Thank you for sacrificing your time to pray with me at this “Red Mass.”
I wish to acknowledge your dedication as lawyers, judges, parliamentarians, and all associated roles.
Although we rarely hear from the prophet Malachi in the liturgical cycle, he explores an important theme about injustice. The hearts of God’s people have always yearned for divine redress and for reward for faithfulness in the face of injustice.
“Malachi” means “my messenger.” (v. 3.1) God promises to send a figure at the end of time who will “prepare the way” before God, who is coming to renew the faith of Israel. The anonymous author of these oracles lived in Judah two generations after the Israelites had returned from exile in Babylon (460 B.C.).
The people had rebuilt
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Indifference, unrest, and injustice were rife. Temple worship was not even externally correct. The people sacrificed lame animals to God.
The prophet’s oracles are a kind of catechism, laying out convictions about God’s love for Israel, love of justice, and opposition to divorce. They reveal the sins of the priests, criticism of ritual offences, and the assurance of the coming triumph of the just.
Malachi foretold a purified sacrifice that priests would offer all day. We believe this takes place at Mass, which is probably why there is a statue of Malachi in this
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If a neighbour were to deny food to an unexpected late-night visitor, he would experience shame the next day for failing to provide hospitality.
To this motive of shame, the parable adds the theme of determination. Keep praying because “at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.”
Jesus then makes an a fortiori (“how much more”) argument. If this scoundrel of a neighbour will act and give provisions, how much more will God—who is all good—grant the persistent petitions of those who ask Him?
In the other parable, Jesus makes a similar point about how parents want to give only good things to their children. If we, who are evil in comparison with God, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will our heavenly Father give? In Matthew’s version, He gives good things. In Luke’s version, He gives the Holy Spirit.
Jesus concludes, “ask, and it will be given you.”
In John’s gospel, Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit as “the Paraclete,” or “Advocate.” Lawyers are also known as advocates. You speak on behalf of others. You represent those who are unable to represent themselves. You are willing to serve. It’s no accident that, often, those who work in government are called Public
Finally one of the last and least liked of the prophets comes about around 626 BCE and his name is Jeremiah.
As the verse above says “do not let your hands be weak.” do not give up on what you want to get up and keep pushing forward. “For you shall be rewarded.” Both authors faced an obstacle before reaching their reward. In any situation, an obstacle will be placed in your path.
his sins but he knows that it will not succeed but he kneels and tries
Psalm 89 of the Book of Psalms, advocates the message of consequentialism, foreground by man’s relationship with God, with direct lin...
Before beginning our exploration of the character of Yahweh in the Book of Nahum, it is important that we first consider the literary context in which it is placed, that is, its place as a book within the ‘Scroll of the Twelve’. The Scroll of the Twelve is so named as it constitutes a collection of twelve smaller prophetic writings, each attributed to different prophets. Traditionally it has been argued that this ...
Margaret Sanger opened the first birth control clinic in the United States on October 16, 1916. Her nonprofit organization is now known as Planned Parenthood. Sanger was not only an advocate for women’s reproductive rights, but also a serious eugenic enthusiast. Her motives behind starting the organization were to educate women about the reproductive process allowing them to choose when and whether to bear children. Although Sanger supported the eugenics movement and sterilization, we cannot forget about all of the men and women her organization helped and continues to help to this day.
Zechariah is one of the Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. His book is located between the books of Haggai and Malachi. Zechariah is thought to have preached from about 520-518 B.C. The book of Zechariah deals with the restoration of Jerusalem, the Temple, and God‘s people. Chapter 11 verses 4-17, which is a story of two shepherds, is one of the most difficult passages in the Old Testament to understand. From the New Living Translation, the passage reads as follows: 4 This is what the LORD my God says: "Go and care for a flock that is intended for slaughter. 5 The buyers will slaughter their sheep without remorse. The sellers will say, 'Praise the LORD, I am now rich!' Even the shepherds have no compassion for them. 6 And likewise, I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of the land," says the LORD. "I will let them fall into each other's clutches, as well as into the clutches of their king. They will turn the land into a wilderness, and I will not protect them." 7 So I cared for the flock intended for slaughter – the flock that was oppressed. Then I took two shepherd's staffs and named one Favor and the other Union. 8 I got rid of their three evil shepherds in a single month. But I became impatient with these sheep – this nation – and they hated me, too. 9 So I told them, "I won't be your shepherd any longer.
The people fell into religiously giving of their sacrifices. Not out of a heart of love and devotion but out of duty and obligation. God knew their heart and knew their sacrifices weren’t offered out of a contrite heart. They thought they could buy God’s forgiveness with their wealth, or they could offer sacrifices that weren’t acceptable in Gods sight. They just didn’t get it! God would rather have their love then have them pleased with themselves for following some religious rules or good deeds. God expresses through the Prophet Micah what pleases Him “What can we bring to the LORD? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves? Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
From the very beginning of the book, Fee and Stuart seek to explain the importance of proper biblical interpretation. The authors provide hermeneutical approaches for the study of the different ...
In contrast from the beginning of the parable, Matthew became stronger and more resilient to evil because he only believed in
The three parables contained in chapter fifteen of the Gospel of Luke are a tightly woven trio anchored on either side by closely related teachings. The preceding chapter gives instruction on humility and hospitality, telling the reader to open the invitation to one’s meal table to all, including the poor, the sick, and the unclean. In the following chapter the reader finds instructions for how to use wealth to benefit those same people. In the middle of these we find chapter fifteen, containing the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal and his brother. As a part of the triplet, the parable of the lost sheep challenges the reader to not only invite the poor into one’s community, but to receive them as family with joy and celebration.
Class notes. Man’s Desperate Need of Righteousness and God’s Glorious Provision of Righteousness. Faith Christian University. Orlando, Florida. August 2011.
As mentioned previously, in Luke the parable is used to rebuke the Pharisees. Through the telling of the parable in Luke, it seems that Jesus is making it clear that He cares greatly for the lost,
Isaiah is thought to be one of the greatest poets of the Bible, and his book a classic of the Hebrew language. His writing has a very concise style, effective imagery, and an equilibrium between form and content which classify the type of poetry as classical. From the theological aspect, Isaiah moves in the religious tradition influenced by David's dynasty and the election of Sion, and also contributed to the shape and expression of the messianic hopes (Obstat, p.278).
The book is an account of the past of the Jewish people. It is powerful in its ability to foretell the future. Isaiah is a book, much like Jeremiah from our previous assignment that calls out to God and questions why things are unjust. People at times wonder if God has left themor no one or nothing is in actual control—these are questions that are being asked today. The answer today is the same as yesterday—Isaiah reminds us that we are limited in our true understanding of God’s ways and