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Post by Alaisdir Ua Séaghdha on Mar 26, 2013 17:35:07 GMT
The Ethiopian Copts do have a feast of St Pontius Pilate - there is an apocryphal work that says that Pilate converted to Christianity later in life and died a martyr's death. This is common in the East, though talking about St Pilate is unique to Ethiopia. However, Mikhail Bulgakov had some of this apocrypha in mind in his retelling of the encounter between Pilate and Christ in Master and Margarita - the novel ends with Pilate's redemption.
There is also a cult of Judas Iscariot in some of the more detached Orthodox Churches - again there is an apocryphal story that Judas repented, conducted a mission independent of the other eleven and also was martyred.
I do believe in the infinite mercy of God and that salvation was as available to Pilate or Judas as any of us, but this is stretching it a bit. By the same token, I'm slow to believe that the tragic Anneliese Michell was possessed by the spirit of Judas Iscariot.
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Post by hibernicus on Mar 27, 2013 11:36:57 GMT
The New Testament leaves Pilate's eventual fate unclear (according to contemporary historians he was eventually recalled to Rome to answer for some of his repressive actions, but was never called to account because the emperor had died before he arrived; there are later traditions that he was exiled and later committed suicide, but it's not clear how reliable these are) so the differing views of him are understandable. I'm surprised at the "St Judas" idea given that the NT is pretty unambiguous on what happened to him. For that matter, I once heard of a somewhat eccentric modern Italian scholar who theorised that Caiaphas eventually converted to Christianity and that this explains certain lacunae in the sources about him - but then being a scholar is no guarantee against an over-excited imagination.
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Post by Alaisdir Ua Séaghdha on Mar 27, 2013 11:49:10 GMT
Right about "St Judas" - I think the idea was gnostic and it may have lingered on in a remote region of the Middle East.
I have heard that Pilate eventually committed suicide too, but as you say, we don't know about the reliability of the sources.
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Post by hibernicus on Mar 27, 2013 22:52:02 GMT
I heard one of the Bach Passions within the last few days and what struck me was the way in which the Chorus veered back and forth between commenting on the action (and of course singing the praises of Our Lord) and acting the crowd and the persecutors. This I think is the tension we must maintain in meditating on Holy Week - the highest levels to which grace can raise us, and the lowest to which we can descend.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2013 18:54:18 GMT
Sunday, March 31, 2013 - Easter Sunday
John 20: 1 - 9
1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Mag'dalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." 3 Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. 4 They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; 5 and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, 7 and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
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Post by Alaisdir Ua Séaghdha on Mar 29, 2013 10:26:00 GMT
The following links are based on a ten year old French lay initiative to provide the Gospel of the day online. Originally, this was French only, but other languages were added. The most recent addition is Irish: Fáilte romhaibh isteacht ! soiscealanlae.org French original levangileauquotidien.org English version The Daily Gospel dailygospel.org
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2013 19:26:18 GMT
Sunday, 7th April, 2013 Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday
John 20:19-31
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." 26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you." 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing." 28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2013 2:06:02 GMT
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” - Something Thomas missed the first time. I don't think the English translation of the word "Shalom" as "Peace", truly does the word justice, it means so much more : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shalom
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Post by hibernicus on Apr 4, 2013 18:19:31 GMT
One point is that because we are so used to the concept of the forgiveness fo sins, we overlook how radical this is. What authority have I to forgive sins someone else has committed against you? For a man to claim to do this by his own authority is an insult - only God, Who gives all life and who is offended by all sins, can grant such forgiveness.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2013 23:47:16 GMT
Sunday, 14th April, 2013
John 21:1-19
Jesus showed himself again to the disciples. It was by the Sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said, 'I'm going fishing'. They replied, 'We'll come with you'. They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night.
It was light by now and there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus called out, 'Have you caught anything, friends?' And when they answered, 'No', he said, 'Throw the net out to starboard and you'll find something'. So they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in. The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord'. At these words 'It is the Lord', Simon Peter, who had practically nothing on, wrapped his cloak round him and jumped into the water. The other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net and the fish; they were only about a hundred yards from land.
As soon as they came ashore they saw that there was some bread there, and a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it. Jesus said, 'Bring some of the fish you have just caught'. Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, 'Come and have breakfast'. None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, 'Who are you?'; they knew quite well it was the Lord. Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead.
After the meal Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?' He answered, 'Yes Lord, you know I love you'. Jesus said to him, 'Feed my lambs'. A second time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' He replied, 'Yes, Lord, you know I love you'. Jesus said to him, 'Look after my sheep'. Then he said to him a third time, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, 'Do you love me?' and said, 'Lord, you know everything; you know I love you'. Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep.
'I tell you most solemnly, when you were young you put on your own belt and walked where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and somebody else will put a belt round you and take you where you would rather not go.'
In these words he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, 'Follow me'.
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Post by hibernicus on Apr 10, 2013 20:33:53 GMT
Philip Jenkins notes that third World Christians are more likely than we are to note the descriptions of abundance and eating in the Bible precisely because hunger is much closer to their lives. Jesus' satisfaction of the disciples' physical hunger brings home what he does for their spiritual wants.
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Post by hibernicus on Apr 10, 2013 20:37:10 GMT
And the sermon last Sunday in St Kevin's pointed out that Peter's threefold affirmation here cancels his threefold denial on Good Friday. The reference to his death also highlights this - now that Jesus has renewed his faith, he is willing to die when called on and remains faithful for the rest of his life.
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Post by Alaisdir Ua Séaghdha on Apr 11, 2013 8:24:57 GMT
The whole narrative is a repeat of so many aspects of St Peter in the gospel. The three-fold affirmation cancels the denial, but note this is done over a coal fire as in the courtyard. Peter leaps out into the water as he went towards Jesus when He was walking on the water; the manner in which the second catch overfills the boat is reminiscent of the call of Peter in the first place. It's almost as if the entire role of St Peter in the four gospels is summarised in this excerpt from the 21st Chapter of John.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2013 1:33:17 GMT
- Fishing on Galilee done at night, today they still fish there that way, with a light/lantern hanging over the back of the boat to attract the fish
- Not apparent from this translation, but Jesus shouts to them "Young men", or "Lads" indicating that the apostles were probably quite young men in their early 20's
- Unlike the last time they went fishing three years before, the net did not break this time
- Peter, again always the first to dash to The Lord. Quite funny that he put his clothes on to jump in and get wet in them, but he wanted to remain decent in front of the Lord.
- Much speculation over the years about what the number of 153 fish might symbolise. Probably just an indication that there was a lot of fish, but each fish was important enough to be counted.
- No wine : Mark 14:25 “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
- Charcoal fire only used before in the NT, when Peter denied the Lord, and he read Peter's thoughts while Peter was looking at the charcoal fire and drying out. Three times Jesus stated Peter would be Shepherd of his flock. The Shepherd's / Bishop's crook, is a very important symbol.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2013 23:25:33 GMT
Sunday, 21st April, 2013 The Forth Sunday of Easter
Good Shepherd Sunday, also known as Vocations Sunday
The name derives from the gospel readings on this day which are taken from the 10th chapter of John.
In recent times the feast day has also become known as Vocations Sunday, a day on which prayers should be said for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
On the fourth Sunday of Easter the gospel reading is always taken from chapter 10 of St John’s gospel – the chapter in which is developed the theme of the Good Shepherd. A different extract from this chapter is read each year of the three-year cycle; This year (Year C) we read the shortest one of the three.
John 10:27-30
Jesus said:
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from me. The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone, and no one can steal from the Father. The Father and I are one.'
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