The first day of the Rome pilgrimage is always a bit crazy - we get a late start because most people land in Rome in the morning, and then have to get to the hotel. But it's also a long day because we really have to power through the first day and not let anyone take a nap or anything, otherwise the group will never get on Rome time. So we began with a group lunch, and then we had what I call "Jesus Day" - visiting the sites and relics of the Passion of Christ. First was the Holy Stairs - the very stairs Jesus ascended to meet Pontius Pilate, which were transferred from Jerusalem to Rome. They are now near the Cathedral of Rome, San Giovanni in Laterano (St. John Lateran). Then we went to the church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (The Holy Cross in Jerusalem), which contains relics of the Passion, for people who can't make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
This was for March 24th, recorded for the Ascension App
Thanks for your patience - here is our next installment of The Journey - it's session # 96, but I'm also calling it PART 1 of a "miniseries" on John chapter 6.
Whoever watches it first, please let me know if it looks good or if there are any problems with it - I get through the first two sections of the text on the feeding of the 5,000.
Enjoy!
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!
Question for the community, especially Jim due to his patristics expertise. I recently came across a YT channel called Biblical Understanding (BU), and the host is a Calvinist (Presbyterian) who makes bold claims about finding support for Calvinist/Reformed beliefs in Ignatius and Polycarp. For instance, he believes he can harmonize the Presbyterian two-tiered leadership with Ignatius of Antioch's three-tiered hierarchy (bishop/priest/deacon); also, Calvinist spiritual real presence in Ignatius; and sola scriptura, unconditional election, and even limited atonement in Polycarp's letter to the Philippians. He has more besides these examples. He seems pretty smart, but doesn't really give me the vibe of a scholar, much less a patristics expert. I'm skeptical based on my prior study of these fathers; however, I am for sure a total beginner. Is there any merit to the types of claims he is making? Is there any scholarly countenancing of finding Calvinist beliefs in these Apostolic Fathers, ...
I got a call from one of my publishers, Ave Maria Press - my book, Praying a Christ-Centered Rosary is now on sale for only 4 bucks. (Honestly, not sure how I feel about my books being on sale, but...)
The sale goes until April 23rd - here's a link to their site:
https://www.avemariapress.com/products/praying-a-christ-centered-rosary
The video's not ready yet but in case you want to look ahead to the text...
Jesus (and for a second, Peter!) WALK ON WATER
