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15 January 20232nd Sunday in Ordinary Time The Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God, Buchach, Ukraine Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Green. Year: A(I).First readingIsaiah 49:3,5-6 ©I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earthThe Lord said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel,in whom I shall be glorified’;I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord,my God was my strength.And now the Lord has spoken,he who formed me in the womb to be his servant,to bring Jacob back to him,to gather Israel to him:‘It is...

4 December 2022 2nd Sunday of Advent Old Mission Santa Barbara, CA Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: Violet. Year: A(I).First readingIsaiah 11:1-10 ©A shoot springs from the stock of JesseA shoot springs from the stock of Jesse,a scion thrusts from his roots:on him the spirit of the Lord rests,a spirit of wisdom and insight,a spirit of counsel and power,a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.(The fear of the Lord is his breath.)He does not judge by appearances,he gives no verdict on hearsay,but judges the wretched with integrity,and with equity gives a verdict for the poor of the...

When Jesus was baptized by St. John the Baptist, it wasn’t just any body of water, or puddle, but the Jordan river. This is significant, as this spot wasn’t random, but has profound biblical symbolism. When the people of Israel were led to the “Promised Land,” they had one final hurdle to overcome: the Jordan river. The entire nation had to cross the Jordan river in order to claim the land that God had marked out for them. This action is narrated in the book of Joshua. The people then followed Joshua across the Jordan river and were saved from...

John understood that his role was to prepare the way for Christ, and then to step aside: “He must increase, I must decrease” (John 3:30). The birth of Jesus is celebrated at Christmas (beginning of another quarter) in December—at the Winter Solstice, as the Sun begins to “increase” in day light and the day lights grow longer each day. The Bible indicates that John was born six months before Jesus (Luke 1:26), so his birth celebrates during the Summer Solstice, as the Sun begins to “decrease” in day light and day lights become shorter. Summer Solstice has the longest day...

Many may be baffled by this, and some may even disagree, but if you allow yourself to step away from what secular history has told you about the religion of Judaism, you will realize that their is truth in what I am about to share.Let me begin by stating, there is absolutely nothing “Jewish” about God's revelations to Moses at Mt. Sinai. Everything Moses wrote that God instructed him to write, was distinctly Hebraic. NOT Jewish. The Jewish religious tradition was born in the late second temple period, by the Pharisees. There are 613 laws that God handed down...

A newly deciphered magical amulet claims to stop evil spirits "who eat flesh and drink blood,"...About 1,600 years ago, the Mandaeans, who have lived in southern Iraq and Iran for millennia, wrote the incantation onto a lead amulet in their language Mandaic. When unfolded, the amulet looks like a long thin piece of lead.The discovery could shed light on the Mandaean religion, which is complex and blends together several beliefs. Both John the Baptist and archangel Gabriel are both important figures who practiced the religion. Modern-day Mandaeans often ritually immerse themselves in water as a form of purification, and they...

Does anybody have a link to read the works of Josephus on-line? I am trying to get corroboration from secular history of Herod's massacre of boys under 2. Also, since he ruled in Galilee before siding with Octavius and becoming ruler of Judea, I am curious as to the how far the massacre took place. I mean, Matthew quoted Jeremiah about "weeping and mourning in Ramah" but it doesn't say that is as far as it went. I'll appreciate very much any information as I am trying to help my pastor here. Thanks.

The Gospel According to Mark recounts the circumstances that led to the beheading of John the Baptist by order of Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee. “Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Phillip’s wife; for he had married her. Because John had said to Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’” Beau Biden, the eldest son of former vice president Joe Biden died of brain cancer in May 2015. Not even two years later, Beau’s younger brother Hunter has left his...

Archaeologists claim that they have identified the deadly dance floor where John the Baptist...was sentenced to death around A.D. 29. The Bible and the ancient writer Flavius Josephus (A.D. 37-100) both describe how King Herod Antipas, a son of King Herod, had John the Baptist executed. Josephus specified that the execution took place at Machaerus, a fort near the Dead Sea in modern-day Jordan. ...Herod Antipas was set to marry a woman named Herodias, both of whom had been divorced — something that John the Baptist objected to. At Herod Antipas' birthday party, Herodias' daughter, named Salome, performed a dance...

Christianity is the largest religion in the world, approximately a third of the world's population, according to Pew Research Center (2015). Christmas Day could possibly be considered the most celebrated religious holiday on the planet. The date of Christmas on December 25 has been studied for centuries. Some think that since it was in the winter, shepherds would not have been in the field with their flocks, but this argument loses credibility when one considers the moderate climate of Bethlehem in December, with an average daily temperature of around 50 degrees, similar to Florida or Texas. Some think December 25...

Most of us are naturally curious as to why Jesus underwent baptism. Especially since John baptized Jesus after saying the Bible says John preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins! In this video I'll explain why Jesus was baptized and what deep theological truths we learn from it. I'll also tackle some of the false teaching of Bart Ehrman about the gospel of Mark...

Zacharias By Philip Cottraux God hadn’t spoken to the Jews in 400 years. Malachi was the last prophet before the long gap between Old and New Testaments. But there’s a final word that bridges the two together: Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: (Malachi 3:1). Now to be clear, God did move for His people before Christ came. He intervened during the Maccabbean revolt, then miraculously supplied enough oil to consecrate the temple. But as far as actually prophecy, He still remained silent. And now over a century had passed since Judah...

There are three principal reasons why the 4 B.C. date has prevailed over 1 B.C. These reasons were articulated by Emil Schürer in A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ, also published in the 19th century. First, Josephus informs us that Herod died shortly before a Passover (Antiquities 17.9.3, The Jewish War 2.1.3), making a lunar eclipse in March (the time of the 4 B.C. eclipse) much more likely than one in December. Second, Josephus writes that Herod reigned for 37 years from the time of his appointment in 40 B.C. and 34 years from...

Two Tragic Sins Seen in One Gospel Passage Msgr. Charles Pope • August 30, 2017 • The tragic Gospel passage about the death of St. John Baptist (which we read in daily Mass on Tuesday) is a study in two common sins that afflict most of us. While the results of these sinful tendencies may not always be this dire, the damage wrought is often significant. Let’s take a look at each in turn. The sin of human respect – This is a sin wherein we fear human beings and their opinions of us more than we fear God...

We do not generally celebrate the birthdays of saints. We celebrate the date of their deaths, because how we end our lives is more important than how we begin them. However, St. John the Baptist is one of the two exceptions to this rule. We celebrate both the conception and the birth of St. John as well as the Theotokos, because these two people are the holiest of the saints. St. John was, we are told in the Gospels, filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother's womb (Luke 1:15), and so he was a great saint,...

"Spirit-Given Faith Greets the Savior" (Luke 1:39-56) We're coming near the end of Advent, and it's time to greet the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ--not only at Christmas, but also when he comes again. Are you ready? Are you prepared? How will you greet him? Our Gospel reading today shows us how to greet him when he comes. In faith. What does that mean, "in faith"? And where does that faith come from? We'll find that out, too, as the word of the Lord comes to us today, under the theme, "Spirit-Given Faith Greets the Savior." In the Holy...

The Fire Next Time – A Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent By: Msgr. Charles PopeAn old spiritual says, God gave Noah the rainbow sign, No more water, but the fire next time. The second reading in today’s Mass speaks to us of the “Fire next time” and again reminds of the need to be ready for the coming of the Lord. This homily focuses especially on that Second reading wherein St Peter reminds us of a passing that will come for us all, sooner or later. And since Advent is a time to prepare by prayer and repentance, we do...

A Christian man was executed during the night by a high-profile ruler after making an uncompromising defense of real marriage. The Christian, who was renowned for his holiness, had told the ruler in public that his relationship with his partner was “against the law” of God. The Christian’s words enraged the ruler’s partner who successfully plotted to have him permanently silenced. John the Baptist was first imprisoned before he was beheaded. The Catholic Church honors him today, August 29, as a martyr and saint. While John’s death happened a little less than 2,000 years ago, his heroic stance for real...

San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone has responded that, despite criticism from political leaders in his home state, he will attend the March for Marriage this week, because his position requires him to act as a defender of the Catholic faith. In a letter released today, Cordileone wrote that he is required “as a bishop, to proclaim the truth—the whole truth—about the human person and God’s will for our flourishing ... especially the truth about marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife,” Cordileone wrote. “That is what I will be doing on June 19th.” Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone Political figures...

Matthew 3:4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Is Phil Robertson a Modern Day John the Baptist? Could he be a "voice of one crying in the wilderness", proclaiming "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." (Mk 1:3)? I do not know the exact role that God has called Brother Robertson too. All I know is that he is now preaching at the national level a message against sin and pointing the nation to Jesus.