The disciples don’t understand the Resurrection at first. Why is it so central to the Christian faith? [John 20:1-9; 20:11-18] Previous Next John List John 20:1-18 The disciples don’t understand the Resurrection at first. Why is it so central to the Christian faith? Titian (1488/1490-1576). Noli me Tangere (Do Not Touch Me). Around 1514. The National Gallery, London, UK. Photo by Tom Faletti, 28 May 2025. Tom Faletti March 27, 2026 Read John 20:1-18 Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter, and the Beloved Disciple find that the tomb is empty Verses 1-10 The empty tomb Why do you think Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb on the first day after the Sabbath rest while it is still dark? Mary finds that the tomb open – the stone has been removed. John does not say whether she saw that there was no body inside; but based on verse 2, what does Mary think has happened? In verse 2, Mary says, “we” don’t know where they have laid him. In the other Gospels, she goes to the tomb with one or more other women. The “we” here suggests that John is simplifying his telling of the story to focus on the key moments he wants to tell us, while recognizing that the story has also been handed down with several women at the tomb. Mary runs and tells Peter and “the discipled whom Jesus loved” (scholars call him the “Beloved Disciple”). The simplest explanation is that he is the apostle John, but many scholars have other views. Some think that the Beloved Disciple was another follower of Jesus, not one of the twelve apostles (see Introduction to John ). And some think that the Gospel writer is inserting an anonymous person as a stand in for his readers – including us – as a challenge to us to have the level of faith that the Beloved Disciple has. We will keep things simple by calling him John in the following questions, but you are free to interpret it along the lines of the other hypotheses. Although Luke mentions only Peter going to the tomb in Luke 24:12, he indicates in Luke 24:24 that, in the full story that was passed on to him, more than one man went to the tomb. It is quite common for different people to tell the same story in different ways, depending on their perspective. And since the Gospels stories were circulating for decades before they were written down, different Gospels writers had access to different tellings of the story. The Gospel of John indicates that it includes eyewitness testimony (19:35; 21:24) from the Beloved Disciple that many not have been as accessible to the writers of the other Gospels. When Peter and John hear what Mary says, they run to the tomb. Why do you think they run? John is faster and gets there first. What does he see, and what does he not do (verses 4-5)? When Peter arrives, what does he do, and what does see (verse 6-7)? What do you think is going through their minds? John’s Gospel is very specific about the appearance of the linen burial cloths (verse 7). Why are these details important? If someone had come to steal away the body, they would not have removed the body wrappings, which would have kept the limbs close to the body and made it easier to carry the body. If they were in the act of stealing the body, they would not have taken the time to roll up the head cloth. Also, some people think that John’s description fits what it would look like if Jesus’s body simply disappeared from within the burial cloths: the cloth around the head would be separate from the strips of cloth that went around the body, and the head cloth would appear folded as it settled in place when there was no longer a head holding it up. Jews had strict rules about not being made unclean by contact with a tomb. Why do you think Peter and John go into the tomb? In verse 8, we are told that John went into the tomb and he “saw and believed” – meaning that he believed that Jesus had risen from the dead. What do you think convinced him at that moment? What makes you believe that Jesus rose from the dead? In verse 9, John’s Gospel tells us that the disciples didn’t yet understand that it was necessary that Jesus rise from the dead. Why do you think they didn’t understand that? John uses the word “scriptures” here, which for him would be the Old Testament, but it isn’t clear that he has any particular passages in mind. Christians later saw resurrection images in various Old Testament passages such as Moses’s lifting up of the serpent to heal the people (Num. 21:9; quoted in John 3:14); the experience of Isaac when his father was preparing to sacrifice him and it was on the third day that he was saved (Gen. 22:4-13); Jonah being saved after 3 days in the belly of the great fish (Jonah 2:1); Hosea’s reference to God saving Israel on the third day (Hos. 6:2); Psalm 22, which has descriptions very similar to Jesus’s suffering on the cross; and Psalm 16:10-11, where the psalmist says that God will not abandon his soul to Sheol (the realm of the dead). What do you think are the biggest reasons why people today have trouble believing that Jesus rose from the dead? Verse 9 says that it was necessary that Jesus rise from the dead: that he “had to” or “must.” Why do you think it was so important that Jesus rise from the dead? Why is that so central to the Christian faith? What difference does it make in your life that Jesus rose from the dead – that he is still alive? Verses 11-18 Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene While Peter and John go home, Mary stays at the tomb, weeping. What does she see as she looks in the tomb? Then, in verse 14, she turns around. What does she see, and who does she think it is? In verse 16, Jesus says, “Mary,” and suddenly she knows. Think back to our study of chapter 10 , where Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd,” and tells us that the sheep follow the shepherd “because they know his voice” (10:4). Mary knew Jesus’s voice. How did she come to know Jesus’s voice? She spent time with him. She paid attention when he was speaking. She nurtured her love for him so that she was attuned to his voice. How can we imitate Mary in knowing Jesus’s voice? In verse 17, Jesus says he has not yet ascended to the Father. We have noted before that, for John, Jesus’s Passion, crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension into glory are all part of one great action by which Jesus fulfills the work for which he has been sent (for example, John 2:4; 12:32-33; 13:1). John compresses the resurrection and ascension into one day; he is focused on the spiritual significance of what is happening, not the literal timeline. In what ways do Jesus’s death, resurrection and ascension fit together as one, coordinated event? In verse 17, Jesus tells Mary, “Go to my brothers....” This is the first time Jesus has explicitly called the disciples his “brothers” (he uses the word “brothers” in a similar way right after his resurrection in Matthew 28:10). Jesus has previously called them “friends” in John 15:15, and he has said generically that whoever does the will of his Father is his brother or sister (Matthew 12:50; Mark 3:35), but here he explicitly calls them his brothers. Why is it significant that he calls them his “brothers”? We, too, have become brothers and sisters of Jesus, adopted into his family by faith. What effect might it have on your faith to know that Jesus calls you his brother or sister? Also in verse 17, Jesus calls God “my Father and your Father.” John told us at the beginning of this Gospel (1:12) that Jesus gives to those who accept him the power to become children of God. We have the same Father Jesus has. How is our relationship with the one Father similar to Jesus’s relationship with his Father, and how is our relationship different than his? What questions does this exploration of the early events after the Resurrection raise for you? How does this part of John 20 offer answers to questions that you or others might have about the Resurrection? How can you let the wonder of the Resurrection strengthen your faith? Take a step back and consider this: The disciples lived with Jesus for 3 years, yet they did not understand that he would rise from the dead. We have a better understanding of it because of the many years of reflection that followers of Jesus have devoted to it through the centuries. How is the disciples’ confusion a caution for us to be careful about thinking we understand everything about Jesus? What is the role of devoted followers of Jesus in helping us to understand Jesus better, and how can we stay connected to those who can help us understand our faith better? Bibliography See John - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/john/bibliography . Copyright © 2026, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous John List Next

What does it look like when we love God with our whole heart, soul, and mind, and extend the same love to others? Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 22:34-40 What does it look like when we love God with our whole heart, soul, and mind, and extend the same love to others? Image by Wyron A, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti August 18, 2025 Matthew 22:34-40 The Pharisees ask what is the greatest command? This is the third in a series of 3 challenges Jesus faces in his final week in Jerusalem before he is executed. This time it is the Pharisees who challenge him. The Jews had identified 613 commandments in the Mosaic Law, which was a lot to keep track of. Jewish teachers sometimes tried to summarize the Torah in a sentence. A Gentile once came to Hillel the Elder, the great Jewish scholar, and asked to be converted “on condition that you teach me the entire Torah while I am standing on one foot.” Hillel summarized the Torah with a statement that is essentially the reverse of Jesus’s Golden Rule in Matthew 7:12, saying, “That which is hateful to you do not do to another; that is the entire Torah, and the rest is its interpretation. Go study” ( Shabbat 31a ). Hillel founded the school known as the House of Hillel in Jerusalem and was a spiritual leader there from around 20 or 30 years before Jesus was born until Hillel died when Jesus was a teenager or young adult. His “house” or party of scholars lived on for more than a century after his death, generally in opposition to the stricter House of Shammai that led the Pharisees during Jesus’s ministry. What do the Pharisees ask Jesus? How does Jesus answer the question of which commandment is the greatest? Notice that Jesus quotes two commandments (found in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 9:18), not one. Why does it take two commandments to summarize the law? One deals with our relationship with God, and one deals with our relationship with people. (Jesus also cited the second of these commandments, Leviticus 9:18, in his answer to the rich young man in Matthew 19:19.) Jesus says that all of the teachings of the Old Testament Law and prophets depend on, or are based on, these two commands. Why is that? Test Jesus’s claim by applying it to some of the commandments you know from the Old Testament (for example, the Ten Commandments or other things God tells us to do in the Old Testament). How is each command based on one or the other of these two greatest commandments? What does it mean to love God with your whole heart, soul, and mind? How do you love God with your whole “heart”? How do you love God with your whole “soul”? How do you love God with your whole “mind”? Some Christians try to downplay the importance of the mind, but Jesus (and the Old Testament, and Saint Paul) emphasize the importance of the mind in our relationship with God. How can you use your mind in ways that “love” God? What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? What are some ways you try to love your neighbor as yourself? People often point out that to love your neighbor as yourself implies that you love yourself. The concern that arises if that if you don’t love yourself, it may be hard to love others. What are some ways that we can apply to ourselves the same love that we extend to our neighbors? The Jews would have taken it as a given that people love themselves, care for themselves, and try to provide for themselves. How can that instinct to take care of our own needs help us understand what we are called to do to love others by also taking care of their needs? Jesus says the second command is “like” the first? How are the two commandments related? How does the second command reflect the first? Jesus taught us in Matthew 25:31-46 that if we aren’t loving our neighbor, we aren’t loving God, because Jesus is to be found in the people in need around us. So these are not two totally separate ideas about how to honor God. The two commands work together because God has chosen to make us and everyone else in his image, so he is present in our neighbors. How can you follow these two commands in your life today? What is one thing you might do more faithfully, or start doing, to better fulfill the two great commandments? Now take a step back and consider this: A woman in one of my Bible Study groups once shared a story when we were discussing this passage. She was struggling with the idea of showing love to a difficult person in her life. She talked with her priest about it, and the priest reminded her that the other person is a child of God too. He told her to look at the other person as God does. She tried to do that, and, she said, “It worked.” Once she was able to see the other person through the eyes of God, she was able to not just tolerate the other person but develop a friendship with them. Loving God with our minds sometimes means looking at a situation and thinking through how God sees it, and then acting accordingly. Loving our neighbor means seeing them as God sees them. When we adjust our thinking, God is able to do things through us that he can’t do when we are closed off from extending his love to others. It is tremendously rewarding when we can experience the reality that, by loving God and loving our neighbor, we are participating in the work of God. Where in your life can you take a new step this week to love God with your whole heart, your whole soul, and all of your mind, and extend that love to others? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

Jesus appears to the disciples, imparts the Holy Spirit to them, commissions them, and gives special attention to Thomas’s need to see him. What do you need to hear from the risen Lord? [John 20:19-23; 20:24-29; 20:30-31] Previous Next John List John 20:19-31 Jesus appears to the disciples, imparts the Holy Spirit to them, commissions them, and gives special attention to Thomas’s need to see him. What do you need to hear from the risen Lord? Guercino (1591-1666). The Incredulity of Saint Thomas . 1621. Cropped. The National Gallery, London, UK. Photo by Tom Faletti, 28 May 2025. Tom Faletti April 6, 2026 Read John 20:19-23 Jesus appears to the disciples (but Thomas is not there) Why are the doors locked? What does this tell you about how the disciples are feeling? What is the first thing Jesus says to them? Although “Peace be with you” was a standard greeting among Jews, why is it a particularly appropriate greeting at this point? When have you experienced the peace of Jesus and what difference did it make? How do we sometimes hide beyond locked doors, figuratively, and how can Jesus’s peace free us? Why do you think Jesus shows them his hands and his side (verse 20)? This shows that it is the same person, Jesus. But it also shows that his resurrected body is the same body that was crucified for us, not a new body. How do the disciples react, and why? Notice that Jesus’s resurrected body can go through locked doors or appear in some other way, but it still shows his scars. It’s still his body, not some new body. Why do you think Jesus says “Peace be with you” again in verse 21? John does not tell the story of Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit is given widely to the church. He focuses on this moment, where Jesus imparts the Holy Spirit to his inner circle of disciples. Why is this moment important? In verse 21, Jesus says, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” What does he mean when he says he “sends” them, and why is that important? The word “sent” can be interpreted in various ways. One way to think about it is this: John never uses the word “apostle” to describe the disciples, but “apostle” means “one who is sent,” and here Jesus is “sending” them. So John may see this as the moment when they are commissioned as apostles. Is what ways does Jesus still send his followers out today? Why is being sent out by Jesus linked with the giving of the Holy Spirit? How is the Holy Spirit central as followers of Jesus are commissioned or sent out? In verse 22, Jesus breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” What is the significance of his breathing on them? John does not describe what happens, and whatever happened inside of them was more important than whatever it looked like on the outside. What do you think happened, inside of them? How have you received, or how do you experience, the Holy Spirit? In John 14:25-27, Jesus said that he would send the Holy Spirit and then added, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” Why is the Holy Spirit so intimately associated with peace? In verse 23, Jesus says, “If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven them; if you retain any, they are retained.” What does this mean? How do you see this ministry of forgiveness in the church today? In Matthew 16:19 there is no reference to the Holy Spirit when Jesus imparts the power to forgive sins, but John places it at the same moment as the giving of the Holy Spirit. Why is the Holy Spirit so central to the forgiveness of sins? Read John 20:24-29 Thomas does not believe the disciples until Jesus appears again while he is there Recall that Thomas is the one who, when Jesus said he was going back to Jerusalem, said, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16). What does that tell you about Thomas? Thomas is a solid, committed follower of Jesus. His faith is not erratic or capricious. He is the kind of person who is willing to face the facts but wants to know all the facts so that he can be a fully committed disciple. None of the disciples, other than John, believed that Jesus had risen until they saw him alive. Why do you think Thomas did not believe them when they said they had seen Jesus? Thomas gets a bad rap for his doubts, forever earning the moniker “The Doubting Thomas.” Would you have believed it if your friends said they had seen your dead leader alive again, or would you have wanted to see it for yourself? Why do you think Thomas specifically said he needed to see and touch the nail marks and the wound in his side? What does the fact that Jesus appears to them despite the locked doors tell you about his resurrected body? Jesus again begins with “Peace be with you.” Where do you need to hear those words, “Peace be with you,” from Jesus right now in your life? Jesus takes Thomas seriously and meets him where he’s at, offering his hands and side to Thomas. What does that tell you about Jesus’s patience with us in our times of doubt? How has God responded when you needed an assurance that he is real? Jesus then urges Thomas to believe (verse 27). How does God do that in your life? Thomas’s answer, “My Lord and my God” (verse 28), is not just a statement that he now believes Jesus is alive; it is a statement of faith declaring who Jesus is. What does it mean when Thomas calls Jesus his “Lord”? When Thomas says, “my God,” he takes a step further than any other human has taken in the Gospels. Until now, only Jesus has said he is God. The disciples, even in their breakthrough moments, have only declared him to be the Messiah, the Son of God, the Holy One of God. (The title “Lord” was often applied to humans, so it is not a clear declaration of divinity.) Thomas calls Jesus “God.” Why do you think it is Thomas who first says clearly that Jesus is God? When John gives us Thomas’s declaration that Jesus is God, it is a central point about Jesus that he first stated in the very first verse of his Gospel: that “the Word” – i.e., Jesus – is God (1:1). Skeptics claim that the disciples did not think Jesus was God. How would you respond? See Who Was the First to Say Jesus is God? for more on Thomas’s role as the first person to explicitly say that Jesus is God. We sometimes suppress our doubts rather than confronting them. How can wrestling honestly with our doubts lead to insights and spiritual advances that might never happen if we didn’t voice our doubts? God can handle your doubts. Are there any doubts you could bring to him right now, and let him respond, as Jesus responded to Thomas? Jesus’s final comment here (verse 29) is, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” He is not rebuking Thomas but encouraging people in the following generations, including us. What does this blessing from Jesus say to you? You have never seen Jesus, nor the nail marks in his hands, nor the wound in his side. Why do you believe? What do you need to hear from the risen Lord right now? Read John 20:30-31 Conclusion These verses provide a conclusion to John’s Gospel. Chapter 21 serves as an epilogue that, at least in its final verses, was added by others in his community. In verses 30-31, what does John say about the stories he hasn’t told us in this Gospel? What does John say his purpose was in writing this Gospel? John hoped that by reading his Gospel you would believe and have life (verse 31). Do you? Is there anything that might help you believe more or experience more fully the life Jesus offers you? What might your next step be? Take a step back and consider this: It is very common for people to pick one incident in a person’s life and act like that little story tells you everything you need to know about the person. Or they may focus on one incident in an event and ignore the bigger picture of what happened. The apostle Thomas is known mostly for this incident where he expressed his doubts, while his years of formation with Jesus are ignored and his decades of ministry preaching the Gospel in many foreign lands are forgotten. Similarly, people remember far more about Jesus’s appearance to Thomas than they do about his first appearance to the disciples the evening of his resurrection. John certainly wanted us to hear Jesus’s blessing on those who have not seen but believe: few eyewitnesses to the risen Jesus were still alive. But he would not have wanted us to miss the rest of the story: Jesus called his followers to be at peace. He gave them the Holy Spirit. He sent them forth. He gave them a ministry of forgiveness of sins. Let us keep the whole story in mind. In his first appearance to the disciples, Jesus called them to be at peace, gave them the Holy Spirit, sent them forth, and gave them a ministry of forgiveness of sins. Which of those do you feel needs special attention in your life today, and why? Which needs greater attention among the followers of Jesus today, and why? If you look beyond a moment of doubting and see the whole Thomas, what can you learn from him and apply in your own life? Bibliography See John - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/john/bibliography . Copyright © 2026, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous John List Next

We are not alone. We can work with groups that speak out for justice. Previous Justice Articles Next Groups That Work for Justice We are not alone. We can work with groups that speak out for justice. Image provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti August 1, 2024 Proverbs 31:8-9 calls us to be a voice for the voiceless and to defend the rights of the poor and needy. You do not have to be a silver-tongued expert in order to be an advocate. You can join with organizations that know the issues, the facts, and how to present the concerns of the needy to people in power. Here is a list of organizations that provide advocacy for people whose voices are often not heard in the halls of power. These links may take you to their home page or advocacy page. In general, you can look for words like “Advocacy” or “Campaigns” or “Take Action” (or similar words) in an organization’s menubar, to find out how you might get involved in advocacy efforts on behalf of others. Find a group whose agenda makes sense to you, and join in their efforts to be a voice for the voiceless: Franciscan Action Network . Bread for the World . Catholic Charities USA . Catholic Relief Services . Catholic Climate Covenant . Catholics Mobilizing Network . Justice for Immigrants . NETWORK . U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops . When you act as a voice for those who are not heard, you are showing your solidarity with Jesus, who told us we serve Him when we help the hungry, the stranger, the sick, and others in need. Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Justice Articles Next

The sick; the young; migrants and refugees; the elderly. (Paragraphs 11-14 of Spes Non Confundit) Previous Next Jubilee Year 2025: Embrace God’s Hope and Extend It to All Session 4: Where signs of hope are needed today, part 2 The sick; the young; migrants and refugees; the elderly. (Read paragraphs 11-14) Link to S pes Non Confundit Sunset, Ephesus. Photo by Tom Faletti, Ephesus, Turkiye, October 27, 2023. Tom Faletti November 16, 2024 Everywhere we turn, we can find people who are discouraged. Jesus calls us to share God’s hope with those around us whose lives are not easy. In this session, we look at more of the groups Pope Francis identifies as having a special need for hope: the sick and disabled, the young, migrants and refugees, and the elderly. People in each of these groups face significant challenges that could sap their hope. Pope Francis suggests ways we can help give them hope. Our study guide will help us explore specific ways we might bring God’s hope to people in these situations. When we reach out to those who are overlooked, forgotten, or on the margins of society (what Pope Francis calls the “periphery”), we are recognizing God’s presence in them and welcoming them in as part of “us.” When we cross those barriers, we help make it clear that in God’s world there is no “us” versus “them”; there is only God and “us” – all of us. Read paragraphs 11-14 in preparation for this session. Paragraph 11 (the sick) 🔗 Why does Pope Francis care so much about the sick? Read Matthew 25:35-36,40 What does Jesus say about people who are sick and himself? How is visiting someone who is sick a way to foster hope? In paragraph 11, besides talking about the sick, Pope Francis also talks about healthcare workers. Why does he say we should show them gratitude? The pandemic showed just how precarious the conditions of healthcare workers can be. What concrete actions can we take as a society to increase their safety and hope? Suggested Activity: Think about a caring nurse, a cheerful medical receptionist, an upbeat optician or dental hygienist, a gentle phlebotomist, or another healthcare worker who has brightened your day by the way they have cared for you. Say a prayer of thanks for them and ask God to renew their hope in their profession. Then send them a thank-you message. You can also let their boss know how much you appreciate them. You can do the same for a doctor, but don’t leave out the assistants who make a huge difference but are so often unseen. What can we learn from healthcare workers and apply in how we care for others? Do you know someone who is sick and would appreciate a note, call, or visit? What is one step you can take to show them God’s love and your caring heart? Suggested Activity: Ask someone who is sick if you could bring them a meal, a loaf of bread, or just stop by for a visit. Check with them about their dietary needs and personal likes and dislikes before cooking something, and adjust accordingly. If they invite you to stay and eat with them, accept their offer – they may appreciate the company more than the food. In the second part of paragraph 11, Pope Francis expresses concern for people with disabilities. Read Leviticus 19:14 Leviticus 19:14 shows the bare minimum of how we should treat people with disabilities: don’t make things more difficult for them. Why would that even need to be said? Why do people with disabilities sometimes face unnecessary discrimination and mistreatment? Pope Francis calls for our whole society to join in a “song of hope” (par. 11) for people with disabilities through our care for them and respect for their human dignity. What are the concrete actions that might create a “song of hope” for people with disabilities? What are some specific things that you or your parish or your society’s institutions could do to help people with disabilities feel less restricted and, with a song in their heart, be more free to be independent participants in society? Suggested Activities: Check in on people you know are dealing with a chronic illness. For many, their ongoing challenges may take a long time to resolve, if ever, while the attention of those they know may have moved elsewhere. So try to keep in touch over time. Get to know a member of your parish who has a disability. Ask them if they would be willing to move through your church and parish facilities with you and show you the obstacles they encounter. Then work with them to explore with your parish leadership what might be done to help people with disabilities feel more welcome in your church. Invite people with disabilities to events and help make it possible for them to attend if they are interested, rather than assuming they will not be able to do so. Paragraph 12 (the young) 🔗 In this paragraph, Pope Francis is thinking primarily of teenagers and young adults. Why is he concerned about them? What are some of the signs that they are lacking in hope? Read Colossians 3:21 Although Colossians 3:21 is directed at fathers, it offers wisdom for society as a whole. What are some of the challenges young people face that may cause them to become discouraged or lose heart? What can your parish or community do with young people to support their hopes and dreams? Are there ways you can encourage young people in their desire to help people in need? Suggested Activity: Ask teens you see at church if they would be willing to share their perspective with you on how the Church could be more welcoming and supportive of teens. Or ask your parish youth group leader if you could bring a few adults to one of their meetings to meet with the youth group members and listen to their ideas. Be prepared to try to move forward on some of the ideas you hear, or you will become one more reason why teens are sometimes discouraged about the Church. Paragraph 13 (migrants and refugees) 🔗 In paragraph 13, Pope Francis lists some reasons why people become migrants or refugees. Why do migrants leave their homelands? Why are refugees forced to emigrate? Read Matthew 25:35 and 25:40 When Jesus refers to a “stranger” in Matthew 25:35, the Greek word is xenos , which means a foreigner or a person who is unfamiliar. What does this passage suggest to us about our treatment of migrants and refugees? How does our society currently treat migrants and refugees? Note: The Catholic Church teaches that nations have a right to control their borders, but that governments have an obligation to treat migrants and refugees with dignity and respect and to provide protection to those seeking refugee status while their claims are considered. How can we help make migrants and refugees more welcome in our society? Read Leviticus 19:33-34 How does God say “strangers” or “aliens” should be treated? How would things be different in our society if refugees and other immigrants were treated the same as native-born people, as Leviticus directs? In the second part of paragraph 13, Pope Francis calls on the Christian community to defend the rights of the vulnerable. How can we do this and how would it increase hope? Suggested Activities: Look for opportunities to be welcoming to immigrants or other people on the fringe of parish life. Introduce yourself to them after church. Chat with them at the coffee hour. Research what people in your community are doing to welcome immigrants and look for ways you can be supportive. Encourage others in your parish to join in helping when you see needs that can be met. Paragraph 14 (the elderly) 🔗 Why do you think Pope Francis says that elderly people often feel lonely and abandoned? What are some of the factors in modern society that contribute to the elderly being neglected rather than held close to us as a treasured part of the fabric of our communities? What can we do to keep the elderly connected to the life of our parishes and communities? What can we do to help the elderly live in hope all through their lives? Suggested Activities: Invite older people to events you are part of. Go beyond just people who are your age or have the same marital status as you. Say hello to the older people in your parish and draw them into conversations. Visit people you know who are home-bound. Send them a card or note letting them know you care about them. Let your parish know about them. Ask your parish priests whether they know of “shut-ins” who would appreciate a visit. The sick, teenagers, migrants, refugees, and the elderly all experience situations where they feel like they are being ignored by church and society. Why is that? Read Proverbs 31:8-9 Proverbs 31:8-9 tells us to be a voice for those who have no voice. How might you respond to this call? How can you be an advocate for people whose voices are not heard in society or in the halls of power? Verse 8 says to speak up for the rights of the destitute, and verse 9 says to defend the needy and the poor. Why is this kind of action necessary, and not just providing charity to them? Closing question: How can we shift the way we see people so that our default is to be welcoming to all, to be people who inspire hope in all who feel ignored or disconnected? Bibliography See Jubilee Year 2025 - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/jubilee-2025/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Jubilee 2025 Contents Next

The 7 themes of Catholic Social Teaching, with Scripture passages that support those themes. Previous Justice Articles Next The Bible and Catholic Social Teaching Examples of how the Bible supports Catholic social teaching. “Separation of Sheep and Goats.” Byzantine mosaic reproduction. Early 20th century (original dated early 6th century). Metropolitan Museum of Art , CC0, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Separation_of_Sheep_and_Goats_MET_cdi24-144-4s1.jpg . Tom Faletti December 9, 2024 The Bible and Catholic Social Teaching “Catholic social teaching is a central and essential element of our faith.” – United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Catholic Social Teaching,” USCCB , https://www.usccb.org/offices/justice-and-peace/catholic-social-teaching . Catholic social teaching draws on 4 streams of knowledge: The Bible , including specific passages and overarching themes. (All of Catholic social teaching is based on Scripture, starting with Genesis: We are made in the image of God.) Church documents , including encyclicals and other documents written by the popes, documents of Church councils, pastoral letters from conferences of bishops, etc. The 7 themes of Catholic Social Teaching identified by the U.S. Catholic bishops. Facts and analysis , including an examination of root causes that underlie specific issues. Themes of Catholic Social Teaching 1. Life and Dignity of the Human Person - All people are made in the image and likeness of God, so we must protect life and preserve human dignity from the beginning of human life to the end. Scriptural Support: Genesis 1:26-31 ; Luke 10:25-37 ; Romans 12: 9-18 . For more, see Life and Dignity of the Human Person | USCCB . Examples of relevant issues: Abortion; euthanasia; the death penalty; terrorism; war; immigration; racism. 2. Call to Family, Community, and Participation - All humans are social beings and are called, and must be welcomed, to participate in community. Scriptural Support: Romans 12:4-8 ; 1 Peter 4:8-11 ; Leviticus 25:23-28,35-43 . For more, see Call to Family Community and Participation | USCCB . Examples of relevant issues: Government support for families; education; homelessness; new immigrants in your community; people with disabilities; people on the fringes of society; the role of Christians in politics/government. 3. Rights and Responsibilities - Everyone has human rights and a duty to care for and share with those who lack what is required for human decency . Scriptural Support: Isaiah 1:16-17 ; Luke 16:19-31 ; Psalm 72:1-14 . For more, see Rights and Responsibilities | USCCB . Examples of relevant issues: Protection of life; access to food and water; access to shelter and basic health care; education; employment; equal treatment; protection from discrimination, injustice, and oppression; rights of conscience and religion. 4. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable – We must put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first. Scriptural Support: Zechariah 7:8-11 ; Isaiah 58:6-10 ; Matthew 25: 31-46 . For more, see Option for the Poor and Vulnerable | USCCB . Examples of relevant issues: Poverty; safety net programs; support for people with disabilities; refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants; people threatened by violence; orphans and children in foster care. 5. The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers – We must ensure that workers are treated fairly and that their rights are respected. Scriptural Support: Deuteronomy 24:14-15 ; Matthew 20:1-16 ; James 5:1-6 . For more, see The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers | USCCB . Examples of relevant issues: A just/living wage; basic benefits; time off (sick/vacation/family leave); employment training/assistance; fair treatment/equal employment; unions/collective bargaining. 6. Solidarity – We must stand with others in their struggle for justice and work for the common good of all people. Scriptural Support: Proverbs 31:8-9 ; Psalm 82:3-4 ; Leviticus 19:33-34 ; 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 . For more, see Solidarity | USCCB . Examples of relevant issues: Advocating for the oppressed, needy, voiceless, migrant, disabled, ill, abused, etc.; humanitarian aid to poor people in other countries; supporting people whose human rights are violated; weighing private interests vs. the common good in society. 7. Care for God’s Creation – We must be good stewards of creation and protect the environment. Scriptural Support: Genesis 2:15 ; Leviticus 25:18-24 ; Matthew 6:25-34 . For more, see Care for Creation | USCCB . Examples of relevant issues: Air and water pollution; conservation; climate change; location of sites with toxic substances/environmental hazards; contamination of soil and groundwater; waste management; deforestation; surface mining. For a summary of the 7 themes, see Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching Handout from Catholic Relief Services. For more information about the 7 themes of Catholic Social Teaching, see Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching | USCCB , which has a separate page on each of the 7 themes, with relevant Scripture passages and excerpts from Church teachings and documents. Copyright © 2024, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Justice Articles Next

The poor; the goods of the earth, debt, economic priorities; synodality. (Paragraphs 15-17 of Spes Non Confundit) Previous Next Jubilee Year 2025: Embrace God’s Hope and Extend It to All Session 5: Where signs of hope are needed today, part 3, and broader appeals for hope The poor; the goods of the earth, debt, economic priorities; synodality. (Read paragraphs 15-17) Link to S pes Non Confundit Photo by Tom Faletti, Berlin, Germany, June 20, 2024. Tom Faletti November 16, 2024 Some of the greatest divisions in the world seem to revolve around economics and religion. In the paragraphs of Spes Non Confundit that we will explore in this session, Pope Francis first voices God’s special concern for the poor. He then offers proposals for responding to the divide between wealthy and poorer nations. Finally, he highlights the Church’s long history of synodality as part of a call for greater unity among God’s people in the Church. Our study guide questions will help us explore how we can live lives that show greater solidarity with the poor, how we might appeal to our leaders to place a greater priority on meeting the needs of the poor and providing justice for all, and how we can promote unity in the Church. Rather than shaking our heads in despair at the challenges around us, we are called to find ways to work for justice and unity in our world and in our Church. Our loving God stands on the side of responsive hope rather than idle despair. Read paragraphs 15-17 in preparation for this session. Paragraph 15 (the poor) 🔗 In paragraph 15, Pope Francis gives an impassioned plea on behalf of the poor. What are some of the ways he sees them being neglected and impoverished? Pope Francis says that when we see “the constant tide of new forms of impoverishment, we can easily grow inured and resigned” (par. 15). What does he mean? Why do we become “inured or resigned”? How does poverty drain people of hope? How can you live a life that is more fully identified with the poor as an act of solidarity? Read 1 John 3:16-17 According to 1 John 3:16, who is our example for how we should treat others, and what do you think it calls you to do as a follower of Christ? What does John tell us in 1 John 3:17? What are some concrete things you could do, on your own or with others, to respond to some of the poverty around you? If Christians engaged in more concerted efforts to help the poor, it naturally would lift the hopes of the poor. How might it also give greater hope to you or others who are doing the helping? Now return to what Pope Francis wrote in paragraph 15. Why does he say that it is “scandalous” that “the poor continue to be the majority of the planet’s population” (par. 15)? Pope Francis is not only concerned with our individual responses to the poor; he is also concerned about the actions of leaders in the international economy. Why does the world need more than just our individual responses? In what ways might it be said that, for world economic leaders, the problems of the world’s poor “are brought up as an afterthought” (par. 15)? How might political and economic leaders do a better job of addressing poverty? Suggested Activities: Explore the work of Catholic Relief Services , which provides developmental assistance to communities in need all over the world and provides opportunities for church members to advocate for governmental action to address poverty around the world. Consider a more frugal and earth-sustaining lifestyle. Distinguish between needs, wants, and luxuries when you are considering purchases. If you save money this way, consider giving some of it to organizations that serve the poor. (Section 4) Appeals for hope In this section, Pope Francis discusses some broader ways of thinking about the issues we face. Paragraph 16 (the goods of the earth, debt, and economic priorities) 🔗 Pope Francis says that the goods of the earth are for everyone, not for a privileged few. This runs contrary to the prevailing view that whatever you own is yours – period, end of story. In paragraph 16, Pope Francis make a specific request of the rich. What does he ask them to do? In the same paragraph, Pope Francis makes a specific request of governments. What does he ask them to do with the money spent on weapons? What do you think about Pope Francis’s requests? Pope Francis is raising questions about the priorities of those who have the greatest impact on how the world’s resources are used. Let’s look at this question of priorities on a personal level and on a societal level. Read Matthew 25:41-42 and 25:45 What does Jesus say about our failure to provide food and water to those who need it? There is enough food in the world to feed everyone, but the food is not distributed equitably enough to meet all people’s basic needs. What does this say about our priorities? What changes is Pope Francis asking us to make in our priorities, and what would your response be? What are one or two things you could do – either directly or as an advocate appealing to people in power – to try to reduce poverty and increase access to food and water? What could people in power do to increase access to food and water? Suggested Activity: Explore the work of Bread for the World , a Christian organization that is the leading anti-hunger voice in the halls of Congress. This group helps church members and other people of good will become advocates for action as it calls on our leaders to take the necessary steps to end malnutrition and hunger in our nation and our world. Read Leviticus 25:13-17,23-24 The Law of Moses prescribed that every 50th year (the jubilee year) all land would be returned to its original owner, so that families would not be indebted forever. Pope Francis quotes from Leviticus 25:23, where the Lord tells the Israelites that they are tenants on the land, not permanent owners, because the land belongs to God. If we viewed land this way in our society, how might that lead to changes in the situation of the poor? We might not be able to implement the full vision of Leviticus 25:23, but what might we do to move closer to a society where people are not mired in debt? In the second part of paragraph 16, Pope Francis raises the issue of debt relief for countries that cannot repay their loans. Debt relief can help address the lingering effects of past injustices related to colonization. Pope Francis notes that economic disparities can be exacerbated by the disproportionate use of the earth’s natural resources by wealthy countries. Would you be willing to support debt relief programs that try to help indebted countries get a fresh start? Why or why not? What might you do to learn more about the history of colonial practices that impoverished so many nations in Africa, South America, and South Asia and the economic imbalances that still affect them? Suggested Activity: Do some research to learn more about the history of colonization, the ways wealthy and powerful nations have extracted wealth from poorer and weaker nations, and how the power imbalances of the past continue to hold back the development of the nations of the global South today. Share what you learn with a friend or neighbor. Paragraph 17 (synodality) 🔗 In paragraph 17, Pope Francis notes that 2025 is the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, where bishops approved the bulk of the Nicene Creed that we proclaim at Mass every Sunday. The Pope does not mention this merely to remind us of Church history and doctrine, but to illustrate the value and importance of church synods in the life of the Church. Synodality is the idea that we must include all of the People of God as we journey together and discern what God is doing and wants to do in our Church. In paragraph 17, Pope Francis discusses the concept of synodality, which goes back to the early days of the Church. Why does Pope Francis say that synodality is important? How might a synodal approach to Church life help build unity? At the end of the third part of paragraph 17, Pope Francis quotes Jesus’s prayer for unity, which appears in John 17:21. What does Jesus’s call for unity say to us, and how should we respond? According to Jesus’s prayer, how can unity in the Church have an effect that goes beyond the Church itself? How can we support the Church’s efforts to express unity through synodality? Suggested Activity: Reach out to someone in your parish who thinks differently than you on issues related to the Church or politics. Invite them to get together with you for coffee so that you can listen to their perspective. Let the conversation proceed without any intention to convince the other person – just listen and learn. The very act of listening is part of what synodality is about. It helps build unity, even when we don’t agree. Closing question: In these paragraphs, Pope Francis is trying to build a unity of purpose that transcends economic differences, reaches out across national boundaries, and draws together the entire Church. What needs to change in people’s hearts in order for this unity of purpose to be fostered? What needs to change in your heart to help you more fully embrace this unity of purpose? Bibliography See Jubilee Year 2025 - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/jubilee-2025/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Jubilee 2025 Contents Next

What kind of soil can I be, to allow the seed of God’s word to take root and be fruitful in my life? Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 13:1-23 What kind of soil can I be, to allow the seed of God’s word to take root and be fruitful in my life? Jean-François Millet (1814-1875). The Sower . ca. 1865. Cropped. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, MD, https://art.thewalters.org/object/37.905/ . Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal. Tom Faletti June 3, 2025 Preview: In chapter 13, Matthew gathers together some of Jesus’s teachings that are in the form of parables. In chapter 14, Matthew gathers together some of Jesus’s actions that might be thought of as living parables – stories that reveal something bigger than just what happens in the story. Read Matt. 13:1-23 The sower and the seed, and why Jesus speaks in parables Although it is helpful to read the whole passage at once, we will discuss the sower and seed parable first, before discussing verses 10-17 about Jesus’s use of parables more generally. Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 The sower, the seed, and the soils Parables are stories in the form of metaphors or similes that use ordinary human experiences to communicate deeper truths about spiritual matters. In v. 19, Jesus says that the parable of the sower and the seed is about the kingdom of heaven, which is everywhere that people follow God’s Word and acknowledge his lordship. In this parable, what is the seed a metaphor for? The seed is “the word of the kingdom” (13:18); so represents the Word of God, the message of good news that Jesus is preaching about the kingdom of God. What are the different soils a metaphor for ? The soils are different types of people with their different responses to the message of Jesus. Or, to personalize it, the soil is the state of your heart as you hear the word of God. Who are the people in whom the seed takes root and produces fruit? Who are the people in whom the seed doesn’t take permanent root? Now let’s look at each type of soil more closely. There are 3 types of soil where the seed does not take lasting root: the path, the rocky ground, and the ground where there are thorns. In each of those cases, what is the reaction of the person who hears the word in that kind of soil? What goes wrong that prevents the word from taking permanent root? The path: They don’t understand the word, so it does not take root in their heart and the evil one snatches it away. The rocky ground: They receive it with joy for a while, but it does not last. Trouble or persecution arises, and they fall away. The thorns: They hear the word, but anxiety about worldly concerns and the desire for wealth choke it off; so the word does not produce fruit. Consider the seed on the path. Verse 19 says the evil one snatches the word from them because they do not understand it. How can the seed be sowed but not understood? How are people in our day vulnerable to hearing the word but not really understanding it, so that it gets snatched away before it can take root and turn into a solid faith? Consider the seed on rocky ground. In verse 20, how do people respond at first? In verse 21, Jesus says that when they encounter troubles or persecution because of the word , they fall away. In the Western world today, Christians may not encounter a lot of direct persecution, but what are some ways that living the faith can cause trouble or become difficult for a person who starts out believing? What does it look like when a person’s faith “withers” (verse 6) because it has no roots. How might we be vulnerable to having our faith wither when living the faith becomes more difficult? How can we build stronger roots for our faith? Consider the seed among thorns. How are people in our day vulnerable to having their faith choked off by worldly concerns and the desire for money? Consider these three risks: that the word of God might be snatched away because we don’t understand it, that it might wither in the face of difficulties, and that it might be choked off by the cares of the world. How are you vulnerable to these risks? Which risk is the greatest danger for you? [If you are studying this passage with a group, break into smaller groups of two or three people and share together.] Now consider the good soil. How does the person in good soil respond to the seed/word? For the people in good soil, what is the result? In our time, what does a person in good soil look like? What can we do to be good soil for God’s Word to take root? Jesus says that the fruitful people produce thirty-, sixty-, even a hundredfold. This means that, even among the people who let the Word of God take root in them, we are not all alike in our output. What do you think affects the fruit produced? Can you produce a lot of “fruit” for God even if your life is difficult and you encounter a lot of troubles? Explain. If the soil is the heart or receptivity of the person, it is not something that is external and just “happens” to us; we have some control over what kind of soil we are. What do we need to do to be the kind of good soil that allows God’s word to take deep and fruitful root in our lives? Matthew 13:10-17 Why Jesus speaks in parables Jesus is asked why he speaks in parables. He describes in vv. 16-17 how his disciples are different than other people. How are they different? What does it mean when Jesus says that the disciples see and hear while others do not? What do they see and hear that others do not? When Jesus says in verse 11 that the disciples have been allowed to know the “mysteries” or “secrets” of the kingdom, he is using a technical term that does not mean something that can never be understood by anyone; rather, it is something that can be understood only by those to whom God has revealed it. God has revealed his divine plan to the disciples through Jesus. For those who do not understand God’s divine plan, it does not make sense. In what ways is Christianity a mystery to those who have not embraced it, even though those who have become part of God’s people understood God’s plans? In what ways is it true that, as Jesus says in verse 12, to those who have some knowledge of God, more will be given? In verse 13, Jesus explains why he speaks in parables. In the typical Jewish thinking of Jesus’s time and in the Old Testament, everything was caused by God – even when people turned away from God and were held responsible for their actions. Following that line of thinking, in Mark 4:11 Jesus says that he speaks in parables “so that” they will not understand – which implies that Jesus’s use of parables is the reason they don’t understand. Matthew says it differently, in a way that make the human responsibility clearer: Jesus speaks in parables because” they hear but do not listen or understand. In verse 13, Jesus says that people hear but do not listen. What is going on when a person hears but doesn’t listen? Whose fault is it that they don’t understand? Does it suggest that they aren’t trying very hard to understand? Matthew then quotes from Isaiah 6:9-10, which can be interpreted either to say that God has prevented the people from understanding or that the people themselves bear some responsibility for not understanding and turning to God. (Matthew quotes the Greek Septuagint translation, which preserves the element of human responsibility more clearly.) What do you see in verse 15 that indicates that the people’s lack of understanding is because of choices on their part? Their hearts are insensitive, they are barely hearing, and they have closed their eyes. What challenge does this present to us? Are there times when we might be at risk of not hearing God because of our own apathetic or halfhearted approach to the Gospel? What do we need to do in order to understand Jesus’s teachings and allow his seeds to bear fruit in our lives? Why might Jesus choose to shift to parables if people aren’t trying very hard to understand him? Perhaps it helps separate out those who want to learn from those who don’t really want to put any effort into his new way of following God. What are some advantages of teaching in parables? Stories are powerful. They capture our imagination. They engage us an motivate us. Illustrations are concrete rather than abstract. They use familiar circumstances to open the door to more abstract points. In Matthew 13:3, Jesus begins the parable by saying, “Behold the sower went out to sow” – not “ a sower went out to sow” (64). He might have been pointing at a specific sower who was at that very moment sowing seed. Parables use familiar, concrete situations from everyday life. Parables make people think. They force listeners to discover truth for themselves. We have to do some work if we want to gain any benefit. Is there a value in that? Parables remain opaque for people who are not willing to be open to the message. William Barclay makes one other point. Parables are especially useful as a speaking technique: “A parable is not an allegory; an allegory is a story in which every possible detail has an inner meaning; but an allegory has to be read and studied : a parable is heard . We must be very careful not to make allegories of the parables, but to remember that they were designed to make one stabbing truth flash out at a man the moment he heard it” (Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 2 , p. 63). We have looked at what this parable means for us from the perspective of our being the one who hears the word. But it can also be looked at from the perspective of the sower, the one who preaches or shares God’s word with others. What lessons are there in this parable for us as we try to share God’s word with others? There are many good answers to this question. One answer is: Don’t be surprised that you will get varying responses when you share the word of God with others. Take courage and don’t be discouraged. Some people will hear and receive the message and produce fruit. You may not know how big the harvest will be – that’s God’s business; but there will be a harvest. Take a step back and consider this: One interpretation of this parable focuses on the fact that only a small proportion of the people who receive the word are actually transformed by it. Just as there are times in the Old Testament where only a remnant survive, Jesus is being very realistic that the Word of God will not be embraced by all. In many areas of our lives, we want to find the pleasant middle ground where we don’t have to work too hard: The house may not be perfectly clean, but it’s clean enough. I didn’t write an A paper, but it was pretty good. I put as much into that event as everyone else did. But does that work with our spiritual life? Is there a middle-ground level of faith, or does trying to settle for a middle ground lead us to situations where the seed withers or is choked off? How can I be part of the remnant or smaller group that gives itself fully to the divine plan for us to be fruitful in this world? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

The return of Christ and how to be ready. [1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 5:1-11] Previous 1 Thess. List Next 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 The return of Christ and how to be ready. Photo by Matthias Münning on Unsplash . Tom Faletti January 31, 2025 1 Thess. 4:13-18 Christians, dead and living, will join Christ when he returns This passage has been a distraction for many, due to poor theology. Some Christians have woven whole books and movies out of inventive interpretations of Paul’s language and the Book of Revelation. Let’s examine what Paul actually says. Paul uses the term “fallen asleep,” a term the early Christians frequently used by for the dead. In what sense are they only “sleeping”? Looking at verses 13-14, what is the concern that has troubled the Thessalonian community? They are troubled that members of the church have died before Jesus has returned. Why does Paul say they can have hope? In verse 14, what is the connection he makes between Jesus and Christians who die? How does Jesus’s resurrection affect your view of death? When we lose a loved one, grief is natural and to be expected. But how does our faith affect our grief? Paul now turns to a brief discussion of Second Coming of Christ. In verse 15, he says that what he is going to tell us in verses 16-17 is a “word of the Lord.” We do not have this in any of the Gospels. It might have been received as a prophetic utterance in the early church or as a prophetic revelation to Paul himself. What is Paul’s main point in verse 15? Why might it matter to Christians that, when Christ returns, those who have already died will not be left behind? The Nicene Creed, which is accepted by most Christian denominations, professes belief in the Second Coming of Christ when it says, “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.” Although the Nicene Creed had not yet bee formulated, this is what Paul is talking about in this passage. In verses 16-17, Paul describes the return or Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. In verse 16, what words or sounds signal that the time has come? The Lord gives the command, and then two things happen, or one thing happens that is described in two ways: the voice of an archangel and the trumpet of God. When that signal is given, what happens first (still in verse 16)? Christians who are dead rise. What Paul says here seems to be consistent with what Jesus says in Matthew 24:31. Let’s look at it: Read Matthew 24:29-31 What elements of Jesus’s words are matched in what Paul says? Jesus will return. Jesus will come in the clouds. A trumpet will sound. Jesus will gather his followers. He will gather the dead as well as the living. He says he will gather them from the four winds and from one end of “the heavens” to the other – this is poetic language, but “the heavens” means not just the people living on the Earth. A trumpet sound could be literal, but it could be symbolic. What does the sounding of a trumpet signal? What kinds of people get heralded by the sound of trumpets? What difference does it make to you that Jesus will return with power and glory? What difference does it make to you that those who have died will rise again – that we will have a resurrection? What difference does it make to you that your loved ones who have gone before you will be part of the resurrection? Return to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 . In verse 16, Paul says that the dead will rise to life. In verse 17, he says that the people who are alive at that time will be “caught up” with the dead who have risen, to meet the Lord in the air. The Greek word for “caught up” is used in other places in the Bible to mean “snatched” or “taken by force” (e.g., Matt. 11:12; 13:19; John 6:15; 10:12, 28, 29; Acts 8:39). When the Scriptures were translated into Latin, this word was translated to a Latin word that begins with the letters rapt . When the Latin was translated into English, it became our word “rapture.” This passage later became one of the primary passages used by people such as Tim LaHaye of the Left Behind series, and Hal Lindsey in The Late Great Planet Earth and other books, to teach a particular theory about the end times in which Christians are “raptured,” or taken to heaven, before the tribulation that everyone else must face. People who subscribe to that theory are described as pre-tribulation pre-millennialists. What Paul teaches does not support the pre-tribulation, pre-millennial view popularized with the modern use of the term “rapture.” That “rapture” teaching is actually not consistent with the Scriptures, which is why it was rejected throughout much of Christian history until the 19th century. Almost all Christians agree on certain truths: Christ will return. The dead will be raised. Christians who are dead and Christians who are still alive will be united with Christ and live with him forever. That’s what Paul says. But Christians don’t get to escape tribulation by being snatched up to God while everyone else is left behind to suffer. The Catholic Church does not accept that claim. The Orthodox Churches do not accept it. The Episcopal, Lutheran, and Methodist Churches to not accept it. Many other Christian churches do not accept it. It goes against established Christian teaching that reaches all the way back to St. Augustine. This new interpretation of the “rapture” did not become a popular belief until isolated groups of Christians proposed it starting in the 19th century. There are at least two key flaws in the pre-tribulation, pre-millennial rapture theory. First, nothing in Scripture supports the idea that Christians will be protected from tribulation. On the contrary, the Bible tells us over and over again to expect serious suffering. Second, the theory is intertwined with the idea that after Christ comes to take Christians to heaven, there will be a 1000-year gap before the final judgment. Jesus and St. Paul are clear that when Christ comes in his Second Coming, three things will happen immediately: the dead will be raised, those who are still alive will be caught up to Christ, and Christ will carry out the final judgment. There is no 1000-year gap in the middle. Revelation 20:2-3 mentions a 1000-year period known as the “millennium” without explanation as to whether it is symbolic or literal. The mainstream understanding of the millennium is that it is a symbolic “1000” years that began when Jesus ascended into heaven and will end when he returns in glory. During this time, God is restraining evil so that the Word of God can be spread throughout the whole Earth. However, as Jesusa and Paul taught, a time of severe persecution (the “tribulation”) will come before the end, and Christians will not be exempt from that persecution and suffering. See The Rapture? It’s Not a Pre-Millennial Escape from Tribulation for a fuller exploration of how the pre-tribulation, pre-millennial rapture theory contradicts what Jesus and St. Paul clearly teach. Is it a disappointment or a relief to you that Paul, here in 1 Thessalonians, does not teach what has been popularized in books and movies such as the Left Behind series? Why? In verse 17, Paul says that we will be with the Lord forever. What difference does it make to you that we will be with the Lord forever? In verse 18, Paul tells the Thessalonians to use these teachings to “console” (NABRE) or “encourage” (NRSV) each other. How might these teachings about the end times be consoling or encouraging? How are these teachings a source of consolation or encouragement to you? 1 Thess. 5:1-11 Always live in the light, ready for the Lord As Paul continues to discuss the return of Christ, he refers to “the day of the Lord,” which is a term used in Old Testament prophecies in the books of Daniel, Isaiah, Joel, and other prophets. For the Jews of Jesus’s and Paul’s time, that was when God would bring victory for the Jews. Christians re-interpreted it as the day when Christ would return in power and glory. Considering verses 1-3, what can we know about when Christ will return in his Second Coming? What do you think of Paul’s analogy comparing Jesus’s coming to the coming of a “thief in the night”? (FYI- 2 Peter 3:10 uses the same analogy of a thief.) What does it suggest to you as to how you should be prepared? In verses 4-5, what does Paul say about darkness and light? What does it mean to be “children of light”? In verses 6-7, Paul talks again about people “sleeping,” but this time it is not a metaphor for death. What does the metaphor of “sleeping’ mean this time, and what is Paul calling us to do, to avoid “sleeping” like others do? What does it look like to be the kind of Christian who lives in the light? How can you be a child of the light more fully or consistently? In verse 8, Paul tells us to put on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. He is again talking about the three theological virtues: faith, love, and hope (first mentioned in 1 Thess. 1:3). In this metaphor, they are defensive gear, to protect our head and heart. How do faith, love, and hope protect our head and heart? How do you “put on” faith, love, and hope? In verse 10, Paul uses the word sleep again, but now he is using it as he did in 4:13-18 to refer to death, not as he used it in 5:6-7 regarding lax living. What does he call us to do in verse 10? Since Christ died for us, we are called to respond by living with him, in this life and after we die. How can we live with Christ while we are alive? Paul ends this section by again urging us to encourage each other (verse 11). How can we do that? Paul also urges us to build each other up. What does that mean, and how can we do it? Looking back over 1 Thessalonians 4:13 through 5:11: Which of Paul’s teachings in these passages is most comforting or encouraging to you right now, and why? Which of Paul’s teachings here challenges you to take a new step, and what can you do specifically to respond? Take a step back and consider this: Paul talks about faith, love, and hope twice in this letter. In 1:3, he says the Thessalonians are actively exhibiting all three of these virtues. In 5:8, he urges them to put on the protection of faith, love, and hope. In some ways, faith, love, and hope sum up the whole gospel: if we are actively living our lives in accordance with these three virtues, we will be living the kind of life to which we are called in Christ Jesus. Genuine faith puts God first in all things. Genuine love treats others with the same love God has for us. Genuine hope helps us endure suffering and hold fast to the God who loves us. Which of these virtues would be good for you to focus on this week? Why? We are not alone. God is working to help us respond to these virtues, which he has placed in us. What can you do, or stop doing, to allow the virtues of faith, love, and hope to guide every aspect of your life? Bibliography See 1 Thessalonians - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/1-thessalonians/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous 1 Thess. List Next

Living the Christian life in the church. [1 Thessalonians 5:12-22; 5:23-28] Previous 1 Thess. List Next 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 Living the Christian life in the church. Image from Wix. Tom Faletti January 31, 2025 1 Thess. 5:12-22 Relationships and behavior within the church Paul now turns to his expectations for how the Thessalonians should live with each other in the church. In verses 12-13, he describes how the leaders of the local church should act and how the “congregation” (the members of the local church) should treat them. In verse 12, what 3 things does he say the leaders do? They “labor” among you, they have a leadership role over you, and they “admonish” you. Different Christian denominations have different terms for these leaders of the church: priests, ministers, pastors, deacons, elders, etc. In the following questions, the term “priests and ministers” will be used, but please translate that into whatever terms you use in your church. In what ways do our local priests and ministers “labor”? What is the “work” they do? In what ways should we defer to them as our leaders? Do your priests/ministers admonish you? If so, how? If they don’t, should they, and if so, how? How important is it to have people in your life who will “admonish” you? And how should they do it so that it is effective and not just off-putting? In verse 13, what 3 things does Paul ask the members of the church to do in support of the leaders? He asks them to show their leaders “esteem,” love them ( agape ), and be at peace. Why is it important to “esteem” our priests and ministers and to show them “love”? Are there ways you could show them more appreciation for the work they do? Are there ways you could show more appreciation or support for the other church employees, who do so much unsung work? Paul adds that the Thessalonians – the members of the congregation – should be at peace with one another. Why is peace important? Why is being at peace with the other members of your church such an important part of loving the leaders of your church? What do you do to help bring about or maintain peace in your church? In verses 14-15, Paul moves into a longer list of things the members of the church should do with each other. What does he tell them to do? Why is he concerned about people who are idle (he also mentioned them in 4:11)? What would it look like to admonish people who are idle? How might you encourage the fainthearted and help the weak? Why is patience so important? How does it help us deal with the idlers, the fainthearted, and the weak? Verse 15 could be a good rule for life in a variety of circumstances. What does Paul tell them to not do and to do in verse 15? Don’t return evil for evil. Always seek the good for each other and for all. The first half of verse 15 says: Don’t return evil for evil. Why is this an important rule? What might this stop us from doing, and what are the kinds of circumstances where we need to remember this? The second part of verse 15 goes further. The first part only tells us what not to do. The second part tells us what to do instead . Why is seeking the good of “each other” important? And how does it counteract our tendency to focus on ourselves? But Paul goes even further. He tells us to seek the good of “all,” meaning everyone else, too. In order to be the kind of person who always does what is good not only for myself , and not only for just me and you, but also for everyone else , how might we need to change how we think about the situations we are in? How does this approach to interpersonal relationships reflect the way God does things? How does this approach to interpersonal relationships challenge you? In verses 16-18, Paul focuses more on what is going on inside of us – in our inner selves. What does he say? How can we rejoice always? (What have we to rejoice about even when things are going wrong?) How can we pray without ceasing? For a simple way to approach the habit of praying constantly, you might explore the very short book The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, an uneducated 17th century monk who spent most of his time working as a cobbler and in the kitchen of the monastery. It can be bought very inexpensively, but it can also be found online at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library . How can we give thanks in all circumstances? What might we give thanks for when we are experiencing illness, mistreatment, or misfortune? How might this attitude of rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks at all times revolutionize your relationship with God? How might it revolutionize your relationships with the people in your world? In verses 19-22 where Paul talks about prophetic utterances, he is probably talking about the kinds of manifestations of the Spirit that appear to have been common in the early church and are sometimes seen in charismatic communities in our time. What is the balance he is seeking? Paul seeks to allow people to speak freely in response to the movement of the Holy Spirit, but with testing and discernment by others. How might this be a good approach to inspiration in general? 1 Thess. 5:23-28 Paul’s closing prayer and greeting Paul ends with prayer (verses 23-25) and greetings (verses 26-28). In his prayer, what does Paul ask of God? Looking at verse 23, what would it take for you to embrace the goal of being “perfectly” (NABRE) or “entirely” holy? Paul’s hope is that the lives of all God’s people would be entirely without blame or fault, “spirit, soul, and body” – i..e, in all aspects of their being. God is working to perfect us. How do our spirit, soul, and body all play a role in the perfecting process that God wants to work in us? What does Paul add in verse 24, and how is it an encouragement? Do you live as though God is faithful and will accomplish your perfection in Christ? How might that insight transform your life? In verse 25, Paul also asks them to pray for him. Why is that important? What does it tell us about Paul? In verse 26, Paul tells them to greet “all the brothers” with “a holy kiss.” A kiss was a common form of greeting in his time. It was used in Christian communities and very early in the life of the Church it became part of the ritual or liturgy. (The Roman Catholic Church reclaimed it as a formal part of the liturgy after Vatican II.) In light of verse 27, however, there may be more to verse 26 than meets the eye. Paul orders, in unusually strong terms (roughly equivalent to “I charge you under oath”), that the letter be read to “all.” He says this right after he tells them to extend the holy kiss to “all.” We do not know why he felt the need to issue such a stern order to have the letter read to everyone in the Christian community. Scholars speculate that there might have been factions developing and Paul wanted to make sure his words reached everyone. But we don’t need to assume that there were factions in order to make sense of verse 27. Paul wanted to make sure that his letter reached everyone – even the idlers (5:14), even the ones who were not peaceful (5:13) or patient (5:14), even the ones who were not walking as children of the light (5:4-8), even the ones who were not living in sexual holiness (4:3-8). Greet all of them, he says, with a holy kiss, and make sure this letter is read to all of them. Paul wants his letter to reach even those who are not living the holiest of lives. Why is it important that we keep reaching out to all of the people in the church, not just the ones who are consistently living holy lives? How might your church be more welcoming of people who are not (and maybe not anywhere near) perfect? How might you be more welcoming of people who are not living a fully Christian life as you perceive it? Paul ends (5:28) where he began (1:1), with grace: May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. How can you grow in being the kind of person who extends God’s grace to everyone? Take a step back and consider this: We need a Christian community. First, we humans are social creatures and need other people. Second, it is difficult to become like Christ without spending time in a community that is dedicated to living like Christ. Third, we cannot abound in love (3:12), encourage each other and build each other up (5:11), support those who are weak or fainthearted (5:14), or do the many other things Christians are called to do, if we are not living in a Christian community. We need to be around people in order to minister to them. Christian communities also offer opportunities to become more like Christ in another way. Spending time with other people opens us to interactions that may have some friction, which become additional opportunities to grow in holiness (5:23) as we try to serve our Lord together. They also give us a place to ask questions and answer questions (3:10; 4:13). We can explore together who God is, what he is trying to accomplish in our world, and how we can participate in God’s work in the world. It is fair to say that we need to be in a Christian community to be all we are intended by God to be. The fact that Paul ends his letter by urging that the holy kiss be extended to everyone and that his letter be read to all tells us how important he thought it was that everyone be supported and included in the community of believers. What is your church or Christian community? How is your Christian community important to you? How does your church enable you to be all you are meant to be? How could your church do more to enable others to grow in Christ, and what part might you play in that effort? How does your church challenge you to grow in Christ, and what might God want you to do in response? What is one practical piece of advice or insight or attitude that Paul offers in this letter, that you can take to heart and pursue within the context of your Christian community? Bibliography See 1 Thessalonians - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/1-thessalonians/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous 1 Thess. List Next

Some people see Mary in a variety of images and prophecies in the Bible where she is not specifically named. What do these passages tell us about God and how we can respond to him? [Revelation 12:1-6; 12:13-18; Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 22:9-10; Jeremiah 31:22; Micah 5:1-4] Previous Mary List Next Session 7: Other possible references to Mary in the Bible Some people see Mary in a variety of images and prophecies in the Bible where she is not specifically named. What do these passages tell us about God and how we can respond to him? [Revelation 12:1-6; 12:13-18; Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 22:9-10; Jeremiah 31:22; Micah 5:1-4] Henry Moore (1898-1986). Mother and Child: Hood . 1983. St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, UK. Photo by Tom Faletti, 28 May 2025. “The work presents three stages of motherhood: conception, gestation and parenting. These gradually reveal themselves as you walk around the sculpture” (“ Mother and Child: Hood by Henry Moore,” St. Paul’s Cathedral, https://www.stpauls.co.uk/mother-and-child-hood-by-henry-moore ). Tom Faletti July 16, 2025 In the previous 6 sessions, we looked at every passage in the Bible that explicitly refers to Mary. We will round out our study by looking at other Bible passages that some people have interpreted as references to Mary but that do not specifically reference her. Most of these passages were written hundreds of years earlier in the Old Testament; one is embedded in the apocalyptic imagery of the Book of Revelation. Revelation 12:1-6 and 12:13-18 A dragon (Satan) wants to kill a woman and her baby This passage is interpreted in a variety of ways. Some say the woman represents Mary, but that raises a variety of questions; for example, the timeline of Revelation is set in the future, but Mary gave birth to Jesus in the past. Is this passage really about her? Many scholars, Catholic and Protestant, see the woman as representing something larger than just a single person. They suggest that she might represent God’s people, either the nation of Israel from the Old Testament or the Church established in the New Testament – that is, the People of God under the New Covenant, the Body of Christ, all believers in Jesus. (The story could have multiple levels of meaning, in which case both interpretations might have value.) What are some ways that Mary is a symbol for the whole Church in her relationship with Jesus? How might this woman’s protection of the child be an echo of Mary’s protection of Jesus? Verse 17 says the woman has many offspring. How are those people described in verse 17? Her offspring are the people who keep God’s commandments and hold onto the testimony of Jesus (or bear witness to Jesus). Verse 17 is one reason scholars think the woman represents the Christian faithful (or also represents the faithful on a different level as well as representing Mary). If verse 17 is about the Church, then it is about us. What are we called to do? Are there ways that you, by your words or deeds, could be a more effective witness to Jesus? What is the big-picture point of this passage, and what does it tell us about God? The rest of the passages we are going to explore come from the Old Testament, with prophecies that may refer to the mother of the Messiah. Our first passage tells what happens right after Adam and Eve eat the fruit in the Garden. God comes to them, and they have this dialogue with God. Genesis 3:9-15 enmity between the snake and the woman; her seed will strike the snake Verse 15 is considered the first verse in the Bible that promises a redeemer for humankind. In the second-to-last phrase, most modern translations say: “They will strike your head” or “He will strike your head.” The “you” is referring to the snake. Although the snake could be interpreted literally to mean that humans and snakes will not get along, Church fathers beginning with Irenaeus of Lyons in the 2nd century and scholars all the way to the present have interpreted the snake as referring to the devil. The “they” or “he” is referring to the woman’s “offspring” or “seed.” The word “offspring” or “seed” could be understood as a singular or a plural word, which is why we see it translated both as a singular and as a plural. It could be understood as referring literally to the descendants of Eve as a group (“they”) or to some particular descendant (“he”), but Church fathers back to Irenaeus and most scholars since then see the offspring/seed as referring to Christ. Although the pronoun translated as “he”/”they” is masculine, when Jerome translated the Bible into Latin in the translation known as the Vulgate, he translated it as “she,” and that has led some people to interpret it as referring to Mary. This is why we see artists from the Middle Ages on portraying Mary as stepping on a snake. Some translations in our time still use “she” even though the pronoun is masculine. ( New American Bible, revised edition , Gen. 3:15 fn.). Let’s start with the interpretation that this passage is a prediction of a Messiah or redeemer to come, and the “seed” is a reference to Jesus. In that case, why is the passage significant? If the “seed” is Jesus and the snake is the devil, what does it tell us about the relative power of Jesus and the devil in our world today? How can you draw encouragement from the image of Jesus (the seed) striking at the devil (the snake)? If the “seed” is a reference to Jesus, what does it tell us about Mary? Now let’s look at the more questionable interpretation, based on Jerome’s translation, that the “seed” is referring to Mary. The text doesn’t support this interpretation, since the pronoun is masculine, but why do you think artists and other people down through the ages have been attracted to this interpretation that the passage is referring to Mary? People have also drawn comparisons between Eve and Mary. How are they similar? How are they different? What do you think Genesis 3:15 is saying, if anything, about Mary? And what difference does it make to you? What does this passage tell us about God? In particular, if God prophesied a Messiah who would vanquish the devil, all the way back at the beginning, right after the first sin, what does that tell you about God and his concern for humans? Isaiah 7:10-16 A young woman (virgin?) will bear a son who will be called Emmanuel Verse 14 is the key verse here. Some translations have used the word “virgin,” which makes us think of Mary, but the Hebrew word just means a young woman without specifying whether she is a virgin or not ( New American Bible, revised edition , Is. 7:14 fn.). There are people who appear to make judgments about whole translations of the Bible based on whether they use the word “virgin” in this verse. That excessive emphasis on this verse misses a crucial point. Christians believe that Mary conceived Jesus as a virgin not because of anything Isaiah says, and not because of how we translate Isaiah, but because of the clear testimony of the Gospel of Matthew that Mary was a virgin. So how we translate Isaiah 7:14 is a secondary issue, not a core issue of the faith. (For further information on this debate, see the sidebar at the end of this section.) Christians believe that the Old Testament often has stories that have two levels of meaning – one in the context in which it was written and one that can be seen in the light of the New Testament. Why is this passage important from a New Testament perspective? Regardless of whether the original meaning in Isaiah referred to a virgin, Christians see in Mary and Jesus a virgin and a child who is called Emmanuel, “God with us.” What is Mary’s role in making “God with us” a reality? In what ways is God still delivering on the claim that he is “God with us,” even in our day? Our theme has been that what Mary did, we are called to do. How can we make God’s presence with us more real for others? Psalm 22:9-10 in the NRSV and most other translations (Psalm 22:10-11 in the NABRE) Jesus had a relationship with God while still in Mary’s womb This is the prophetic psalm that begins, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.” Jesus prayed this psalm while hanging, dying, on the cross. Many of the lines in the psalm describe Jesus prophetically. For example, the psalmist says he is scorned, that they pierced his hands and feet, that they divided his garments. In the two verses we are looking at, if we read them as being Jesus’s words, he is talking about the relationship he had with God when he was still in Mary’s womb. In the first of those two verses, what does it say God did? In the second of those two verses, how does it describe Jesus’s relationship with God? What does this tell us about Mary’s role in Jesus’s relationship with God? How can we, like Mary, provide a safe place for others to know God? [The following Jeremiah passage is confusing and can be skipped. It is included here only for the sake of completeness, as this study has included every passage that refers to Mary or that some scholars think may refer to Mary.] Jeremiah 31:22 woman encompasses man. This is an obscure passage, with a possible interpretation that might relate to Mary. A footnote in the New American Bible, revised edition says, “No satisfactory explanation has been given for this text. Jerome, for example, saw the image as a reference to the infant Jesus enclosed in Mary’s womb” ( New American Bible, revised edition , Jer. 21:22 fn.). Mary could not “encompass” Jesus forever. However, it is a beautiful image. To what extent, and for how long, do you think Mary “encompassed” Jesus? How does Mary point us to a God who encompasses us? How can we provide the encompassing love of God to others? Micah 5:1-4a out of you shall come forth a ruler when she gives birth What does Micah say a woman will do as God brings salvation to Judah (the nation of the Jews)? How did Mary fulfill this prophecy? What is the significance of the fact that this passage refers both to Bethlehem and to a shepherd who brings security and peace? What does this passage tell us about God? How can we help people return to their shepherd and find peace? Concluding Questions for This Study on Mary, the Mother of Jesus As you think back over what you have seen and learned in this study of Mary, what has stood out for you or touched your heart in a particular way? What did you find most surprising? What did you find most encouraging? Our guiding principle in this study has been: What Mary was, we are called to be; what Mary did, we are called to do. What is one trait or characteristic of Mary that you would like to grow in? If you could name one thing that you think God might be calling you to do as a result of this study, what would that be? How can we help each other be more like Mary? Take a step back and consider this: Mary, in the Bible, is in some ways a well-defined person and in some ways an enigma. We rarely know what she is thinking. And yet, we see that she is a person of deep faith, unwavering in her commitment to her son, and present in the most significant moments in his life She consents to carry him in her womb and give him life; she is present in his childhood; she encourages him to perform his first big miracle or “sign”; she is visibly present to him throughout the agony of his crucifixion; and she is present when his Holy Spirit first comes upon his followers and the Church is born. You could say that one of her biggest ways of being a role model and example for us was her dogged determination to remain faithful to Jesus and thereby fulfill the role to which God called her. How can you imitate her unwavering commitment to remain faithful to Jesus in the roles you have been given in your life? In her devotion to Jesus, Mary was an encouragement to her son even by standing by him at the cross. Who might need you to stand by them, to help them stay faithful to their calling? How might you encourage them in their faith? _____ Sidebar: In Isaiah 7:14, did Isaiah refer to “the young woman” or “the virgin,” and how much does it matter? (This is for people who like to dig into the nitty-gritty of scholarly debates.) This is not a debate over whether Mary was a virgin. That is decisively stated in Luke 1:27, 34 and Matthew 1:18, 20, 25. The question here is only whether Isaiah prophesied a virgin birth. In Isaiah 7:14, King Ahaz is told that “the young woman” or “the virgin” (depending on how the word is translated) – will have a child who will be called Emmanuel (“God with us”). This makes people think of Mary. The Masoretic text, which is our oldest surviving copy of the text in Hebrew, says “the young woman,” and the word used there is a word used to describe a young woman who is old enough to get married. The word does not specific whether the woman is a virgin or not. Scholars note that the phrasing in Hebrew indicates that the woman was already pregnant at the time the words were spoken, which means that the “sign” was not that she would become pregnant but that the child would be called Emmanuel (“God with us”). That is why the NABRE translates this verse with these words: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; the young woman, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmanuel” (Is. 7:14, NABRE), and the NRSV uses these words: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.” (Is. 7:14, NRSV). Those translations make clear that the Hebrew indicates that the woman was already pregnant. The scholars who produced the translation for the Catholic New American Bible, revised edition explain why they concluded that Isaiah 7:14 should be translated as “the young woman” in this footnote: 7:14 Isaiah’s sign seeks to reassure Ahaz that he need not fear the invading armies of Syria and Israel in the light of God’s promise to David ( 2 Sm 7:12–16 ). The oracle follows a traditional announcement formula by which the birth and sometimes naming of a child is promised to particular individuals ( Gn 16:11 ; Jgs 13:3 ). The young woman : Hebrew ‘almah designates a young woman of marriageable age without specific reference to virginity. The Septuagint translated the Hebrew term as parthenos , which normally does mean virgin, and this translation underlies Mt 1:23 . ( New American Bible, revised edition , Is. 7:14 fn.) Many evangelical Protestants also agree that the Isaiah passage refers to a young woman, not a virgin. For example, David F. Payne, the then-Registrar of the evangelical London Bible College, now called the London School of Theology, in writing the Isaiah section of the International Bible Commentary , edited by evangelical leader F. F. Bruce, concludes: (c) Despite several attempts to demonstrate otherwise, it remains very doubtful whether the Hebrew word ‘almāh signified only a ‘virgin’. Certainly it was a term which included virgins; but it cannot be restricted to them. (d) In a context where names clearly functioned as signs (Shear-Jashub in 7:3, and Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz in 8:1-4), it is highly probable that it was the name ‘Immanuel’ rather than the child’s conception or birth, which was to be the sign. (e) It seems probable, though not certain, that the Hebrew construction suggests that Isaiah was referring primarily to a young woman already pregnant; virtually the same construction occurs in Gen. 16:11. (Payne, pp. 726-727). Some conservative scholars, Catholic and evangelical, argue that the word “virgin” would more accurately reflect what Isaiah wrote and intended. They argue that what made this birth a “sign” – something extraordinary – was that it was a birth to a virgin. They argue that the Masoretic text of the Hebrew that we have today may not accurately reflect what the original Hebrew said, and that the Septuagint, with its Greek word for virgin, may better reflect the original Hebrew. They note that Matthew was familiar with both the Hebrew and Greek versions of Isaiah, and he chose to use the Greek Septuagint translation, which uses the Greek word for “virgin.” However, these scholars have not provided evidence that the Masoretic text here is a garbled version of what Isaiah originally wrote. And Matthew’s decision to use the Septuagint translation does not tell us what the original Hebrew said or meant. He might have chosen the Septuagint version simply because it better fit the actual circumstances of Jesus’s birth, not because he had an opinion on whether the original word in the Hebrew text was “young woman” or “virgin.” In summary, we do not have enough information to be sure what word Isaiah originally used and what he meant by it, but the wording in the oldest Hebrew text we have (the Masoretic text) is “the young woman,” and in order to adopt the alternate reading of “the virgin” we would have to accept, without strong evidence, that the text became garbled between its original writing and the earliest version we have today (the Masoretic text) and that somehow the Septuagint preserved a more accurate reading. In the end though, it doesn’t matter. Whether Isaiah meant “young woman” or “virgin” has no bearing on the faith of Christians. We believe in the virgin birth of Jesus not because of anything Isaiah said but because the Gospels of both Matthew and Luke tell us that Mary was a virgin. What we know for sure from Isaiah 7:14 is that Isaiah prophesied that there would be a child who would be called “God with us,” and that is what we have in Jesus. And this Child was conceived by the Holy Spirit and delivered by a virgin. All of this is true regardless of whether Isaiah refers to “the young woman” or “the virgin.” End of sidebar _____ Bibliography See Mary - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/mary/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. 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A note about our terminology: What do we mean when we refer to a “part of a paragraph”? Previous Next Jubilee Year 2025: Embrace God’s Hope and Extend It to All A Note About Our Terminology What do we mean when we refer to a “part of a paragraph”? Link to S pes Non Confundit Photo by Tom Faletti, bridge near Neuschwanstein Castle, Hohenschwangau, Germany, June 27, 2024. Tom Faletti November 16, 2024 Church documents are often broken up into numbered paragraphs to aid in finding particular passages. This document follows that norm in having numbered paragraphs. However, in many places in Spes Non Confundit , one numbered “paragraph” extends over several paragraphs as we normally understand the meaning of that term. When this study guide says, “paragraph X,” it is referring to the paragraph that has the number X in front of it – for example , “paragraph 3” refers to the paragraph that has the number 3 in front of it . When a “paragraph” (as church documents count them) has more than one standard paragraph (as we normally understand a paragraph to be), this guide refers to those additional paragraphs as additional “parts” of that numbered “paragraph.” For example, the “second part of paragraph 3” refers to the second paragraph in the portion of the document that follows the number 3 and comes before the paragraph numbered paragraph 4 . Similarly, the “fourth part of paragraph 6” is the fourth regular paragraph that comes after the number 6 (and before the number 7). Bibliography See Jubilee Year 2025 - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/jubilee-2025/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Jubilee 2025 Contents Next