THE BREAD OF LIFE CATHOLIC BIBLE STUDY

By Deacon Ken and Marie Finn

SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT – CYCLE C 

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

Pray and ask God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.

“THE PARACLETE, THE HOLY SPIRIT WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, WILL INSTRUCT YOU IN EVERYTHING, AND REMIND YOU OF ALL THAT I TOLD YOU.”  (JOHN 14:26)

FIRST DAY Reread last week’s readings.

1. What was a helpful or new thought from the readings or from the homily you heard on Sunday?

 

 

2. From what you learned, what personal application did you choose to apply to your life this week?

 

 

SECOND DAY              READ BARUCH 5:1-9 FIRST READING

(“For God will show all the earth your splendor.”)

1. What is Jerusalem to take off, and what is it to put on? Baruch 5:1

 

 

2. What shall no longer enter Jerusalem? Isaiah 52:1

 

 

3. In what shall Jerusalem be wrapped, what shall it have on its head, and what does that display? Baruch 5:2

 

 

4. What was engraved on a seal that was tied over the miter? Exodus 39:30-31

 

 

5. Why do we rejoice heartily in the Lord? Isaiah 61:10

 

 

6. What will God show all the earth, and what will we be named by God forever?   Baruch 5:3-4

 

7. Who will Jerusalem see to the east, how were they gathered together from the east and the west, and   about what will they rejoice?   Baruch 5:5

 

 

8. Who led your children away, and who will bring them back? Baruch 5:6

 

 

9. What has God commanded so that Israel may advance secure in the glory of God?   Baruch 5:7

 

 

10. What has happened to Israel at God’s command, and how is He leading Israel?   Baruch 5:8-9

 

 

Personal  –  What are the enemies that have led the children away in this day?   How do you see God bringing them back?   How has this affected your family?

 

 

THIRD DAY READ PHILIPPIANS 1:4-6, 8-11                          SECOND READING

(“…how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.”)

1. How are Paul and Timothy praying for the Philippians, and for what reason?   Philippians 1:4-5

 

 

2. What did the Philippians do at the beginning of the Gospel when Paul left Macedonia? Philippians 4:15

 

 

3. About what are they confident? Philippians 1:6

 

 

4. Who is Paul’s witness, and how does he long for the brothers?   Philippians 1:8

 

 

Personal  –  Who do you long for with the affection of Christ?

 

 

5. What is Paul’s prayer for the people of Philippi? Philippians 1:9

 

 

6. What do you become filled with through all spiritual wisdom and understanding?  Colossians 1:9

 

 

7. What must you discern so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ? Philippians 1:10

 

 

8. From what are you instructed in order to know his will, and what is important? Romans 2:18

 

 

9. What are you filled with that comes through Jesus Christ, and for what reason?   Philippians 1:11

 

 

10. How is the Father glorified? John 15:8

 

 

Personal – Give specific examples of how you have glorified the Father.

 

 

FOURTH DAY               READ LUKE 3:1-6 GOSPEL

       (“…proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”)

1. During whose reign and who was the governor when the Word of God came to John? Luke 3:1-2

 

 

 

2. Whose son was John, and where did the Word of God come to him?   Luke 3:2

 

 

3. What did John do throughout the whole region of the Jordan?

     Luke 3:3;  see also Matthew 3:1-2 and Mark 1:4

 

 

4. What is evidence of repentance? Luke 3:8

 

 

5. What leads us to repentance? Romans 2:4

 

 

6. What does godly sorrow produce, and what does worldly sorrow produce? 2 Corinthians 7:10

 

 

7. What is a voice crying out in the desert? Luke 3:4

 

 

8. What will happen to the valleys, mountains, roads and rough ways?   Luke 3:5

 

 

9. What will happen to all flesh? Luke 3:6

 

 

10. What has the Lord made known in fulfillment of what was written by the prophecy of Isaiah, and what has he revealed to the nations? Psalm 98:2

 

 

Personal – How has the Lord revealed to you personally that you have been saved from your sins?    How have you come into godly sorrow or repentance for your sins?

 

 

FIFTH DAY               READ PSALM 126:1-6

     (“The Lord has done great things for us.”)

Read and meditate on Psalm 126:1-6.

What is the Lord saying to you personally through the Psalm?

 

How can you apply this to your life?

 

 

SIXTH DAY           READ ALL OF THE COMMENTARY

BARUCH 5:1-9

 Baruch was the well known secretary of Jeremiah, and in today’s reading he tells how God will lead a “new exodus” at the end of time, from east to west, to the ideal city of Jerusalem. He is telling the people who have been through exile, captivity, and total destruction that salvation is God’s gift and God’s holy work.  He goes on to encourage them to accept this gift because if they do not they will become spiritual refugees.

Accepting the gift of salvation from God involves a conversion that turns all men toward their homeland.  Today’s message is a message of consolation and hope.  It is a call to come out of mourning and to trust in the Lord.  It is a call to put on the cloak of justice and walk in the glory of the eternal name.  It is a call to rise from the dirt and to shake yourself clean.

The people were being encouraged to stand on the heights or the shoulders of those who went before them into exile and keep their faith alive by staying very close to God’s Holy Word. They knew that no matter how difficult the times would get, their God would never forget them or abandon them. 

God is leading all of his people who are being oppressed. The people in today’s reading knew that, and in today’s world that same God makes the same promise to his children of today. Jesus Christ is the light that has broken the darkness, and we follow him in his justice and mercy and finally in his glory.

                      PHILIPPIANS 1:4-6, 8-11

This reading clearly emphasizes that, for the Christian, evangelism is not a duty, it is a joy.  This letter to the Philippians has been called an epistle of joy.  It is with joy that Paul prays for his friends.  The joy of Christian prayer is bringing those we love to the mercy seat of God. There is the joy that Jesus is preached in all parts of the world today.  If Christianity does not make a man happy, then it will not make him anything at all.  There is the joy of suffering for Christ in that it is a chance to demonstrate our trust in him and know that in our weakness is his strength.  There is the joy of Christian hospitality.  It is a great thing to have a door (your heart) from which the stranger and the one in trouble know that they will never be turned away.

Paul is seeing the life of every Christian as a sacrifice ready to be offered to Jesus Christ.  We are called to make our bodies a living sacrifice acceptable to God (Romans 12:1).  The task of the Christian then is to make his life fit to offer to Jesus Christ.  Only the power of the Holy Spirit can empower us to do that. Paul tells us that we are also partners in grace. We are to share our common debt to God for always bestowing on us his healing, saving grace.

It was Paul’s prayer for his people that their love would grow and grow.  To love is to know and to know is to learn.  When we learn, we discover truth and truth is Jesus Christ, yesterday, today and forever.

LUKE 3:1-6

Today’s Gospel sees it fitting to announce that in the loneliness of a terrible desert, the “Good News” of salvation was available for all those who repent.  We see that Pilate, Herod and Caiphas were the most powerful leaders in Palestine. But they were upstaged by a desert prophet from Judea. God chose to speak through this loner, John the Baptist, who has gone down in history as greater than any of the rulers of his day.

Even today we often judge by our culture’s standards, – power, beauty, wealth, education – as in John’s time, and miss the really special people through whom God works.  Greatness is not measured by what we have, but by what we do for God. We can be like John the Baptist and give ourself entirely to God so his power can work through us.  Mother Teresa has a saying that is very appropriate to our world today, “Unless life is lived for others, it is not worthwhile.”

John the Baptist’s whole life was lived to tell others that the time to repent has come to all.  We must realize that repentance has two sides – turning away from sin and turning to God. Repentance does not mean “I am sorry;”  it means “change.”  To be forgiven we must repent.  We just can not say we believe and then live any way we want to live, nor can we simply live a good moral life without reference to Christ.  Forgiveness from sin is the message of repentance.  Determine to rid your life of any sins God points out to you, and put your trust in him.  You will be living for others because knowing you are saved makes your life worthwhile.

Application 

The first reading shows that those who refuse God’s gift of salvation become spiritual refugees.  The second reading reveals joy as the infallible sign of the presence of God.  The Gospel reveals that God calls on ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

This week, show your family that Advent is a time of changing, watching and preparation.   Let the message of John the Baptist touch your heart and “Repent of your sins.”   Right now, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what needs to change in you. Write down what it is, and if it is several areas, take one at a time.   Share your journey with a non-judgmental person.  You are that ordinary person whom God has chosen to do extraordinary things.   Pray, thank, and accept from God the miracle that is going to take place in your life this Advent season.

1st Sunday of Advent New Church Year Starts – CYCLE C

By Deacon Ken and Marie Finn

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:
Pray and ask God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.

“THE PARACLETE, THE HOLY SPIRIT WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, WILL INSTRUCT YOU IN EVERYTHING, AND REMIND YOU OF ALL THAT I TOLD YOU.” (JOHN 14:26)

Application

The first reading teaches a message of hope and comfort found in prophecy and a vision of God. The second reading shows God’s word is reliable because God is truth (John 14:6).  The Gospel reveals hypocrisy can never be the core of true religion.

This week, be specific, be truthful, and say to members of your family or to friends only what is uplifting about them. Do not try to flatter them because flattery is dishonest. But, for one week, speak only about what is good about that particular person. Give only a praise report and watch an incredible transformation take place. Jesus spoke the truth because he is the truth. You can speak only the truth this week because you have the Holy Spirit and his power within you (1 John 4:4) to speak only the truth. Let all who know you know that you are reliable because you speak only the truth.

FIRST DAY

1. What was a helpful or a new thought from the readings or from the homily you heard on Sunday?

 

2. From what you learned, what personal application did you choose to apply to your life this week?

SECOND DAY READ JEREMIAH 33:14-16 FIRST READING
(“The Lord our Justice.”)

1. What does the Lord say is coming? Jeremiah 33:14

 

2. What promise has the Lord made, and how can we benefit from His promise? Deuteronomy 28:7-9

 

3. What will the Lord raise up for David, and what will he do? Jeremiah 33:15

 

4. As king, what will this righteous shoot do? Jeremiah 23:5-6

 

5. What did King Solomon, son and successor to King David, ask from the Lord, and what did he grant him? 1 Kings 3:9-12

 

6. Who was the righteous shoot of David for whom the Magi were looking, and what was the inscription over Jesus’ head while he hung on the cross? Matthew 2:2 and 27:37

 

7. In those days, who will be safe and dwell secure? Jeremiah 33:16

 

8. What will the city be named? Jeremiah 33:16

 

9. How have we been made right with God or justified with God? Romans 3:21-26

 

10. How did David, Samuel and the prophets conquer kingdoms? Hebrews 11:33

 

Personal – In what way has God fulfilled his promise to you personally? Where do you find your security?

 

 

THIRD DAY READ 1 THESSALONIANS 3:12-4:2 SECOND READING
(“…may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another.”)

1. In what are you to abound and increase, and for whom? 1 Thessalonians 3:12

 

2. What will loving one another do to your heart? 1 Thess. 3:13

 

3. Why do you thank God always for one another? 2 Thessalonians 1:3

 

4. How will you become before God at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ? 1 Thessalonians 3:13

 

5. Whom does Paul ask to make the brothers holy and blameless? 1 Thessalonians 5:23

 

6. How is Paul asking the brothers to conduct themselves? 1 Thessalonians 4:1

 

7. What were they to do with a brother who acted in a disorderly way, and how did Paul act? 2 Thess.3:6-7

 

8. What was given to the brothers, and who was it through? 1 Thessalonians 4:2

 

9. Who is able to instruct and admonish one another? Romans 15:14

 

10. What happens to a wise and just man who is instructed? Proverbs 9:9

 

Personal – How has your love increased for your spouse, children, friends, and neighbors during the past month? In what way do you see a difference in the way you love now compared to last year?

 

FOURTH DAY READ LUKE 21:25-28, 34-36 GOSPEL
(“Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent.”)

1. Where will there be signs, and why will nations be perplexed? Luke 21:25

 

2. What will happen to the sun, moon, stars and powers of the heavens? Matthew 24:29

 

3. What will happen to people in anticipation of what is to come upon the world? Luke 21:26

 

4. Who are you to fear? Luke 12:5

 

5. Who will people see coming on a cloud with power and great glory? Luke 21:27

 

6. When these signs begin to happen, how should you stand? Why should you stand this way? Luke 21:28

 

7. What will happen to God’s chosen ones? Luke 18:7-8

 

Personal – If the heavens shook today, would you die of fear or would you stand erect looking up to see him coming on the cloud?

 

8. Of what should you be wary, and what will happen to everyone who lives on the earth? Luke 21:34-35

 

9. What are you to be at all times, and for what are you to pray? Luke 21:36

 

10. What did Jesus tell his disciples while he was in the Garden of Gethsemane? Matthew 26:41

 

Personal – What have you been doing in anticipation of his coming again? Share this scripture with a family member or a friend.

FIFTH DAY READ PSALM 25:4-5,8-10, 14
(“He guides the humble to justice,”)

Read and meditate on Psalm 25:4-5,8-10, 14.

What is the Lord saying to you personally through the Psalm?

How can you apply this to your life?

SIXTH DAY READ ALL OF THE COMMENTARY

JEREMIAH 33:14-16

This passage tells about God’s plan to restore Jerusalem, not because the people cried, but because it was part of his ultimate plan. The disaster brought to the Jews by the Babylonians did not change God’s purpose for his people. Although Jerusalem would be destroyed, it would eventually be restored, because God’s justice is always tempered by his mercy. The emphasis is on the promise of a worldwide reign on earth by a Messiah. The immediate historical context is not what this reading is about. It is about God’s control of history; he can act anytime he chooses. We must never forget that God will act in his time (Hebrews 12:26, 27).

Today’s reading refers to both the first and second comings of Christ. When this long-awaited Messiah would come, he would set up his reign in the hearts of the believers. At his second coming he will execute justice and righteousness throughout the whole earth. What a tremendous prophecy this was for the people. They knew that no matter what horror was done to them their Messiah was coming to bring them freedom.

Today, all over the world, there is tyranny, oppression, hunger and violence. In the deepest darkness of all of this pain is the “Good News.” The Good News is a message of hope. It is the light of the world that has pierced and defeated the darkness of death. Today, our world is caught up in its own self-prophecy and refuses by its action to say, “The Lord is our righteousness.”

The promise of eternal life and joy is far more meaningful for us because the Messiah has come and his name is Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior. He is the Good News.

1 THESSALONIANS 3:12-4:2

In today’s passage we are treated to a special glimpse of the apostle Paul’s mind, because for him everything was of God. He prays to God to show him the way to Thessalonica. He turns to God for guidance in the ordinary day-to-day problems.

One of the great and incredibly common mistakes of life is to turn to God only in the over-powering emergencies and shattering crises. How many times have you or someone you know called on Christ in an emergency? Like a good fireman, he comes and puts out the fire. You say a few, quick “thank yous” and send him back to his fire station to await yet another call from you.

Paul is talking about prayer being an active type of relationship. When two people are in love, they want to share all their successes as well as all their sorrows. Christ becomes the person with whom we share our minds, hearts and souls; and we do this in prayer. Prayer is two people in love telling each other how much they love each other. This love that we have for Jesus will overflow to others. This is how people judge us, not by what we say, but by how much we love others. Being polite and courteous is not enough, we need to show our love to others, especially the unlovable.

Our love should be continually growing, and if it seems your love for others has remained unchanged for some time, get on your knees and ask him to fill you with his Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), and then you will be able to love even the unlovable. This passage ends with a call to please God with our daily living. The standards of the world want to entice us and kill us. The standard of God wants to free us, to save us, to love us, and to let us become capable of loving others. Which standard will we choose?

LUKE 21:25-28, 34-36

We are confronted with a very piercing question in today’s Gospel. If the heavens shook and opened up, would we die of fear or would we stand erect, looking up to see him coming on the clouds? To the believer, this calls for some serious thought; to the unbeliever, this is foolishness to even talk about the subject. Jesus told his disciples to be on guard and pray. The picture of the coming persecutions and natural disasters is gloomy, but ultimately, they are cause not for worry, but for great joy. He knew that when believers see these events happening, they will know that the return of their Messiah is near. They can look forward to his reign of justice and peace.

Today we are experiencing natural disasters like earthquakes, forest fires, famine, and drought. Rather than being terrified by what is happening in our world, we should be confident and prayerful awaiting Christ’s return. Jesus told his disciples to keep a constant watch for his return. Are you keeping a faithful watch with the lifestyle you are living? The followers of Jesus Christ live in anticipation of his return, and they are very much on guard against the temptation of the world.

Although nearly two thousand years have passed since he spoke these words, their truth remains: He is coming again, and we need to watch and be ready. This means working faithfully at the tasks God has given us, and not wishing we were someone else. If you were the only person in the world, Christ would have gone on that cross anyway, simply because he loves us enough to die for us, so that we can be with him when he comes back again.

Application

The first reading tells us that the light is coming to destroy the darkness. In the second reading we see that prayer is alive and active because it is a dialogue between two people. The Gospel calls us to be on guard and to pray about everything.

This week, show your family, school or work associates what you are doing in anticipation of Jesus’ return. Your actions can be shown in taking time alone in prayer with the Lord, by reading scripture with your family, by doing bible study on your lunch hour and by loving others even when you do not feel loving. Remember, love is not a feeling; love is a decision. Get active in prayer, reading God’s Holy Word, in God’s church and fellowship with the believing community.

 

THE BREAD OF LIFE CATHOLIC BIBLE STUDY

By Deacon Ken and Marie Finn

THIRTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – CYCLE B – CHRIST THE KING

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

Pray and ask God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.  “THE PARACLETE, THE HOLY SPIRIT WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, WILL INSTRUCT YOU IN EVERYTHING, AND REMIND YOU OF ALL THAT I TOLD YOU.”  (JOHN 14:26)

FIRST DAY  Reread last week’s readings.

1. What was a helpful or new thought from the readings or from the homily you heard on Sunday?

 

2. From what you learned, what personal application did you choose to apply to your life this week?

 

SECOND DAY             READ DANIEL 7:13-14     FIRST READING

(“…his kingship shall not be destroyed.”)

1. Who was having visions during the night? Daniel 7:1

 

2. What did he see coming on the clouds of heaven, and into whose presence did he come?  Daniel 7:13

 

3. What will we all see? Mark 14:62

 

4. What will the son of man receive? Daniel 7:14

 

5. What did Jesus say was given to him? Matthew 28:18

 

6. What shall the Lord do in the time of kings? Daniel    2:44

 

7. Who shall serve the Lord? Daniel 7:14

 

8. What two things did Jesus come to do? Matthew 20:28

 

9. What is his dominion, and what shall not happen to it? Daniel 7:14

 

10. We who are receiving the unshakable kingdom should do what? Hebrews 12:26-29

 

 

Personal – In what area in your life does God not have dominion over you?  How can you give him complete control and kingship over every area  of your life  in regard  to your spouse,  family, friend­s, neighbors, and church.

 

 

THIRD DAY READ REVELATION 1:5-8                          SECOND READING

(“…who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father,”)

1. Who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and ruler of the kings of the earth? Revelations 1:5, 1 Corinthians 15:20

 

2. If Jesus is the firstborn from the dead, in what else should he be first?   Colossians 1:18

 

3. What has Jesus done by his blood, what has this made us, and who gets the glory and power forever? Revelation 1:5-6

 

4. From what did Christ’s blood cleanse our consciences, and to do what?   Hebrews 9:14

 

5. If we walk in the light as he is in the light, what will we have, and how are we cleansed?   1 John 1:7

 

6. What are we to let happen to us? 1 Peter 2:5

 

7. Who will see him coming amidst the clouds, and who will lament him?   Revelation 1:7

 

8. When the Son of Man comes in all his glory, how will he repay everyone? Matthew 16:27

 

9. What did the Lord God say? Revelation 1:8

 

10. Who does the Lord God give a gift from the spring of living water?   Revelation 21:6

 

 

Personal – What signs do you show by your speech and actions of dying to self for those around you, that reveal you have been made into a kingdom, priests for our God and Father?  How has this been done?

 

 

FOURTH DAY              READ JOHN 18:33-37      GOSPEL

(“Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”)

1. What did Pilate ask Jesus, and what was Jesus’ question back to him?   John 18:33-34

 

2. What did Pilate say he was not, and who did he say handed Jesus over to him?   John 18:35

 

3. What did Jesus say about his kingdom? John 18:36

 

4. Who did Jesus say his Father would provide, and why does Jesus say he does not call upon his Father? Matthew 26:53-54

 

5. Where did Jesus say is the kingdom of God? Luke 17:20- 21

 

6. What did Pilate say to Jesus, and for what did Jesus say he was born and to testify to?   John 18:37

 

7. To what does Jesus testify to? John 3:32

 

8. What does everyone who belongs to the truth do? John      18:37

 

9. Who hears the words of God? John 8:47

 

10. How do we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit? 1 John 4:6

 

Personal – If the kingdom of God, Jesus’ Holy Spirit, is among you and within you, to whom and what have you been listening?  How do you determine if the person speaking is speaking truth? Share this with someone.  How can you apply this to your everyday life?

 

 

 

FIFTH DAY              READ PSALM 93:1-2, 5

(“…holiness befits your house.”)

Read and meditate on Psalm 93:1-2, 5.

 

What is the Lord saying to you personally through the Psalm?

 

How can you apply this to your life?

 

 

SIXTH DAY           READ ALL OF THE COMMENTARY

DANIEL 7:13-14

This passage reveals Daniel’s vision of the end times. Daniel describes the arrival of a man; this man is the Messiah. Jesus used the above verse to refer to himself in scripture (Luke 21:27). Daniel, while feeling disturbed and confused about these prophe­cies, recognized, as we need to recognize today, that their full meaning has not been revealed. The full implications of these prophecies or any other of God’s prophecies will not be known until God reveals them to his people.

Daniel’s prophecy is a tremendous message of hope and comfort for the many who are sick, lonely, abandoned and lost. This vision was told to many people, and the Son of Man was, of course, the Messiah who is Jesus Christ. We today can look at prophecy and see that the full meaning is still to come. Jesus has come to free us from the grasp of Satan, but there is still much evil in our lands. We know that the power of the Holy Spirit is his power, and that power is eternal. We also know that the government of the Lord is a corrupt-free government.

Jesus tells us that he will return to raise up all his fol­lowers to the Father. We all must stand before God and give an account of our lives. If you were to see God arrive on clouds from heaven and your life were judged by God today, what would he say about it? How would he measure your life against his word? We need to ask what we would like him to see at that time. Then we should live that way beginning now.

REVELATION 1:5-8

Today’s reading shows us that we can be assured that God’s word is reliable because the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the source of truth. We have seen in scripture that others had risen from the dead. The apostles, prophets, and Jesus himself had brought people back to life during their ministries. But all of them eventually died.

Jesus Christ was the only person who ever was born to die. He died so that you and I could live forever with him.  He paid the ransom for us, and it was a ransom of blood. One of the most difficult things Christian believers are asked is to share what Christ really means to them personally. Many Christians hesitate to share what Christ has done in their lives because they do not feel the change has been very noticeable. You qualify as a witness for Jesus because of what he has done for you, not because of what you have done for him.

Today’s passage shares with us that Christ has done specific things for each person that can be shared with others. Christ demonstrated his great love for us by setting us free from our sins, through his death on the cross, guaranteeing us a place in his kingdom if we choose to believe in him. The fact that Christ has offered eternal life to you is nothing short of a spectacular testimony on your behalf. Jesus is shown as an all-powerful king, victorious at battle, glorious in peace. We can be victorious also in battle and glorious in peace when Jesus is our Lord and Savior, because the battle is his, and not ours.

JOHN 18:33-37

Jesus was taken to the palace of the Roman Governor. His accusers would not go in, for that would have defiled them. Entering the house of a Gentile (Pi­late’s house) would cause a Jewish person to be ceremonially defiled by Jewish law. As a result, he could not take part in worship at the temple or feasts. These men kept the pretense of religion while harboring murder and treachery in their hearts. Pilate knew very well what was going on, and that the religious leaders hated Jesus, and he did not want to act as their executioner. Pilate also knew that they could not sentence Jesus to death themselves, because that permission had to come from a Roman leader.

Pilate was interested in Jesus’ reply of being a king to make sure Jesus was not trying to overthrow the government. The Jews were using the title “King” to mean their religious ruler, the “Messiah.” The Jews were looking for a powerful savior for their captive nation. They wanted someone who could free them from the Roman empire’s grip of control. They looked at Jesus with contempt and even disgust: this wandering “suffering serv­ant;” this blasphemer.

Jesus answered Pilate very clearly that he was a king, but his kingdom was not of this world.  Pilate, while believing Chris­t, still rejected his claim.  The tragedy Pilate committed is one that many people make today, and that is believing that Christ is the Messiah but not living their lives as he calls them to do. We have no excuse, we have read about Christ, we have studied scripture, and we have been taught by our church that he is our Lord and Savior. The tragedy is that there are many “so-called Chris­tians” who live their lives in complete opposition to what Christ is teaching. To Pilate and many people then and now, truth is what is agreed upon by  the majority of the people.  Truth is Jesus Christ (John 14:6), and only through truth (John 8:32) can we ever be set really free.

Application

The first reading teaches a message of hope and comfort found in prophecy and a vision of God. The second reading shows God’s word is reliable because God is truth (John 14:6).  The Gospel reveals hypocrisy can never be the core of true religion.

This week, be specific, be truthful, and say to members of your family or to friends only what is uplifting about them. Do not try to flatter them because flattery is dishonest. But, for one week, speak only about what is good about that particular person. Give only a praise report and watch an incredible trans­formation take place. Jesus spoke the truth because he is the truth. You can speak only the truth this week because you have the Holy Spirit and his power within you (1 John 4:4) to speak only the truth. Let all who know you know that you are reliable because you speak only the truth.

THE BREAD OF LIFE CATHOLIC BIBLE STUDY

By Deacon Ken and Marie Finn

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

Pray and ask God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.  “THE PARACLETE, THE HOLY SPIRIT WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, WILL INSTRUCT YOU IN EVERYTHING, AND REMIND YOU OF ALL THAT I TOLD YOU.”  (JOHN 14:26)

FIRST DAY  Reread last week’s readings.

1. What was a helpful or new thought from the readings or from the homily you heard on Sunday?

 

2. From what you learned, what personal application did you choose to apply to your life this week?

 

 

SECOND DAY              READ DANIEL 12:1-3      FIRST READING

(“But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament.”)

1. Who shall arise, what shall there be, and who shall escape?   Daniel 12:1, Matthew 24:21

 

 

2. Against whom did Michael and his angels battle? Revelation 12:7

 

 

3. Over what are we to rejoice? Luke 10:20

 

 

4. What will happen to those who sleep in the dust of the earth, and what will happen to them?  Daniel 12:2

 

 

5. Who will go off to eternal punishment, and who will go to eternal life?  Matthew 25:45-46, John 5:28-29

 

 

6. What will the wise or the learned do? Daniel 12:3

 

 

7. As you hold onto the Word of Life, what will you do in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation? Philippians 2:15

 

8. What will those who lead many to justice be like? Daniel 12:3

 

 

9. Like what is the path of the just? Proverbs 4:18

 

 

10. To what are we to be attentive until two things happen? 2 Peter 1:19

 

 

Personal   – In what way do you shine or standout among the corruption going on around you?

 

 

THIRD DAY READ HEBREWS 10:11-14, 18                          SECOND READING

(“For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated.”)

1. What does every priest do, and what can sacrifice not do? Hebrews 10:11

 

 

2. Who was taken from among men to stand before God and offer sacrifices, and what is impossible?  Hebrews 5:1      and 10:4

 

 

3. What did Jesus do, and for what is he waiting? Hebrews 10:12-13

 

 

4. When Jesus ascended into heaven, where did he go? Mark 16:19

 

 

5. What did Joshua tell the men of Israel that the Lord would do to all the enemies against whom they will fight? Joshua 10:24-25

 

 

6. Who are our enemies, and what has God given us the power to do?   Luke 10:17-20

 

 

7. By one offering, who has Jesus made perfect? Hebrews 10:14

 

 

8. How are we being consecrated? John 17:17-19

 

 

9. What has happened that eliminates sin offerings? Hebrews 10:18

 

 

10. How are we given knowledge of our salvation? Luke    1:77

 

 

Personal  –  In what way do you show that your enemies are your footstool?   How do you recognize your enemies?  Read Ephesians 6:11-12 to help you identify the enemies.

 

 

FOURTH DAY              READ MARK 13:24-32      GOSPEL

(“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”)

1. What will happen in those days after the tribulation? Mark 13:24-25

 

 

2. How does the day of the Lord come? Isaiah 13:9-10

 

 

3. What will they see on that day? Mark 13:26

 

 

4. What did Jesus tell the high priest when he asked him if he was the Messiah?    Mark 14:60-62

 

 

5. Who will see Jesus when he comes on the cloud? Revelation 1:7

 

 

6. Who will he send out, and what will they do when he comes in all his glory?   Mark 13:27

 

 

7. From what are we to learn a lesson, and when will we know that he is near?   Mark 13:28-29

 

 

8. What will not pass away? Mark 13:30-31

 

 

Personal – What truth about yourself and God has he revealed to you this day?

 

 

 

9. Who will be called least and greatest in the kingdom of God? Matthew 5:18-19

 

 

10. Who is the only one who knows the day or the hour of his coming?   Mark 13:32

 

 

11. How will the day of the Lord come to us? 1 Thessa­lonians 5:1-2

 

 

Personal – If Jesus were to come on the cloud today, in what way have you been preparing yourself to be gathered up by the angels?

 

 

FIFTH DAY             READ PSALM 16:5, 8-11

(“…; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.”)

Read and meditate on Psalm 16:5, 8-11.

What is the Lord saying to you personally through the Psalm?

 

How can you apply this to your life?

 

 

 

SIXTH DAY           READ ALL OF THE COMMENTARY

DANIEL 12:1-3

Today’s passage is a prophecy of the last days. Great suffering is in store for Israel throughout the many years ahead. Jeremiah also used this way of describing the future (Jer. 30:7), and Jesus did too (Matthew 24:21). Yet great suffering is also tempered by a great promise of hope for true believers.

In today’s reading we see a clear reference to the resurrec­tion of both the righteous and the wicked, although the eternal fates of each will be quite different.  Up to this point in time, teach­ings on the resurrection were not common. Yet every devout Jew believed that one day he or she would be included in the restora­tion of the new kingdom. The idea that there would actual­ly be a bodily resurrec­tion was quite radical.

We look around our own communities, and we see people trying very hard to be “superstars” in this transient world of enter­tainment, only to find their “stardom” very temporary. God tells us how we all can be superstars eternally. We can do that by turning to God’s call to holiness, and the call to holiness involves obedience to God’s will and service to others. The road to stardom for believers is a road that has many distractions, but also many great moments of satisfaction.

If we share our Lord with others, we can be true stars that will shine forever radian­tly beautiful in God’s sight. God has called each one of us to lead someone to him. Jesus tells us in scrip­ture that we are to make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20). We are in the last days, and we are the ambas­sadors of our Lord Jesus Christ.

HEBREWS 10:11-14, 18

It was customary for the priests to stand while offering sacrifices. The sacrifices under the old system were repeated again and again, year after year; but even so these sacrifices  could never save those who lived under their rules. Christ’s act of sitting down at God’s right hand symbolizes the end of the sacrificial system. Christ gave himself to God for our sins as one sacrifice for all time, and then sat down in the place of highest honor at God’s right hand.

There was a danger of the people returning to the old Jewish system, which would be saying that Christ’s sacrifice was not enough to forgive their sins. Any system to win God’s approval through good works is essentially rejecting the significance of Christ’s death and spurning the Holy Spirit’s work. Do not let anyone tell you that Christ’s sacrifice was incomplete or that something else is needed to make you acceptable to God, because this can lead you away from right faith and right living.

We have been made complete in Christ, and yet we are still being made holy. We do good things not to become good, but because of the goodness that is within us (1 John 4:4). Through his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ once and for all made it possible for his believers to become perfect in God’s sight by washing them clean from sin. At the same time he is making them holy in their daily pilgrimages through life. We must realize that because God is not finished with us, we must be open to this growth process by being obedient to Christ, by living out the values of scripture and the church in our daily lives. Most of all, we need to accept the forgiveness that Christ provides for each one of us.

MARK 13:24-32

In today’s passage we find that Jesus tells us that when the time of tribulation has ended his return will be unmistakable. In the midst of that time of persecution even strong believers will find it very difficult to follow Jesus and to keep from being deceived by false teachers. When Jesus does return there will be no doubt of his identity. If you have to be told that the Messiah has come, then he has not (Matthew 24:27).

Christ’s coming will be obvious to everyone, and there will be “deep mourning” because unbelievers will suddenly realize they have chosen the wrong side. In the time of Jesus the world seemed very concrete and dependable. The roles of the people were clearly defined, giving the impression of permanence. It was just that essence of permanence that Jesus was threatening to change.

Today many people fear the destruction of the world through nuclear power. Jesus tells us that while we can be sure the earth will pass away in time, the truth of his words will never be changed or abolished. God and his holy word provide the only stability in our unstable world. It is so incredibly shortsighted to spend so much of our time learning about this temporary world and accumulating its possessions, while neglecting God, scrip­ture, church and all the eternal truths of our faith.

Today many books are written in many languages that predict when Jesus will come back. These books are written to give the impres­sion that man has figured out what Jesus said.  Only his Father knows, and we are to stay alert (Mark 13:32,33).  When Jesus said that, even he did not know the time of the end. He was affirming his humanity.  Jesus voluntarily gave up the unlimited use of his divine attributes when he became a man. The bottom line on this passage is that no one can predict by scrip­ture or by science the exact day of Jesus’ return. Jesus teaches us that preparation, not calculation, is needed.

Application

The first reading tells us that we can be eternal stars if we share our Lord with others.  The second reading shows that to deny Christ’s forgiveness to ourselves is to deny it to all. The Gospel reveals that the earth will pass away, but God’s word will never pass away.

This week, prepare for the coming of the Lord through service to others, not by trying to calculate it through books and movies.  Show your family and friends by your actions that you are preparing to live forever and are ready to die right now. Let them see the power of your prayer life. Let them see that you pray about everything and complain about nothing. Let them experience your forgiveness and show them that you forgive others because you know you are forgiven.  Do this with your family, friends, school, and work associates, and you will be amazed at what can happen in just one week.  This is your week; let it happen.

THE BREAD OF LIFE CATHOLIC BIBLE STUDY

THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – CYCLE B

By Deacon Ken and Marie Finn

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

Pray and ask God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.  “THE PARACLETE, THE HOLY SPIRIT WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, WILL INSTRUCT YOU IN EVERYTHING, AND REMIND YOU OF ALL THAT I TOLD YOU.”  (JOHN 14:26)

FIRST DAY  Reread last week’s readings.

1. What was a helpful or new thought from the readings or from the homily you heard on Sunday?

 

2. From what you learned, what personal application did you choose to apply to your life this week?

 

 

SECOND DAY            READ 1 KINGS 17:10-16    FIRST READING

(“The jar of flour did not go empty, nor the oil run dry, as the Lord had foretold through Elijah.”)

1. When Elijah went to Zarephath, who did he see there, and what did he say to her?   1 Kings 17:10

 

 

2. What did Jesus say to the woman of Samaria? John 4:7

 

 

3. When the widow went to get Elijah the water, for what did he call out, and what did she say to him?  1 Kings 17:11-12

 

 

 

4. What did the widow say would happen to her and her son after they had eaten what was left?   1 Kings 17:12

 

 

 

5. What did Elijah tell the widow not to be, and what did he tell her to do first?   1 Kings 17:13

 

 

6. What are we to seek first? Matthew 6:33

 

 

7. What does the Lord, the God of Israel, say?  1 Kings 17:14

 

 

 

8. When will the Lord send rain upon the earth?  1 Kings 17:1

 

 

 

9. What did the widow do, and how long were they able to eat? 1 Kings 17:15

 

 

10. What happened, and how was it foretold? 1 Kings 17:16

 

 

 

Personal  –  While you were in a place of need yourself, who has asked you for food or water?  What has been your response?

 

 

THIRD DAY READ HEBREWS 9:24-28                          SECOND READING

(“But now, once for all, he has appeared at the end of the ages to take away sin by his sacrifice.”)

1. What did Christ not enter, what did he enter, and for what reason?   Hebrews 9:24

 

 

2. If we sin, what do we have? 1 John 2:1

 

 

3. What does Christ do that the high priest does not? Hebrews 9:25

 

 

4. Where do we get our confidence to enter the sanctuary? Hebrews 10:19

 

 

 

5. What did Jesus do once and for all? Hebrews 9:26 and 7:27

 

 

6. What did John say about Jesus? John 1:29

 

 

7. What do human beings do only once, and what comes after that?   Hebrews 9:27

 

 

8. What do we receive before the judgment seat of God? 2 Corinthians 5:10

 

 

 

9. What will Christ do a second time, what will he bring, and to whom?   Hebrews 9:28

 

10. How will the Son of Man come? Matthew 16:27

 

 

Personal – How has Christ appeared before God on your behalf this week?   Be specific.  What did you ask him, and what was the answer?

 

 

FOURTH DAY              READ MARK 12:38-44      GOSPEL

 

(“A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.”)

 

1. Of what did Jesus say you are to beware? Mark 12:38-39

 

 

 

2. What goes before honor? Proverbs 15:33

 

 

3. What do the scribes that look for places of honor do to the widow, and what will happen to them?

Mark 12:40

 

 

4. What did Jesus observe, and what did many of the rich do? Mark 12:41

 

 

5. What do the rich and poor have in common? Proverbs 22:2

 

 

6. What did a poor widow do? Mark 12:42

 

 

7. After calling his disciples, what did Jesus say to them about the poor widow?   Mark 12:43

 

 

8. From what did Jesus say the rich contributed, and from what did this poor widow contribute?   Mark 12:44

 

 

9. When giving, what must be there to be acceptable to the Lord? 2 Corinthians 8:12

 

 

10. What happens to those who give to the poor? Proverbs 28:27.   Matthew 10:42

 

 

Personal – In what way have you taken something that you needed and given it to someone less fortunate?  Examine yourself to see if your giving is from your surplus or from your need.  Repent where needed, attend the Sacrament of Reconciliation to receive the grace from the sacrament, and pray for the ability to change and to begin to give from your need.

 

 

FIFTH DAY              READ PSALM 146:7-10

(“The Lord sets captives free;”)

Read and meditate on Psalm 146:7-10.

What is the Lord saying to you personally through the Psalm?

 

How can you apply this to your life?

 

 

SIXTH DAY           READ ALL OF THE COMMENTARY   1 KINGS 17:10-16

In a nation that was required by law to take care of its prophets, it seems incredible that God allowed ravens, which were considered to be very unclean birds, and a widow, who was a foreig­ner from Jezebel’s home territory, to care for Elijah.  But God provides help for us where we least expect it.  He provides help that goes beyond our narrow definitions or expectations.  No matter how bitter our trials or how seemingly hopeless our situa­tion, we should look for God’s hand of care. We may just find him in the strangest of places.

When the widow from Zarephath met Elijah, she thought she was preparing her last meal for herself and her son. Today’s passage shows us how a simple act of faith provided a miracle. We are told that faith is the step between promise and assurance.  Faith is the response to the power and living presence of God in our lives. The woman was being obedient, and she had more than she could eat.

The core of love is obedience, and every miracle, large or small, begins with an act of obedience.  We may not see the result until we take the first step. Yet miracles seem so out of reach for our feeble faith.  This woman reached out and responded to Elijah’s need, and her own needs were filled.  When we respond to someone else’s need before our own, we are doing what Jesus did. In the next few verses the widow’s faith had a major test.  When her son died,  she reached out in faith.  Today, respond to the power and living presence of God in you and miracles will happen to you.

HEBREWS 9:24-28

The description of Jesus as our friend comes as a sign of great comfort. A friend stands with us and for us.  Christ is on our side, standing in our place before God. He is our mediator, he pleads for us, and he represents us. God has chosen us to be his friend because we are friends of Jesus. God considers us friends when we give ourselves to him as he gives himself to us. When we are God’s friend, we know that he is always there when we need him.  Do you consider God to be your friend? Are you as devoted to him as he is to you?

Jesus has drawn us into a place of high privilege because as our Lord and Master, he should call us slaves, but instead he calls us friends. Because he is Lord and Master, our obedience should be unqualified and blind, but Jesus asks us to obey him because we love him.

We know that love is a decision, and to love Jesus means we have decided with our own free will to love him. Because Jesus died for us, we became eligible to be friends with God. God is holy, and he hates sin. All people are sinful and deserve punish­ment. Christ took our sins upon himself and paid the price for them with his own death. Now the way to friendship with God has been opened and through faith in his work, we become his friends rather than enemies and outcasts.

Because we are Jesus’ friends we know that when we die we will be with him forever. We know that all people die physically but Christ died so that we would not have to die spiritually. He has promised to return and raise up “his friends” to eternal life in a world without sin, and that, my beloved friends, is “Good News.”

MARK 12:38-44

In this Gospel passage, Jesus makes a series of charges against the Jewish religious leaders. These leaders walked around in flowing robes in which they could neither hurry or work, and which were the sign of the leisurely man of honor. Scripture tells us that the Jews wore tassels at the edge of their outer robe. These tassels were to remind them that they were people of God.

Jesus again exposes the impure motives of these religious lead­ers. They received no official pay, so they depended upon the hospitality extended by devout Jews. Some of them used this custom to exploit people, cheating the poor out of everything they had and even taking advantage of the rich.  Their spiritu­ality was an act to gain respect, status, and recognition. Jesus warned the people against the teachers of religion who loved to appear holy, but in reality were phonies.

True followers of Christ are not distinguished by showy talents or acts. Reading the Bible, praying in public, or follow­ing church rituals can be phony if the motive for doing them is to be noticed or honored.  We must always remember that how we live is really what we believe, so let your actions be consistent with your beliefs.  We must always live for Christ even when no one is looking.

Jesus tells the people that the punishment of the religious leaders would be greater because as leaders they carried great responsibil­ity in shaping the faith of the people.  The petty rules, greed, and impure motives led many people astray, and sadly, we see that happen far too often in our times and in many nations.  Jesus closes the passage by telling us that when we give, it is not how much we give that counts, but it is how much of a sacrifice it takes.  The poor woman only gave a frac­tion of what others gave, but it was out of the funds that she needed to survive that she gave, not out of what was surplus.  God is calling all of us to give just as the poor widow gave, as shown in today’s Gospel.

Application

The first reading tells us that God will provide for us in the most unexpected ways.  The second reading shows that there is no greater friend than one who lays down his life for us. The Gospel reveals to us that real religion is what we live as well as what we say.

This week, let your spirituality show, not in the way you dress, speak or sing; let it show in your actions.  This week do something beautiful for God, and give of your time, talent, or your money to do God’s work.  Remember, I did not say, do what you always do; I say, do something different, something special. Whatever you do, whatever you give, let it really be an exper­ience of sacrifice.  Your gift of giving begins with your heart.

THE BREAD OF LIFE CATHOLIC BIBLE STUDY

by Deacon Ken and Marie Finn

THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – CYCLE B

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

Pray and ask God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.  “THE PARACLETE, THE HOLY SPIRIT WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, WILL INSTRUCT YOU IN EVERYTHING, AND REMIND YOU OF ALL THAT I TOLD YOU.”  (JOHN 14:26)

FIRST DAY Reread last week’s readings.

 

1. What was a helpful or new thought from the readings or from the homily you heard on Sunday?

 

2. From what you learned, what personal application did you choose to apply to your life this week?

 

SECOND DAY            READ DEUTERONOMY 6:2-6    FIRST READING

 

(“…The Lord is our God, the Lord alone!”)

 

1. How are we to have a long life, and who are we to fear? Deuteronomy 6:2

 

2. Who will prosper after us if we keep the commandments? Deuteronomy 4:40, Deuteronomy 5:29.

 

3. What did the Father promise us if we are careful to observe his commands?   Deuteronomy 6:3

 

4. Who is dearer to the Lord than all other people? Exodus 19:5

 

5. Who is our God, and what did Jesus say about him? Deuteronomy 6:4, Mark 12:29

 

6. With what are we to love and serve the Lord? Deuteronomy 10:12

 

7. With what three ways are we to love the Lord our God? Deuteronomy 6:5

 

8. What is to be written on our heart? Deuteronomy 6:6

 

9. What is in our heart that we do not falter? Psalm 37:31

 

10. What do we treasure in our heart so we will not sin against him?   Psalm 119:11

 

Personal – How have you shown your love for God?  What shows others that he alone is your God and there is none other than him?

 

 

THIRD DAY READ HEBREWS 7:23-28                          SECOND READING

(“…He is always able to save those who approach God through him.”)

 

1. Who were prevented by death from remaining in office? Hebrews 7:23

 

2. Who has a priesthood that does not pass away? Hebrews 7:24, 28

 

3. What happens to those who approach God through Jesus, and what does he do for them?   Hebrews 7:25

 

4. Where is Jesus? Romans 8:34

 

5. If anyone sins, what does Jesus do? 1 John 2:1-2

 

6. Why is it fitting to have such a high priest? Hebrews    7:26

 

7. Who is this high priest who passed through the heavens? Hebrews 4:14

 

8. What did Jesus do once and for all, and what did he have no need to do?    Hebrews 7:27

 

9. For what does Jesus live, and what must we consider our­selves?   Romans 6:10-11

 

10. What does the law appoint, and who does the word of the oath appoint?   Hebrews 7:28

 

11. Who is perfect? Hebrews 7:28, Hebrews 5:8-10

 

Personal  –  About what can you have Jesus intercede for you to the Father?   Try keeping a prayer journal with dates and check the results each week.

 

 

 

 

FOURTH DAY              READ MARK 12:28-34      GOSPEL

(“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”)

1. What did one of the scribes ask Jesus? Mark 12:28

 

 

2. What did Jesus say his Father was, and how are we to love him?   Mark 12:29-30

 

 

3. What did Jesus say was the second commandment, and what did he say about these two commandments?   Mark      12:31

 

 

4. What is summed up in this saying (namely), “you shall love your neighbor as yourself, and what does love not   do? Romans 13:9-10

 

 

5. What did the scribe say about God? Mark 12:32

 

 

6. What did the scribe say was worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices?    Mark 12:33

 

 

7. To what does the Lord want us to be open? Psalm 40:7

 

 

8. What did Jesus see in the scribe, and what did Jesus say to him?    Mark 12:34

 

 

9. Where does God’s kingdom rule? Psalm 103:19

 

 

10. What did no one dare to do? Mark 12:34, Matthew 22:46

 

 

Personal  –  In what way have you shown your love for God by loving your neighbor this week?  Who in your life is considered your neighbor right now?

 

 

 

FIFTH DAY           READ PSALM 18:2-4, 47, 51

(“I love you, O Lord, my strength,”)

Read and meditate on Psalm 18:2-4, 47, 51.

What is the Lord saying to you personally through the Psalm?

 

 

How can you apply this to your life?

 

 

SIXTH DAY           READ ALL OF THE COMMENTARY     DEUTERONOMY 6:2-6

This passage shows us that the wandering in the desert was not only a punishment but also a test to show the people how utterly dependent they must be on God.  For a nation that had wandered forty years in a parched desert to be close to a land “flowing with milk and honey” sounded like a paradise. They envisioned rich crops, rushing streams, gentle rains, and lush fields filled with livestock.  The Israelites could have had all that forty years earlier, but their stubbornness and rebellion prevented it from happening.

Moses was now whetting their appetite for this beautiful land and clearly explaining the conditions for entering the land. The great Hebrew prayer known as the “Shema” from the Hebrew word “Hear” begins the prayer. This prayer was recited by devout Jews and was a proclamation of faith and a desire to serve God.  Since Jesus was a pious Jew, the words of the Shema came to his lips when he was asked which commandment was the greatest (Mark 12:29). The rabbis agree also that of the 612 Jewish commandments of the Law, this was the most important.  The prayer declares that their God (Yahweh) is the only true God. This was a very impor­tant insight for the people of Israel, because they were about to enter a land with many gods.

Both then and today there are people who prefer to place their trust in many gods. Today we see people who believe in the false gods of money, power, status, fame, youth, physical beauty, intelligence, drugs, alcohol, immorality, pleasure, and many forms of the occult.

This passage is often said to be the central theme of Deuteronomy. It sets a pattern that helps us to relate the Word of God to our daily lives.  Today, more than ever, we are to love God with all of our heart, soul and might. We are to teach his commandments to our children, and to live our lives by the guidelines of his word.

HEBREWS 7:23-28

The covenant of Christ is the  covenant of the New Testament.  This new covenant allowed the people to go to God directly through Jesus Christ. They no longer had to rely on sacrificed animals to gain God’s forgiveness.  The new covenant is permanent because Jesus Christ lives forever as our high priest, and only Jesus saves.

We need to ask ourselves, what does it mean that Jesus is able to save completely?  No one can add to what Jesus did to save us; our past, present, and future sins are all forgiven, and Jesus is with the Father as a sign that our sins are forgiven. Christ has paid the price for our sins once and for all. If you are reading this as a non-Christian, then let him come into your heart right now, and let his blood wash you clean. Confess your sins and repent in the name of Jesus.  If you are a Christian, then you know that you need to be reconciled with God again. Jesus welcomes us back with the same joy as the good shepherd experiences when he recovered the one lost sheep in the fold. We have been blessed in the Catholic Church through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Remember, it is not enough to say I am sorry; we are called to repent (change) and get back into Christian worship and fellowship.

Jesus is our advocate, the mediator between us and God. The covenant of Christ is immediate access to our loving and just heavenly Father.  Today much of the world does not realize how costly it was for Jesus to secure our forgiveness – it cost him his blood and his life (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Because Christ died once and for all, he finished all sacrifices. The Jews did not need to go back to the old system, because Christ, the perfect sacrifice, completed the work of redemption.  His death brings us eternal life.  How callous, how cold, how stubborn are those who refuse to accept this death, God’s greatest gift.

MARK 12:28-34

There is an old saying that is credited to St. Augustine. He stated, “Love God and do whatever you like.”  There were many in the crowd that surrounded Jesus that would strongly disagree with that saying. The expert who asked Jesus the question was asking about something which was a living issue in Jewish thought, discussion and law.  Jesus answered him by putting two great commandments together.

“Hear,  Oh Israel!  the Lord is our God,  the Lord alone!” This single sentence is the heart of Judaism (Deut. 6:4). It is called the Shema which means to hear.  It was the sentence with which the service of the synagogue always began and still begins. The three passages of the Shema were contained in the Phylac­teries, (Matt. 23:5), little leather boxes which the devout Jew wore on his forehead and wrist. When the Jew was at prayer, the Shema was contained in a little box called the Mezuzah, which was and still is attached to the door of every Jewish house and the door of every room in it, to remind the Jew of God at his going out and his coming in.

When Jesus quoted the second commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” (Leviticus 19:18), he intended it to mean the Gentiles also. Jesus took an old law and filled it with meaning. Religion to Jesus Christ was loving God and loving people.  He tells us that the only way in which a man can prove that he loves God is by showing that he loves men.  Hosea had heard God say, “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice.” (Hosea 6:6). For some people it is always easier to let ritual take the place of love, and for some, it is easer to let worship become a matter of the church building, instead of a matter of the whole life.

The scribe had risen beyond his friends, and that is why he found himself in sympathy with Jesus.  His next step was faith in Jesus himself, and this was the most difficult step to take.  When you are uncertain about what to do, ask yourself what cour­se of action best demonstrates your love for God and your love for others.

Application

The first reading tells us that prayer and obedience are the foundation of love.  The second reading shows us that Jesus saves completely.  The Gospel reveals Jesus’ idea of religion as love of God and man.

This week, show your family that love, not ritual, dominates your actions.  Take the time to look at those in your family, work and school and determine the ones whom you have great difficulty loving.  This week, lift them up in daily prayer and make an effort to show them love in the form of meeting their needs. Love is a decision, and it is time for you to decide to love God and all your fellow men.

THE BREAD OF LIFE CATHOLIC BIBLE STUDY

By Deacon Ken and Marie Finn

THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – CYCLE B

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

Pray and ask God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.  “THE PARACLETE, THE HOLY SPIRIT WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, WILL INSTRUCT YOU IN EVERYTHING, AND REMIND YOU OF ALL THAT I TOLD YOU.”  (JOHN 14:26)

FIRST DAY  Reread last week’s readings.

1. What was a helpful or new thought from the readings or from the homily you heard on Sunday?

 

2. From what you learned, what personal application did you choose to apply to your life this week?

 

 

SECOND DAY             READ JEREMIAH 31:7-9     FIRST READING

(“I will lead you to brooks of water,”)

1. What does God say, and what has he done for his people? Jeremiah 31:7

 

 

2. Why do the people of God shout with exultation, joy and gladness?  Isaiah 12:6 and Psalm 14:7

 

 

3. Upon whom do the survivors of the house of Jacob lean, and who will return to the mighty God?  Isaiah 10:20- 21

 

 

4. From where will the Lord bring back his remnant, and who will return?   Jeremiah 31:8

 

 

Personal  –  Who do you see today as the remnant of Israel, and where do you see yourself?

 

 

5. Who will join Israel, and where will they go?      Jeremiah 3:18

 

 

6. What will happen to the remnant that God brings back? Jeremiah 23:3-4, also Isaiah 35:5

 

7. How did the people depart, and what will God do for them? Jeremiah 31:9

 

8. What did Jesus say would flow from within those who believe in him?  John 7:37-39

 

9. What does God call himself, and what is Ephraim? Jeremiah 31:9,  also Exodus 4:22

 

 

10. Who is Ephraim? Genesis 41:50-52

 

 

Personal  –  Since you have been studying God’s Word, from where has your Heavenly Father led you out?  To where is he guiding you and directing you?  How have you gone from tears to rejoicing?

 

 

THIRD DAY READ HEBREWS 5:1-6                          SECOND READING

(“You are my son; this day I have begotten you;”)

1. Who is taken from among men and made a representative before God, and what does he offer?  Hebrews 5:1

 

 

2. What is every high priest appointed to offer, and how does the high priest worship?  Hebrews 8:3, 5

 

 

3. Why is the high priest taken from among men able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring?

Hebrews 5:2

 

 

4. Because of his weakness, for whom must he make the sin offerings?   Hebrews 5:3

 

 

5. What did Moses tell Aaron to do? Leviticus 9:7

 

 

6. What comes from God that no one takes this honor upon himself? Hebrews 5:4

 

 

7. Who was called to be priest from among the Israelites, and what set them apart?   Exodus 28:1-3

 

 

 

8. Who, in the same way, did not glorify himself in becoming high priest but received it from his Father who said what about him?  Hebrews 5:5

 

 

9. Who does Jesus say glorifies him, and who does Jesus say he knows, and what does he keep?    John 8:54-55

 

 

10. How long are we priests, and who is Melchizedek? Hebrews 5:6, Genesis 14:18

 

 

Personal  –  In what way have you shown the honor and respect due to the priests in your parish?  Have you recognized them as some-one called by God for a special purpose?   What is that purpose?

 

 

FOURTH DAY              READ MARK 10:46-52      GOSPEL

(“Go your way; your faith has saved you.”)

1. Who was sitting by the roadside, and what was he doing? Mark 10:46

 

2. When the beggar heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, what did he do and say?   Mark 10:47

 

3. What did the people do, and what did the beggar continue to do?   Mark 10:48

 

4. Whom are we to rebuke? Luke 17:3

 

5. When Jesus stopped, what did he say, and what did his followers say to the blind man?   Mark 10:49

 

 

Personal – Does Jesus call you directly,  through others,  or both?

 

 

6. What did the blind man do, and where did he go? Mark     10:50

 

 

7. What did Jesus say to the man, and what did the man tell him?   Mark 10:51

 

 

8. Where did Jesus tell him to go, and what did he say saved him?   Mark 10:52

 

 

9. What is faith? Hebrews 11:1

 

 

10. How does faith come to us? Romans 10:17

 

 

Personal  –  In what specific way have you been healed by hearing God’s Word?  How has he turned your blindness into the light of day?

 

 

FIFTH DAY               READ PSALM 126:1-6

(“Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing.”)

Read and meditate on Psalm 126:1-6.

What is the Lord saying to you personally through the Psalm?

 

How can you apply this to your life?

 

 

SIXTH DAY           READ ALL OF THE COMMENTARY

JEREMIAH 31:7-9

This promise of restoration was open to all the families of Israel, not only to the tribe of Judah. The restoration will include all those who trust in God. This restoration shows a God who reaches toward his people with loving kindness, motivated by a deep love.  We hear God tell us that he has loved us with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3). This was a tremendous statement by God to a people who had been through so much.

Today, he makes that same statement to you and me. He does not care where we have been or what we have done. He is very much interested in where we are right now, and he wants us to know that he has loved us with an everlasting love.

Jeremiah has seen Israel scattered, and the events leading to Jerusalem’s destruction had disoriented most of the people. The prophet knew that.  After many words of warning about sin, this reminder of God’s incredible love is a fresh breath. We may often think of God with dread or fear, but if we look careful­ly, we can see him lovingly drawing us toward himself. The people were very excited to proclaim and hope that God has saved the faithful remnant of his people.  That salvation will soon be manifested when God leads Israel back to Jerusalem from distant Babylon. Killing, slavery, blindness, lameness, homelessness evoke the horror of war and suffering that they had experienced; their salvation will be all the more extraordinary. The faithful remnant of God’s people have continued to experience the horrors of many tyrants and wars.

The Messiah whom we know as Jesus was their only hope of salva­tion.  They looked to the future with hope because they knew the Messiah was coming.  Today in many parts of the world there are  faithful people of Jesus Christ experiencing the horrors of killing, blindness and lameness.  In some parts of our world, to believe in Christ is to be ridiculed, rejected, and, in some instances, to be executed.  The religion of humanism is taking a great toll on the people and upon the faithful remnant of today. The faithful remnant will be the witness of the Messiah who is present to his people.  His power is within you (1 John 4:4) and you will make disciples of all the nations (Matt. 28:19-20). Jesus is leading us home today away from the many horrors of war that exist in many lands.

HEBREWS 5:1-6

Today’s reading focuses on the meaning of Old Testament priesthood and situates Christ with regard to it.  Every high priest is a human being whom God chooses to represent people in his presence and to offer worship.  The type of worship, also called the liturgy, is offered as a redemptive sacrifice so that it atones for the sins of the believers. These high priests can treat sinners with great patience, because they are sinners also. The offerings they make are for their own sins as well as their people.

No one can assume this type of ministry on his own. Only God who called Aaron can call a person to take his honored role in Israel’s religious life. We must understand, to the Jews the high priest was the highest religious authority in the land. He alone entered into the Holy of Holies once a year to make atonement for the sins of the whole nation (Lev. 16).  Like the high priest, the source of Christ’s high priestly office is not different, and like them, he received the priesthood from God.

Jesus as high priest mediates between God and us. As man’s representative, he intercedes for us before God. As God’s repre­sentative, he assures us of God’s forgiveness.  Jesus has more authority than the Jewish high priest because he is truly God and truly man. In his sinlessness, he transcends the Old Testa­ment high priest, but he did not glorify himself with his office. Unlike the priest who could go before God only once a year, Christ is always at God’s right hand interceding for us.

Today, call upon the Lord to stand in your place before God. Jesus has already paid the full ransom for you. We only need to confess our sins and repent in his name. The church has provided this incredible gift for us through the Sacrament of Reconcilia­tion. The priest invites us to, once again, be reconciled with God in the name of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. The world will know we are priestly people by the way we live.

MARK 10:46-52

Jesus was on his way to the Passover and being a well known teacher, he was surrounded by a large crowd of people, disciples and learners. Students of a teacher or rabbi learned while they listened as the teacher walked and talked. That was one of the most common ways of teaching. It was also the law that every male Jew of 12 years of age who lived within 15 miles of Jerusalem attend the Passover in the Holy City.  So there would be even more than the normal crowds on the streets heading toward Jerusalem.

There were many who followed just to see this rebel who was about to invade Jerusalem. At the northern gate was a blind beggar named Bartimaeus. He heard the tramp of feet and asked what was happening and who was passing. He was told that it was Jesus, and there and then he set up an uproar to attract Jesus’ attention to him. To those walking along and listening to their teacher, this was a great offence. They tried to silence Barti­maeus, but no one was going to take from him his chance to escape from his world of darkness, and he cried and shouted with such violence that the procession stopped, and he was brought to Jesus.

Beggars were a common sight in most towns, since most occupations of that day required physical labor, and anyone with a crippling disease or handicap was at a severe disadvantage and usually forced to beg, even though God’s laws commanded care for such needy people (Lev. 25:35-38).  Blindness was considered a curse from God for sin; but Jesus rejected this idea when he healed the blind man at Bethsaida (Mark 8:25).

To approach Jesus, the blind man had to overcome the dis­ciple’s resistance.  The blind man throws off the mantle of his former life, jumps up and approaches Jesus.  He boldly calls out, “I want to see,” and Jesus instantly heals him. Jesus knew that because Bartimaeus called him the “Son of David” he knew that Jesus was the Messiah who was going to heal him.

The blindness in question was physical, yet Bartimaeus saw Jesus as the Messiah with spiritual vision. The blindness of many today is lack of faith, understanding, and acceptance. Spiritual vision on the other hand is faith. Ask Jesus to restore your sight today, and he will give you perfect spiritual vision.

Application

The first reading tells us that God and Christ lead us home from exile.  The second reading shows that Jesus Christ’s priest­hood is perfect and eternal. The Gospel reveals that Bartimaeus had spiritual vision before he had physical vision.

This week, take a spiritual inventory of yourself.  See where you are crippled and handicapped. Ask your spouse, clergy­man or a close friend to help you. Do not let the noise of the crowd, job, or school distract you. Cry out for Jesus and pray and read his Word constantly this week. Keep a pad and pen near you, and write down any thoughts about your spiritual handicap. In the case of two blind men, one healing was gradual (8:25); the other was instant (10:52).  Jesus heals both ways, and he wants you to have perfect spiritual health as well as good physical health.

 

THE BREAD OF LIFE CATHOLIC BIBLE STUDY

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

Pray and ask God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.  “THE PARACLETE, THE HOLY SPIRIT WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, WILL INSTRUCT YOU IN EVERYTHING, AND REMIND YOU OF ALL THAT I TOLD YOU.”  (JOHN 14:26)

 

FIRST DAY Reread last week’s readings.

1. What was a helpful or new thought from the readings or from the homily you heard on Sunday?

 

2. From what you learned, what personal application did you choose to apply to your life this week?

 

SECOND DAY            READ ISAIAH 53:10-11        FIRST READING

(“…the will of the Lord shall be accomplished through him.”)

1. What is the Lord pleased to do? Isaiah 53:10

 

2. Who did God crush in his infirmity? Acts 2:22-24

 

3. If Jesus gives his life as an offering for sin, what will be seen, and what will be accomplished?  Isaiah 53:10

 

Personal  –  How is God’s will being accomplished through you?

 

 

4. Why was Jesus crushed? Isaiah 53:5

 

5. How can we have a long life? Ephesians 6:2-3

 

6. What will he see because of his afflictions and his anguish? Isaiah 53:11

 

7. Through his suffering, what did the servant do, and what did he bear on himself?   Isaiah 53:11

 

8. How are we justified? Romans 3:24-26

 

9. What must we do in order to get rid of guilt? Psalm   32:5

 

10. How was Jesus made perfect? Hebrews 2:10

 

Personal – In what way have you experienced freedom from guilt in your life?

 

 

THIRD DAY             READ HEBREWS 4:14-16        SECOND READING

(“So let us confidently approach the throne of grace…”)

1. What should we not let go of since we have a High Priest, Jesus, the Son of God, who has passed through the heavens? Hebrews 4:14

 

2. Why did Jesus enter heaven? Hebrews 9:24

 

3. What was Jesus able to do, what do we have, and what did Jesus never do?   Hebrews 4:15

 

4. What did Jesus have to become like so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest before God to   expiate the sins of the people?    Hebrews 2:17

 

5. By sending Jesus in the likeness of sinful flesh, what did he do to sin?    Romans 8:3

 

6. Why did God make Jesus to be sin even though he did not know sin?   2 Corinthians 5:21

 

7. How can we approach the throne of grace, and what will we receive and find?   Hebrews 4:16

 

8. How did we receive this confidence? Hebrews 10:19

 

9. What does faith in Jesus give us? Ephesians 3:12

 

10. How do we receive grace and truth? John 1:16-17

 

Personal  –  How do you approach God in your time of need? Look up in the dictionary the word confident, and read its meaning.

 

 

FOURTH DAY             READ MARK 10:35-45                GOSPEL

(“…whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant.”)

1. What did James and John ask Jesus? Mark 10:35-37

 

2. When Peter said they had given up everything to follow Jesus, what did Jesus say would happen to them? Matthew 19:27-28

 

3. What was Jesus’ reply to James and John? Mark 10:38

 

4. What did Jesus say about the baptism with which he must be baptized?    Luke 12:50

 

5. What was James and John’s response to Jesus, and what did Jesus say about the cup and the baptism? Mark    10:39

 

6. What happened to James the brother of John, and to John? Acts 12:2, Revelations 1:9

 

Personal  –  In what way have you suffered for the sake of Christ or what you believe?

 

 

7. What did Jesus tell James and John about sitting at his right or left?  Mark 10:40

 

8. How did the ten react to James and John, and what did Jesus say to them? Mark 10:41-42

 

9. What did Jesus say about he who wishes to be great or first among them? Mark 10:43-44

 

10. What two things did the Son of Man come to do? Mark   10:45

 

Personal  –  How have you taken on the attitude of a servant in your home, at work, or at school?  What can you change today in order to be more of a servant and thinking of the needs of others before yourself?

 

 

FIFTH DAY         READ PSALM 33:4-5, 18-20, 22

(“For upright is the Word of the Lord,…”)

Read and meditate on Psalm 33:4-5, 18-20, 22.

What is the Lord saying to you through the Psalm?

 

How can you apply this to your life?

 

SIXTH DAY          READ ALL OF THE COMMENTARY

ISAIAH 53:10-11

The theme of the “suffering servant” was to be explained in great detail in the New Testament.  In the Old Testament it was the story about God sending his servant who would be a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering (53:3).  Although he was innocent, it was God’s will “to crush him and cause him to suffer” (verse 10).  His suffering was in a fascinating way like that of giving birth. The seed of this servant’s suffering had been planted long before in Adam’s act of disobedience. The pain was intense, but the purpose and the result of his suffering has been the bringing forth of life.  The servant will see, after the suffering of his soul, the light of life and be satisfied. This righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their “iniquities” (verse 11).

The suffering servant of course is Jesus. And every word of Isaiah’s majestic account of what was to happen some five hundred years later on Calvary reminds all of us that God has not left us to suffer alone.  God has stepped into history, our history. We have sinned, but it is God who suffers with us, and for us.  When we describe the incredible compassion of a loving God towards his sinful people, we are describing the “suffering servant” called Jesus Christ.  He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows.  He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him.  By his wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:4-6). The prophecy came true in the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.

Jesus has shown us that suffering is not absurd or foolish, it is heroic and saving.  Jesus suffered and died so that we can live forever.  The choice is ours to believe or not to believe.

 

HEBREWS 4:14-16

Today’s passage emphasizes that Jesus is for us our high priest. We need to go back to the Old Testament to really understand the title of high priest. By the time of Jesus, the high priesthood carried with it a great deal of religious and hierarchical authority.  Once a year the high priest alone entered the most Holy of Holies in the tabernacle to make sacrifice of the Day of Atonement for the forgiveness of sins of all God’s people.  The significance of the high priesthood is found in the sacrificial service that the high priest alone could provide.

Today’s reading shows us that Jesus is our high priest and because he came as a fully live human being, he is able to sympathize with our weakness.  It is only through him that we can approach God.  Jesus is the high priest in the Melchizedekian tradition, which is a sacrifice of bread and wine, an offering of peace, rather than the Levitical tradition (Hebrews 7).  Jesus is able to save completely those who come to God because he lives always to make intercessions for us (Heb. 7:25).  Jesus, unlike the Old Testament high priests, did not need to make repeated sacrific­es.  As a high priest who offered his own blood, Jesus was able to do what the Old Testament priests could not do, and that was cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God (Heb. 9:14).

Jesus’ sacrifice takes away sin forever, releasing us from guilt, making us truly holy (Heb. 9:15). He is the only one who can bring us into a full relationship with God. His blood has washed us completely clean and through the power of his Holy Spirit, he will give us the strength to go forward and become his disciple and witness to everyone we meet (Acts 1:8).

 

MARK 10:35-45

In today’s Gospel we see a group of ordinary men, not a group of saints.  They were plain and ordinary people, just like you and me, whom Jesus sent out to change the world.

The story tells us something about James and John, that they were ambitious and even a little greedy.  James and John may have felt because their father could employ hired crews that they were entitled to a high place in this earthly kingdom, that they thought Jesus was going to create.  Jesus knew that in their confusion they really did believe in him, bewildered as they may be.  Jesus challenges their line of thinking by asking them if they were capable of drinking from his cup.

Jesus refers to the word baptized, meaning submerged like a ship that has been wrecked beneath the waves (Psalm 42:7). Scripture tells us about a flood and the torrent drowning the person (Psalm 124:4).  What Jesus is really saying to them is, “Can you go through the terrible experience which I have to go throug­h?” He was asking them, could they face being drowned (baptized) in hatred and pain and death as he would be.  He was, in effect, telling the two disciples, and he is telling us the same message today, that without a cross there can never be a crown.

The standard of greatness in God’s kingdom is the standard of the cross. These two disciples were to experience real great­ness later on when James was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:2), and John, though not martyred, suffered much for Christ. Jesus told them that all things and events were in God’s control. The other disciples were outraged that they were being left out. The argument probably raged on again for a while. Jesus took immediate action and strongly told them that the standards of greatness in his kingdom and in the kingdom of the world were totally in opposi­tion.  In the kingdom of the world, the standard of greatness is power. In the kingdom of Jesus, the standard is that of service.  Today, Jesus is asking you the same question he asked them, “Whose standard of greatness is your standard?”

Application

The first reading shows that service involves suffering for others.  The second reading tells us that Jesus is high priest for us who are still on the way.  The Gospel reveals that baptized means submerged, drowning, the symbolic way of dying with Christ.

This week, share your gifts and talents with those in your family. Give of your time and self freely, and do not worry about time limits.  Serve others in your family with some very simple deeds like babysitting, cleaning someone’s house, washing a car, reading to a child or someone sick.  Remember,  “we are ordained to serve, not to be served.”  Your family will recognize your greatness in the glory of your humility in service.

THE BREAD OF LIFE CATHOLIC BIBLE STUDY

 

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

Pray and ask God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.  “THE PARACLETE, THE HOLY SPIRIT WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, WILL INSTRUCT YOU IN EVERYTHING, AND REMIND YOU OF ALL THAT I TOLD YOU.”  (JOHN 14:26)

 

FIRST DAY  Reread last week’s readings.

1. What was a helpful or new thought from the readings or from the homily you heard on Sunday?

 

2. From what you learned, what personal application did youchoose to apply to your life this week?

 

SECOND DAY              READ WISDOM 7:7-11          FIRST READING

(“I pleaded and the spirit of wisdom came to me.”)

1. When Solomon prayed, what was given, and what spirit came to him?   Wisdom 7:7

 

2. For what did Solomon ask the Lord, and what did the Lord give him?   1 Kings 3:9-12

 

3. If we ask for intelligence and understanding, what will we then understand and find; and who gives it to     us? Proverbs 2:3-6

 

4. To what did Solomon prefer wisdom, and compare her? Wisdom 7:8-9

 

5. To what did he love her more than, and choose her? Wisdom 7:10

 

6. What comes to us in the company of wisdom? Wisdom     7:11

 

7. What happens to those who love wisdom? Proverbs 8:21

 

8. What does the man who finds wisdom win? Proverbs 8:35

 

9. What did Christ become for us? 1 Corinthians 1:30

 

10. Where are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden?    Colossians 2:2-3

 

Personal – How have you received God’s Wisdom in dealing with your relationships with others?  What is your attitude in regard to wisdom?  How can you use this gift and experience the good things that come from it?

 

 

THIRD DAY              READ HEBREWS 4:12-13         SECOND READING

(“Indeed, the Word of God is living and effective.”)

1. If God’s Word is living and effective, what does it penetrate and divide? Hebrews 4:12

 

2. As we draw our strength from the Lord, what is part of the armor we are to put on in order to fight the tactics of the devil? Ephesians 6:10-11, 17

 

3. What does God’s Word discern or judge? Hebrews 4:12

 

4. What does God send forth his Word to do?Psalm 107:20 and Psalm 147:18

 

5. What shall happen to God’s Word that goes forth from his mouth?   Isaiah 55:11

 

6. How did Jesus cleanse the church? Ephesians 5:25-26

 

7. How did God will to give us birth? James 1:18, also 1 Peter 1:23

 

8. What is concealed from God’s sight? Hebrews 4:13

 

9. What is exposed to him, and to whom must we render an account?  Hebrews 4:13

 

10. What does God know about all men, and from where does he observe this? Psalm 33:13-15

 

Personal – How does it make you feel to know that God knows everything about you?  How has God cut away and divided some area in your life by something you read in his Word?  Share the Word that he gave you.

 

 

FOURTH DAY              READ MARK 10:17-30                 GOSPEL

(“For human beings it is impossible but not for God.”)

1. When the man asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, what did the man call Jesus, and what     was Jesus’ response?   Mark 10:17-18

 

2. What did Jesus say about the commandments, and what did the man say he has done with them?   Mark 10:19-20

 

3. How did Jesus look at the man, what did he say he was lacking, and what did he tell him to do?  Mark 10:21

 

4. What did those who believed and were baptized do with their property and possessions? Acts 2:44-45

 

5. What happened to the rich young man, and as Jesus looked around, what did he say to his disciples?     Mark 10:22-23

 

6. How did the disciples react to Jesus’ words, and what did he say again? Mark 10:24-25

 

7. What does the lure of riches do to the word of God? Mark 4:19

 

8. What did the disciples say to themselves, and what did Jesus say was possible for God? Mark 10:26-27

 

9. What did Jesus tell his disciples that they will receive for giving up everything to follow him, and when would they receive it? Mark 10:28-30

 

10. What did he tell the disciples they would receive along with houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and lands?  Mark  10:30

 

Personal – What can you give up in order to follow Jesus? Is there anything in your life holding you back, and how can you come to a point of trusting Jesus in this area? Before you purchase anything, ask yourself these questions: Is this a need or a want?  Is this going to be a benefit in my relationship with others?  Is this something Jesus, Mary, or Joseph would buy if it were available to them?

 

 

FIFTH DAY              READ PSALM 90:12-17

(“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart.”)

Read and meditate on Psalm 90:12-17.

What is the Lord saying to you personally through the Psalm?

 

 

How can you apply this to your life?

 

 

SIXTH DAY           READ ALL OF THE COMMENTARY

WISDOM 7:7-11

Today’s passage shows us very clearly that wisdom is a special gift from God.  Today the gift of wisdom or justice is desperately needed in so many areas of our world. In today’s reading, we see King Solomon has prayed to God for this incom­parable gift. He does not try to pretend that he has the deep insight and great under­standing.

We can get much hope from today’s reading because we too can ask God for the gift of wisdom, and like Solomon, we can expect to receive it.  The wisdom to master life’s challenges can be found only in one’s relationship with God. The Hebrew view is practical in focus. Wisdom is expressed in Godly living. For the Lord gives wisdom and out of his mouth come knowledge and under­standing. This means that as we not only read and study God’s holy Word, but also live it out, we come to understand what is right and just. Wisdom will enter into our hearts and knowledge will be pleasant to our souls.  Wisdom will protect us from the ways of deceitful people. A person who is full of wisdom is a person who is sensitive to God and willingly subjects himself to him in everything. A wise person is one who is at peace with God, knows God, and spends a great deal of time with God.

You can be that person through the gift of discipline. The Holy Spirit will bring this wisdom to you through Jesus Christ. God’s wisdom to the world is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Father’s wisdom applied to resolve the problems caused by human sin. Scripture tells us that the Word of Christ dwelling in us, alone enables us to teach and admonish each other in wisdom (Col. 3:16).  We can be sure that only when our life is oriented to God and his revealed viewpoint is applied to our daily experience can we become wise.

 

HEBREWS 4:12-13

The word of God is not merely words from God, a vehicle for communicating ideas.  It is living and life changing. The power of the word is dynamic as it works in us. Like a surgeon it cuts through the standard areas of infection and blockage. The Word does not allow us to be anything other than truthful. It gives us the gift to discern what is within us, both good and evil.

We must become more than just a hearer of the word, we must become a doer of the word also. God tells us in his Holy Word over and over again how much he loves us.  He tells us his plan for us and how we can spend eternity with him by following his Holy Word. Since nothing can be hidden from God, he sees all we do and knows all we think.  He is always present even when we are unaware of him and even when we try to hide from him. We can have no secrets from him, and yet, that is not a scary thing to behold. It brings a sense of comfort when we know that at any time or any place under any conditions, we know we will be welcome.

He loves you completely all of the time, no matter what you have done.  His love for you is revealed in his Holy Word, and his plan for you is to be his ambassador, messenger, bearer of the  “Good News.”  You must never forget that to share God’s Word is a great responsibility, which calls for a response from us.  The way we present God’s word and live it will encourage people to either accept it or reject it. Whether you speak from a pulpit, teach it in a classroom, or share it with friends, you are entrusted with accurately com­municating and living out God’s Holy Word.

 

MARK 10:17-30

In today’s Gospel we see Jesus stop a young man in his tracks and tell him to not use flattery on him. Jesus did not let the young man continue to address him as “Good Teacher.” He was, in effect, saying to the rich young man to stop and think of what he was saying and doing. Jesus was telling him, even at the very outset, to count the cost and that becoming a Christian was not based on sentimental passion.

Jesus was the ultimate teacher, in that he knew that the teacher or preacher must never point to himself, but he must always point to God. The man’s statements were a testimony to the fact that responsibility is not enough. The man was saying that he never did anyone any harm in his whole life. The rich young man was missing the REAL question even today, what good have we done?  Jesus confronted him with a challenge, and he does that today to all of us. In effect, Jesus told him to get out of his moral respectability, stop looking at goodness as consisting in not doing this or that.

Jesus was really asking the man, “How much do you want REAL Christianity?”   Do you want it enough to give away all your  posses­sions? The man told Jesus that he wanted it, but not as much as all that. The man is really not very different from a lot of people in our society today who really want goodness in their lives, but not enough to pay the price. Jesus is looking at you today with the same appeal of love and with the challenge to live the Christian way.  God grant that he may never look at you with sorrow because of your refusal to be all that you can be through him.

 

Application

The first reading tells us that wisdom is a gift from God. The second reading shows us that God’s word is like a hammer that smashes the rocks in our life.  The Gospel reveals God calling us to be all that we can be.

This week, show your family your true wealth, not your worldly possessions, but the real treasure that is in your heart. Show them the power of God’s Holy Word by taking time to read Scripture each day to your children. Read Scripture with your spouse every day. Witness to your family that they are rich in being children of God. Remember, respectability is in not what you do not do, but in what you do.  Remember, to some people in your walk of life, the only Bible that they will read will be you!

THE BREAD OF LIFE CATHOLIC BIBLE STUDY

BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

Pray and ask God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.  “THE PARACLETE, THE HOLY SPIRIT WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, WILL INSTRUCT YOU IN EVERYTHING, AND REMIND YOU OF ALL THAT I TOLD YOU.”  (JOHN 14:26)

 

FIRST DAY  Reread last week’s readings.

1. What was a helpful or new thought from the readings or from the homily you heard on Sunday?

 

2. From what you learned, what personal application did you choose to apply to your life this week?

 

SECOND DAY             READ GENESIS 2:18-24         FIRST READING

(“This one, at last, is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.”)

1. What did the Lord God say was not good, and what did he say he would do?   Genesis 2:18

 

2. What did the Lord God form out of the ground, what did he do with them, and what did the man do?  Genesis    2:19-20

 

3. What did not prove as a suitable partner for man? Genesis 2:20

 

4. What did the Lord God do to the man? Genesis 2:21

 

5. When is there a time when God speaks to man? Job 33:14-15

 

6. What did the Lord God do with the man’s rib? Genesis 2:22

 

7. For what was woman created? 1 Corinthians 11:9

 

8. What did the man say about the woman? Genesis 2:23

 

9. How is man to treat the woman? Ephesians 5:28-30

 

10. Who does a man leave, to whom does he cling, and what happens to his body?  Genesis 2:24

 

Personal – If you are a male, how do you treat the females in your life; and if you are a female, how do you treat the males in your life?  What changes can you make in your relationships that would better reflect the scripture you just studied?

 

 

THIRD DAY              READ HEBREWS 2:9-11         SECOND READING

(“Therefore, he is not ashamed to call them `brothers,'”)

1. With what do we see Jesus crowned, and for what reason? Hebrews 2:7-9

 

2. How did Jesus humble himself, and because of this, what did God do to him?  Philippians 2:7-9

 

3. How was Jesus made perfect? Hebrews 2:10

 

4. Who is the leader and perfecter of faith? Hebrews     12:2

 

5. Whose sufferings did Jesus endure? Isaiah 53:4

 

6. Son though he was, what did he learn from what he suffered? For whom did he become the source of eternal   salvation? Hebrews 5:8-9

 

7. What does he who consecrates and those who are being consecrated, all have?  Hebrews 2:11

 

8. How are people consecrated? Hebrews 13:12

 

9. What is he not ashamed to call them? Hebrews 2:11

 

10. Whom did Jesus say were brother, sister, and mother to him? Mark 3:35

 

Personal  –  In what way have you suffered, and how is that perfecting your faith?

 

 

FOURTH DAY              READ MARK 10:2-16                  GOSPEL

(“Let the children come to me;”)

1. What did the Pharisees ask Jesus, and what were they doing by asking him this?   Mark 10:2

 

2. What did Jesus ask the Pharisees, and what did they reply? Mark 10:3-4

 

3. Why did Jesus say Moses wrote this commandment, and what did he say was from the beginning of creation?        Mark 10:5-8

 

4. What did Jesus say about what God has joined together? Mark 10:9

 

5. What should a wife not do, and what should a husband not do? 1 Corinthians 7:10-11

 

6. As the disciples questioned Jesus, what did he say a wife or husband does that divorces, then marries   another? Mark 10:10-12

 

7. When is a woman not an adulteress? Romans 7:3

 

Personal  –  What new insight did you receive regarding divorce,      and with whom can you share that?

 

 

8. What were the people doing, for what reason, and what did the disciples do? Mark 10:13

 

9. When Jesus saw the disciples rebuking the people for bringing the children, what was his reaction, and what did he say to them?   Mark 10:14-15

 

10. What did Jesus do to the children? Mark 10:16

 

11. What happens to those who touch Jesus? Matthew 14:36

 

Personal – As a child of God, in what way have you been healed by his touch, or by your reaching out to touch him?  Do you see yourself as one of the children, or as one of the disciples rebuking the children?   Reflect on this.

 

 

FIFTH DAY               READ PSALM 128:1-6

(“Happy are you who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways.”)

Read and meditate on Psalm 128:1-6.

1. What is the Lord saying to you personally through the Psalm?

 

Personal  – How can you apply this to your life?

 

 

SIXTH DAY           READ ALL OF THE COMMENTARY

GENESIS 2:18-24

Today’s passage reveals to us that God’s work was not complete until he made woman. God could have made Eve from the dust of the ground just as he had made Adam.  He deliberately chose to make Eve from the man’s bone and flesh.  He showed us that in marriage a man and a woman become one flesh. This is a union, not just in the physical sense, but in the emotional and spiritual sense as well. This is a mystical union of two people­’s hearts and lives.

God tells us all throughout the Bible to treat this special union with the utmost care. If you are married or planning to be married, are you willing to keep the commitment which, in fact, makes the two of you one?  The goal in marriage is far more than friendship; the goal in marriage should be oneness.

God has given men and women different styles, gifts and equipment for various tasks, but when married all lead to the same goal – honoring God. Man has given life to the woman, and woman gives life to the world. The rule of each carries exclusive privileges that should completely eliminate any attitudes about an inferior or superior sex.

Adam and Eve received the gift of marriage from God. They were literally made for one another. God did not institute marriage for convenience, nor was it brought about by any culture. Mar­riage’s three aspects are: a man leaves his father and mother in a public act and promises himself to his wife. The man and woman take responsibility for each other’s welfare, and love their mate next to God, above all others. The two become one person in the intimacy and commitment of sexual union which is reserved for marriage.  A strong marriage of today will include all three of these aspects.

 

HEBREWS 2:9-11

Jesus is Lord is really what this passage is all about. Jesus is in charge of everything and he has revealed himself to us. We do not actually see him reigning on earth because we are only using spiritual vision. We see him reigning in our hearts and minds.  We can picture him in his heavenly glory and know that we are heirs to that kingdom. We see him as we do simply because we chose to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord.

To call Jesus “Lord” means to call him “master” over every­one. To call him master means that we have chosen to obey his commands. Jesus has two commandments: “Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all your heart, mind, and soul,” and “You shall love thy neighbor as thyself.” It calls for complete obedience. Obedience is the core of love, and there can be no love without obedience.

Jesus learned obedience through his suffering. His suffering led him to enter into the greatest sacrifice ever made for mankind. When you become confused about tomorrow and let anxiety cloud your future, try to keep a clear view about Jesus – who he is, what he has done, and what he is doing for you right now. This will help as you make your choices for the next day in the kingdom.

God’s kindness led Jesus Christ to go freely to his death. Kindness can and often does involve sacrifice and pain. Jesus did not come into this world to gain status or political power, but to suffer and die so that we could truly live. Jesus Christ was the only person who was ever born to die. He died so that all men could choose to live forever, by believing in him. Not all men did accept this invita­tion to believe in him, and the turmoil and strife on our planet earth is proof of this. If the sacrifice of suffering and death by Christ is difficult to understand, maybe it is time to evaluate your own motives. If kindness, not sel­fishness motives us, we too may have to suffer.

 

MARK 10:2-16

This passage shows us again how the Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus with their deceitful questions. They tried to trap him by getting him to state that he supported divorce. Jesus would, in that case, be upholding the Pharisee’s procedures, and they doubted he would do that. If he spoke out against divorce, he would seem to be condemning Moses; it was not a question of popularity but heresy they tried to trip him on.  He also could incur the wrath of King Herod, who had already killed John the Baptist for speaking out against divorce and adultery (Mark 6:17-28).

The Pharisees saw divorce as a legal issue rather than a spiritual issue. They were not thinking about what God intended for marriage, but had reduced it to a legal structure that could be ended on a whim. Today we see the arena of marriage being torn apart by a secular society that bases its beliefs in humanism.  The idea of a covenant between God and the man and woman is almost non-existent to much of today’s world. The rule of a contract is much more identifiable with much of today’s world. In a contract you buy something and if it does not perform as well as stated in the contract, you throw it away, or you send it away, and this is called divorce.

Scripture tells us that God never intended for man to separate what he has joined together.  Women were often treated as property and marriage and divorce were treated as transactions similar to buying and selling land. Jesus condemned this attitude and practice then, just as he does today. God’s original intention was that marriage brought oneness. Jesus held up God’s ideal for marriage and told his followers to live by it.

Do not enter marriage with the option of getting out, but be committed to permanence.  You can win your mate’s heart with your prayer life, your commitment to God’s Holy Word with God’s help. To be with God in your life here on earth is our true desire, to be with a marriage partner that shares this vision with you is a blessing beyond our wildest expectation.  Through Jesus Christ, it is available and only through him is it available.

 

Application

The first reading tells how God made marriage to bring about oneness.  The second reading shows that kindness can lead to suffering which will lead to obedience, which is the core of love. The Gospel shows us that Jesus is the only way to oneness.

This week, listen to your spouse. Really listen to what is being said. Your response will determine how well you are listen­ing. Spend more time alone with Jesus and read his Holy Word on marriage. Then share together what he is telling both of you. The strength and power of a person is in his ability to listen.

If your marriage has ended in divorce or death, renew your covenant with Jesus. Let him become your spouse, and let him fill in the empty spots in your life.  He can, and he will.