asia Minor in favor of the Christians and recorded by Eusebius. I'm gonna stop there. Alright. So And we'll do this next week because we'll finish this next week because it'll be the time between it'll actually be closer to next week's Sure. I think. So Saturday. Yeah. So yeah. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So and I don't know if there's there are any that are gonna be close to that day next week. We'll find out.
But that gives you kind of an let's see. I I probably have time for one more chapter. Our saint composed other works in defense of catholic doctrine against the Marcionites and the Valentinians, and also his dialogue with Trifo against the pernicity per per pertinacity of the Jews. Marcus Aurelius having succeeded Antonius Pius in the empire, the persecution was renewed and won Crescens, who, although styling himself a cynic philosopher, was in reality a very shallow fellow, took occasion to exclaim loudly against the Christians. Saint Justin, in public dispute, frequently convicted him of the most violent malice and the greatest possible ignorance of the doctrine and practices of the Christians and was induced to publish and present to the emperor his second apology in which he defends his religion against the count columnies of and others.
And And we'll stop there. Let's end with a prayer. Hail Mary, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. So we'd like to thank everybody for listening to the catechism and Bible study in our Council of Catholic men here. And we pray for everybody listening to us and we know that wherever two or more are gathered in Jesus name, Jesus's name, Jesus Jesus is there with them.
And thank you very much for joining and I'm gonna end it here with about a minute, a little under a minute to spare. God bless everybody. Alright.
[00:57:06] Unknown:
Thank you.
