Episode 7 – John 3: Born Again pt. 1 Before focusing on John 3, Sharon gives us a teaching on how Catholics approach scripture study. We are encouraged to use a canonical approach when studying the Bible; that is, we should consider the entire canon of the Bible whenever trying to understand a particular passage. The … Read more
Episode 6 – John 2: The Wedding Feast at Cana pt. 2
Picking up from where we left off last week, Sharon takes us to John 1, where we count the days as described by John. Day 1: the Jewish leaders come to visit John in the wilderness wondering if he is Elijah returned or the prophet or even the Messiah. Day 2: Upon seeing Jesus, John cries out, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” The image of a lamb immediately makes us recall Genesis 22, Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac. As they climb Mt. Moriah, Isaac notices that they do not have a lamb to sacrifice. Abraham reassures him, promising that God himself will provide the lamb. Just as Abraham is about to kill his son, God stops him and provides a ram for sacrifice. Israel and the rest of the world will have to wait for God’s promise of a sacrificial lamb to be fulfilled by Jesus. The image of a sacrificial lamb can be found elsewhere in scripture: the Passover lamb of Exodus 12; the messianic silent lamb led to slaughter in Isaiah 53; the marriage feast of the lamb in Revelation 19. Day 3: the call of the first disciples, including Andrew and his brother Simon, whom Christ renames Peter. Day 4: the call of Phillip and Nathanael. Sharon breaks open the symbolism behind Jesus’ home town of Nazareth, which means “branch town”, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 11 which predicts that a branch will spring forth from the root of Jesse, and the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him. Branch imagery is also found in Zechariah 3 which describes “my servant the Branch” who will the remove the guilt of the land in a single day. Then, on the third day after the fourth day, we come to Day 7: the wedding feast of Cana. The verb form of Cana is translated “to create” and it is the same word spoken by Eve when she exclaims that with the Lord’s help, she has created a man, Cain (Gen 4). The wedding feast at Cana is a symbol of a new creation, a new covenant and serves as the backdrop of the mystical marriage: Jesus, the new Adam, enters into a spiritual marriage with Mary, the new Eve, and the fruit of this marriage is the Church. The marriage is consummated at the cross and the church is birthed at Pentecost. By calling his mother “woman”, Jesus brings us back to the woman of Genesis 3:15, whose offspring will crush the head of Satan. Jesus later again calls Mary “woman” as he hangs on the cross, telling her and John the apostle: “Woman behold your son.” John represents the Church and Mary, the woman, is our mother. In this chapter, we are introduced to another of John’s themes: the hour. When Mary tells Jesus that the wine has run out, Jesus responds that his hour has not yet come. Jesus, in his humanity, anticipates the hour of his passion, and knows that this first miracle of turning water to wine will mark the beginning of his road to Calvary. Another theme that runs through John’s Gospel are the Jewish feast days. In this the first of three Passovers found in John’s Gospel, Jesus clears the Temple of merchants and money changers. The true presence of God had been missing from the Temple since the Ark of the Covenant was hidden away by Jeremiah (2 Mac 2). The true presence of God has now returned to the temple and Jesus predicts his passion: Jesus’ body, the new temple, will be raised in three days after his death.
Episode 5 – John 2: The Wedding Feast at Cana pt. 1 Picking up from where we left off last week, Sharon takes us to John 1, where we count the days as described by John. Day 1: the Jewish leaders come to visit John in the wilderness wondering if he is Elijah returned or the … Read more
Episode 4 – John 1: In the Beginning pt. 2What is your deepest identity? As we begin our study of John, Sharon poses this fundamental question: Who are you? What is your identity?
Episode 3 – John 1: In the Beginning pt.1 What is your deepest identity? As we begin our study of John, Sharon poses this fundamental question: Who are you? What is your identity? The answer can be found in scripture: you are a beloved son or daughter of God. This powerful theme runs deep in this … Read more
With Dr. Adrian Walker, we reflect on various aspects of Adrienne’s insight on the Mother of God as described in her book “A Handmaid of the Lord”. In part two of our conversation on the work, Dr. Walker reflects on the meaning of the “Mary and Joseph”and “Mary and Joseph” relationships. We explore Adrienne’s meditations and how she presents vocation and the “religious state” through the lens of Mary.
Episode 2 – “A Brief Overview of Adrienne’s Life” – “A Handmaid of the Lord”: The life and legacy of Adrienne von Speyr with Dr. Adrian Walker, Ph.D. With Dr. Adrian Walker, we discuss various aspects of Adrienne’s life. What was her childhood like? What were the relationship dynamics within her family? We discuss her … Read more
Msgr. Esseff shares a recent encounter with a couple he met while traveling home after time with family. Tom and Mary shared their important encounters with God over the course of their 36 years of marriage. Each story speaks of our times and how relevant it is for our lives to allow Christ to be King of our hearts…that is how He will reign in this world. Msgr. Esseff then reflects on how God answers prayers and why we say “Thy will be done”.
“Made This Way: How to Prepare Kids to Face Today’s Tough Moral Issues” is an important work brought to us by Catholic Answers Press! It was wonderful to talk about this work with author Leila Miller. It’s contents are so timely and helps parents, as well youth ministers, educators, religious and priests, how to navigate … Read more
