Jesus as Temple

by Damien F. Mackey "And the Word became flesh and Tabernacled among us". John 1:14 Introduction Some non-Christians, such as the Moslem scholar Dr Ali Ataie (Christian Zionism: a Major Oxymoron), are emphasising that the Christian Zionists are going against the New Testament by hoping to hasten the end times and the Final Coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, by re-building the (third) Temple in Jerusalem. For, as these non-Christians rightly say, Jesus had claimed of the old Temple that “not one stone here will be left on another” (Mark 13:2), and that He himself was now the Temple. In this way, such non-Christians have read the New Testament far more accurately than have the Christian Zionists, who are succeeding only in emptying the Scriptures of their true meaning. A completely new age had been ushered in with the return of Jesus, as He said, to bring fiery Justice upon the evil and adulterous generation that had crucified Him (cf. Malachi 3:5: “I will come to you in judgment ....”). The land of Israel was ravaged and burned, its capital city of Jerusalem was destroyed, the Temple was totally eradicated, and those thousands of Jews who were not killed were taken away into captivity. That physically severed forever the ancient Abrahamic connection between the Jews and the Holy Land. The far more important spiritual connection with Abraham, based on Faith, a pre-requisite for the possession of the Holy Land, had already been shattered. So much so that Jesus, when the Jews boasted of having Abraham for their father, insisted that the Devil, not Abraham, was the father of the prophet-slaying Jews. 'You belong to your father the Devil' (John 8:44). Saint Paul in Galatians makes it quite clear that the connection with Abraham is only through Jesus Christ, the “seed” of Abraham (3:29): “And if you be Christ’s, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise”. The straw that broke the camel's back would be the rejection of, and murder of, the Prophet of Prophets himself, Jesus the Christ. It is sad and quite frustrating to see pious Jews now reverencing a large Roman wall situated well away from where the Jerusalem Temples had stood, and hopefully expecting the Messiah to arrive in Jerusalem in the not too distant future. Nor is it any good that Zionists - including the Christian version of these - a very powerful and wealthy lobby, have that same goal of re-building the stone Temple (in the wrong place, it must be said), to welcome the Messiah, or Jesus (depending on whether one is Jewish or Christian). Pope Pius X and Zionism Does Zionism have a place? Not according to the reaction of pope Saint Pius X, who replied to Theodor Herzl in a meeting in 1904: https://catholicism.org/the-zionist-and-the-saint.html …. The pope was Saint Pius X. According to Herzl’s diaries, when asked to support a Jewish settlement in Palestine, the saint “answered in a stern and categorical manner: ‘We are unable to favor this movement. We cannot prevent the Jews from going to Jerusalem — but we could never sanction it. The ground of Jerusalem, if it were not always sacred, has been sanctified by the life of Jesus Christ. As the head of the Church, I cannot answer you otherwise. The Jews have not recognized Our Lord; therefore, we cannot recognize the Jewish people.’ That is not to say that the popes are anti-semitic, a separate issue. Pope Pius XI would remind Catholics (via a group of Belgian pilgrims) back in 1938, in the face of tyrannical pressure being exerted upon the Jews, 'We are spiritually Semites'. And the Church favourably included the Jews (and Muslims) in the Vatican II document, Nostra Aetate. {I have difficulty with the restriction of the term, Semitic, to merely the culturally Jewish people. Plenty of others are of Semitic origins. Added to that, we no longer know, since c. 70 AD, who of those claiming to be Jews, and who are culturally Jewish, are actually ethnically Jewish}. ‘Destroy this Temple’ The pivotal biblical association of Jesus with the Temple was, of course, the incident of his cleansing of the sacred place from the money-changers. This led to his assertion: ‘Destroy this Temple and I will rebuild it in three days’ (John 2:19). And, though it had taken 46 years to build the last stone Temple (2:20), the Word is timeless. The Apostles realised that Jesus was speaking of the Temple of his very body (John 2:21-22). Jesus is the new Temple, a spiritual Temple that neither Gog and Magog, the Babylonians, the Romans, nor renegade Jewish zealots, would be able to quench. So, even if the modern Zionists do achieve their aim of building a temple complete with priests and animal sacrifices, again completely against the New Testament that has Jesus as the true High Priest (Hebrews 4:14) making the one and only sacrifice - and which temple will be situated in quite the wrong place anyway, and so not geographically legitimate - it will all be completely futile and irrelevant in the great cosmic scheme of things. And it will not succeed in luring the true Messiah. “Tabernacled Among Us” No wonder that Jesus was wont to go all the way back to Moses to explain himself (Luke 24:27). His human existence, moving amongst his people, had been foreshadowed back in the time of Moses, in the Pentateuch, by the moveable Tent of Meeting, or Tabernacle. Exodus 33:7-11: Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. Jesus, too, was often on the move among the people. Saint John picks this up in his Gospel by likening the Word's human existence, dwelling on earth, to being Tabernacled (ἐσκήνωσεν). That is the literal meaning of the text, and it is meant to recall the Tent of Meeting which contained the glorious Ark of the Covenant with its mercy seat, the Menorah, and the shew bread. Centuries before (cf. I Kings 6:1) King Solomon would successfully build the fixed Temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem, the Lord's dwelling amongst the people of Israel was to be, for centuries, this moveable Tent. “Glory of the Lord” “God was at the centre. Surrounding the Tent were the Levites. And around the Levites were the 12 tribes of Israel” (cf. Numbers 2:2). Wherever nomadic Israel was, encamped around the Tent to which were aligned the twelve tribes of Israel, there was to be seen the shining Pillar of Fire, the Kavod Yahweh, “Glory of the Lord”. The shining Cloud is popularly (but not biblically) known as the Shekinah. When King Solomon built the Temple of Yahweh, the Glory Cloud came and rested upon the Temple as a sign to Israel that this was where God dwelt upon earth (2 Chronicles 7:1-2): “When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the Temple. The priests could not enter the Temple of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled it”. But, centuries later, after Israel had malevolently apostatised, and just prior to the first destruction of the Temple by the Babylonians, the prophet Ezekiel saw the Glory Cloud (the Lord) depart from the Temple (Ezekiel 10:18): "Then the Glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the Temple ...". Israel was now on its own. It appears that the Kavod Yahweh did not return even after the exiles from Babylon had rebuilt the second Temple, goaded on by Haggai and Zechariah. Those old enough to remember the former Temple wept (Ezra 3:12; cf. Tobit 14:5). But the prophet Haggai - who, as I need to point out for what will follow, was Tobias (= Job) the son of Tobit, Tobias having been given the Akkadian name, Habakkuk (shortened by the Jews to Haggai) - seemed confident that Kavod Yahweh would eventually return and that the Temple in Jerusalem would be even greater than before (Haggai 2:6-7). But this outlook has Messianic ramifications (cf. Malachi 3:1). The alignment of the twelve tribes of Israel to the ancient Tent of Meeting, and to the later Temple built by King Solomon, anticipated Jesus and his twelve Apostles, upon whom the New Jerusalem was to be built (Revelation 21:19). Nativity and the “Glory of the Lord” Biblical scholars wonder: Why does Luke refer to the Shepherds but not the Magi, and Matthew, to the Magi but not the Shepherds? Some have even tried to tie together all in one the Shepherds-as-the-Magi - a thesis that had really grabbed my interest for a while. The connecting link between Luke and Matthew here is the Kavod Yahweh. The Magi knew that what they had seen was His star because it was the Kavod Yahweh returning to Jerusalem, as their ancestors had foretold, with the birth of the King of the Jews. What the Magi saw was the same glorious manifestation of light that the Shepherds likewise had seen at the Nativity. The Magi possibly delayed their trip significantly to allow for the Christ Child to grow and so take his rightful place seated in Jerusalem. (They would well have known from Micah 5:2, however, that the Nativity was to occur in Bethlehem). That is why the Magi eventually headed for Jerusalem not led by the Star, which they saw again only after they had left King Herod. It led them to “the house”” (no longer the stable) (Matthew 2:9). So, just as the Kavod Yahweh would lead the Israelites through the wilderness, and would stop wherever they needed to halt, so did the same Kavod Yahweh now lead the Magi from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, and stop. This can be no regular star because it stopped. It was a guiding Cloud of Light, the Glory of the Lord. One could say, it follows the Lamb wherever He goes. It was still associated with the infant Jesus when He appeared to Sister Lucia on a shining cloud at Pontevedra (Spain) in 1925, to request the Communion of Reparation (the Five First Saturdays), whose 100th anniversary we will be celebrating next year, 2025, the Jubilee Year of Hope. The Fatima seer, Sister Lucia, described the resplendent apparition which we need to heed now as a matter of great urgency: https://fatima.org/news-views/the-apparition-of-our-lady-and-the-child-jesus-at-pontevedra/ “On December 10, 1925, the Most Holy Virgin appeared to her [Lucia], and by Her side, elevated on a luminous cloud, was the Child Jesus. The Most Holy Virgin rested Her hand on her shoulder, and as She did so, She showed her a heart encircled by thorns, which She was holding in Her other hand. At the same time, the Child said: “‘Have compassion on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother, covered with thorns, with which ungrateful men pierce It at every moment, and there is no one to make an act of reparation to remove them.’ “Then the Most Holy Virgin said: “‘Look, My daughter, at My Heart, surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce Me at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You at least try to console Me and announce in My name that I promise to assist at the moment of death, with all the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and keep Me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to Me.’” Blood and water flows from the Temple The Passover ritual that was occurring at the Temple while Jesus, the Lamb of God, was being crucified, facing the Temple, was being enacted in his very flesh. The slaughter of the sacrificial lambs, for instance. The rending of the huge curtain of the Holy of Holies. Even the priests sprinkling the floor with blood was imaged when Judas (was he a priest?) threw the blood money across the floor in front of the priests. (Dr. Ernest L. Martin, RIP, brillianty picked up this one). But, most significantly, the blood and water that gushed out from the side of the Temple when the priests opened a side door, at the same time that blood and water was flowing from the pierced side of Jesus on the Cross (as noted by Dr Ali Ataie, Christian Zionism: a Major Oxymoron).

Infused Hope needed for us to remain unshakable in the face of World War III

“HOPE - is a divine infused virtue by which, with certain confidence, relying on God’s goodness and promises, we expect to attain eternal life, and the means to attain it. This virtue enables us to live the Christian life without the uncertainty and inconstancy of human hope, but with the unshakable support of God on Whom we rely. While faith gives light, hope gives confidence. It eliminates discouragement from faults, temptation and aridities found in every life. The more one advances in the Christian life the stronger hope must be, for the struggles become more difficult, the sacrifices greater, and the operations of grace more difficult to understand. This virtue is brought to its highest perfection by the Gift of Fear of the Lord”. Father Paul A. Duffner, O.P. Pope Francis has designated next year, 2025, to be a Holy Year. He wants the coming Jubilee Year 2025 to be lived as a “year of hope,” very symbolic in times when the world’s wars seem to be unending and multiplying. We read of this at: https://insidethevatican.com/magazine/the-jubilee-year-2025-a-holy-year-of-hope/ The Jubilee Year 2025 – a Holy Year of Hope Pilgrims to Rome — and “spiritual pilgrims” — can receive special graces during the coming Jubilee By Anna Artymiak This year on Christmas Eve, 2024, Pope Francis, like Pope John Paul II in 1999, will open the Holy Door to begin a Jubilee Year in 2025. It will be an ordinary holy year — in accordance with the tradition of the Church to celebrate such a year every 25 years, to give every generation a chance to experience that special time of grace and mercy in their life. Those who participate in a Holy Year pilgrimage are granted a plenary indulgence; those who are unable to attend in person for concrete reasons are invited to participate spiritually, “offering up the sufferings of their daily lives, and participating in the Eucharistic celebration.” The last ordinary holy year, the Great Jubilee Year of 2000, which took place under John Paul II, was one of the biggest events in the history of mankind. The Holy Father Francis wants the coming Jubilee Year 2025 to be lived as a “year of hope,” very symbolic in times when the world’s wars seem to be unending and multiplying. Catholic tradition refers back to the Jewish tradition of the “jubilees” present in the Bible (cf. Leviticus 25:8-13), although in Rome it was started simply for pilgrims. In preparation for the coming holy year, Pope Francis has decided to dedicate the year 2024 to prayer in its personal and community dimension. The term “Jubilee” comes from the name of an instrument, the yobel, the ram’s horn, used by Jews in Biblical times to proclaim the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). …. Whilst not being overly pessimistic or negative, we live in a generation that is on par with that of Noah, or that of Jesus Christ, as a “wicked and adulterous generation” (Matthew 16:4). Neither one of these ended well. Despite the conditional warnings at Fatima in 1917, we have plunged from one war into another, “the world’s wars seem to be unending and multiplying”, and we can no longer justifiably expect to avoid the last predicted woe, “certain nations will be annihilated”. July 13. 1917 ‘To prevent this, I shall come to the world to ask that Russia be consecrated to my Immaculate Heart, and I shall ask that on the First Saturday of every month Communions of reparation be made in atonement for the sins of the world. If my wishes are fulfilled, Russia will be converted and there will be peace; if not, then Russia will spread her errors throughout the world, bringing new wars and persecution of the Church; the good will be martyred and the Holy Father will have much to suffer; certain nations will be annihilated. But in the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she will be converted, and the world will enjoy a period of peace ...’. Stay in God’s grace. The Psalmists expressed an abundance of Hope when they exclaimed (Psalm 45:3-5 Douay; 46:2-3 NIV): Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Virulent anti-Catholic, Alphonse Ratisbonne, converted through the Miraculous Medal

“Have you the courage to submit yourself to a very simple and innocent test? Only to wear a little something I will give you; look, it is a medal of the Blessed Virgin. It seems very ridiculous, does it not? But, I assure you, I attach great value and efficacy to this little medal. [Also] you must say every night and morning the Memorare, a very short and very efficacious prayer which St. Bernard addressed to the Blessed Virgin Mary”. Theodore de Bussieres https://aleteia.org/2017/08/14/how-a-radical-atheist-became-a-catholic-priest How a radical atheist became a Catholic priest Philip Kosloski - published on 08/14/17 He hated the Church until one event changed his life forever … and his story would later impress Maximilian Kolbe. Born into a wealthy Jewish family in France in 1814, Alphonse Ratisbonne was set to become part of his uncle’s large banking firm. At first Ratisbonne was a nominal Jew, but when his older brother converted to the Catholic faith and became a priest, a hidden rage woke within him. Ratisbonne wrote, “When my brother became a Catholic, and a priest, I persecuted him with a more unrelenting fury than any other member of my family. We were completely sundered; I hated him with a virulent hatred, though he had fully pardoned me.” Furthermore this hatred for his brother was broadened to include all Catholics, and Ratisbonne explained how it “made me believe all I heard of the fanaticism of the Catholics, and I held them accordingly in great horror.” This also affected his personal beliefs and he came to no longer believe in God. Ratisbonne was too busy following worldly pursuits to worry about his Jewish faith and his deep hatred for Catholicism only pushed him further away from any type of religion. He eventually began to feel the void in his heart, but at first sought to cure it through marriage. Ratisbonne was betrothed to his niece, but because of her young age the wedding was postponed. During this time of waiting Ratisbonne decided to travel without any singular purpose. His trip started out by traveling to Naples, where he stayed for about a month. After that Ratisbonne wanted to go to Malta, but took the wrong boat and arrived in Rome. He stayed there, making the best of it, and ran into an old friend. One day when visiting his friend Ratisbonne encountered a Catholic convert, Theodore de Bussieres, who knew Ratisbonne’s priest-brother. While this made Ratisbonne hate the man, he enjoyed conversing with him because of his knowledge. Later Ratisbonne visited de Bussieres again. They had a heated discussion about Catholicism and de Bussieres made a wager with Ratisbonne. Have you the courage to submit yourself to a very simple and innocent test? Only to wear a little something I will give you; look, it is a medal of the Blessed Virgin. It seems very ridiculous, does it not? But, I assure you, I attach great value and efficacy to this little medal. [Also] you must say every night and morning the Memorare, a very short and very efficacious prayer which St. Bernard addressed to the Blessed Virgin Mary. While at first Ratisbonne protested at wearing the medal (which was the Miraculous Medal), he decided to put it around his neck and say the prayer each day. He figured that it couldn’t do any harm and would prove to all the ridiculous nature of Catholicism. Ratisbonne lived up to his side of the bargain, finding it easy to recite the Memorare. Then one day he was traveling in the city with de Bussieres and they stopped at the church Saint Andrea delle Fratte. When Ratisbonne entered the church it appeared to be engulfed in a marvelous light. He looked to an altar from where the light was coming and saw the Virgin Mary, appearing as she did on the Miraculous Medal. He left the church in tears, clutching his Miraculous Medal. Several days later he was received into the Catholic Church. After returning to Paris his betrothed was shocked and rejected him and his new religion. Ratisbonne then entered the Jesuits and was ordained a priest. This amazing story of conversion would later influence Saint Maximilian Kolbe to found the Militia Immaculatae and convinced him of the power of the Miraculous Medal. He firmly believed in Mary’s role in bringing the world to Christ. Read more: “Life for Life” and the living memory of Maximilian Kolbe

Fatima revelations and the message of Divine Mercy

“Sr. Lucia and St. Faustina, who were contemporaries, were each given a mission to spread the same message, though different in aspect. While Our Lady of Fatima gave Sr. Lucia a warning of divine judgment and the need for penance, Our Lord came to St. Faustina to encourage souls to implore his mercy as a final recourse to be saved from this impending judgment”. Gretchen Filz The Connection Between St. Faustina and Fatima Jul 05, 2017 by Gretchen Filz https://www.catholiccompany.com/magazine/st-faustina-fatima-6087 What do the private revelations of St. Faustina Kowalska have in common with the events at Fatima? Visions of a destroying angel and of the Holy Trinity, the 13th day, a call to penance, and a fervent prayer for mercy. The Blessed Virgin Mary chose to appear at Fatima in 1917 on the 13th day of the month from May to October, for the purpose of warning the world of its need for penance, and the impending dangers it faced if it did not—the first of which was a second world war. In the years leading up to World War II, a related message was given to a young Polish nun named Sister Faustina Kowalska. On the 13th of September in 1935, St. Faustina received a vision in her convent cell. Similar to the earlier vision given to the three shepherd children at Fatima, Faustina's vision was of an angel, who was ready to execute God's wrath in punishment for the sins of mankind, and of the Holy Trinity. St. Faustina earnestly prayed for mercy as she beheld the destroying angel ready to unleash the impending judgment on the world. It was on this 13th day of the month that Our Lord revealed a prayer to St. Faustina known as the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. As written in the Diary of St. Faustina: "[The angel] was clothed in a dazzling robe, his face gloriously bright, a cloud beneath his feet. From the cloud, bolts of thunder and flashes of lightning were springing into his hands; and from his hand they were going forth, and only then were they striking the earth. When I saw this sign of divine wrath which was about to strike the earth, and in particular a certain place, which for good reasons I cannot name, I began to implore the angel to hold off for a few moments, and the world would do penance. But my plea was a mere nothing in the face of the divine anger. Just then I saw the Most Holy Trinity. The greatness of Its majesty pierced me deeply, and I did not dare to repeat my entreaties. At that very moment I felt in my soul the power of Jesus' grace, which dwells in my soul. When I became conscious of this grace, I was instantly snatched up before the Throne of God. Oh, how great is our Lord and God and how incomprehensible His holiness! I will make no attempt to describe this greatness, because before long we shall all see Him as He is. I found myself pleading with God for the world with words heard interiorly. As I was praying in this manner, I saw the Angel’s helplessness: he could not carry out the just punishment which was rightly due for sins. Never before had I prayed with such inner power as I did then. The words with which I entreated God are these: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world; for the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us. The next morning, when I entered chapel, I heard these words interiorly: Every time you enter the chapel, immediately recite the prayer which I taught you yesterday.' When I had said the prayer, in my soul I heard these words: 'This prayer will serve to appease My wrath . . ." Sr. Lucia also had a vision of both a destroying angel ready to inflict God's punishment on the earth, and, years later, of the Holy Trinity. In her account of the apparition of Our Lady at Fatima on July 13, 1917, the message of which was part of the Third Secret, Lucia writes: "After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendour that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice: 'Penance, Penance, Penance!'" On the 13th day of June in the year 1929, Sr. Lucia received this vision of the Holy Trinity as she was making a Holy Hour: "Suddenly the whole chapel was illumined by a supernatural light, and above the altar appeared a cross of light, reaching to the ceiling. In a brighter light on the upper part of the cross, could be seen the face of a man and his body as far as the waist, upon his breast was a dove also of light and nailed to the cross was the body of another man. A little below the waist, I could see a chalice and a large host suspended in the air, on to which drops of blood were falling from the face of Jesus Crucified and from the wound in His side. These drops ran down on to the host and fell into the chalice. Beneath the right arm of the cross was Our Lady and in her hand was her Immaculate Heart. (It was Our Lady of Fatima, with her Immaculate Heart in her left hand, without sword or roses, but with a crown of thorns and flames). Under the left arm of the cross, large letters, as if of crystal clear water which ran down upon the altar, formed these words: ‘Grace and Mercy.’ I understood that it was the Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity which was shown to me, and I received lights about this mystery which I am not permitted to reveal . . ." During this vision of the Holy Trinity, Our Lady proceeded to make her request, as foretold in 1917, for the consecration of Russia in order to prevent the calamities that were ready to sweep over the world. In the vision recounted above, Sr. Lucia beheld both blood and water emanating from Christ, similar imagery to the Divine Mercy vision that was later revealed to St. Faustina. Was the light of this mystery, which Sr. Lucia was not permitted to reveal, the mystery of the Divine Mercy which was soon to be given to St. Faustina? Read next Everything You Need to Know about the Divine Mercy Devotion Sr. Lucia and St. Faustina, who were contemporaries, were each given a mission to spread the same message, though different in aspect. While Our Lady of Fatima gave Sr. Lucia a warning of divine judgment and the need for penance, Our Lord came to St. Faustina to encourage souls to implore his mercy as a final recourse to be saved from this impending judgment. Sr. Lucia made known that the message of Fatima, namely, the Third Secret, was connected to the frightful global judgments found in the Book of Revelation. Our Lord, in light of these future punishments for mankind's sin, said to St. Faustina, "Before the Day of Justice, I am sending the Day of Mercy." The prayers taught interiorly to the two nuns were also similar. The prayer the Angel of Peace taught to the three children of Fatima prior to Our Lady's appearances: "Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly, and I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference with which He Himself is offended. And, through the infinite merits of His most Sacred Heart, and of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You for the conversion of poor sinners." And the Divine Mercy prayer given to St. Faustina: "Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world." Both nuns would also pray for God's mercy on the world while standing with arms extended out to their sides, in the same manner as Our Lord suffered on the cross. They also both prayed earnestly for the spiritual conversion of their home countries; Lucia for Portugal, and Faustina for Poland. May we let the example of Sr. Lucia and St. Faustina be a call to respond to the urgent need for prayer and penance during the evil times in which we are now living, namely for the temporal protection of our countries and the eternal salvation of souls. Do you want to learn more about the apparitions of Our Lady at Fatima? Subscribe to our 30-day content series at GoodCatholic.com.

About speaking in tongues

“The point is that it’s not up to the individual to determine which gifts he or she wants. And just because all believers may want to speak in tongues doesn’t mean that they will. It is God “who apportions to each one individually as he wills”.” Justin This commentator, who goes simply by the name, “Justin”, is clear and concise, presenting some extremely useful insights, all of them delivered with a southern twang: https://thespiritsearches.com/do-all-speak-in-tongues/ Do All Speak in Tongues? June 23, 2023 | Justin This article is part of my resource titled: An In-Depth Study of the Nature, Purpose, and Duration of Tongues. …. Many charismatics make the claim that it’s God’s will for all believers to speak in tongues. What then can be said for the multitude of Christians who have not experienced this phenomena? Do they simply lack the faith to receive this gift? If such is the case, then what can be said of all the great men throughout church history who did not possess this ability? Are we to assume that their faith was too small even though God used them in mighty ways to advance his kingdom on earth? And what are we to make of those in the early church; those who we read about in the book of Acts who have nothing of the miraculous and supernatural sort attached to their record? Reason would suggest that if it was God’s will for all to receive the gift of tongues, then certainly all of those who were alive during this time period would have done so. But such is not the case. For whatever reason it seems that God has chosen this current generation to generously bestow this blessing upon; that all who call upon his name not only shall be saved, but given the ability to speak in tongues, an ability withheld from the majority of Christians ever since Christianity became a thing. Throughout this lesson, we’ll explore what Scripture has to say about the distribution of spiritual gifts and hopefully dispel the idea that all believers have the ability to speak in tongues. What About Mark 16? The primary text that proponents of this view point to is Mark 16:16-18. Here Jesus says, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” In a previous lesson we discussed this passage at length so I won’t do so again here. However, we will examine it briefly for the sake of supporting our argument. First of all, the legitimacy of this passage is questionable. With regards to verses 9-20, Robert Gromacki in his book The Modern Tongues Movement says that “no Greek manuscript earlier than the fifth century has it.” Meaning that the oldest, and presumably more accurate manuscripts of Mark 16 don’t contain this passage. Although this isn’t enough to dogmatically assert that it isn’t inspired, we shouldn’t base our understanding of any particular doctrine on it, especially that of tongues. Furthermore, if this passage does indeed testify to the fact that every individual believer ought to speak in tongues, then likewise they should cast out demons, handle serpents and drink poison innocuously, and heal the sick at will. No right minded believer can make the claim that such is the case, nor that God intended it to be. If he did, then why don’t we see this taking place throughout the entirety of church history? Has God’s intended will for the believer been failing only to succeed with the believers of the last 100 years or so? I doubt it. And lastly, the “those who believe” of this passage cannot refer to every individual believer. In fact, it points more strongly towards the apostles exclusively since the bulk of the miracles we read about in the New Testament are attributed to them. There are some cases where people other than the apostles speak in tongues and or perform miracles but they are few and far between in comparison. In another previous lesson, A Timeline of Tongues Throughout the Book of Acts, I reference close to two dozen passages where believers and new believers are mentioned who are never said to have spoken in tongues or performed anything miraculous as the result of their faith in Christ. That being said, Mark 16 does not support the theory that all believers can or should speak in tongues for not even every believer mentioned in the New Testament did so. If such was not the standard then, by what means does it become so today? God’s Sovereignty Over Spiritual Gifts Many charismatics will say that in order for someone to speak in tongues, they have to sincerely desire the gift, that they have to pray for it and seek after it in order to receive it. This is contrary to what Paul says about the reception of spiritual gifts. After giving a list of spiritual gifts, including tongues, in 1 Corinthians 12:4-10, Paul says in v.11 that “all these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” It is God who determines who receives which spiritual gifts. Therefore nothing we say or do can bring it about. If God intended for us to have it, we would have it without having to beg and plead for it. Consider the apostles on the day of Pentecost. Do we read of them begging God for the ability to speak in tongues? What about Cornelius and his household? Did they do likewise? And what of the disciples of John the Baptist in Ephesus? Did they pray vehemently and with great desire prior to being granted their ability? The answer is no. (See Acts 2, Acts 10, & Acts 19) The point is that it’s not up to the individual to determine which gifts he or she wants. And just because all believers may want to speak in tongues doesn’t mean that they will. It is God “who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” The Body of Christ and the Physical Body After pointing out God’s sovereignty in the distribution of spiritual gifts, Paul makes a contrast between the body of Christ and the physical body for the sake of demonstrating that not all believers receive the same gifts. Consider the following verses: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ…For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 1 Corinthians 12:12,14-20 The entire point of Paul’s words here is to make it clear that not every believer would have the same gifts and that that’s ok. If the entire physical body consisted of a single member, say the foot, then “where would the body be?” There wouldn’t be one. Unless the body is made up of many different members it isn’t complete. So it is with the body of Christ. If every member had the same gift, say speaking in tongues, then the body would be incomplete. That being said, it goes against Paul’s teaching here to assume that all believers can speak in tongues. Are we also to assume that all believers can interpret tongues, utter words of wisdom or knowledge, prophesy, perform miracles or do any of the other things listed in 1 Corinthians 12:4-10? Why would we? For what does the text say? “For to one is given through the Spirit…” not “to all is given.” It is no more fitting that the entire body of Christ speak in tongues than it is for the human body to consist of merely an eye. Paul’s Rhetorical Questions After making his contrast between the physical body and the body of Christ Paul goes on to say the following: “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?” 1 Corinthians 12:27-30 Paul’s emphasis on God’s sovereignty in distributing spiritual gifts and positions is stressed again here. By asking this series of rhetorical questions he clearly demonstrates that it’s not God’s will for all of God’s people to have the same roles and gifts as one another. It’s God that “has appointed in the church” by his divine decree apostles, prophets, teachers, tongue speakers and so on. The diversity of roles and gifts within the body of Christ are part of God’s will. To say that all believers can speak in tongues is to go against God’s strategy for equipping the church with gifts vital to its function. “Are all apostles?”, asks Paul. The obvious answer is no. And no is the answer to the rest of his rhetorical questions. Not all believers can speak in tongues any more than all believers can be apostles. If we’re going to answer “yes” to Paul’s questions about whether or not all can speak in tongues then we have to be willing to answer “yes” to the rest of his questions. But to make the claim that all can be apostles is not one that even most charismatics would make. Believers from every denomination easily recognize the unique role the apostles played in laying the foundations of the church (Ephesians 2:20). Once the original apostles died there were none to take their place. So why would we say that all believers can speak in tongues if we can’t make the same claim to apostleship, to being a prophet, to being a teacher and so on? This inconsistency is only one of many which plague the charismatic movement and cloud their judgment with regards to speaking in tongues. The Unfortunate Masses of the Early Church If speaking in tongues is meant to be something which every believer can and ought to do, then surely we should hope to find confirmation of this in the New Testament record. However, upon scouring the pages of Acts we find very little evidence of this being the case. There is very little in the book of Acts to suggest that speaking in tongues was the normative experience for all believers. In fact, it’s episodic, occurring explicitly only three times and inexplicitly four. (See Acts 2, Acts 8, Acts 10, & Acts 19) Take for example the 3000 souls on the day of Pentecost which were added to the church. Nothing is said of them speaking in tongues (Acts 2:38-39,41). The lame beggar who was healed and presumably converted upon this experience isn’t said to have spoken in tongues (Acts 3:1-10). The Ethiopian eunuch who was saved and baptized after having the Scriptures explained to him by Philip didn’t speak in tongues but rather “went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:39). “All the residents of Lydda and Sharon…who turned to the Lord” aren’t said to have spoken in tongues (Acts 9:32-35) and on and on it goes all throughout the book of Acts. More often than not when believers are mentioned throughout this book, there is nothing to suggest that anything supernatural occurred. Of course, one may argue that this is an argument from silence but to counter this argument would be to argue from assumption. To assume that all these believers did in fact speak in tongues is to eisegete the text, meaning that instead of letting the text speak for itself one’s own opinion, thoughts or assumptions are inserted into the text, making it mean what they want it to mean. This is a dangerous practice and leads to many misunderstandings about Scripture. If the charismatic wishes to dogmatically claim that the normative experience for all believers is to speak in tongues, they’ll have to find support for their theory outside of Scripture. Their assumptions prove nothing. Too Much of a Good Thing is a Bad Thing Finally, if speaking in tongues was something all believers are supposed to do, then why the prohibitions? In 1 Corinthians 14:27 Paul says that, “If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret.” And again a few verses prior Paul says, “If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?” (1 Corinthians 14:23). It doesn’t seem right that God would intend for every believer to speak in tongues when the result, according to Paul, is that people will assess the church as a gathering of mad men. After all, “God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). Final Thoughts The claim that all believers can or ought to speak in tongues is not based on sound biblical exegesis. It stems from a charismatic presupposition which insists on the events of the early church being normative for the church in every consecutive age. There is nothing within the text, however, to suggest that God meant for these signs and wonders to continue indefinitely or that every believer was in possession of the gift of tongues, or that every future believer would come to acquire it. The sign of tongues, along with the rest of the supernatural phenomena we read about in the New Testament, was given to confirm the validity of the Gospel message as truly being from God. These signs also validated the apostles as being the vessels through which God was speaking and working. Without these signs, the words of the apostles would have fallen on deaf ears just as the words of Moses would have had not God given him the ability to perform signs in the sight of the people of Israel (Exodus 4:1-9). [End of article] On Gospel validity, read the following (2012) article: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/gospel-validity-messages The Gospel Validity of the Messages The following is an excerpt from the revised edition of Tell My Priests, by Fr. George W. Kosicki, CSB (Marian Press, 2012), which gathers the words our Lord spoke to priests about His mercy as revealed to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska: The six messages of our Lord and Our Lady addressed to St. Faustina in regard to priests are entirely in keeping with Pope John Paul II's criterion for acceptable private revelations. They contain "a truth and a call whose basic content is the truth and call of the Gospel itself" (Homily at Fatima, 1982). This Gospel dimension of the messages can be most clearly seen by re-examining each message, isolating a few key words that summarize its basic content, and then comparing these key words to some of the many texts of the Old and New Testaments that speak of trust in God and of His mercy. I desire that priests proclaim this great mercy of Mine towards souls of sinners. Let the sinner not be afraid to approach Me. The flames of mercy are burning Me - clamoring to be spent; I want to pour them out upon these souls (Diary, 50). Key Words: • Preach the Lord's great mercy • Reach out to sinners • Tell them of God's desire to be merciful Mt 4:17 "From that time on Jesus began to proclaim this theme: 'Reform your lives! The kingdom of God is at hand.'" Mt 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all you who are weary and I will refresh you. Take My yoke upon your shoulders and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. Your souls will find rest, for My yoke is easy and My burden light." Lk 6:36: "Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate." Jn 19:28 "I am thirsty." Rom 10:12b-15b All have the same Lord, rich in mercy towards all who call upon Him. "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." But how shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe unless they have heard of Him? And how can they hear unless there is someone to preach? And how can men preach unless they are sent? Lk 15:32 Prodigal Son - "But we had to celebrate and rejoice! This brother of yours was dead, and has come back to life. He was lost, and is found." My daughter, speak to priests about this inconceivable mercy of Mine. The flames of mercy are burning Me - clamoring to be spent; I want to keep pouring them out upon souls; souls just don't want to believe in My goodness (Diary, 177). Key Words: • Priests themselves need to know the Lord's mercy and trust Him. Jn 13:1 He loved His own in this world, and would show His love for them to the end [utmost]. Jn 15:13 "There is no greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." Jn 15:15 "... I call you friends since I have made known to you all that I heard from My Father." No soul will be justified until it turns with confidence to My mercy, and this is why the first Sunday after Easter is to be the Feast of Mercy. On that day, priests are to tell everyone about My great and unfathomable mercy. I am making you the administrator of My mercy. Tell the confessor that the image is to be on view in the church and not within the enclosure in that convent. By means of this image I shall be granting many graces to souls; so let everyone have access to it (Diary, 570). Key Words: • Souls need mercy for salvation. • The Feast of Mercy is a day of forgiveness and atonement. • Priests are to tell everyone of the Lord's great mercy. • The image of The Divine Mercy (Jesus with His hand raised in blessing) is a vessel of grace. Gal 2:20b [He] loved me and gave Himself for me. 2 Cor 5:14-15 The love of Christ impels us who have reached the conviction that since one died for all, all died. He died for all so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for Him who for their sake died and was raised up. Jn 20:19-23 On the evening of that first day of the week, even though the disciples had locked the doors of the place where they were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood before them. "Peace be with you," He said. When He had said this, He showed them His hands and side. At the sight of the Lord the disciples rejoiced. "Peace be with you," He said again. "As the Father has sent Me, so I send you." Then He breathed on them and said: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men's sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are bound." Sir 50:14-21 (Simon, the high priest, on the day of atonement:) Once he had completed the services at the altar with the arranging of the sacrifices for the Most High, and had stretched forth his hand for the cup, to offer blood of the grape, and poured it out at the foot of the altar ... The sons of Aaron would sound a blast ... as a reminder before the Most High. Then all the people with one accord would quickly fall prostrate to the ground in adoration before the Most High, before the Holy One of Israel. ... All the people of the land would shout for joy, praying to the Merciful One. ... Then coming down he [the high priest] would raise his hands over the congregation of Israel. The blessing of the Lord would be upon his lips, the name of the Lord [Yahweh] would be his glory. Then again the people would lie prostrate to receive from him the blessing of the Most High. Lk 24:50-52 Then He led them out near Bethany, and with His hands upraised, blessed them. As He blessed them, He left them, and was taken up to heaven. They fell down to do Him reverence. Acts 3:26 When God raised up His servant, He sent Him first to bless you by turning you from your evil ways. Say unceasingly the chaplet that I have taught you. Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he recites this chaplet only once, he will receive grace from My infinite mercy. I desire that the whole world know My infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy (Diary, 687). Key Words: • Pray the chaplet • Recommend the chaplet to the dying to sinners • The Lord wants the whole world to know to receive to trust in - His infinite mercy • Words of the chaplet: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. 1 Jn 2:2 He is an offering [atonement] for our sins, and not for our sins only, but for those of the whole world. 1 Cor 10:16 Is not the cup of blessing we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Is 6:3 "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts!" they cried one to another. "All the earth is filled with His glory!" Is 57:15 For thus says He who is high and exalted, living eternally, whose name is the Holy One: On high I dwell, and in holiness, and with the crushed and dejected in spirit, to revive the spirits of the rejected, to revive the hearts of the crushed. 1 Pt 2:5 You too are living stones, built as an edifice of spirit, into a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Heb 13:15-16 Through Him let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips which acknowledge His name. Do not neglect good deeds and generosity: God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind. Heb 13:20-21 May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus Christ our Lord, furnish you with all that is good, that you may do His will. Heb 4:16 So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and favor and find help in time of need. Mt 5:7 "Blest are they that show mercy; mercy shall be theirs." Mt 6:33 "Seek first His kingship over you, His way of holiness, and all these things will be given you besides." Lk 12:32-34 "Do not live in fear, little flock. It has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms. ... Wherever your treasure lies, there your heart will be." Eph 2:4-5 God is rich in mercy; because of His great love for us He brought us to life with Christ when we were dead in sin. 2 Cor 1:3-4 Praised be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all consola tion! He comforts us in all our afflictions and thus enables us to comfort those who are in trouble, with the same consolation we have received from Him. 2 Cor 1:9-11 We were left to feel like men condemned to death so that we might trust, not in ourselves, but in God who raised the dead. He rescued us from the danger of death and will continue to do so. We have put our hope in Him who will never cease to deliver us. But you must help us with your prayers, so that on our behalf God may be thanked for the gifts granted us through the prayers of so many. Rom 11:32-36 God has imprisoned all in disobedience that He might have mercy on all. How deep are the riches and the wisdom of God! How inscrutable His judgments, how unsearchable His ways! For "who has been His counselor? Who has given Him anything so as to deserve return?" For from Him and for Him all things are. To Him be glory forever. Amen. Tell My priests that hardened sinners will repent on hearing their words, when they speak about My unfathomable mercy, about the compassion I have for them in My Heart. To priests who will proclaim and extol My mercy, I will give wondrous power, and I will anoint their words and touch the hearts of those to whom they will speak (Diary, 1521). Key Words: • Glorify the Lord's mercy • Proclaim His mercy • Wondrous power will be given • Hearts will be opened Mk 6:12-13 With that they went off, preaching the need of repentance. They expelled many demons, anointed the sick with oil, and worked many cures. Jn 14:12 "I solemnly assure you, the man who has faith in Me will do the works I do and greater than these." Acts 2:37-38 When they heard this, they were deeply shaken. They asked Peter and the other apostles, "What are we to do brothers?" Peter answered: "You must reform and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, that your sins may be forgiven; then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 3:6-8 Then Peter said: "I have neither silver nor gold but what I have I give you! In the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazorean, walk!" Then Peter took him by the right hand and pulled him up. Immediately the begger's feet and ankles became strong; he jumped up, stood up for a moment, then began to walk around. He went into the temple with them - walking, jumping about, and giving praise to God. A vision of the Mother of God. In the midst of a great brilliance, I saw the Mother of God clothed in a white gown, girt about with a golden cincture; and there were tiny stars, also of gold, over the whole garment, and chevron-shaped sleeves lined with gold. Her cloak was sky-blue, lightly thrown over the shoulders. A transpar- ent veil was delicately drawn over her head, while her flowing hair was set off beautifully by a golden crown which terminated in little crosses. On her left arm she held the Child Jesus. A Blessed Mother of this type I had not yet seen. Then she looked at me kindly and said, I am the Mother of God of Priests. At that, she lowered Jesus from her arm to the ground, raised Her right hand heavenward and said: "O God, bless Poland, bless priests. Then she addressed me once again: Tell the priests what you have seen. I resolved that at the very first opportunity [I would have] of seeing Father [Andrasz] I would tell; but I myself can make nothing of this vision (Diary, 1585). Key Words: • Mary is Mother of God and our mother • Be witnesses of what you have seen Jn 19:26-27 Seeing His mother there with the disciple whom He loved, Jesus said to His mother, "Woman, there is your son." In turn He said to His disciple, "There is your mother." From that hour onward, the disciple took her into his care. Jn 19:34 One of the soldiers thrust a lance into His side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. This testimony has been given by an eye witness, and his testimony is true. He tells what he knows is true, so that you may believe. Lk 1:49-50 "God who is mighty has done great things for me, holy is His name; His mercy is from age to age on those who fear Him." Acts 1:14 Together they devoted themselves to constant prayer. There were some women in their company, and Mary the mother of Jesus and His brothers. In regard to the stars on our Lady's robe and her royal dignity, consider these passages: Dn 12:3 But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to jus tice shall be like the stars forever. Ps 45:10 The queen stands at your right hand arrayed in cloth of gold (Feast of the Queenship of Mary. Entrance Antiphon). As we reflect on the relationship between the Gospel and Divine Mercy, we close with this amazing, power-packed statement of Pope Benedict XVI from his Regina Caeli message on Divine Mercy Sunday in 2008: Indeed, mercy is the central nucleus of the Gospel message; it is the very name of God, the Face with which he revealed himself in the Old Covenant and fully in Jesus Christ, the incarnation of creative and redemptive Love. May this merciful love also shine on the face of the Church and show itself through the sacraments, in particular that of Reconciliation, and in works of charity, both communitarian and individual. May all that the Church says and does manifest the mercy God feels for man, and therefore for us. When the Church has to recall and unrecog- nized truth or a betrayed good, she always does so impelled by merciful love, so that men and women may have life and have it abundantly (cf. Jn 10:10). From Divine Mercy, which brings peace to hearts, genuine peace flows into the world, peace between different peoples, cultures and religions.

Converting to a somewhat uncertain Jesus

by Damien F. Mackey “Dawkins was shocked that his former atheist ally [Ayaan Hirsi Ali] had switched. He is a cultural Christian. He likes the fruit of the Gospel, but he doesn’t like the root of the Gospel. …”. Tony Davenport Introduction Tony Davenport has called this year of 2024: https://vision.org.au/news/year-of-celebrity-conversions/ Year Of ‘Celebrity’ Conversions And he writes: Despite the increasingly anti-Christian culture we live in, it seems more and more celebrities from the entertainment, intellectual and business world are having the courage to speak up about how they are embracing the faith and acknowledge that they are not celebrities in the eyes of Jesus, that they are just like everyone else. Steven McAlpine who’s an award-winning Christian author, commentator, pastor and national consultant for churches and Christian schools, has been investigating the phenomenon. He told Vision Radio’s 20Twenty program: “It’s certainly not a time to keep your head up if you are Christian. You would lose a lot of followers I would have thought if you were a celebrity at the moment. But at the same time, there’s a tension in our culture that has seen [actor and comedian] Russell Brand, in particular, over the past 3 or 4 years, lean into spirituality. “It’s very easy to use the ‘God’ word. But Russell Brand’s become more and more focused and eventually got baptised in the River Thames [by adventurer Bear Grylls] about 4 or 5 months ago. And on every Tik Tok, Instagram or YouTube video, he’s talking about something from the Scriptures as none of those other things that he was pursuing seemed to satisfy him. It went from an intellectual curiosity to: I need something in myself as I look at the way the world is, but also as I look at how I am. And that’s the same with Ayaan Hirsi Ali.” Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a former figurehead of the New Atheism movement, a global activist, social commentator, women’s rights advocate, author, podcaster and fierce critic of Islam. The Somalia-born Dutch American intellectual is a former Netherlands MP and a researcher for the Hoover Institution at Stanford University as well as the American Enterprise Institute. Her conversion is remarkable as she publicly expressed regret for her previous critiques of Christianity, openly recanting her past assertions that all religions, including Christianity, were equally damaging. Stephen McAlpine told Vision Radio: “There’s a deep interest in cultural Christianity at the moment, that the Christian framework gave the West something that we’re now losing. And even if they’re not becoming Christian, a lot of other intellectuals particularly, are going: There’s something in the framework that we would not want to give out too easily, but people like Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Russell Brand have gone the whole hog, I think.” “Ayaan Hirsi Ali wrote an article last year which was called Why I am Now a Christian. And it blew categories out of the water. She said that she’d moved to Christian frameworks because of the cultural stuff as she read history, but she stopped and looked and said it’s something about her that needed to change. [Fellow New Atheism champion] Richard Dawkins was so upset about this that they had a public debate and at the end of the conversation he said: I came here today Ayaan to convince you that you’re not a Christian. Now, I see that you are a Christian and Christianity is stupid. It makes no sense.” “Dawkins was shocked that his former atheist ally had switched. He is a cultural Christian. He likes the fruit of the Gospel, but he doesn’t like the root of the Gospel. …”. [End of quote] It’s happening in Australia as well. The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, whose three great loves in life are, he has said, the Labor Party, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, and the Catholic Church, has been seen slipping off to Mass lately. ‘Albo’, who has forever been telling us how he grew up in public housing in inner city Sydney, has just bought himself a $4.3 million dollar mansion, leading to speculation that he will soon be seeking new pastures. Tent cities for the homeless have sprung up. And another Socialist and Labor man of long-standing, journalist and TV show host, Joe Hildebrand, now writes frequently about Jesus, including an article yesterday in The Saturday Telegraph (Nov. 16, 2024): “Original superstar found path to peace”. Without judging the intentions or motives of any of these celebs, one must wonder to what extent do they realise who Jesus really is. He himself was at pains to know, asking this loaded I AM question (Mark 8:27): ‘WHO DO PEOPLE SAY THAT I AM?’ No one seemed to know for sure (v. 28): “And they told him, ‘John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets’.” Finally, Peter came to the rescue (v. 29): “And he asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ’.” Joe Hildebrand, an exuberant and entertaining writer, will give his own opinion about Jesus Christ, as we shall be reading. In the case of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, on the other hand, critics have noted that she rarely seems to mention Jesus Christ. To give some examples of this, taken from: https://www.reddit.com/r/Christianity/comments/17sw1z1/ayaan_hirsi_ali_why_i_am_now_a_christian/ As a Christian, I am very glad for Ms. Ali to become a Christian herself. As a reader analyzing her essay however, she seems to be making a cultural/ political choice. It’s clear why she rejects the Islam with which she was raised. She is less clear about the “God hole” and emptiness of atheism and secularism as opposed to “Western culture” being under threat. What I don’t see is any mention of Jesus or the Gospel. Christianity isn’t (or shouldn’t be used as) a cultural/political solution to Islam or secularism, it is (or should be) a response to Jesus and how he reconciled us wayward humans to God. …. The subtitle of the article explains all "Atheism can't equip us for civilisational war". Hirsi Ali doesn't seem to believe in the resurrection, the Trinity or the need for salvation in Jesus. In fact she seems to be returning to the Islam of her youth minus the nasty bits. What she's doing isn't becoming a Christian, she's joining the Christian team because she thinks it's more capable of fighting against Islam. …. …. She doesn't even mention Jesus once in that long essay for why she converted. Instead, she presents it all as wanting to join the winning team in a civilizational conflict because she married a far right ultranationalist and chauvenist [sic] who is literally a Scottish lord. …. Whatever about all that, could one confidently follow Hildebrand’s presumably well-intentioned version of Jesus as the Saviour upon whom one ought to base one’s life? Jesus Christ as Superstar Joe Hildebrand has written glowingly of Jesus Christ Superstar in The Sat. Telegraph: I was going to write about so many things this Saturday, but then I went to the opening night of Jesus Christ Superstar and now I can’t think about anything else. First, let’s just get the housekeeping out of the way - it’s a ball-tearing banger of a show. Cancel your plans, abandon your family and get on it. That is literally what Jesus would have wanted. We don’t talk about religion much in Australia. We do it, but we don’t talk about it. Even when great clashes emerge - such as the tragically recurrent self-destruction of Israel and Palestine - we disguise religion as politics, as though they are the same thing. They are not, and that is why we fail. And so countless UN resolutions propose endless and meaningless diplomatic and technocratic pathways to peace that have no end or meaning to those who are standing in the way of it. Meanwhile, there is the sorrowful loneliness of the poor old folk in the middle who will get obliterated by the bombs of both sides as they wonder in their final moments why we can’t all just get along. We can’t. As long as there is fanaticism and ideology and fundamentalism, we just can’t. Not to be too much of a Negative Nancy about it, but yes, everyone will die. This is hardly hysteria - on the contrary, it is literally happening right now. The only question is why and how to stop it. For Joe Hildebrand, Jesus can point out for us the path to peace. For the answer, let’s turn to Jesus. Both in the Bible and in the mountains of historiography about the most famous man on Earth, there is a mass of penetrating insights, confounding contradictions and soul-turning moments of inspiration. The reason for all of this is Jesus himself. He was notoriously oblique. He spoke in parables instead of dictates. He was a pragmatist in the face of radicals. And in the octane-fuelled world of Roman-occupied Jerusalem, he preached peace instead of revolution - perhaps upsetting Judas. Just pay your taxes to Caesar, he said. It hardly mattered anyway because the kingdom of God was at hand. As it turned out, the kingdom would be a long time coming. While most of what Joe Hildebrand has written here does not concern me overmuch, and I would agree with some of it, what follows this suggests a Jesus, who - while apparently impressing our journalist - strikes me as being one who did not know if he was Arthur or Martha – or, to put it more in context, did not know if he were Coming of Going. Joe Hildebrand continues: It is clear from the New Testament alone that Jesus expected a huge and imminent metaphysical deliverance that failed to materialise and that scared and confused early Christians scrambled to make sense of this. But here is the rub. Despite his repeated predictions that the new kingdom was at hand, Jesus constantly demanded that his followers give their money to the poor and embrace the socially despised; that they love their neighbours as themselves and do unto others as they would have done unto them; that they turn the other cheek in times of violence and - in times of judgment - they not commit the ultimate hypocrisy by casting the first stone. This to me is the most beautiful paradox of Christianity. It at once says that nothing matters in this life, only the next, and at the same time says we must care for people in the here and now. …. Joe Hildebrand will continue on to make some other worthwhile observations about the world and peace for the remainder of his article. It is just that section: “It is clear from the New Testament alone that Jesus expected a huge and imminent metaphysical deliverance that failed to materialise and that scared and confused early Christians scrambled to make sense of this”, that really worries me. It suggests that Jesus and his followers had not grasped in what times they were living. For what follows, let us take Mark 13, because this was the version that was read at Mass a day or two ago (today being the 19th November, 2024). Note that Jesus says at the end of this section that “all of these things”, these extraordinary things listed in the text, will have occurred before the end of the present generation, the generation that He was then physically addressing. This is a point that Joe Hildebrand has, in his article, completely missed and misunderstood. And I suspect that most of us today have, too. As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!’ ‘Do you see all these great buildings?’ replied Jesus. ‘Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down’. As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, ‘Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?’ Jesus said to them: ‘Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. ‘You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the Gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. ‘Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ‘When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that this will not take place in winter, because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again. ‘If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. ‘But in those days, following that distress, “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken”. ‘At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. ‘Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away’. For a very clear explanation of what Jesus was talking about here, see the excellent commentary on it of Justin (as he simply calls himself) as presented in my recent article: Jesus in his Olivet Discourse was talking to his present generation (7) Jesus in his Olivet Discourse was talking to his present generation | Damien Mackey - Academia.edu

Jesus in his Olivet Discourse was talking to his present generation

“Clearly the “you” highlighted in all these verses is the disciples. Jesus was not talking to us here or any other future generation. He is clearly speaking to his disciples about events that were to occur in their lifetime, not events that would occur 2000 years (or more!) later”. Justin Taken from: https://thespiritsearches.com/this-generation-will-not-pass-away-until-all-these-things-take-place/#more-539 In regards to the Olivet Discourse, few verses have sparked more controversy than Matthew 24:34. Here Jesus states: “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (ESV). But given the context of the preceding verses (i.e., wars, famines, earthquakes, persecutions, increased lawlessness, signs in heaven, etc.) how can this be? After all, these are the signs of the end, right? And if we were to interpret this verse literally then we would have to conclude that “this generation” refers to the one to whom Jesus was speaking to, that is, his contemporaries. And that they would be the generation to witness “all these things” – “all these things” being everything Jesus had mentioned up to that point. But if what Jesus was speaking about referred to signs that would precede the end of the world, how could this be? Surely there are none from that generation alive today to witness the end. To assume so would be absurd. So what exactly did Jesus mean by “this generation”? Who was he talking about? And what about “all these things” that he said would occur before “this generation” passed away? The truth is, I’ve already answered the question. “This generation” refers to the one whom Jesus was speaking to, that is, his contemporaries. It was they who were to witness “all these things” that he had spoken about previously. Consequently, “this generation” is not in reference to a specific race (the Jews), a type of people (righteous or wicked), or a future generation to come. Neither do the signs and events spoken of by Jesus (which he summarizes as “all these things”) serve as nearness indicators of any eschatological event in our future including the Rapture, the Second Coming, the end times, or even the end of the world itself. This explanation, although contrary to the one most commonly employed when explaining the Olivet Discourse, is not without significant evidence to support it. In this article I’ll present the case for the preteristic view of Matthew 24:34 and hopefully help shed some light on such a controversial verse in Scripture. Lets start by defining the term “generation”. The Meaning of “This Generation” The definition of generation according to the Merriam Websters Collegiate Dictionary 11th Edition is: a group of individuals born and living contemporaneously. Not surprisingly, the Greek word used for “generation” in Matthew 24:34 is “genea” which refers to the whole multitude of men living at the same time. It is true that “genea” can sometimes be used in reference to a nation or race but “of the 38 appearances of ‘genea’ apart from Luke 21:32 / Matthew 24:34 / Mark 13:30, all have the temporal meaning, primarily that of contemporaries” (A.J. Mattill Jr. – Luke and the Last Things) The fact that Jesus used the word “genea” in conjunction with the near demonstrative “this” (this generation) clearly indicates that it was his contemporaries who would see “all these things”. Other instances of Jesus using “genea” to refer to his contemporaries include: • Matthew 11:16 – To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others • Matthew 12:41 – The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it • Matthew 12:42 – The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it • Matthew 12:45 – So will it be with this wicked generation • Matthew 23:36 – Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation In each of these verses (although there are many more) we easily understand that Jesus was referring to those living during his time. Why then at Matthew 24:34 do we attempt to force the word to mean something it most often doesn’t instead of allowing for its most natural use? Throughout the Gospels “genea” is the word Jesus uses to refer to his contemporaries. To assert that he now uses the word to refer to a nation, race, type of people, or a future generation is more than highly unlikely. Its [sic] essentially impossible given the context in which he’s speaking and the audience to whom he’s speaking to. Which brings us to the next two points: who was Jesus speaking to and what was Jesus talking about? Who Was Jesus Speaking To? Matthew 24:3 tells us that Jesus was speaking to his disciples, privately, on the Mount of Olives during the Olivet Discourse. More specifically, we know these disciples to have been Peter, James, John, and Andrew according to Mark 13:3. Why is it important that we know this? Because without identifying the original audience of the Olivet Discourse (or any written work for that matter) it becomes nearly impossible to interpret it accurately. If we don’t know to, or for whom something was written, then any potential reader may assume the work was written for them, thus taking it out of context. Such has been the case with the Olivet Discourse and the many colorful interpretations given in an attempt to explain it. Lets [sic] take a look at some verses within the Olivet Discourse that help remove any doubt as to who Jesus was speaking to, and therefore, who would witness “all these things”. • v.4 – And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray • v.6 – And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed • v.9 – Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake’ • v.15 – So when you see the abomination of desolation • v.23 – Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it • v.25 – See, I have told you beforehand • v.26 – So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out • v. 32-33 – From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates • v. 34 – Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place Clearly the “you” highlighted in all these verses is the disciples. Jesus was not talking to us here or any other future generation. He is clearly speaking to his disciples about events that were to occur in their lifetime, not events that would occur 2000 years (or more!) later. So for us to properly understand who “this generation” is, we have to understand how the disciples would have understood Jesus’s words. Can it be realistically assumed that when Jesus told the disciples that “they will deliver you up to persecution and death and you will be hated by all nations for my names sake” that they would have understood him to mean somebody other than themselves? Or can it be realistically assumed that when Jesus told them “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” that they understood him to mean some other generation than the one then in existence? In both cases the answer is no. Jesus was perfectly clear in his announcement of which generation would experience “all these things”. Think about it. What else could Jesus have said to clarify of whom he was speaking? And from the disciples perspective, why would any further clarification be needed? He was speaking to them in response to their questions concerning the destruction of the Temple (more on this to come). No doubt they would have rightly understood everything Jesus spoke of as pertaining to them. They had no reason to think that what Jesus said pertained to any other generation other than their own or that he was referring to events that were to occur thousands of years in the future. To them, no clarification was needed. They knew they were the ones, and theirs the generation, to witness “all these things”. Unfortunately, faulty interpretations run rampant in regards to the Olivet Discourse, and specifically in relation to “this generation”. …. Summarizing “This Generation” Only through much manipulation can one come to interpret “this generation” as meaning anything other than “this generation”, that is, the one alive during Jesus’s day. All three Gospel accounts of the Olivet Discourse concur and allow no deviation in the interpretation of Jesus’s words here, whereas other verses of the Olivet Discourse vary slightly. For example, Matthew 24:15 says: “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains“, whereas Lukes account (21:20-21) says: “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains”. The wording used by each writer is obviously different, although both are referring to the same event. However, in all three of the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, & Luke) the writers use the same exact phrase (essentially verbatim) at this point in their record of Jesus’s words, suggesting that there was no room for interpretative differences nor any need to reword what Jesus said for clarification purposes. • Matthew 24:34 – Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. • Mark 13:30 – Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. • Luke 21:32 – Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. ________________________________________ …. Throughout the rest of this article we’re going to discuss what the Olivet Discourse was actually about. We’ll discover what prompted Jesus to have this discussion in the first place, and we’ll look at the text leading up to the verse in question. This will not be a verse by verse commentary, but rather a general overview highlighting specific texts that are vital to understanding who “this generation” was and what “all these things” actually refer to. What Was the Olivet Discourse Actually About? In order to fully understand who “this generation” was and what “all these things” refers to, we have to understand what the Olivet Discourse was about to begin with. To interpret a verse of Scripture without first understanding the context in which its written almost always leads to a faulty interpretation. Such is the case with the modern futurist approach to the Olivet Discourse which says “this generation” refers to a future generation and they will be the ones who witness “all these things”. …. In short, however, the Olivet Discourse is about the destruction of the Jewish Temple and the city of Jerusalem itself, both of which occurred in the Jewish War between AD 67-70. Within 40 years of Jesus giving these prediction [sic] on the Mount of Olives, the events he spoke of came to pass. Truly “this generation” to whom Jesus was speaking witnessed “all these things” he spoke of during his discourse. …. Leading up to the Olivet Discourse In Matthew 23 we read of Jesus’s scathing indictment against the religious leaders of his day. In his unrelenting assault Jesus proclaims them to be “full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (v.28), and like “whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead peoples bones and all uncleanness” (v.27). He goes on to point out that they are the “sons of those who murdered the prophets” and tells them to “fill up then the measure of your fathers” (v.31-32). He goes on to tell them how he will send them “prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues, and persecute from town to town” (v.34). Notice here the similarity between what Jesus says the religious leaders will do to those whom he sends and what he tells his disciples will happen to them in the next chapter (Matthew 24:9-12). He then says, “so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth…Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation” (Matthew 23:35-36). Sound familiar? Here we see Jesus pronouncing judgement upon that generation, holding them responsible for “all the righteous blood shed on earth”. Why? Because he knew that they were going to be the ones to kill him, the Messiah. There could be no blood more righteous than his, and his murder at their hands would serve as the final nail in the coffin leading up to their judgement. In murdering their own Messiah, they would truly “fill up the measure of their fathers”. Jesus then laments over Jerusalem, for he knows how devastating its destruction will be. He then says, “See, your house is left to you desolate” (Matthew 23:38), in reference to the Temples pending destruction. Here Jesus borrows language from the Old Testament. Daniel 9:17 says, “Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate”. …. Jesus Departs the Temple and Predicts its Destruction The Olivet Discourse begins with Jesus’s departure from the Temple followed by the disciples pointing out to him how beautiful it was. Luke’s account says that “some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings” (Luke21:5). Mark’s account records the disciples as a bit more enthusiastic in their observation: “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” (Mark 13:1). This enthusiasm, however, is short lived as Jesus’s response is far from comforting concerning their beloved Temple. He says, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” (Mark 13:2). From here, Jesus departs to the Mount of Olives where his disciples come to him privately and ask for more details concerning what he had just said. Matthews account reads as follows: “As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3). These questions are in response to what Jesus said about the Temple being destroyed. Consequently, his reply is in response to those questions. Everything Jesus says from this point forward is in response to the disciples questions about when the Temple will be destroyed and the signs which are to precede its destruction (See Mark 13:4 and Luke 21:7). This is how we know that the Olivet Discourse is not about the end of the world. Nor are the signs and events it describes to be witnessed by any other generation than the one alive at the time of Jesus’s prophecy. ….