Internet Bible Resources

On the one hand, we all must be wary of using the internet for biblical information. There is so much misleading (or just plain "wrong") information to be found! CBS students are expected to seek the guidance of their classroom instructors before using any website for research or homework. (And at Scripture Day we provide a handout that contains some valuable information about how to use the internet wisely.)

On the other hand, the internet, when properly used, can be an enormously helpful tool for biblical studies. One of our faculty members, Ms. Amy Ekeh, just brought the following sites to my attention. They are two very helpful resources for your studies:

1. Online Concordance for New King James Version, Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard  (Version), New International Bible or Good News Bible (other versions, not recommended for use in CBS, are also available on this website): www.biblestudytools.com This is an easy-to-use concordance that will make your homework easier to complete. Here's what to do:

• Go to www.biblestudytools.com (click on the link or cut and paste the URL to your browser);
• Click on "Library";
• Click on "Bible Versions and Translations";
• Choose the version that matches your own Bible (if available) or NRS (if your Bible is not available);
• Type into the Search field the keyword you want to find in the biblical text;
• Click "Search" to have every instance of that word, with its biblical citation, appear on your computer screen;
• Use the online Bible or your print Bible to read the passage in its context.

2. Catholic Resources for Bible, Liturgy, Art, and Theology: catholic-resources.org
Maintained by Fr. Felix Just, SJ, Member of the Catholic Biblical Association, Executive Director and faculty member in the Loyola Institute for Spirituality and the Catholic Bible Institute in the Diocese of Orange, CA.

Although we can't vouch for every piece of information that will ever be presented on Fr. Just's site, Amy describes it very well: "The site has been pretty useful for me and so far has been trustworthy." Of course, your instructor can and should guide you in regard to your findings on Catholic theology. (That's what we're here for!)

As we in the Hartford CBS begin another school year (September 7 and 14!), we wish you a fruitful and energizing pilgrimage with God's Word (Christ) through God's Word (the Bible).

CBS Student End-of-Summer Reminders

Fr. Tom Stegman, SJ

1. Summer Reading Assignments Due on Your Scripture Day

• Year One: September 7, 2013
• Years Two, Three and Four: September 14, 2013

2. Classes Begin the Week of September 16-18

• Lesson I.1 is due for all students on your first class meeting, that week

Notes:
All Scripture Days are held at St. Thomas Seminary. Check the reader board for room assignments.

Workbooks will be available at your Scripture Day. Other required textbooks must be procured on your own.

Weekly Bible Study - Isaiah 66:18-21 and Luke 13:22-30

25 August 2013
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Can narrow-mindedness be a good thing after all?

In today’s first reading Third Isaiah paints a colorful picture of God’s people journeying to their homeland. Nations of every language stream toward Jerusalem. Distant coast lands proclaim God’s glory. New followers come in many and diverse ways. It is a glorious image of a temple reborn as well as of a future “church” where all are welcome.

The returning exiles for whom this author writes are likely to have been rather narrow-minded about the kingdom of God. Their belief that they alone were chosen by God for God’s kingdom might have given them a sense of entitlement, placing them first in line to reap God’s benefits. And the first shall be first?

But this is not the author of Isaiah’s vision. How might his message resonate for them?  They might pose the same question posed to Jesus in today’s gospel: “Lord, will only a few people be saved?”

How did Jesus respond to such questions? He described a “narrow gate” that many will attempt but few will enter.

"Ask, Seek, Knock" Door; Solanus Casey Center

And as we come to the final judgment, none of us wants to hear from the Lord: “I do not know where you are from.” Similarly, as we stand at the door and knock we do not want to be the one unrecognized by the Lord even as we eat and drink with him in the Eucharistic banquet.

The gate is narrow and the few will enter: those whose faith is rooted in God; those whose prayer is constant and deep; those who are unshaken in the face of adversity; those who carry on their compassionate shoulders the burdens of others. Our salvation builds on our connection to Jesus, which becomes fuller and truer each day through our prayers, good works and our sacramental life.

How do we, each day, fit ourselves to enter more gracefully through the narrow gate that leads to eternal life?

The author, Ms. Barbara Gawle, leads Bible studies at her parish, Incarnation Church of Wethersfield, CT. She is a CBS graduate and the 2012 recipient of the Biblical School's highest award, The Lawrence Boadt Memorial Medal.

Silly Summer Sallies

Cartoon of the Week*:

 

Joke of the Week:
Q. Which servant of God was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible?
A. Moses. He broke all 10 commandments at once.
 
*Copyright 2000-2003, Kevin Frank.Used by permission. http://www.kevinfrank.net/bible.asp
 

Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of Jesus

For CBS Graduates and Parish Leaders:

“Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of Jesus”:
A Virtual Tour of the Holy Land
September 8, 2013, 1:00-3:00 pm
(“Coffee And” beginning at 12:30)
St. Thomas Seminary, Bloomfield

Although a personal pilgrimage to the Holy Land might be impossible for many right now, we will take a virtual pilgrimage to the land through the camera and heart of a veteran tour leader, Stephen J. Binz. This imaginative pilgrimage will combine images of those sacred places with reflections on the Scriptures. We can image Jesus with his disciples along the lake, teaching on the mountainside, praying in the garden, dying on the cross, and appearing to his disciples. This geography of salvation will renew your heart for reading the word of God.

Stephen J. Binz

To register, complete and return the registration form (link provided on the "Upcoming Events" page of our website, www.orehartford.org/joomla3/) by Aug. 31, 2013 (You must complete a separate form for each person attending.)

IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. Our presenter will be bringing copies of his many books for sale at this event. Bring your checkbook (or cash) in case you find something there you want to purchase.

2. Always bring your Bibles to Biblical School events like this one.

CBS Alumni Course: The Passion Narrative of the Gospels

The Passion Narratives of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John are the oldest part of the Gospels. How were they formed and what is their relation to the accounts of Jesus' ministry?  How historical are the Passion Narratives?  What was the theological understanding of the suffering and death of Jesus of each of the Evangelists?  What was Jesus' theological understanding of his own suffering and death?  These and other questions will be discussed as these narratives are studied in detail in this course.

Class Meeting Information:
Wednesdays through November 13, 2013, 7:00-9:00 pm*
St. Mark the Evangelist Parish Center
Cost: $95*

*Classes begin on Sept. 4 for students who did not participate in Dr. Casey's courses on Luke last fall.

*Classes begin on Sept. 11 for returning students.

CBS Alumni (Graduates) End of Summer Reminders

Registrations Due August 31, 2013:

1. Passion Narratives of the Gospels for CBS Graduates

• St. Mark the Evangelist Parish Center, West Hartford
• Wednesdays, 7:00-9:00 pm with Dr. Tom Casey

2. "Silent" Auditing CBS Courses

3.  Sunday afternoon, Sept. 8, 2013; 1:00–3:00 pm
     Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of Jesus with Stephen J. Binz

Registration Due October 1, 2013: 
Your Face I Seek, O God: A Bible Retreat
Genesis Spiritual Life Center, Westfield, Mass.
October 25-27, 2013 with Sr. Janet Weber
There is a charge for room and board on the retreat. Payment must accompany registration form.

To register for any of these continuing education opportunities, complete the appropriate form provided to all CBS alum received in the July mailing. If you need another copy, please contact Jill Costa or Jennifer McClintock at (860) 243-9465, ext. 2670.

Silly Summer Sallies

Cartoon of the Week*:
  

 Joke of the Week:
Q. Why didn't they play cards on the Ark?
A. Because Noah was sitting on the deck

*Copyright 2000-2003, Kevin Frank.Used by permission. http://www.kevinfrank.net/bible.asp

Weekly Bible Study - Luke 12:49-53

18 August 2013
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Harsh, impatient words seem out of character for the one who calls us to be peacemakers. And Jesus' command to love one another certainly appears incongruous with the household divisions he promises in today's readings. But, as the reading tells us, Jesus has come to set the earth on fire!

In order to understand his words, we must place them in their proper context, an indispensable part of all scripture study. Jesus and his disciples are on the way to Jerusalem. “Journey” is one of the key themes of Luke’s gospel and serves as a backdrop for Jesus’ teaching on the cost of discipleship. Along the way, there will be hard work to do, work that will foreshadow his suffering and death. The minds and hearts of his disciples will need to be set on fire, their souls refined and purified that they may accept their mission. They, as Jesus, will meet with disappointment and rejection as they learn the true cost of discipleship. The words of Jesus produce controversy not only for unbelievers, but within the community of the faithful and even between family members. Moreover, we too, as Christian disciples who have been baptized into Christ's death, will be asked to embrace suffering as we face challenges--often within our very households.

Jesus comes to bring comfort to the afflicted – a role we know and cherish. But Jesus comes
also to bring affliction to the comfortable – a role we are usually reluctant to take on.

How are we, today, called not only to comfort the afflicted but also to confront the over-comfortable?

Do you recognize yourself the uncomfortable challenges of Christian baptism?
And if we confront (ourselves or our brothers and sisters in Christ), do we confront with Christian charity?

Do we evangelize, and evangelize with kindness?

 The author, Ms. Barbara Gawle, leads Bible studies at her parish, Incarnation Church of Wethersfield, CT. She is a CBS graduate and the 2012 recipient of the Biblical School's highest award, The Lawrence Boadt Memorial Medal. 

Weekly Bible Study - Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19

11 August 2013
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

His name is a mere mention in the Eucharistic prayer of the Mass, but his legacy is for all time.  He is Abraham, “our father in faith.”  We meet him in today’s passage from the Letter to the Hebrews.  Because Hebrews focuses on the high priesthood of Jesus, the author of this sermon emphasizes certain aspects of Abraham’s faith, fidelity and “priesthood.”  We extract three inspiring thoughts in particular.

He went out, not knowing where he was to go. Many of us walk a similar path as we embrace the daily unknowns of our journey. What is it that guides and sustains us? Is it a blind faith? Or rather do we see with the eyes of the heart, knowing as we do—and as Abraham did—that the one who leads us is trustworthy.

By faith he received power to beget a child, even though he was past the normal age. God does what is seemingly impossible. Not only is a child promised to Sarah, but descendants as numerous as the stars. God will deliver in ways even more wonderful than we can hope or imagine.  How does God “beget” new life in and through us?

By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. We are reassured by the outcome of this familiar story, but certainly it is the ultimate test of fidelity. Hebrews reminds us that God also is faithful to us, giving up his own son that we might have life in abundance.

God planted seeds of faith in the heart of Abraham, and we, his descendants, have inherited this legacy of faith and trust. We take many leaps of faith throughout our day–perhaps more than we even realize –but there is one certainty: we are always tethered to the heart of God.

Lord, we believe. Help our unbelief.

The author, Ms. Barbara Gawle, leads Bible studies at her parish, Incarnation Church of Wethersfield, CT. She is a CBS graduate and the 2012 recipient of the Biblical School's highest award, The Lawrence Boadt Memorial Medal.

Silly Summer Sallies

Cartoon of the Week*:

Joke of the Week:
Q. What kind of man was Boaz before he married Ruth?
A. Ruthless 

*Copyright 2000-2003, Kevin Frank.Used by permission. http://www.kevinfrank.net/bible.asp
 

Year Three Students' Summer Reading and Book List

All students studying in the Advanced Year this fall (students in the third and fourth years of their studies) are to purchase the textbooks listed under the ORANGE/YEAR FOUR curriculum (CBS 400), as indicated in the registration materials circulated last spring.

This includes the summer reading assignment, The Wisdom Literature, by Kathleen O'Connor. The Wisdom Literature should be read this summer by all students entering their third and fourth years of study. The written assignment that coordinates with this book needs to be completed BEFORE Opening Scripture Day on September 14, 2013.

Here is a link to the page with the questions you'll need to answer: http://www.orehartford.org/joomla3/index.php/our-programs/catholic-biblical-school/registration-classes (Click on "AdvWisdomLink" near the bottom of the page.)

And just to be crystal clear, below is the list of required textbooks for the Advanced Year Orange Curriculum (CBS 400) this year:

1. The Catholic Biblical School Student Workbook Year 4: Old and New Testaments Concluded: The Word in the Hellenistic World (Paulist Press, 2010) This text must be purchased through the Office of Religious Education and Evangelization.
2. The Wisdom Literature, by Kathleen M. O’Connor (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1993) $19.95. (ISBN 9780814655719)
3. Companion God, revised edition, George T. Montague (Paulist Press, 2010) (ISBN 9780809145010)
4. “Ezekiel, Daniel,” Toni Craven, Collegeville Bible Commentaries (Liturgical Press, 1986) (ISBN 9780814614235)

Please note: Third-year students will NOT be using textbooks listed for CBS 300 (Green/Year Three curriculum) this academic year.

Biblical Archeology in the News

UHartford Archaeologist Richard Freund

An interesting archaeological note from UNotes Daily, submitted to the Catholic Biblical School for distribution from Dr. Richard Freund and the University of Hartford: 

"Professor Richard Freund, director of the University’s Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies and a noted biblical archaeologist, was interviewed live on the FOX News channel on Thursday morning, Aug. 1. Freund offered his insights and analysis regarding the Israeli Antiquities Authority and archeologists' announcement that they have discovered what they believe to be the palace of King David at a site just west of Jerusalem."

The ostraca pictured in the video seems to confirm the emergence of Hebrew writing in the time of King David, a theory supported by most Catholic biblical scholars. It adds to the growing body of evidence which shows serious problems with fringe arguments that claim David and Solomon might have been fictional characters "invented" by later biblical writers.

Watch the interview for yourself on YouTube by clicking on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOVU1CaAgQ0

Silly Summer Sallies

Cartoon of the Week*: (Acts 16:25)
 

Joke of the Week:
 Q. What excuse did Adam give to his children as to why he no longer lived in Eden?
A. "Your mother ate us out of house and home."

*Copyright 2000-2003, Kevin Frank.Used by permission. http://www.kevinfrank.net/bible.asp

Chai Means "Living"...

So what is the Hebrew word "Chai" doing in the Shema, on this bracelet? It's a mystery I've been pondering since Sr. Maria Louise Edwards, of the Felician Franciscan Sisters, gave me this bracelet at the end of school year:

Inserting the word "living" (chai) seems to be a "circumlocation" (circling around the point) for the name of "the LORD" (YHWH), which is the Hebrew word found in the Shema:

"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength." (Deuteronomy 6:4-5: NABRE)

Of course Jews consider "the name" (Heb ha-shem--another circumlocution) too sacred to be pronounced, and Catholics, in reverence, no longer pronounce the name in our liturgies.

Since God is LIFE, the substitution makes a certain amount of sense, though I would have expected "Adonai" (my Lord), which for thousands of years Jews have pronounced in place of the divine name when reading from Scripture. The Hebrew script for "chai" (het yod--see right) also resembles an abbreviation (yod yod) of the divine name (yod he waw he). (Transliterations from Lamdin, Introduction to Biblical Hebrew)

The Shema is one of only two prayers commanded in the Torah, "recited morning and evening since ancient times." (Source: the website Judaism101--http://www.jewfaq.org)