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Qur’an Cover-to-Cover: Day 6 (“The morning star”, …)

December 13, 2016 pilgrim Leave a comment

My course through the Qur’an continues today with chapters 86, 54 and 38. I’m tackling fewer chapters in this post because Surah 38 is quite long and I have quite a lot to say about it…

Surah 86 – “The morning star” (At-Tariq)
This chapter begins by reminding man from what he was made. In the same way that Allah created them from nothing, He is able to give them life again on Judgement Day. The authority of the Qur’an is reasserted, as is God’s control over the events of life.

Questions

Q1. What does aya 4 mean when it says “There is no soul but that it has over it as a protector”? Is it saying that every soul has a protector? If so, is this Allah or an angel?

Q2. Does semen really emerge “from between the backbone and the ribs”? sperm production is far lower than that.

Catholicism

The Epistle of Joy – Episode #15 (Video)

March 24, 2015 pilgrim Leave a comment

Today we begin the final chapter of Philippians, Chapter 4:

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. – Philippians 4:1-3

Here are my thoughts on today’s text:

For an audio-only version of this video, please click here.

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Vlog

PWJ: S4E62 – TSL 31 – “Blaze of glory”

May 11, 2021 pilgrim One comment

Matt and David wrap up The Screwtape Letters and Wormwood’s patient goes home.

S4E62: “Blaze of Glory” (Download)

If you enjoy this episode, you can subscribe manually, or any place where good podcasts can be found (iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Podbean, Stitcher, TuneIn and Overcast), as well as on YouTube. The roadmap for Season 4 is available here.

More information about us can be found on our website, PintsWithJack.com. If you’d like to support us and get fantastic gifts, please join us on Patreon.

Podcast

Read the Cat!

August 31, 2012 pilgrim Leave a comment

Yesterday I posted the MP3 recordings of “Dei Verbum”, the document on Sacred Scripture from the Second Vatican Council.

I decided that today I’d also post the section of the Catechism on Sacred Scripture, which draws extremely heavily from that Council document.

Catechism On Scripture (PDF) (MP3)

Speaking of the Catechism, did you know that Flocknote have a service which will email you a short section of the Catechism each day?

Catholicism

Lectionary Notes July 24th

July 20, 2011 pilgrim 3 comments

Sorry it’s a bit late – it’s been a hell of a week…

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time: July 17, 2011

Reading 1: 1 Kgs 3:5, 7-12

Scripture:

The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” Solomon answered:

“O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act. I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?”

The LORD was pleased that Solomon made this request. So God said to him:

“Because you have asked for this— not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right— I do as you requested. I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no one to equal you.”

Sunday Lectionary: Doers of the Word

September 20, 2011 pilgrim Leave a comment

Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time: September 25th, 2011

The readings this week focus on God’s mercy and exhort us to humility and obedience in following God’s way. There isn’t much technical stuff to deal with in these passages. Instead, these readings are an opportunity for the group to share with one another their struggles in this area and to encourage one another.

“There are two ways, one of life and one of death; but a great difference between the two ways”
– The Didache, c. 65 AD

Reading I: Ezekiel 18:25-28

This section of Ezekiel comes from a longer section entitled “The soul who sins will die” where Ezekiel affirms personal responsibility for one’s own soul and the Prophet outlines all the things that Israel must not do . This long section concludes with the passage below. God affirms that He is indeed just and that, in sinning, it is Israel that is disrupting the right order of things. However, God also affirms that He takes no pleasure in the destruction of sinners. He continually holds out His offer to those who will repent, that he will forgive their sin and spare their life.

Thus says the LORD:

You say, “The LORD’s way is not fair!” Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair? When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed, he does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Possible Questions:

What is the complaint of the Israelites?
What is the Lord’s response through Ezekiel?
How is God’s mercy demonstrated in this passage?
What is the main exhortation of this Reading?

Prophecy of Gentile Priests?!

August 25, 2016 pilgrim Leave a comment

This post isn’t going to be a thoroughly formed article, but I need to get over my writer’s block and get into the habit of writing again…

I didn’t go to Divine Liturgy this week and instead went to a Roman Mass. During the Readings, something jumped out at me. The passage in question was the First Reading from Isaiah:

Thus says the LORD:
I know their works and their thoughts,
and I come to gather nations of every language;
they shall come and see my glory.
I will set a sign among them;
from them I will send fugitives to the nations…
that have never heard of my fame, or seen my glory;
and they shall proclaim my glory among the nations.
They shall bring all your brothers and sisters from all the nations
as an offering to the LORD…
to Jerusalem, my holy mountain, says the LORD,
just as the Israelites bring their offering
to the house of the LORD in clean vessels.
Some of these I will take as priests and Levites, says the LORD.
– Isaiah 66:18-21

It does sound like the Prophet Isaiah is foretelling a situation whereby the Children of Israel will go out to the nations to proclaim the Lord’s glory and, as a result, bring these Gentiles into relationship with the God of Abraham. Christians obviously find a fulfillment of this in the mission of the Church.

I haven’t done much research on it, but the bit which peaked my interest was the final sentence. The language is a little ambiguous but Isaiah appears to say that, of those Gentiles who believe, the Lord will choose a subset to be “priests and levites”, Gentile priests! This fits very well with the Coptic, Catholic and Orthodox Church’s understanding that, although like Israel we have a priesthood of all believers (Exodus 19:6), some members of that people are set aside for ministerial priesthood…

Catholicism

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