Here's a sheet with the text we are moving into today - not a big deal, it's really just the introductory verses in the synoptic gospels, but I have translated Luke's in a way you may not be familiar with - you'll see why. We are going to finish up John's prologue material, and then touch on the intros to the other gospels. As noted earlier, we will not be reading through the genealogies, but if time allows I will comment on them a bit. And then, next week, The Annunciation!
By the way, in one of our Piazza gatherings I recommended the book Prayer and Temperament by Chester Michael. This is a great book, mapping the different Myers-Briggs Personality types onto different spirituality types. Another thing it does is connect the 4 gospels with the 4 major personality types, on the assumption that one of the reasons we get 4 different perspectives on the gospel story in our canon is that the authors of the gospels were in fact each of one of the 4 main personality types, and each wrote a gospel for that personality type - so if you have a favorite gospel, it's likely that your personality type matches that of the author. Anyway, I found it to be right on.
See you soon... (and if you are not a supporter yet, there is time to become a supporter before we begin this morning - just sayin') - Jim
Dear friends - Please take 10 minutes to watch this personal update from me:
I mentioned in The Journey that I wrote a song based on Isaiah 2, which is one of my favorite OT passages:
In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain, and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it. Many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, That he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations, and set terms for many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. House of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
I hope you like the song!
Hi folks - well, this is it, as you know, I'm shutting down this platform tomorrow. In the meantime, just two more quick reminders. Make sure to sign up for my email newsletter for updates on new books, pilgrimages, etc. And speaking of that, let me know if you're interested in a Rome & Assisi pilgrimage one year from now with me and Mike Aquilina. To sign up for the newsletter, go to my home page.
Finally, don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel, if you're not already. Here's that link:
https://www.youtube.com/@TheOriginalChurch
Thanks for a great 3 years! - Jim
As you all know, I'm shutting down this platform on Saturday.
So just a reminder, I hope you all will keep in touch. If you don't' already have an email for me, keep this one:
Thanks,
Jim
Hi folks,
When I was putting together my list of how to read the rest of the NT chronologically, I now realize that I left out the Letter to the Hebrews!
As you know, in the early and medieval Church there was a debate over whether St. Paul wrote this, and whether it should be included among his letters. Since most scholars do not include Hebrews among the letters of Paul, I had left it off my chronology of Paul's life. If he did write it, we don't know when - but I suspect that if he wrote it, it would have his name on it. In any case, it has to have been written before 70 AD because it speaks of the temple sacrifices as ongoing, and Clement of Rome quotes it in 1 Clement a couple decades later. So I would put Hebrews either with James (after the prison epistles of Paul) or with Peter's letters (after the pastoral epistles of Paul). I'm not saying that I think James or Peter wrote it, but they would be interesting candidates for authorship.
And if you want a couple short, but ...
