Day 336: The Council at Jerusalem

Acts 15:1-29 The issue of circumcision of the Gentile converts would finally be resolved at the Council of Jerusalem, which is the first recorded gathering of the Church hierarchy to define a matter of faith. It is the forerunner to the Ecumenical Councils, of which the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) is the most recent. (CCC 9-10, 1554)

Acts 15:1-5 Despite what Peter had already said about the matter, the “circumcision party” continued to challenge the unconditional acceptance of Gentiles into the Church. At this time, Christianity was still regarded by some as a Jewish sect, and the Jewish Law had always forbidden the uncircumcised from becoming part of the Jewish faith. The group of men who raise the issue here again side with the Pharisees and insist on the rigidity of the Old Law.

You cannot be saved: Circumcision was seen as so necessary that in the Jewish mindset it was even vital for salvation. (CCC 595)

Ch 15:2 Recognizing lawful Church authority, Paul and Barnabas visited Peter and the Apostles in Jerusalem to resolve the matter of Gentile circumcision and the application of the Mosaic Law. (CCC 877, 879, 1559)

Ch 15:6-11 Peter, in his role as head of the Church, listened to the testimony and made his pronouncement. Recalling the Baptism of Cornelius and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Gentiles at Caesarea, he decided to accept the Gentiles into the Church without requiring circumcision. 

We believe: Peter summarized his judgment with a doctrinal statement of faith. (CCC 185, 1987-2005)

Ch 15:10 The Jews themselves, even the patriarchs, never managed to keep the Old Law perfectly. (CCC 578)

Ch 15:12-21 Everyone present accepted Peter’s decision, as he was the one appointed by Christ to lead the Church. James the Less, the leader of the local Church in Jerusalem, suggested that the Gentiles abstain from eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols, eating strangled animals, consuming animal blood, and impure sexual unions. These were points of the Old Law that had always been applied to Jews and Gentiles alike. These directives had the advantage of enabling the Gentiles to disassociate themselves from their old pagan practices when they became Christians. These guidelines were not matters of faith but of discipline, which would eventually become obsolete with the passage of time, since these issues would no longer exist. (CCC 1594, 2034)

Ch 15:14 Symeon: A Greek rendering of Simon, Peter’s original name, Shim’on  in Hebrew. (CCC 881)

Ch 15:22-35 The apostolic letter announcing the decision succinctly expressed the decision of the Apostles. 

It has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us: The Apostles clearly saw its deliberations in council and decisions as guided by the Holy Spirit in keeping with the promise of Christ. The news was well received in Antioch.

Exhorted them...strengthened them: The role of brothers and sisters in the Faith is crucial for our own faith. We can be encouraged and edified by the support of other members of the faithful. The Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation involve a sponsor whose role is to guide the new Christian or confirmand in living out the faith. (CCC 100, 1311)

Ch 15:33 Other ancient authorities add verse 34: “But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.”

Ch 15:36-41 For reasons not stated, John Mark had left the company of Paul and Barnabas during their first journey and returned to Jerusalem (cf. Acts 13:13). It was apparently a point of contention as it also prompted Paul and Barnabas to part ways. (CCC 873)

1 Corinthians 11:1-16 The instruction Paul gave on head coverings came from Jewish tradition. Evidently there was a controversy, and Paul sought to settle it. In essence, our external posture, behavior, and dress-especially in worship-should reflect deep faith and a refined respect. It is still the custom of some women, especially in the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church, to cover the head in Church. (CCC 355-358, 369-373, 1205-1207)

Ch 11:17-22 It appears that the celebration of the Eucharist was sometimes held in the context of a larger meal called an agape. Some of the faithful ate and drank excessively while others did not receive enough. What was supposed to be a sign of solidarity in the Church became a source of disunity. Paul disapproved of this practice, and eventually the agape was no longer held in conjunction with the Eucharist.

The Lord’s supper: This is the celebration of the Eucharist, called the Mass, or Divine Liturgy. (CCC 752, 777, 1329, 1397-1401, 2178)

Ch 11:23-34 The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. Paul recounted the history of the institution of the Holy Eucharist to emphasize to the Corinthians that they received the true Body and Blood of Christ. Christ left us the Eucharist as a visible, unbloody, sacramental sign by which his one, bloody Sacrifice on the Cross would be re-presented and remembered until he comes again. For so great a privilege, the faithful must be properly prepared; those who receive the Body and Blood of Christ while conscious of any mortal sin commit the sin of sacrilege. (CCC 610, 613, 1362-1366, 1388-1390)

Ch 11:24-26 The celebration of the Eucharist has not changed in its essence from the practice of the early Church, for it is by Christ’s own instruction that we continue to gather together to celebrate and receive this great Sacrament. The word eucharist is derived from the Greek eucharistia, meaning “thanksgiving.” One of the aims of the Eucharistic Sacrifice is to offer thanksgiving for the gift of our redemption as we look forward to Christ’s return in glory. (CCC 1076, 1097, 1328-1329, 1356-1358, 1374-1378)

Ch 11:26 In proclaiming the death of the Lord, we also proclaim the forgiveness of sins won for us by his Sacrifice. The Eucharist thus purifies us from venial sins and strengthens us against future temptation as it unites us to Christ. (CCC 1130, 1344, 1393-1395, 2772, 2776)

Ch 11:27-29 Proper preparation for receiving the Eucharist includes a careful examination of conscience. If we are aware of having committed a mortal sin for which we have not yet received absolution in the Sacrament of Penance, we are obliged to refrain from Holy Communion. To receive the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin is a sacrilege. It is also advisable to make a habit of frequent Confession as a preparation for receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. (CCC 1098, 1385)

Ch 11:30 The Eucharist and the other Sacraments are channels of grace, which increase the divine life in our souls. (CCC 1123-1128, 1509)

Ch 11:33-34 Paul cautioned that intemperance of the agape meal suggested an improper disposition for receiving the Eucharist. Canon Law specifies that the faithful must refrain from all food and drink for one hour before receiving Holy Communion. (CCC 1468, 2043)

Ch 12:1-11 Perhaps undue importance was given to the use of charismatic gifts in the Corinthian community, with some working miracles, some speaking in tongues, some prophesying, and others interpreting prophecies. The various gifts of the Holy Spirit are granted to the faithful for the building up of the Church and must be exercised with that end in mind. The authenticity of these special gifts is always submitted to the judgment of the Church. (CCC 798-801, 1971, 1988, 2003-2004)

Ch 12:3 Jesus is Lord: The word “Lord” in this context indicates divinity. This statement of faith indicates that Christ deserves the same worship, praise, and glory as God the Father. (CCC 142, 455, 683, 2670, 2681)

Ch 12:6 Every good thing we have comes from God. To use our gifts and talents for the good of others is to allow God to work through us. (CCC 249, 308)

Ch 12:7 Every charismatic gift is subject to the judgment of the Church to ensure that the common good is being served by its use. (CCC 801, 951)

Ch 12:9 Some receive the gift of healing, given by the Holy Spirit, so the grace of God may reveal his power over sickness and death. Physical or mental healing in many instances is not granted for the sake of a deeper spiritual and moral healing. It is important to note that the Lord uses these maladies to bring us in more intimate contact with Christ on the Cross. In such instances, God provides an opportunity to offer up our suffering for our personal intentions or the intentions of others. (CCC 873, 1508)

Ch 12:12-31 Using the analogy of the Church as a Body, Paul related that each person has a certain role to play in building up the Church, Christ’s Mystical Body. Like various parts of the body, all of the faithful must work in harmony, and none should feel superior to any other or reject the gifts of another. The Holy Spirit is the source of Christian unity, and we each play a part in building and maintaining that unity. (CCC 787-798, 805-807, 1988, 2003)

Ch 12:13 Baptized into one body: By the Holy Spirit, the baptized become members of Christ’s Body, the Church, and enter a universal (in Greek, katholikos, whence “catholic”) community that transcends all earthly distinctions.

Made to drink of one Spirit: Water is the efficacious sign of Baptism that cleanses the soul of all sin; to drink of the one Holy Spirit is to be grafted onto the life of Christ by the work of God the Holy Spirit. (CCC 694, 790, 1227, 1267, 1396)

Ch 12:26-30 As members of Christ’s body, the faithful share in a “communion in charity,” a solidarity in which everyone shares in the joys and sufferings of every individual member. Because the Church is one body, every action of its members can have a positive effect through virtuous deeds or a harmful influence through sinful actions. (CCC 779, 953, 1265, 1469, 1508)

(*The Didache Bible RSV-CE Ignatius Edition, 2006)

• Paul moves on to Lystra and heals a man crippled from birth, which causes such a sensation that, at first, many in the city want to worship Paul and Barnabas. 

• This healing puts Paul on a par with Peter, who healed a lame man, and shows that he, like Peter, is following in the footsteps of the messiah, Jesus. 

• After traveling through Lystra and Iconium, Paul and Barnabas double back to visit the new Christian communities they established earlier. 

• They appoint “elders [in Greek, presbuteroi] for them in every church with prayer and fasting” (Acts 14:23). 

• Presbuteroi, or presbyters, is translated “priests” in the Catholic tradition. 

• These presbyters had oversight and authority over local churches, while individual apostles like Paul and Barnabas evangelized a wider region. 

• The word for “appoint” in the Greek literally means to “stretch out the hand” and likely had a technical sense of laying on of hands for ordination. 

• Here at the outset of the early Church, there is already a sense of order and hierarchy. 

• Indeed, the next episode describing the events surrounding the first Church council illustrates how ordered and hierarchical the Church was from its beginning. 

Council of Jerusalem 

• The mission to the Gentiles enkindles controversy from the start. 

• As already noted, when Peter returned to Jerusalem after baptizing Cornelius, many criticized Peter for eating with uncircumcised men. 

• Paul and Barnabas’ first mission journey also stirred up the hot embers of this controversy when many Gentiles in the area of Galatia converted. 

• Jewish Christians from Judea came up to Antioch and had “no small dissension and debate” (Acts 15:2) over the question of whether Gentile converts needed to be circumcised. 

• Paul details, in his letter to the Galatians, that Peter himself came up to Antioch and, under pressure from those of the circumcision party from Jerusalem, refrained from eating with Gentile converts. 

• With that the controversy burst into flame, threatening the unity and very identity of the new Christian movement. 

• Although he was the first to teach that the clean/unclean distinction of foods was abolished, according to his vision at Joppa, Peter refrains from eating with Gentiles in Antioch. 

• Paul rebukes Peter for his insincerity. 

• This famous confrontation, related in Galatians 2, is often misused by some to indicate a break in the fraternal relationship between these two apostles. 

• But Paul’s reproof of Peter’s actions is in accord with Sirach’s counsel that one should question a friend so that if he has done anything wrong, he may do it no more (Sir 19:13) and with Proverbs’ words that if one reproves a wise man, he will love you (Prv 9:8). 

• Far from indicating a break in their fraternal relationship, Paul’s honest reproof of Peter and Peter’s words at the Jerusalem Council reflect a fraternal relationship that should exist among brothers and sisters in Christ, who, in charity, call one another on to holiness in imitation of their Lord. 

• Peter and Paul soon gather with the other apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the first Church council to decide the now thorny issue of circumcision of Gentile converts (Acts 15:6). 

• The most prominent speech Luke records is that of Peter, who teaches that Gentiles do not need to be circumcised. 

• Here, in the midst of the Church’s gathering, Peter takes the lead and teaches correctly, overcoming his failure to practice in Antioch what he had taught to be true. 

• Next, Paul and Barnabas recount the signs and wonders God worked during their mission journey, after which James concurs with Peter and Paul, and the council comes to its decision: Gentiles are not required to be circumcised. 

• Unity prevails, and Peter and Paul are clearly on the same side in the debate, their friendship preserved. 

(*Walking With God: A Journey Through The Bible by Tim Gray and Jeff Cavins)

• So Acts Ch 15 is a PRETTY CRITICAL CHAPTER

• Now, obviously, A LOT of things are critical

• But what is going on here?

• This is one of the things that St. Paul is going to be writing about

• He wrote about it to the Romans

• He wrote about it to the Ephesians

• He writes about it to the Galatians

• He writes about it to the Corinthians, a little bit

• This is what is called the JUDAIZERS

• So what were the JUDAIZERS?

• They were Jews who had become Christian and they held on to the idea that if Gentiles are going to become Christian that’s fine

• If they were going to be brought into the New Covenant, that’s great

• BUT…

• They FIRST have to be brought into the OLD COVENANT in order to be brought into the NEW COVENANT

• Think about this…

• All the first Christians came from the Old Covenant

• They were part of the People of God that God established his Covenant with in the Old Testament

• So THE way, if you are a man, you were brought into the Old Covenant was through CIRCUMCISION (Do you remember when we first learned this? Go back and read Day 8: The Surrender of Abraham in The Bible in a Year Study Guide for a refresher 😁)

• So the Judaizers thought, “Well that makes sense. If we are going to have Gentiles come into this new family, in the New Covenant, then they are brought in first like we were, circumcised then baptized. That’s the stages. That’s how we did it. That’s how they should do it.”

• And the big question was....

• Do those Gentile converts have to FIRST BE CIRCUMCISED before they are baptized?

• The Apostles did not know

• Jesus did not say anything about this

• There is nothing about this in the Old Testament

• IN FACT…

• If there was ANYTHING in the Old Testament it says you gotta be circumcised

• So they don’t have an answer

• There is not an answer that God said in his Word

• There is not an answer that God said through the Person of Jesus

• So what do you do?

• IN FACT…

• It says, “There arose no little dissension among them.”

• Acts 15:7, “After there had been much debate…”

• MUCH DEBATE!!

• They argued about this

• There were fights, we’ll say

• In Fr. Mike’s family, they were called “discussions” (Interesting...in MY family, they were called “aggressive negotiations” and involved lightsabers 😉)

• There were debates and fights here 

• “We NEED to get them circumcised!”

• “We DON’T NEED to get them circumcised!”

• BUT…

• WHO determines that?

• This is the BIG QUESTION

• This is THE reason why we need the Church

• Not just an invisible, spiritual Church

• This is the reason why we need the AUTHORITY of the Church

• Think about this…

• In this section of Acts Ch 15 we have The Council of Jerusalem, the FIRST Church council

• The next Church council was The Council of Nicaea

• We also have The Council of Ephesus

• We also have The Council of Constantinople

• We also have The Second Vatican Council

• Those Church councils looked EXACTLY like Acts Ch 15

• The Apostles AKA the Bishops, their successors and The Pope AKA the Successor of St. Peter come together

• They debate

• They argue about this

• They fight about this

• IN FACT…

• (Fr. Mike is not sure if this is accurate but…)

• There are legends that there was a guy named Arias in 325 AD

• The heresy of Arianism had taken over the world  

• ARIANISM was the belief that Jesus Christ was NOT FULLY GOD, but only PARTLY GOD

• Like part God part man like Hercules

• Arias said, “Because there are some scriptures that indicate that Jesus says, ‘The Father is greater than I.’ Maybe that means...Who knows what that means? Maybe that means that he is not fully God.”

• AND YET…

• The orthodox belief is that Jesus is FULLY GOD AND FULLY MAN

• So The Council of Nicaea in 325 AD there are stories of a guy named jolly old St. Nicholas

• St. Nick himself was at The Council of Nicaea

• It’s legend

• Maybe it didn’t happen

• Some people are like, “It happened!”

• Some people are like, “It didn’t happen!”

• Fr. Mike is in the middle so let’s just tell the story, it’s kind of fun

• Here’s St. Nicholas who himself would have been disfigured because he SUFFERED FOR THE FAITH

• He had been tortured because he believed that Jesus Christ was FULLY GOD AND FULLY  MAN

• So he’s debating Arias and at one point he either punched or slapped Arias in the face

• It’s just fun to know about jolly old St. Nicholas because he knows how to THROW DOWN with a HERETIC like Arias

• BUT…

• It wasn’t established fully, is Jesus FULLY GOD AND FULLY MAN

• Yes, Christians believed that

• BUT…

• What about those problematic passages where Jesus SEEMS to indicate that, “The Father is GREATER than I”?

• BUT…

• Jesus also says, “The Father and I are ONE” and that seems to indicate EQUALITY

• It is not resolved until when?

• Until the Church came together with the Bishops and the Pope and they say, “Ok, it seems good to the Holy Spirit and to us…[BAM]...here, Jesus is FULLY GOD AND FULLY MAN.”

• Later, in The Council of Constantinople it was decreed that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are ONE DIVINE BEING IN THREE DIVINE PERSONS

• That is a thing that comes from the Catholic Church coming together and saying, “This is the DOCTRINE. This is the DOGMA.”

• And the FIRST time we have that is here in Acts Ch 15 The Council at Jerusalem

• Because we realize that if you don’t have to get circumcised, then yeah let’s not do that (Do you remember one memorable time when a bunch of adult men got circumcised to enter a covenant? Go back and read Day 82: The Valley of Achor in The Bible in a Year Study Guide to help jog your memory 😁)

• But if you DO [need to get circumcised], then you are risking your entire salvation by NOT getting circumcised

• So the answer that they are going to come up with here BETTER BE RIGHT!!

• RIGHT??

• IT BETTER BE INFALLIBLY RIGHT!!

• OR ELSE…

• EVERYONE who is UNCIRCUMCISED, even if they are BAPTIZED, will NOT be able to enter Heaven

• SO THANKS BE TO GOD!!

• GOD GAVE US THIS CHURCH!!

• This Church actually can TEACH us things that God himself did not reveal through SCRIPTURE and didn’t reveal in the PERSON OF JESUS, but DOES reveal through the TEACHING OF THE CHURCH

• DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? (WHY AM I YELLING? Sometimes, as a kid, I had trouble controlling the volume of my voice...I was the loud, obnoxious, dorky kid growing up 😉)

• THIS IS SO IMPORTANT!!

• Even though we KNOW this…

• WE KNOW THIS

• We know the Church is imperfect

• Think about this…

• After this, they announce this great news to the Gentile believers

• They are SO EXCITED

• They are SO PUMPED

• Then Paul and Barnabas are going to go on another missionary journey

• Acts 15:37-38, “And Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to work. And there arose a sharp contention, so that they separated from each other.”

• Remember, Barnabas, the SON OF ENCOURAGEMENT, the RIGHT HAND MAN of Paul

• BROTHERS IN THE LORD

• BEST FRIENDS

• They are going day after day of this mission work that you hope and pray that they LIKED each other

• You hope and pray that they lived like BROTHERS

• BUT…

• In this moment, they disagreed SO VEHEMENTLY with each other about whether John Mark should come with them or not

• They separated from each other

• THEY BROKE UP THE BAND!!

• John Mark was Yoko Ono!! (Would you like to have a chuckle? Just take a gander at the look on the legendary Chuck Berry’s face when Yoko Ono decides to...um...how to put this delicately...improvise INCREDIBLE! Chuck Berry and John Lennon REACTION to the senseless screams of YOKO ONO🤪)

• John Mark was Barnabas’ cousin

• We PRAISE God for this because later on they RECONCILE

• Later on Paul and Barnabas are CLOSE AGAIN

• Later on Paul even calls John Mark his SON

• AND YET…

• At this moment, here is the Church that is imperfect AND YET can teach ACCURATELY and can teach INFALLIBLY

• AND THAT IS ESSENTIAL!!

• HOPE THAT MAKES SENSE!!

• Acts Ch 15 just highlights the NEED for the VISIBLE CHURCH TO EXIST

• NOT ONLY THAT…

• That has the AUTHORITY TO TEACH US

• Some people ask, “Where is that written down?”

• You have to go to Mass on Sundays…“Well, where is that written down?”

• Fr. Mike would say, “There is a lot of indication in Scripture. But, why do you NEED it written down? Where would it have to be written in order for you to believe it? Because it could be written in The Bible. That’s great. We believe The Bible is the Word of God. But could it also be written in Church documents? Could it also be written by the Church, who GAVE us the New Testament, who GAVE us the 73 books? Could it be written by that AUTHORITY? And we would accept that authority” (I took out the A because he didn't add a B or C or 2 or 3...😉)

• Speaking of AUTHORITY…

• Here we are in 1 Corinthians Chs 11 and 12

• Here is our first CHALLENGING section of St. Paul when it comes to men and women

• It is important to understand that, as we move into this, when St. Paul is talking about the head, he is NOT talking about BETTER

• He is talking about SOURCE

• He says, “I want you to understand, the head of every man is Christ. Jesus is the source. The head of every woman is her husband. The husband is the source. The head of Christ is God. God the Father is the source.”

• THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET THAT RIGHT, RIGHT AWAY

• I want you to understand...

• The HEAD of every MAN is CHRIST

• The HEAD of every WOMAN is HER HUSBAND

• The HEAD of CHRIST is GOD

• We HAVE to understand this last piece

• The HEAD of CHRIST is GOD...question...we just covered this a second ago

• Is Jesus Christ INFERIOR to God the Father?

• The answer, of course, is ABSOLUTELY NOT!!

• So Jesus Christ is NOT INFERIOR to God the Father

• Is Jesus Christ CO-EQUAL, CO-ETERNAL with God the Father?

• ABSOLUTELY!!

• THEY ARE BOTH GOD FROM GOD, LIGHT FROM LIGHT, TRUE GOD FROM TRUE GOD

• Right?

• So Jesus Christ and God the Father are COMPLETELY EQUAL in HONOR and DIGNITY and GLORY

• YES!!

• Are they the same??

• NO!!

• The Father is NOT the Son

• The Son is NOT the Father

• The Holy Spirit is NOT the Son

• The Holy Spirit is NOT the Father

• THEY ARE ALL CO-EQUAL ONE GOD

• So THAT is the context for EVERYTHING that comes after this

• So when St. Paul says, “The husband is the head of the wife” IS HE SAYING that means that she is INFERIOR to her husband?

• NO!!

• Unless he means also that Jesus is INFERIOR to the Father

• HE DOES NOT MEAN THAT!!

• KEEP THIS IN MIND!!

• VERY IMPORTANT!!

• He’s talking about ORDER

• We believe that the TRINITY is a COMMUNION OF PERSONS

• FATHER 

• SON 

• HOLY SPIRIT

• LOVING EACH OTHER

• NOT THE SAME

• BUT LOVING EACH OTHER WITH THIS FIERCE POURING OUT THEMSELVES IN LOVE

• BUT ALSO…

• RECEIVING THAT LOVE AND SUBMITTING TO ONE ANOTHER OUT OF LOVE

• IT IS INCREDIBLE!!

• To even just BEGIN to imagine WHAT or WHO the Holy Trinity is

• And what St. Paul is imagining, envisioning-he’s right about this in Ephesians as well-is this same kind of DYNAMIC between a husband and wife in their marriage

• That relationship, that dynamic, is not the same

• The man is not the woman

• The woman is not the man

• They are not the same

• AND YET…

• They ARE co-equal

• So what do they do?

• They say, “Ok, let’s have order here.”

• The order that he is offering is that the husband is the head of the household, essentially

• What does that mean and what does it not mean?

• Well, it DOESN’T mean that he makes ALL the decisions

• That’s NOT what that means because OBVIOUSLY Scripture indicates and CLEARLY REVEALS that men and women are EQUAL, but they are not necessarily THE SAME

• People have poetically said, “If the husband is the HEAD of the household, the wife is the HEART of the household.”

• Just like St. Paul will go on to describe later on in this next chapter

• He’s saying, “The head and the heart can’t say to each other, ‘I don’t need you.’ The foot can’t say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you.’ The eye can’t say to the ear, ‘I don’t need you.’ They are DIFFERENT but they are EQUAL.”

• Does that make sense?

• This WHOLE CONTEXT is ALL UNITED TOGETHER

• If we start to INCORRECTLY UNDERSTAND that St. Paul is making a DISTINCTION in saying one is better than the other, the IDEA of having AUTHORITY does NOT mean SUPERIORITY

• The IDEA of surrendering oneself, or submitting oneself does NOT mean INFERIORITY

• That is NOT the context

• We KNOW this because of 1 Corinthians 12:3, “...The head of Jesus Christ is God…”

• RIGHT!!

• ORDER

• NOT INFERIORITY AND SUPERIORITY

• WE KNOW THIS!!

• DOES THAT MAKE SENSE??

• We need to DRILL this in

• Because there will be women who heard this and they automatically shut down

• Or they put up their dukes

• They put up their walls and defenses

• “I’m ready to fight! I’m ready to THROW DOWN! You talk about St. Nick and Arias fighting, we’re going to fight, Father. Right here!”

• NO NO NO!!

• SO IMPORTANT!!

• WE KNOW THIS AGAIN!!

• It’s reiterated because in 1 Corinthians 11:11-12, “(Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman…”

• WE NEED EACH OTHER!!

• “...for as woman was made from man (speaking of Genesis Ch 2), so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God).”

• KEEP THIS WHOLE THING IN MIND!!

• WE NEED EACH OTHER!!

• Where do we even get the idea that men and women are EQUAL?

• We get that from THE BIBLE

• The Judeo-Christian worldview is MEN AND WOMEN ARE EQUAL

• The only PLACE in the world...

• The only RELIGION in the world...

• The only PHILOSOPHY in the world…

• That has ever taught that is the 73 books that we have been reading in this one year

• SO KEEP THAT IN MIND!!

• KEEP THAT IN MIND!!

• OH MY GOSH!!

• IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR US!!

• Ok, so what’s he talking about Head Coverings then?

• In the ancient world, a woman that went around without her head covered was most likely a prostitute

• There you go

• Here St. Paul is saying, “Yeah eat whatever you want! Drink whatever you want! Unless it’s going to lead someone into sin.”

• So here are some women who are like, “Well in that case, I’m taking off the veil covering. I don’t have to go outside with this veil because I’m not living in the Law anymore. I’m living in the Spirit.”

• And Paul is like, “Ah yeah. But listen, that’s going to be hurtful to some of the people. That’s not actually very honoring because you are going to lead people to think that all the women who are Christians going without veil head coverings are prostitutes.”

• DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?

• OK GOSH!!

• Fr. Mike thinks he should have spent less time on this

• BUT…

• Abuses at the Lord’s Supper is SO HORRIBLE

• BUT YET…(Oooooh I think this one is a first after so many AND YETS… or BUTS.... 😉)

• St. Paul reiterates that Jesus Christ is TRULY PRESENT in the Eucharist

• When we celebrate the Mass, it is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ

• How do we know this?

• Because of this HORRIBLE thing St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:27, “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.”

• That IS his BODY AND BLOOD

• IN FACT…

• That idiom “Profaning the Body and Blood of the Lord” means you are GUILTY OF HIS MURDER!!

• THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT!!

• That is why EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US has to go to Confession before we go to Communion

• If we are aware of MORTAL/SERIOUS SIN, we HAVE to go to Confession BEFORE RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION

• You know...that’s why there are debates of coming before the Lord and going to Mass and receiving Holy Communion if someone is a public and obstinate opposition to the Commands of God

• They may NOT receive Holy Communion

• Typically, we just police ourselves

• “I’m not going to go forward. If I go forward, I’ll maybe cross my arms on my chest to receive a blessing.”

• BUT…

• Yeah, it’s tough

• Because St. Paul says, “This is why people are DYING even.”

• IT IS A BIG DEAL!!

• Fr. Mike spent a lot of time talking about 1 Corinthians Ch 11

• It is IMPORTANT though

• OUR SISTERS NEED TO KNOW THAT WE ARE EQUAL!!

• You know the Church…

• SQUIRREL!! 🐿

• This was going to be the last word

• Not only the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

• HOW AMAZING IS THAT?

• Tomorrow, we are going to talk about THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE

• THAT IS GOING TO BE AMAZING!!

• BUT…

• THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT YOU GUYS!!

• WE NEED TO HAVE THESE GIFTS!!

• OK…

• The world hated the Church originally

• Why?

• Because the world said, “Men and women are different!”

• The Church said, “Yeah, men and women are different AND they are EQUAL.”

• The world HATED the Church for that 

• Because we said MEN AND WOMEN ARE EQUAL

• NOW…

• The world says that men and women are NOT DIFFERENT 

• Men and women are the SAME

• And the world hates the Church again because the Church STILL says, “Men and women are equal BUT ALSO men and women are NOT THE SAME, that we are not equal, we are COMPLIMENTARY”

• It’s so interesting how the world changes

• AND YET…

• The Church continues to be HATED

• But what can we expect?

• Jesus said it would happen!!

• Long day!!

• FR. MIKE IS PRAYING FOR YOU

• PRAY FOR FR. MIKE

• PRAY FOR EACH OTHER

Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven we give you praise and glory. We thank you so much for your Word. We also thank you for the ways in which your Word challenges us, the ways in which your Word convicts us. We thank you for questions. We thank you for things that arise in your Word that are difficult to wrap our minds around and difficult to understand. We ask you, in these moments, to send your Holy Spirit in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Give us hearts that are open to being taught. Give us hearts that are open to seeing things the way you see them, the way that things are. Help us to trust you with everything, not just your Word, but also your will in our daily lives. Help us to trust you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”