Reading through the Book of Proverbs

 

Pictured above is one of the greatest churches we ever built, the great Hagia Sophia of Constantinople, now unfortunately desecrated multiple times and (as I understand) functioning as a mosque. Hagia Sophia is Greek for Sancta Sapientia in Latin and or Holy Wisdom in English. That church was built to honour the Wisdom of God (of which human wisdom is only a shadow) and it was built appropriately with the greatest skill available in the sixth century to an enormous size. Even today, this gigantic structure is extraordinary to behold and would not be easy to replicate. So much has the Church honoured divine Wisdom in every age.

And thus, with respect to my voyage through the Bible, I choose to introduce the first book proper of the Wisdom literature in Holy Scripture (the book of Psalms contains much material that would be classified as Wisdom material, as also does the Torah), and that is the book of Proverbs. Other books in this series would include the Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiastes and large portions of Ecclesiasticus. But all that is to come. We know of the repute King Solomon had for wisdom, as given by the books of the Kings and the Chronicles; the introduction to this book introduces its content as the proverbs of Solomon himself, although there are shorter sections towards the end that are given to other authors, Agur son of Jacé (chapter thirty) and King Lamuel (chapter thirty-one). The book itself begins with nine chapters extolling divine Wisdom, which mankind is meant to possess and make his own, before the proverbs begin properly. And there is the value of tradition, so often despised in our present culture in the West:

"True wisdom is founded on the fear of the Lord; who but a fool would despise such wisdom, and the lessons she teaches? Heed well, my son, thy father’s warnings, nor make light of thy mother’s teaching; no richer heirloom, crown or necklace, can be thine. Turn a deaf ear, my son, to the blandishments of evil-doers that would make thee of their company." - Proverbs, 1: 7-9

This continues for some few pages, always about sons taking lessons from their parents, accepting advice from their elders. Here's a rather famous bid from chapter six:

"Keep true, my son, to the charge thy father gives thee, nor make light of thy mother’s teaching; wear them ever close to thy heart, hang them like a locket upon thy breast; be these, when thou walkest abroad, thy company, when thou liest asleep, thy safeguard, in waking hours, thy counsellors. That charge is a lamp to guide thee, that teaching a light to beckon thee; the warnings correction gave thee are a road leading to life." - Proverbs, 6: 20-23

Similar language is used elsewhere in the Bible with respect to the divine Law, so demonstrates the importance of tradition to the Hebrew and Jewish (and by extension, the Christian) communities. There follows these lines and across chapter seven a warning against the temptress that threatens always to seduce and draw the young and inexperienced away from the prudent counsel of their elders. Meanwhile, divine Wisdom is waiting to be had, precious above all else, bringing justice in her wake:

"And, all the while, the Wisdom that grants discernment is crying aloud, is never silent; there she stands, on some high vantage-point by the public way, where the roads meet, or at the city’s approach, close beside the gates, making proclamation. To every man, high and low, her voice calls: 'Here is better counsel for the simpleton; O foolish hearts, take warning! Listen to me, I have matters of high moment to unfold, a plain message to deliver. A tongue that speaks truth, lips that scorn impiety; here all is sound doctrine, no shifts, no evasions here. No discerning heart, no well-stored mind, but will own it right and just. Here is counsel, here is instruction, better worth the winning than silver or the finest gold; wisdom is more to be coveted than any jewel; there is no beauty that can be matched with hers." - Proverbs, 8: 1-11

A little later comes the more well-known extract that is often used by the Church in reference to Christ, as the Divine Word that existed from all eternity with the Father, as given by the beginning of the Gospel of Saint John:

"The Lord made me his when first he went about his work, at the birth of time, before his creation began. Long, long ago, before earth was fashioned, I held my course. Already I lay in the womb, when the depths were not yet in being, when no springs of water had yet broken; when I was born, the mountains had not yet sunk on their firm foundations, and there were no hills; not yet had he made the earth, or the rivers, or the solid framework of the world. I was there when he built the heavens, when he fenced in the waters with a vault inviolable, when he fixed the sky overhead, and levelled the fountain-springs of the deep. I was there when he enclosed the sea within its confines, forbidding the waters to transgress their assigned limits, when he poised the foundations of the world, I was at his side, a master-workman, my delight increasing with each day, as I made play before him all the while; made play in this world of dust, with the sons of Adam for my play-fellows." - Proverbs 8: 22-31

You could imagine this as being in the minds of the Church Fathers who established and defended the Christian creed containing the words, through Him all things were made... And now come the actual proverbs, which are many and not well-organised. There are general themes, such as honesty and the reward for dishonesty (silence is preferably to false talk):

"Lying lips that hide malice, foolish lips that spread slander, what a world of sin there is in talking! Where least is said, most prudence is. Silver refined is the just man’s every word, and trash the sinner’s every thought. The just man’s talk plays the shepherd to many, while the fool dies of his own starved heart." - Proverbs, 10: 18-21

"Honesty shuns the false word; the sinner disappointment gives and gets. The upright heart is protected by its own innocence; guilt trips the heel of the wrong-doer." - Proverbs, 13: 5-6

"Better a penny honestly come by than great revenues ill gotten. Heart of man must plan his course, but his steps will fall as the Lord guides them. Speaks king, speaks oracle; never a word amiss. Scale and balance are emblems of the Lord’s own justice; no weight in the merchant’s wallet but is of divine fashioning." - Proverbs, 16: 8-11 

"Out comes bribe from bosom, and the godless man turns justice aside from its course." - Proverbs, 17: 23

And the value of a good and virtuous wife, the basis of a successful household:

"Crowned is his brow, who wins a vigorous wife; sooner let thy bones rot than marry one who shames thee." - Proverbs, 12: 4

"It is by woman’s wisdom a home thrives; a foolish wife pulls it down about her ears." - Proverbs, 14:1 

"A good wife found is treasure found; the Lord is filling thy cup with happiness. (A good wife cast away is treasure cast away; leave to fools, and godless fools, the adulterous embrace.)" - Proverbs, 18: 22 

"Protected by her own industry and good repute, she greets the morrow with a smile. Ripe wisdom governs her speech, but it is kindly instruction she gives. She keeps watch over all that goes on in her house, not content to go through life eating and sleeping. That is why her children are the first to call her blessed, her husband is loud in her praise: Unrivalled art thou among all the women that have enriched their homes." - Proverbs, 31: 25-29 

And that hard work helps avoid idleness, an evil to be mocked:

"A just man cares for the safety of the beasts he owns; the wicked are heartless through and through. Till field and fill belly; idle pursuits are but foolishness. (Sit long enjoying thy wine, and there is no strong fortress will win thee renown.)" - Proverbs, 12: 10-11

"Idleness finds ever a hedge of thorns in its path; the man of duty walks on unhampered." - Proverbs, 15:19 

"Love not thy sleep, or poverty will overtake thee unawares; the open eye means a full belly." - Proverbs, 20: 13 

"'What, go abroad?' says Sloth; 'there is a lion there; trust me, a lion’s dam loose in the street.' Sloth turns about, but keeps his bed, true as the door to its hinge. With folded hands the sluggard sits by, too idle to put hand to mouth. Wiser than seven sages is the sluggard in his own thought." - Proverbs, 26: 13-16 

And that children must be disciplined through corporal punishment for their own good, if they be without wisdom:

"Chasten thy son still, nor despair of his amendment; still let the death of him be far from thy thoughts." - Proverbs, 19: 18

"Boyhood’s mind is loaded with a pack of folly, that needs the rod of correction to shift it." - Proverbs, 22: 15 

"Wisdom comes of reproof, comes of the rod; leave a child to go its own way, and a mother’s care is wasted. Thrive the godless, there will be wrongs a many; but the just will yet see them put down. A son well schooled is rest well earned; great joy thou shalt have of him." Proverbs, 29: 15-17 

Good Christian behaviour finds its source in the Wisdom literature of the Hebrews. Hence, in this book will have been found prudential decisions on a variety of human behaviours, from the basics of Christian charity (19: 17) to the use of wine and strong drink (20: 1 and 23: 31), to the cultivation of a good reputation (22: 1). Compare Proverbs 13: 7 (some are rich that have nothing) to Christ's parable of the rich man with a barn full of good things, who will the next day be called from this life; while Proverbs 14:7 presents the human reality that wealth never lacks friends. And compare Proverbs 24: 1 (not for thee to emulate wrong-doers) to Christ's command that we turn the other cheek. And compare Proverbs 25: 21-22 (hungers thy enemy? here is thy chance; feed him) with Christ's famous command that we love even our enemies. Wisdom literature was ready fodder for the rabbinic movement of the late Jewish period in the practical application of the Torah, a tradition in which Christ Himself stood as Teacher of the Law. And, of course, the Will of God and His favour trumps every attempt by human beings at obtaining prudent counsel:

"Wisdom is none, prudence is none, counsel is none that can be matched against the Lord’s Will; well armed thy horse may be on the eve of battle, but the Lord sends victory." - Proverbs, 21: 30-31

A wintry scene in the parish garden

Reading through the second letter of Saint Paul to Saint Timothy

Dear Paul. He comes off brilliantly in this letter to Saint Timothy, the second one to that bishop of Ephesus that we have in the New Testament. I'm ending my trip through the New Testament, and in about three months I should have ended the Old Testament also; this is the journey, so far. This is certainly my favourite of all his surviving letters for its brevity and its completeness as a note of encouragement and instruction to Saint Timothy, his beloved disciple and son, whom he had himself ordained to the priesthood.

"I keep the memory of thy tears, and long to see thee again, so as to have my fill of joy when I receive fresh proof of thy sincere faith. That faith dwelt in thy grandmother Lois, and in thy mother Eunice, before thee; I am fully persuaded that it dwells in thee too. That is why I would remind thee to fan the flame of that special grace which God kindled in thee, when my hands were laid upon thee." - II Timothy, 1: 4-6

It is rather nice that Paul has kept in touch with Timothy's family in Galatia, and remembers his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois by name. But Paul is here, at the end of his life, now being abandoned by people he trusted, especially following his imprisonment in Rome, which he constantly mentions in this letter. His faith in God remains strong, but he writes sadly about those he trusted but who had become unfriendly. 

"This is what I have to suffer as the result; but I am not put to the blush. He, to whom I have given my confidence, is no stranger to me, and I am fully persuaded that He has the means to keep my pledge safe, until that day comes. With all the faith and love thou hast in Christ Jesus, keep to the pattern of sound doctrine thou hast learned from my lips. By the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, be true to thy high trust. In Asia, as thou knowest, all have treated me coldly, Phigellus and Hermogenes among them." - II Timothy, 1: 12-15

These were his first churches, in Asia, and it is sad that they no longer respect him. But his message continues to be a difficult one and the early Church was passing through a painful infancy, as the catholicity of the Church was still being established and there were rival Christian teachers with different messages busy causing confusion. Paul had mentioned such troubles in the other letter to Timothy that we have and in other letters we have, such as to the Galatians, and the second letter to the Corinthians. Paul warns Timothy to remain true to the Faith and to be prepared to suffer for it.

"Then, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus, take thy share of hardship. Thou art God’s soldier, and the soldier on service, if he would please the captain who enlisted him, will refuse to be entangled in the business of daily life; the athlete will win no crown, if he does not observe the rules of the contest; the first share in the harvest goes to the labourer who has toiled for it. Grasp the sense of what I am saying; the Lord will give thee quick insight wherever it is needed. Fix thy mind on Jesus Christ, sprung from the race of David, who has risen from the dead; that is the gospel I preach..." - II Timothy, 2: 3-8

Obviously, these rival teachers (see, for example, the ebionites) were challenging basic Christian teaching. Paul says that he himself has suffered for the Faith, and is prepared to until the end. Preach, he says, but don't argue with many words, certainly without sophism; his message is simple, simply stated, and to be accepted on faith. He mentions another strange teaching, that the final resurrection of the dead has already come about. 

"Bring this back to men’s thoughts, pleading with them earnestly in the Lord’s name; there must be no wordy disputes, such as can only unsettle the minds of those who are listening. Aim first at winning God’s approval, as a workman who does not need to be ashamed of his work, one who knows how to handle the claims of the truth like a master. Keep thy distance from those who are bringing in a fashion of meaningless talk; they will go far to establish neglect of God, and their influence eats in like a cancer. Such are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have missed the true mark, by contending that the resurrection has come about already, to the overthrow of the faith in some minds." - II Timothy, 2: 14

Timothy is to avoid the disputes and concentrate on a life of virtue and fellowship with Christians worshipping God with pure hearts. Rather than quarrelling, we are to be kindly and tolerant, making corrections gently and allowing God to mend the hearts of those who remain belligerent. Then he gives us a wonderful description of our own times, or rather dissolute human society of all times. 

"Men will be in love with self, in love with money, boastful, proud, abusive; without reverence for their parents, without gratitude, without scruple, without love, without peace; slanderers, incontinent, strangers to pity and to kindness; treacherous, reckless, full of vain conceit, thinking rather of their pleasures than of God. They will preserve all the outward form of religion, although they have long been strangers to its meaning. From these, too, turn away. They count among their number the men that will make their way into house after house, captivating weak women whose consciences are burdened by sin; women swayed by shifting passions, who are for ever inquiring, yet never attain to recognition of the truth." - II Timothy, 3: 2-7

Before this ongoing dissolution, how is a bishop to behave? He is to hold firm to the doctrine handed down by the Apostles, the religion he was schooled in from his youth, probably at school and especially with respect to Holy Scripture. 

"It is for thee to hold fast by the doctrine handed on to thee, the charge committed to thee; thou knowest well, from whom that tradition came; thou canst remember the holy learning thou hast been taught from childhood upwards. This will train thee up for salvation, through the faith which rests in Christ Jesus. Everything in the scripture has been divinely inspired, and has its uses; to instruct us, to expose our errors, to correct our faults, to educate us in holy living; so God’s servant will become a master of his craft, and each noble task that comes will find him ready for it." - II Timothy, 3: 14-17

So, Timothy is to ceaselessly preach the Gospel, whether or not it is welcome to society, patiently drawing people to the Christian life. Meanwhile, society will appoint preachers and teachers that say the things that they want to hear. Paul's work is now over (he is near his martyrdom), but Timothy will have to follow his model and suffer for the Gospel, and for the Church.

"It is for thee to be on the watch, to accept every hardship, to employ thyself in preaching the gospel, and perform every duty of thy office, keeping a sober mind. As for me, my blood already flows in sacrifice; the time has nearly come when I can go free. I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have redeemed my pledge; I look forward to the prize that is waiting for me, the prize I have earned." - II Timothy, 4: 5-8

But Paul is not quite done. He still has to suffer a cold prison and he calls for his warm cloak. He wants to continue to read and he calls for his books. He wants to see his friends one last time, and only Luke visits him continuously; so he calls for Mark. He sends his greetings to Prisca and Aquila, whom he had left in Ephesus. He wants to see Timothy himself. And he sends greetings from the Roman Christians, mentioning Pudens (whose home in Rome can still be visited, for a church was built over it) and Linus (one of the first popes). It's a great letter. May Saint Paul pray for us, who suffer in different ways what he once did. 

The conversion of Saint Paul

If you were to follow this blog, you would know that I am rather fond of the Apostle to the Gentiles, and endlessly sympathetic towards him, in his boundless energy and enthusiasm. A strict Pharisee before and after his conversion to Christianity, Paul was also a kind man, as the letters of his that survive in our New Testament demonstrate. Today is an especially good day to read the second letter to Timonthy, which I shall shortly do. Then I should watch my favourite film about Paul, the last few minutes of which are in this video below. Here, he is martyred at the Trefontane, outside Rome, and arrives in a land of eternal sunrise, finding that the Christians he once arrested and killed are waiting to welcome him. And then he sees Christ and the film ends.

Reading through the first book of Chronicles

Also called the para-lipomena in our old Catholic Bibles, which use old Greek names for several of the books, the two books of Chronicles attempt to provide more detail to some of the more important narratives in the books of the Kings. This takes the form usually of extremely long lists of names, establishing genealogies and naming important courtiers and heroic warriors. The important figures in the books of the Kings were the favourite kings, who were known publicly as faithful followers of the ancient Hebrew religion, while others fell into various degrees of idolatry. The second book of Chronicles deals with Solomon and the kings who followed him until the destruction of the kingdoms of Israel and Juda and the exile of the people, as told in IV Kings (2 Kings). This first book of Chronicles recounts the history of King David, as given across the I and II Kings (aka. 1 and 2 Samuel). In this short post, which follows my cover-to-cover read of the Bible, I shall mention what stands out to me as different in the narrative from my reading of the books of Kings.

First, of course, is the immense stream of names that continues for nine chapters, before the narrative properly begins. It covers the origins of the Hebrew people in their patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but also uses earlier genealogies from the Torah that link Abraham to the first man, Adam. To get a taste of these rather tedious lists, let's take this paragraph from chapter four, which names some of the men of the Judaite clans, kinsmen of King David and therefore of Christ:

"The men of Juda were descended from Phares, Hesron, Charmi, Hur, and Sobal. Sobal was father of Raia, Raia of Jahath, Jahath of Ahumai and Laad; thence come the Sarathite families. Jezrahel, Jesema, Jedebos and their sister Asalelphuni were children of Etam; he, like Gedor’s father Phanuel and Hosa’s father Ezer, was descended from Ephratha’s first-born son Hur, from whom came Bethlehem. Assur, father of Thecua, had two wives, Halaa and Naara; Naara bore him Oozam, Hepher, Themani and Ahasthari, and besides these sons of hers he had three sons by Halaa, Sereth, Isaar and Ethnan... From Cos came Anob and Soboba, and all the family of Aharehel son of Arum...  Jabes was renowned above all his brethren; his mother had called him by that name as if she would say, Painfully I bore him. And this was Jabes’ prayer to the Lord God of Israel, A full blessing, Lord! Wide lands, and thy hand with me, that enmity may never overcome me! And the Lord granted his request...  From Caleb, brother of Sua, through Mahir and Esthon, came Bethrapha, and from Bethrapha Phesse and Tehinna, and from Tehinna the city of Naas; these are the men of Recha..." - I Paralipomena, 4: 1-12

And on and on and on. When the record has moved past all the twelve tribes, it recounts the fall of Saul and his sons at Mount Gelboe, the recovery of their bodies from the Philistines and their burial (chapter ten). Then comes a quick summary of the slow accession of David as king of all Israel and repetitions of the lists of all his prize warriors (chapter eleven) and the general support he enjoyed even while still just the king of Juda at Hebron (chapter twelve). Then comes the narrative of the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant, which had remained for long years at Cariathiarim, and that David now sought to bring into his royal capital at Jerusalem, thus centralising both the administration of the kingdom and the religious cult of the people there. Chapter fifteen and sixteen describe how the king personally organised the levitical cult, and the liturgical system at the new shrine in Jerusalem, and even the order of the musicians and the guardians of the shrine. 

"So he left Asaph and his brethren there, with the ark that bears witness of the Lord’s covenant, to attend it by turns on their appointed days. Obededom and his brethren, sixty-eight of them …. And he made Obededom, son of Idithun, and Hosa door-keepers. Sadoc and the other priests, his brethren, were left with the tabernacle, at the hill-sanctuary of Gabaon, ever to offer the Lord victims on the altar of burnt-sacrifice, morning and evening; such was the charge the Lord had laid on Israel. And with Sadoc were Heman and Idithun, and others of less name, chosen to give the Lord thanks for his everlasting mercy; it was for Heman and Idithun to sound the trumpet and beat the cymbals at the divine music, and Idithun’s sons he made door-keepers. And so the people dispersed to their homes, and David himself went back to bless his own household." - I Paralipomena, 16: 37-43

That personal involvement of King David reminds me of his description in the books of the Kings as a musician as well as a soldier. It may be at this point that his own book of hymns (parts of which are preserved in the book of Psalms) became part of the general liturgical memory of the people. A major portion of this book deals with David's desire to build God a Temple of wood and precious metal. This begins in chapter seventeen, with the conversation with the prophet Nathan that we may recognise from the book of Kings. What is new here is that David now provides the reason for God's refusing to let him build the Temple; God wanted his son Solomon to do so instead:

"Then he summoned the young prince and laid a charge upon him, bidding him build a house for the Lord God of Israel. 'My son,' he told him, 'it was my thought to have built such a house myself, to be a shrine for the name of the Lord my God; but this message came to me from the Lord: Blood thou hast spilt in rivers and wars thou hast waged a many; not for thee to build Me a house, that comest before Me with so much blood on thy hands. Thou shalt have a son born to thee whose reign shall be all peace; on every side I will secure his frontiers from attack, and he will be well named Solomon, the Peaceful, such untroubled ease shall Israel enjoy during his reign. He it is that shall build a house to be the shrine of My Name; I shall find in him a son, and he in Me a Father, and I will maintain his dynasty on the throne of Israel for all time.'" - I Paralipomena, 22: 6-10

Another detail not provided by the books of the Kings is that David, robbed of the opportunity of building the Temple himself, busied himself with organising the administration of the Temple-to-be-built and with acquiring all the material that would be required by the builders. So, chapter twenty-three describes the organisation of the tribe of the Levites, given the divine command to alone serve the religious rites of the Hebrew sanctuaries; chapter twenty-four describes the organisation of the family of Aaron brother of Moses, who were alone to serve the inner sanctuary of the Temple by divine command; chapter twenty-five describes the organisation of the liturgical musicians; and chapter twenty-six describes the organisation of the guardians or wardens of the Temple shrine. And David, mindful of the youthful inexperience of his son Solomon, also organised his territorial army into battalions and regiments; this and other administrative notes form chapter twenty-seven. Indeed, Solomon owed much of his prosperity to the careful preparations made for him by his father. He even made up the designs of the Temple that he could not build:

"Then David handed over to his son Solomon the full plan of porch and temple, of store-house and parlour and inner chamber, of the throne of mercy itself; all his designs, too, for the outer courts and for the surrounding rooms in which the permanent treasures of the Lord’s house and the votive offerings were to be laid up. He told him of the order in which priest and Levite were to do all that had to be done, keep all that had to be kept, in the Lord’s temple. He gave him gold by weight and silver by weight for all the appurtenances of worship, varied for various needs. Gold and silver in due measure for every lampstand and lamp of gold and silver; gold for the table on which the hallowed loaves were set forth, gold and silver for every table of gold and silver. Pure gold for fork and bowl and censer and cup; no cup of gold or silver but had its due weight apportioned; pure gold for the altar of incense, pure gold for the equipage of cherubs that should spread their wings to overshadow the Lord’s ark. 'This came to me,' said he, 'with the Lord’s own sign-manual; all the pattern he would make clear to me.'" - I Paralipomena, 28: 11-19

That last line suggests that he had been given a divine blueprint of the Temple, just as Moses had been given a divine blueprint for the Tabernacle (Exodus 26). The end of the book consists of the commitment made by all the tribes to the building and maintenance of the Temple, whereupon David blessed the people and their good intention and solemnly ensured the succession of Solomon. And thus passed the greatest king that people would see. Until the arrival of Christ. 

A White Christmas

Since I haven't yet finished celebrating Christmas (the crib is still in the church, as is the tree), and since several of our brothers and sisters of the Eastern Church are still in their Christmas season, I'm calling this a White Christmas. Here are some pictures of the church grounds now vanished under some five inches of snow.

Greek class - the birth of Christ

I've just begun a second reading of the Gospels for the next five or so months, which should take me nicely into the Easter season. But I've just completed an English reading, so I thought I'd try to remember what they taught us in seminary and read it in the Greek of the Nestlé-Aland preparation, a copy of which was given to us by the seminary. Now, thanks to typegreek.com, here's the section from the Gospel of Matthew (end of chapter one) on the birth of Christ. I'll use punctuation that we commonly use in English, so things are slightly clearer.

"Ταυτα δὲ αὐτου ἐνθυμηθέντος, ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος Kυρίου κατ' ὄναρ ἐφάνη αὐτῳ λέγων, 'Ιωσὴφ, υἱος Δαυίδ, μὴ φοβηθῃς παραλαβειν Μαρίαν τὴν γυναικά σου· Τὸ γὰρ ἐν αὐτῃ γεννηθὲν ἐκ Πνεύματός ἐστιν ἁγίου. Τέξεται δε Υἱόν, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ Ὄνομα Αὐτου Ἰησουν· αὐτὸς γαρ σώσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτου ἀπὸ των ἁμαρτιων αὐτων.' Τουτο δὲ ὅλον γέγονεν ἵνα πληρωθῃ τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ Κυρίου διὰ του προφήτου, λεγοντος· 'Ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶ ἕξει καὶ τέξεται υἱόν, καὶ καλέσουσιν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτου Ἐμμανουήλ,' ὅ ἐστιν μεθερμηνευόμενον μεθ' ἡμων ὁ θεός. Ἐγερθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰωσὴφ ἀπὸ του ὕπνου ἐποίησεν ὡς προσέταξεν αὐτῳ ὁ ἄγγελος Kυρίου καὶ παρέλαβεν τὴν γυναικα αὐτου. Καὶ οὐκ ἐγίνωσκεν αὐτὴν ἕως οὑ ἔτεκεν Υἱόν· καὶ ἐκάλεσεν τὸ Ὄνομα Αὐτου Ἰησουν." 

When I first look at the text, my first moments of confusion and enthusiasm from the beginning of my study of Greek at Dominican school, many years ago, return. But then the years of reading narrative texts return, and patterns leap out. The verbs jump out, like familiar friends, and it's not too difficult to read again. It's worth remembering that this was the language the Gospels were all written in (although the Gospel of S. Matthew may have first been written in Aramaic for a Hebrew audience), and that the Greek Gospels have been handed down to us through the centuries, and are still in liturgical use in the Eastern Churches. In the West, since the early centuries, Greek has grown from being a familiar language to the educated elite and of some commercial use to being a foreign language and mostly incomprehensible. But it's our heritage, and even a passing knowledge of some basic words is rewarding. Some quick notes on this quote above (Gospel of S. Matthew, 1: 20-25)

• Poor Saint Joseph, our dear and blessed Patron, has just discovered that his newly betrothed is with child and, though the Law of Moses permits him to dishonour her publicly as an adulteress, he is a kindly man and wants to give her a private divorce and let her off. That's where this section begins, for when he had made up his mind so to proceed (ἐνθυμηθέντος, ἐνθυμέομαι), an angel (ἄγγελος Kυρίου) arrived in his dreams with a message.
• Joseph must not be afraid to take (παραλαβειν, παραλαμβάνω) Mary as his wife, that is, to complete the marriage. For What is within her womb is of the Holy Ghost (ἐκ Πνεύματός ἁγίου). She is to have a son, whose name is to be Jesus (τὸ Ὄνομα Αὐτου Ἰησουν). The name 'Jesus' means 'God saves,' and the angel goes on to say that the boy will save (σώσει, σῴζω) his people from their sins. 
• Saint Matthew now elaborates that this is the fulfilment of a prophecy, made through the prophet Isaiah, and I've italicised it in the text above. The prophecy says that a virgin (ἡ παρθένος) will conceive and bear a son, who is to be called by the name Emmanuel (Ἐμμανουήλ). With the gigantic verb μεθερμηνευόμενον, Saint Matthew proceeds to say that this name (Emmanuel) means God-with-us (μεθ' ἡμων ὁ θεός). 
• The next thing we know is that Saint Joseph has risen from his dream and followed what the angel had recommended (προσέταξεν, προστάσσω) and married the Blessed Virgin. It also states that he did not have carnal knowledge of her until she bore her Son (ὐκ ἐγίνωσκεν αὐτὴν ἕως οὑ ἔτεκεν Υἱόν, literally, didn't know her until...), and as we Catholics know never did. And the Child was named Jesus.

Joseph asleep. Time for another dream.

Two new pages under construction

I recently added a small page on the Saints of the Roman Canon (Eucharistic prayer I), which Father rushes through at Mass on Sundays. England has been part of the Roman Church since at least the end of the seventh century, and all existing English altar Missals that I know of contain the Roman Canon, and English Catholics would have had this list of Saints read either silently or aloud for much of the history of the Church in these countries. And yet this is a Roman list and, if they are not Apostles and New Testament martyrs like Stephen and Barnabas, the Saints enlisted are Popes of Rome, or Roman martyrs. It's nice to learn a little about them, although the glory of the internet provides much more if you look for it. 

I'm beginning another small page on the devotion of the daily Rosary, which is so often recommended to us in glowing terms by Saints of the Church or priests we talk to. This little string of prayers is the Gospel abbreviated and is worth picking up. In the old days, our grandparents and other Catholics would have been able to draw their pocket rosaries out quicker than a cowboy in a Western could draw his revolver. We must return to that level of devotion if we are to confidently face whatever else comes at us as Christians in the next few decades. It has not exactly been greatly promoted for some time, and is usually taken for granted; I myself did not take up the daily recitation until about three year ago, and I can recommend it highly. 

Both these pages, like the Doctors page, are under development. That means they will be constantly added to over the weeks. When they are properly completed, they may be transferred to the parish website, where I eventually want to create a small bank of spiritual material that can be useful to the parish.

Saint Thomas on the miracle of the Christian religion

"This wonderful conversion of the world to the Christian faith is the clearest witness of the signs given in the past; so that it is not necessary that they should be further repeated, since they appear most clearly in their effect. For it would be truly more wonderful than all signs if the world had been led by simple and humble men to believe such lofty truths, to accomplish such difficult actions, and to have such high hopes. Yet it is also a fact that, even in our own time, God does not cease to work miracles through His saints for the confirmation of the faith." - Summa contra gentiles, book I, chapter VI [text source]

Silence is golden

Do you know that old saying, 'Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt'? Well, have a look at this wonderful small quote from the Imitation of Christ:

"Avoid as far as thou canst the tumult of men; for talk concerning worldly things, though it be innocently undertaken, is a hindrance, so quickly are we led captive and defiled by vanity. Many a time I wish that I had held my peace, and had not gone amongst men. But why do we talk and gossip so continually, seeing that we so rarely resume our silence without some hurt done to our conscience? We like talking so much because we hope by our conversations to gain some mutual comfort, and because we seek to refresh our wearied spirits by variety of thoughts. And we very willingly talk and think of those things which we love or desire, or else of those which we most dislike.

But alas! it is often to no purpose and in vain. For this outward consolation is no small hindrance to the inner comfort which cometh from God. Therefore must we watch and pray that time pass not idly away. If it be right and desirable for thee to speak, speak things which are to edification. Evil custom and neglect of our real profit tend much to make us heedless of watching over our lips. Nevertheless, devout conversation on spiritual things helpeth not a little to spiritual progress, most of all where those of kindred mind and spirit find their ground of fellowship in God." - Imitation of Christ, book I, chapter X [text source]

Isn't that just the truth? Talking, talking, all the time, like the magpies in the trees of the parish garden. And it's mostly all vanity and idleness. But the sage counsels that if we do begin to say something, it must tend to the edification of the people we are speaking to, to their improvement. And he means spiritual improvement.

Reading through the Gospel of Saint John

And the last stop on my Bible journey for some time is the end of the Gospel of Saint John. I'm just over halfway through now, and I'll be giving it a few days rest now before I continue. This Gospel is my favourite of the four, if I am allowed to pick a favourite. It is unlike the others, because it's very construction is unique. It provides a more personal description of Christ, which is appropriate, for it was written by the Apostle who called himself the Beloved Disciple of Christ. He undoubtedly enjoyed a special relationship with the God-man, and we know from the Old Testament that God does indeed have favourites. If Saint John had enjoyed a special closeness to Christ, he would have had a deeper insight into the mysteries of the Faith. And there's certainly evidence of that in the Gospel and in the first letter of Saint John also. But let's jump into the Gospel.

Traditionally, Saint John wrote his gospel long after the others had, and he intended his effort to be supplemental to the other gospels. This is why he adds much new material, even eye-witness testimony from one who was there and witnessed everything. Additionally, Saint John was already reacting, at the end of the first century, to Christian heresies about the natural of the Person of Christ made by such people as Cerinthus and the Ebionites, who were very strong in the region of Ephesus, where John was, and who denied the divinity of Christ and the virgin birth. We see hints of this gnostic challenge to the Church in the first letter of Saint Paul to Saint Timothy, and John (being an eyewitness to and intimate with Christ) was the perfect person to refute the heretics; from him we get the wonderful hymn at the top of his Gospel:

"At the beginning of time the Word already was; and God had the Word abiding with Him, and the Word was God. He abode, at the beginning of time, with God. It was through Him that all things came into being, and without Him came nothing that has come to be. In Him there was life, and that life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness, a darkness which was not able to master it. A man appeared, sent from God, whose name was John. He came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, so that through him all men might learn to believe. He was not the Light; he was sent to bear witness to the light.

There is One who enlightens every soul born into the world; He was the true Light. He, through whom the world was made, was in the world, and the world treated Him as a stranger. He came to what was His own, and they who were His own gave Him no welcome. But all those who did welcome Him, He empowered to become the children of God, all those who believe in His Name; their birth came, not from human stock, not from nature’s will or man’s, but from God.

And the Word was made flesh, and came to dwell among us; and we had sight of His glory, glory such as belongs to the Father’s only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth." - Gospel of S. John, 1: 1-14

'We had sight of His glory...' There is that sentiment of providing eye-witness testimony throughout this Gospel, and rightly so. At the very end of the Gospel, John signs it off, saying, 'It is the same disciple that bears witness of all this and has written the story of it; and we know well that his witness is truthful.' (Gospel of S. John, 21:24) The rest of this post contains some of the unique elements of Saint John's Gospel, which give a better picture of Christ than the other Gospels. But, before that, John describes Saint John the Baptist as something of a mystic: not only did he see the vision of the Holy Spirit coming down upon Christ, but he had been told by God Himself that he would see that vision and so be able to identify Christ.

"Next day, John saw Jesus coming towards him; and he said, 'Look, this is the Lamb of God; look, this is He Who takes away the sin of the world. It is of Him that I said, One is coming after me who takes rank before me; He was when I was not. I myself did not know who he was, although the very reason why I have come, with my baptism of water, is to make him known to Israel.' John also bore witness thus, 'I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and resting upon him. Till then, I did not know him; but then I remembered what I had been told by the God who sent me to baptize with water. He told me, The man who will baptize with the Holy Spirit is the man on whom thou wilt see the Spirit come down and rest. Now I have seen him, and have borne my witness that this is the Son of God.'" - Gospel of S. John, 1: 29-34

That is not made as clear by the other Gospels. John certainly got the story from Saint Andrew, who was originally a disciple of John the Baptist, and is a part of this narrative in the first chapter. In chapter two, John also tells us of the story of the Wedding at Cana - one of the great epiphanies of Christ - which is followed almost immediately by the expulsion of the businessmen in the Temple and the great prediction that would reappear in Christ's trial for blasphemy much later on: 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.' The next few chapters speak of the growing number of Christ's disciples, and also the increasing difficulty the Jewish people had with Christian doctrine. In chapter three, Christ has a dialogue with the Pharisee Saint Nicodemus about baptism and about the true mission of the Messiah: 

"The Father loves His Son, and so has given everything into His hands; and he who believes in the Son possesses eternal life, whereas he who refuses to believe in the Son will never see life; God’s displeasure hangs over him continually." - Gospel of S. John, 3: 35-36

The original description of the Christian doctrine of salvation, which is often mentioned by Saint Paul in his letters - that the figure of the Messiah is central to the whole concept of being saved. With the other Gospels, it could be claimed that Christ never directly claims to be the Messiah. Not with Saint John, though, for in the next chapter, about the conversion of a whole community of Samaritans, He makes a complete disclosure.

"'Believe me, woman,' Jesus said to her, 'the time is coming when you will not go to this mountain, nor yet to Jerusalem, to worship the Father. You worship you cannot tell what, we worship knowing what it is we worship; salvation, after all, is to come from the Jews; but the time is coming, nay, has already come, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth; such men as these the Father claims for His worshippers. God is a spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.' 'Yes,' said the woman, 'I know that Messias (that is, the Christ) is to come; and when he comes, he will tell us everything.' Jesus said to her, 'I, who speak to thee, am the Christ.'" - Gospel of S. John, 4: 21-26

It becomes even more clear in the next chapter, when a cripple is healed on the Sabbath, when Jews are forbidden to work, and Christ has a chance to defend His work of mercy:

"And Jesus answered them, 'My Father has never ceased working, and I too must be at work.' This made the Jews more determined than ever to make away with Him, that He not only broke the sabbath, but spoke of God as His own Father, thereby treating Himself as equal to God. And Jesus answered them thus: 'Believe me when I tell you this, The Son cannot do anything at His own pleasure, He can only do what He sees His Father doing; what the Father does is what the Son does in His turn. The Father loves the Son, and discloses to Him all that He Himself does. And He has greater doings yet to disclose to Him, for your astonishment; just as the Father bids the dead rise up and gives them life, so the Son gives life to whomsoever He will. So it is with judgement; the Father, instead of passing judgement on any man Himself, has left all judgement to the Son, so that all may reverence the Son just as they reverence the Father; to deny reverence to the Son is to deny reverence to the Father Who has sent Him. Believe me when I tell you this, the man who listens to My words, and puts his trust in Him who sent Me, enjoys eternal life; he does not meet with rejection, he has passed over already from death to life." - Gospel of S. John, 5: 17-24

So they understood well, and very early, that He was making the blasphemous claim to be God Himself, the Holy One in their midst. And he predicts the raising of Saint Lazarus, which would so terrify them later on. Chapter six, following, begins the doctrine of the Holy Eucharist, as still taught by the Church, prefacing it with the miracle of the feeding of the multitude. Even then there were protestors (good Jews, undoubtedly) against the doctrine, and He let them go their way. It's worth repeating the whole thing in full:

"But Jesus told them, 'It is I who am the Bread of Life; he who comes to Me will never be hungry, he who has faith in Me will never know thirst. (But you, as I have told you, though you have seen me, do not believe in me.) All that the Father has entrusted to Me will come to Me, and him who comes to Me I will never cast out. It is the will of Him who sent Me, not My own will, that I have come down from heaven to do; and He who sent Me would have Me keep without loss, and raise up at the last day, all He has entrusted to Me. Yes, this is the will of Him who sent Me, that all those who believe in the Son when they see Him should enjoy eternal life; I am to raise them up at the last day.' The Jews were by now complaining of His saying, I am myself the bread which has come down from heaven. 'Is not this Jesus,' they said, 'the son of Joseph, whose father and mother are well known to us? What does he mean by saying, I have come down from heaven?' Jesus answered them, 'Do not whisper thus to one another. Nobody can come to Me without being attracted towards Me by the Father who sent Me, so that I can raise him up at the last day. It is written in the book of the prophets, And they shall all have the Lord for their teacher; everyone who listens to the Father and learns, comes to Me. (Not that anyone has seen the Father, except Him Who comes from God; He alone has seen the Father.) Believe me when I tell you this; the man who has faith in me enjoys eternal life. It is I who am the bread of life. Your fathers, who ate manna in the desert, died none the less; the bread which comes down from heaven is such that he who eats of it never dies. I Myself am the living bread that has come down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he shall live for ever. And now, what is this bread which I am to give? It is My flesh, given for the life of the world. Then the Jews fell to disputing with one another, 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?' Whereupon Jesus said to them, 'Believe me when I tell you this; you can have no life in yourselves, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood. The man who eats My flesh and drinks My blood enjoys eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. My flesh is real food, My blood is real drink. He who eats My flesh, and drinks My blood, lives continually in Me, and I in him. As I live because of the Father, the living Father who has sent Me, so he who eats Me will live, in his turn, because of Me. Such is the bread which has come down from heaven; it is not as it was with your fathers, who ate manna and died none the less; the man who eats this bread will live eternally.' He said all this while He was teaching in the synagogue, at Capharnaum. And there were many of His disciples who said, when they heard it, 'This is strange talk, who can be expected to listen to it?' But Jesus, inwardly aware that His disciples were complaining over it, said to them, 'Does this try your faith? What will you make of it, if you see the Son of Man ascending to the place where He was before? Only the spirit gives life; the flesh is of no avail; and the words I have been speaking to you are spirit, and life. But there are some, even among you, who do not believe.' Jesus knew from the first which were those who did not believe, and which of them was to betray Him. And he went on to say, 'That is what I meant when I told you that nobody can come to Me unless he has received the gift from My Father. After this, many of His disciples went back to their old ways, and walked no more in His company." - Gospel of S. John, 6: 35-67

Talk about repetition! How many times did He repeat it in the Gospel? Five times? It was that hard, and it's just as hard today. John seems to suggest that even the Apostle Judas did not believe it here, and it may be wondered if he ever did. The chapter ends with a very sad Jesus asking the Apostles if they wanted to leave, too. All of them must have been shaken by the sermon, too, but as at Caesarea Philippi, it is the impetuous Saint Peter who made profession and declared that there was nowhere else to go. From chapter seven, and it is probable that since he had chased the businessmen out of the Temple (and so questioned the authority of the Sadducees in Jerusalem), there clearly emerges that there was a plot against His life. The people themselves were afraid to make allegiance to Him, because of the probable retribution they would face from the religious authorities, who could (at least) maliciously banish them from the synagogues (Gospel of S. John, 9:22) and perhaps even from the Temple - Saint John calls this motive a fear of the Jews. The further dialogues with the Pharisees strengthen the case for blasphemy, as Christ now claims to be far older even than the patriarch Abraham.

"And the Jews said to Him, 'Now we are certain that thou art possessed. What of Abraham and the prophets? They are dead; and thou sayest that a man will never taste death to all eternity, if he is true to thy word. Art thou greater than our father Abraham? He is dead, and the prophets are dead. What dost thou claim to be?' 'If I should speak in My own honour,' Jesus answered, 'such honour goes for nothing. Honour must come to Me from My Father, from Him Whom you claim as your God; although you cannot recognize Him. But I have knowledge of Him; if I should say I have not, I should be what you are, a liar. Yes, I have knowledge of Him, and I am true to His word. As for your father Abraham, his heart was proud to see the day of My coming; he saw, and rejoiced to see it.' Then the Jews asked Him, 'Hast thou seen Abraham, thou, who art not yet fifty years old?' And Jesus said to them, 'Believe Me, before ever Abraham came to be, I AM." - Gospel of John, 8: 52-58

And the miracles did continue on, all this time. Chapter nine is a long, long retelling of a old story of the man born blind, who recovered his sight marvellously, and was probably one of the earliest Christians, able to tell his story to such people who would record it - like Saint John, here. And once more, Christ reveals His identity to this poor man, now banished from the synagogue. Where could he go now, to fulfil his religious duties?

"And they cast him out from their presence. When Jesus heard that they had so cast him out, He went to find him, and asked him, 'Dost thou believe in the Son of God?' 'Tell me who He is, Lord,' he answered,' so that I can believe in Him.' 'He is One Whom thou hast seen,' Jesus told him. 'It is He Who is speaking to thee.' Then he said, 'I do believe, Lord, and fell down to worship Him.' Hereupon Jesus said, 'I have come into this world so that a sentence may fall upon it, that those who are blind should see, and those who see should become blind.'" - Gospel of S. John, 9: 34-41

In chapter ten, Christ calls Himself the Good Shepherd, and reinforces the blasphemy claim again by declaring that He and the Father are one, and that He is in the Father and the Father in Him. And this after they asked Him to state clearly that He was the Christ. Pathetically, they kept picking up stones to stone Him, and each time He slipped away. It doesn't help that He now raised Lazarus to life, and the spectacular nature of the miracle, which took place on the fourth day after the man died, caused even more conversions to the Christian movement and confounded the attempts of the religious authorities to side-line Christ (Gospel of S. John, 12: 17-19). Everything was now building up towards the formal charge and the trial. Now the Sadducees, the Temple priests themselves, plotted his execution.

"So the chief priests and Pharisees summoned a council; 'What are we about?' they said. 'This man is performing many miracles, and if we leave him to his own devices, he will find credit everywhere. Then the Romans will come, and make an end of our city and our race.' And one of them, Caiphas, who held the high priesthood in that year, said to them, 'You have no perception at all; you do not reflect that it is best for us if one man is put to death for the sake of the people, to save a whole nation from destruction.' It was not of his own impulse that he said this; holding the high priesthood as he did in that year, he was able to prophesy that Jesus was to die for the sake of the nation; and not only for that nation’s sake, but so as to bring together into one all God’s children, scattered far and wide. From that day forward, then, they plotted his death..." - Gospel of S. John, 11: 47-53

Christ now entered into Jerusalem, and began to teach openly in the Temple, and a thunderous Voice from the sky declares for Him. Thereupon, He declares the prophesied and long-awaited Day of the Lord:

"'And now My soul is distressed. What am I to say? I will say, Father, save me from undergoing this hour of trial; and yet, I have only reached this hour of trial that I might undergo it. Father, make Thy name known.' And at this, a Voice came from heaven, 'I have made it known, and will yet make it known.' Thereupon the multitude which stood listening declared that it had thundered; but some of them said, 'An angel has spoken to him.' Jesus answered, 'It was for your sake, not for Mine, that this utterance was made. Sentence is now being passed on this world; now is the time when the prince of this world is to be cast out. Yes, if only I am lifted up from the earth, I will attract all men to Myself.'" - Gospel of S. John, 12: 27-32

For several chapters now, John focuses on the Last Supper, which stretches from chapter thirteen, to beyond chapter seventeen, and includes the office of humility called the Washing of the Feet and the desertion of Judas (chapter 13), the identification and the ministry of the Holy Spirit (chapter 14), the command of love within the Church ('love one another as I have loved you') that Saint John never ceased to preach until his death (chapter 15), the final farewell (chapter 16), and what I consider to be part of the ordination prayer of the first priests of the Church (chapter 17). The narrative of the dreadful torture and death are quickly covered in chapters eighteen and nineteen, with another personal signature from the Apostle:

"And so the soldiers came and broke the legs both of the one and of the other that were crucified with Him; but when they came to Jesus, and found Him already dead, they did not break His legs, but one of the soldiers opened His side with a spear; and immediately blood and water flowed out. He who saw it has borne his witness; and his witness is worthy of trust. He tells what he knows to be the truth, that you, like him, may learn to believe. This was so ordained to fulfil what is written, 'You shall not break a single bone of His.' And again, another passage in scripture says, 'They will look upon the Man whom they have pierced." - Gospel of S. John, 19: 32-37

We learn to believe through the eye-witness testimony of the Apostles and others, ordinary and practical men who saw extraordinary things that they could find not credit properly. This same phrase reappears when John arrives at the Tomb with Peter, to find the clothes that had covered the body, and probably the marks that had been left behind. Now, think of the Turin shroud.

"Upon this, Peter and the other disciple [whom Jesus loved] both set out, and made their way to the Tomb; they began running side by side, but the other disciple outran Peter, and reached the tomb first. He looked in and saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Simon Peter, coming up after him, went into the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there, and also the veil which had been put over Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths, but still wrapped round and round in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and saw this, and learned to believe." - Gospel of S. John, 20: 3-8

Peter's dignity as first of the Apostles required that he enter the tomb first, but it is evidently John who believed in the resurrection before Peter. Saint Mary Magdalene and the Apostle Saint Thomas became the centre of the resurrection narrative, because of testimonies such as John gives in this chapter twenty of his Gospel, she for her extraordinary love and grief, rewarded with the first appearance of the risen Christ, he for his initial and rather scientific disbelief, rewarded with a blessing to bestow upon Christians of later ages:

"Thomas answered, 'Thou art my Lord and my God.' And Jesus said to him, 'Thou hast learned to believe, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me. Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have learned to believe.'" - Gospel of S. John, 20: 28-29

This chapter is then all about learning the believe, and this last line is the reason for John writing his Gospel at all - that those who have not seen may yet learn to believe. The final chapter is a rather surreal return to the Sea of Galilee and the story of another miraculous catch of fish, with a connection to the Eucharist (Christ brought the bread again, and miraculously provided the fish), and then the triple requirement of Saint Peter to declare his love for Christ, Whom he had thrice denied to his shame. And there I shall conclude this supremely long post, with portions of my favourite Gospel. And here's a nice picture of the Beloved Disciple reclining upon the breast of his Master. 

"Jesus had one disciple, whom he loved, who was now sitting with his head against Jesus’ breast..." - Gospel of S. John, 13: 23

Dante's Divine Comedy

Some time ago now, I lived in Rome. Only for a couple years, but sufficiently to find a people proud of a literary heritage that I knew little about. With very little time on my hands, I could not find a way to benefit from that tradition, although I found that I could read Italian fairly easily. Two things I did manage to read were the original Pinocchio (which is an Italian tale from Florence), and Dante's Inferno, which is a colourful trip through hell. That's the beginning of the longer Divina Commedia, but I stopped there. It's time to make up for it. Another thing I'm trying to accomplish this year is a read through the entire work, which proceeds through Purgatory to Heaven. Not a bad year for it, because the Italians are celebrating 700 years of Dante in 2021. I'll only put portions on the blog, of course. You can find the lot here, for free. Let's begin with this bit from the first song from Hell. After the poet says that he had slipped from the right path and fallen all of a sudden into a wilderness, in what seems to be an allegory for the moral minefield of this mortal life, and was chased towards the west by a wolf. In desperation, he looked about him and saw the figure of the old Roman poet Virgil, who would thenceforth be his guide through the spiritual world. And here Dante pays homage to the poet whose work he loves so much as to copy Virgil's own style (da cui io tolsi lo bello stilo) in these and succeeding verses. 

"'Or se' tu quel Virgilio e quella fonte   

che spandi di parlar sì largo fiume?'

rispuos'io lui con vergognosa fronte.

 

'O de li altri poeti onore e lume,

vagliami 'l lungo studio e 'l grande amore

che m'ha fatto cercar lo tuo volume.

 

Tu se' lo mio maestro e 'l mio autore,

tu se' solo colui da cu' io tolsi

lo bello stilo che m'ha fatto onore.

 

Vedi la bestia per cu' io mi volsi;

aiutami da lei, famoso saggio,

ch'ella mi fa tremar le vene e i polsi".

Inferno, canto 1

Here, Virgil is given to be the honour or glory and light (onore e lume) of other poets, and whose work Dante has pursued and studied with great love (il lungo studio e il grande amore che m'ha fatto cercar lo tuo volume). Virgil is Dante's master and his preferred writer/author (lo mio maestro e il mio autore), and now he as a great sage (famoso saggio) must rescue Dante from the perils of the road. Virgil proceeds to direct Dante down a different and a safer road, saying that the wolf is a vicious thing that kills what she can and will only be finally chased back to hell by some sort of divine Greyhound.

"ove udirai le disperate strida,

vedrai li antichi spiriti dolenti,

ch'a la seconda morte ciascun grida ;

e vederai color che son contenti

nel foco, perché speran di venire

quando che sia a le beate genti."

Inferno, canto 1

Here's the summary of hell and purgatory. Hell is where Dante will hear the desperate cries (le disperate strida) of the damned and see the ancient spirits, now demons (gli antichi spiriti dolenti). Purgatory is where spirits happily burn in fire (contenti nel fuoco), because they hope in a promised glory one day in heaven. Finally, Virgil will not be able to carry Dante to heaven, since as a pagan poet he has not merited neither to enter into nor lead other people there. Another guide will take over once Virgil has led Dante to 'Saint Peter's gate.'

Reading through the book of Osee (aka. Hosea)

Continuing on with the Old Testament on the journey through the Bible, I've come to the end of the prophecy of Osee, which is simply the Greek version of the Hebrew Hosea. Hosea had a rather long ministry, overlapping with Amos during the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel and reaching past the reigns of King Achaz and King Ezechias of Juda, reaching almost to the end of the northern kingdom of Israel. His themes are those of Amos - condemnation of the immorality and idolatry of the Israelite clans, and the imminent destruction that is to result from their infidelity to God. Let's get right on with it.

To demonstrate the attitude of God to Israel, whom He had married at Mount Sinai and who was now prostituting herself to foreign religions, Osee makes a parable of himself and marries an unfaithful woman, by whom he has several children with symbolic names.

"When first the divine voice made itself heard through Osee, this was the command given him: 'Wanton wed thou, wantons breed thou; in a wanton land thou dwellest, that keeps troth with its Lord never.' So it was he came to marry Gomer, a daughter of Debelaim. When he got her with child, and she bore him a son, 'This one,' the Lord told him, 'thou art to call Jezrahel; at Jezrahel the blood was spilt for which, ere long, Jehu’s line must be punished, and Israel have kings no more; in Jezrahel valley, My doom is, bow of Israel shall be broken.' And next, she was brought to bed of a daughter; of whom the Lord said, 'Unbefriended call her, in token that I will befriend Israel no longer, heed them no longer. To Juda I will be a friend yet, not with bow or sword of theirs delivering them, not in battle, with horse or horseman to give aid, but by the power of the Lord their God only.' Unbefriended, then, was the name of her; and after she was weaned, once more Gomer conceived, and had a son. This time the command was, 'Call him Strange-folk; no longer shall you be my people, or I be your...'" - Osee, 1: 2-9

And the parable develops. Infidelity will lose the people the Promised Land. But the forced exile of the people is also an instructive action, for it is meant to draw away from opulence and the trust in the things of this world, to draw them back into the wilderness, as when they had left Egypt long ago (see also Osee, 12: 9-10, where the people are given to learn their lesson anew in the desert, given prophets like unto Moses). And there, in the wilderness, they would find themselves once more depending on God alone.

"And now I mean to revoke the gift; no harvest for her, no vintage; I will give wool and flax a holiday, that once laboured to cover her shame; no gallant of hers but shall see and mock at it; such is My Will, and none shall thwart Me. Gone the days of rejoicing, the days of solemnity; gone is new moon, and sabbath, and festival; vine and fig-tree blighted, whose fruit, she told herself, was but the hire those lovers paid; all shall be woodland, for the wild beasts to ravage as they will. Penance she must do for that hey-day of idolatry, when the incense smoked, and out she went, all rings and necklaces, to meet her lovers, the gods of the country-side, and for Me, the Lord says, never a thought! It is but love’s stratagem, thus to lead her out into the wilderness; once there, it shall be all words of comfort." - Osee, 2: 9-14

Yes, out there, dispossessed and living exiled in a foreign land, comfort would be given the people through the prophets. And chapter four brings a curse upon self-serving priests, just as Michaeas had scolded the false prophets.

"Ruin for thee, sir priest, this day, and, come night, the prophet shall share thy ruin; name of the mother that bore thee shall perish, as, through thy fault, this people of mine perishes for want of knowledge. Knowledge wouldst thou spurn, and shall not I spurn thy priesthood; my law wouldst thou forget, and shall race of thine be spared oblivion? Priests a many, and sins to match their number; shall that title bring glory any longer, and not reproach? Fault if Israel committed, guilt if Israel incurred, it was but the meat and drink such priests craved for. Priest, now, shall fare no better than people; he shall pay for his ill living, reap what his false aims deserve; greed, that remained still unsated, wantonness, that could never have enough. Ah, faithless guardians, that you should play your Lord false! That dalliance, and wine, and revelry, should so steal away your wits!" - Osee, 4: 5-11

The priests had joined in with the collective worship of false gods, and they had profited from it, as false guardians of the people. Chapter five seems to reference the long-term Syrian aggression of Israel, that wasted away the strength of the armies of both Israel and Judah, leaving them practically defenceless against the Assyrian hordes arriving from Nineveh. The prophet wants the kings to acknowledge that they cannot survive through diplomacy with foreign nations. Their help is in the Name of the Lord, their God, and they still have a chance, a brief and momentary chance, to turn back to Him.

"Dead men to-day and to-morrow, on the third day He will raise us up again, to live in His presence anew. Acknowledge we, cease we never to acknowledge the Lord, He will reveal Himself, sure as the dawn, come back to us, sure as the rains of winter and spring come back to the earth. What way will serve with you, men of Ephraim? Juda, what way will serve? Ruth of yours is but momentary, fades like the early mist, like morning dew." - Osee, 6: 3-4

Chapter seven further mocks the attempts of the people to seek political and military support from other countries, even Egypt, which they had left centuries ago. And then they finally turn back when sorely oppressed, looking for God, but alas! it's too late. And anyway, there's no indication here that they had given up the other religions; their devotion was apparently (from other books and from the narrative in Kings; see Osee, 10:2, where they are called half loyal, half false) to multiple gods, one of which was the true God. The sentence has been drawn.

"The trumpet to thy mouth! Eagle’s wings threatening the Lord’s domain! Conscious of faith forsworn, of My law defied, to Me Israel cries out, 'My God!' cries out, 'We acknowledge thee!' Estranged, poor Israel, from the good that was his, and the enemy pressing hard upon him. Kings a many, and with no warrant from me; princes a many, that were none of My choosing; idols a many, of their own gold and silver minted; here is cause enough for their undoing. Cast calf, Samaria, is yonder calf of thine; for this burning affront, it shall be long ere thou canst find acquittal. Israel gave birth to it, this calf of Samaria, that came of man’s fashioning, and god is none; it shall be beaten fine as filigree. Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind; empty stook is empty bin, and here if grain is any, alien folk shall have the eating of it!" - Osee, 8: 1-7

And this is something we don't realise about sin and punishment and death: God doesn't wish to punish, He doesn't find any joy in punishment and in suffering. But punishment and suffering are the natural result of sin and infidelity. And God finds Himself helpless before man's spiral into sin and its wages, death. Even with the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, fidelity is still required: we must still believe in the mystery of the Son of God, and follow his commandments. And if we refused to, we couldn't be dragged kicking and screaming into heaven. Christ Himself would say something similar to what is said here:

"Can My people be reconciled with me? All hangs in doubt, until at last I put a yoke on all alike, never to be taken away from them. What, Ephraim, must I abandon thee? Must I keep Israel under watch and ward? Can I let thee go the way of Adama, share the doom of Seboim? All at once My heart misgives me, and from its embers pity revives. How should I wreak My vengeance, of Ephraim take full toll? God am I, not a man in the midst of you, the Holy One, that may not enter those city walls..." - Osee, 11: 7-9

The lament of the prophet continues until the end, where the voice of hope continues to linger. It's all rather dismal, and helps us enter into the mind of the prophet, who in his dismay watches an idolatrous nation lolling around in comfort and, with his far-vision, is able to see the dread retribution coming. But God will bring return to His people, when they have found contrition and have put away the idols. 

"Come back, men of Israel, with a plea ready on your lips: 'Pardon all our guilt, and take the best we have in return; the praises we utter shall be our victims now. No longer we will find refuge in Assyrian help, mount our men on horses from Egypt; no longer will we give the name of gods to the things our own hands have made; thou art the friend of the friendless who trust in thee.' I will bring healing to their crushed spirits; in free mercy I will give them back my love; my vengeance has passed them by. I will be morning dew, to make Israel grow as the lilies grow, strike roots deep as the forest of Lebanon. Those branches shall spread, it shall become fair as the olive, fragrant as Lebanon cedar." - Osee 14: 3-7

News from the School

I'd forgotten that I could embed twitterings from various accounts, although I'm not sure how it will reproduce on the blog. Let's give it a try. Here's a nice, new one from the School:

It was so wonderful to share a liturgy today with the whole school and have so many families join us from home. We’re now going to Go Forth and create our own rivers of positivity. pic.twitter.com/uiwT3eztKJ

— St Joseph's Primary (@StJosephsDerby) January 13, 2021

 If it doesn't come out with pictures, click link that begins with 'pic' to be redirected to Twitter.

Reading through the first letter of Saint Paul to Saint Timothy

This most touching letter of Saint Paul to one of his first bishops, after Saint Timothy had been given the care of the See of Ephesus, provides a short series of counsels for an infant church, establishing basic practices and providing counsel to the new bishop and the priests under him. Before continuing with this post, I should link to the page recording my Reading-the-Bible-in-a-year project, which began in August and should terminate in the next five months, going at this rate. And I should begin with Paul's greeting to Timothy as to his own son, for although Timothy already was a Christian in Galatia when Paul met him, he became a close follower of Paul and his disciple even, and so developed the father-son relationship of the priest to his people and later the bishop to his priests - a relationship that Paul cherished until his death. 

"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the appointment of God our Saviour, and of Jesus Christ who is our hope, to Timothy, my own son in the faith; Grace be thine, and mercy, and peace, from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ, as thou fulfillest the charge I gave thee, when I passed on into Macedonia, to stay behind at Ephesus." - I Timothy, 1: 1-3

Paul had learnt, probably from a preceding letter of Timothy's, that some gnostic elements had entered the Ephesian church, for he mentions the arrival of strange doctrines, legends and the obsession with genealogy, which seems to have been rivalling the Christian doctrine, which was based on charity, sincerity and a purity of heart. 

"There are some who have missed this mark, branching off into vain speculations; who now claim to be expounding the law, without understanding the meaning of their own words, or the subject on which they pronounce so positively." - I Timothy, 1: 6-7

That suggests to me Christians who thought they could interpret and speculate on the Law of Moses, without any understanding of that Law. And in so far as they found themselves at odds with a Pharisee like Paul, even Paul who had been given a particular mission to non-Jewish Christians, they were probably mistaken. And Paul had apostolic authority to fight against the corruptions with even corrective punishments, as he seems to have done in two particular instances. Being made over to Satan was likely a reference to what we today call excommunication. 

"This charge, then, I give into thy hands, my son Timothy, remembering how prophecy singled thee out, long ago. Serve, as it bade thee, in this honourable warfare, with faith and a good conscience to aid thee. Some, through refusing this duty, have made shipwreck of the faith; among them, Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have made over to Satan, till they are cured of their blasphemy." - I Timothy 1, 18-20

Prophecy singled Timothy out? Probably one or more Christian prophets of the early church had indicated this rather young man as a potential priest and even bishop. One of his chief duties as bishop would be to organise communal prayer for all mankind, but especially the government, which was the guarantor of peace.

"This, first of all, I ask; that petition, prayer, entreaty and thanksgiving should be offered for all mankind, especially for kings and others in high station, so that we can live a calm and tranquil life, as dutifully and decently as we may. Such prayer is our duty, it is what God, our Saviour, expects of us, since it is his will that all men should be saved, and be led to recognize the truth; there is only one God, and only one mediator between God and men, Jesus Christ, who is a man, like them, and gave himself as a ransom for them all. At the appointed time, he bore his witness, and of that witness I am the chosen herald, sent as an apostle (I make no false claims, I am only recalling the truth) to be a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles. It is my wish that prayer should everywhere be offered by the men; they are to lift up hands that are sanctified, free from all anger and dispute." - I Timothy, 2: 1-8

There follow the now-controversial instructions about women dressing modestly in church, and keeping silence there, accepting a continual role of student/learner in the congregation. We might compare that requirement to that of many orthodox synagogues today; I have seen it observed in one of those. Chapter three is a description of the ideal bishop/priest and the ideal deacon, according to Paul. In those days, there was no great difference between bishops and priests; that developed later. Paul then warns again about what I'm sure are more gnostic ideas. He counters by saying that the gifts of God, given for the enjoyment of mankind, are not to be rejected. 

"We are expressly told by inspiration that, in later days, there will be some who abandon the faith, listening to false inspirations, and doctrines taught by the devils. They will be deceived by the pretensions of impostors, whose conscience is hardened as if by a searing-iron. Such teachers bid them abstain from marriage, and from certain kinds of food, although God has made these for the grateful enjoyment of those whom faith has enabled to recognize the truth. All is good that God has made, nothing is to be rejected; only we must be thankful to Him when we partake of it, then it is hallowed for our use by God’s blessing and the prayer which brings it." - I Timothy, 4: 1-5

And that is followed by a call to holiness, which is not beyond the reach of any of us, for which we must be prepared to suffer, hoping in God our Saviour. And then, here's some wonderful personal instruction to the young bishop/priest:

"Do not let anyone think the less of thee for thy youthfulness; make thyself a model of speech and behaviour for the faithful, all love, all faith, all purity. Reading, preaching, instruction, let these be thy constant care while I am absent. A special grace has been entrusted to thee; prophecy awarded it, and the imposition of the presbyters’ hands went with it; do not let it suffer from neglect. Let this be thy study, these thy employments, so that all may see how well thou doest. Two things claim thy attention, thyself and the teaching of the faith; spend thy care on them; so wilt thou and those who listen to thee achieve salvation." - I Timothy, 4: 12-16

That first bit sounds a little like, They will all call you Father and don't let that bother you. And there also is our great ministry after the celebration of Holy Mass: reading, preaching and instruction. He even mentions Timothy's ordination and asks him to look after both himself and the cultivation of the faith of the community. Chapter five contains practical advice about the administration of the goods of the Church, particularly with regard to the ministry of the care of widows and the remuneration of the priests in Timothy's care, even warning that Timothy not ordain men (the imposition of hands) as priests inordinately, and to be careful with whom he ordained, because there might be faults concealed. 

"As for the imposition of hands, do not bestow it inconsiderately, and so share the blame for the sins of others. Keep thyself clear of fault. (No, do not confine thyself to water any longer; take a little wine to relieve thy stomach, and thy frequent attacks of illness.) Some men have faults that are plain to view, so that they invite question; with others, discovery follows upon the heels of enquiry; so it is, too, with their merits; some are plain to view, and where they are not, they cannot long remain hidden." - I Timothy, 5: 22-25

The end of the letter contains a final set of warnings about good behaviour among Christian slaves (treat your masters well), the avoidance of vain preachers teaching their own ideas rather than the Christian Faith (the only result can be jealousy, quarrelling, recriminations and base suspicions), and the management of wealth ('empty-handed we came into the world, and empty-handed, beyond question, we must leave it'). From here we get the famous adage 'the love of money is the root of all evil.'

"Warn those who are rich in this present world not to think highly of themselves, not to repose their hopes in the riches that may fail us, but in the living God, who bestows on us so richly all that we enjoy. Let them do good, enrich their lives with charitable deeds, always ready to give, and to share the common burden, laying down a sure foundation for themselves in time to come, so as to have life which is true life within their grasp." - I Timothy, 6: 17-19

And that is where he ends. Wouldn't it have been great to have the full set of letters sent between him and Timothy - the whole conversation? As it is, the second letter to Timothy that we have in our Bibles is, I believe, much later in its composition, sent at a point where Paul was at the very end of his life. And I shall get around to that in a few weeks.