Monday, November 24, 2008

Bible Study 11-24-08

Today starts a 4 week session on the Spirit of the Mass for our Bible study focus and it is flipping awesome, to say the least. The only way it could get better is if I were not the youngest person there, but whatever.

With that, here we go.

1) Basic preliminary definitions

a) Mass

i) From Latin, missa.

(1) From Latin phrase Ite missa est- “Go, it is sent”

(2) “it” refers to the Eucharist (in the people)

(a) God being sent forth into the world by the people partaking in the mass.

(b) Reflects back on the closing line of mass, “The mass has ended, let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord”

ii) All above points can be referred to as the “mission”.

(1) Mission comes from the same root as mass, which is missa.

b) Eucharist

i) “Thanksgiving”

ii) Comes from accounts of last supper

iii) Has a deeper meaning

(1) In OT, there are 5 sacrifices given by priests

(2) One is the todâ

(a) Normally referred to as the “goodwill offering”

(b) More correctly translated as “thanksgiving”

(3) Was different than other sacrifices

(a) Was a meal

(b) Sacrifice given for a good thing.

(4) Process of todâ

(a) Father and eldest son went to temple, killed animal and given to priest

(b) Some given back to father, some to other priests, etc.

(c) Then meat was cooked and shared as a meal

(5) Meals were symbolic in that time

(a) Sharing of a meal was only done on the most intimate of occasions

(b) Sharing a meal was a symbol of family.

2) Mass is in 2 main elements with 2 parts to each element

a) Liturgy of the Word

i) Introductory Rite

ii) Liturgy of the Word

b) Liturgy of the Eucharist

i) Liturgy of the Eucharist

ii) Concluding Rite

c) Notice that the Mass begins and ends with a rite.

3) 4 things that need to be made clear about the Eucharist (from Pope JPII)

a) Eucharist is the “source and summit of entire Christian life”

i) Everything we do comes from the Eucharist.

ii) It is Christ Himself, there is nothing greater than Him

iii) While it is the source, it is also our destination, the summit being that we strive to be more like Him

iv) Represents the “beginning and end, alpha and omega, source and summit”

b) In Mass, we experience the most unique moment of intensity in encountering Jesus Christ

i) While all sacraments and other activities encounter the power of Jesus, the Mass is the most intense encounter with Jesus.

ii) The Mass is the sacrifice.

c) In the Eucharist, human beings discover the full manifestation of God’s love for humanity.

i) Represents everything He did and what He is about.

d) You will never fully understand the Eucharist

i) Where our head fails us, our spirit helps us.

ii) We can encounter Him without fully understanding Him.

4) How do we receive Jesus? How does his promise mean anything now?

a) Because we are brought back to it. As a Christian, we are literally a part of Christ.

b) Analysis of the line “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19)

i) Remembrance is actually anamnesis

(1) There is no English equivalent for this word

(2) Literally means “to take something from the past and make it present now”

5) Explanation of anamnesis

a) Starts with first 5 books of the Bible

i) Genesis- Explains beginning

ii) Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy explain Moses taking Jews to the Promised Land.

b) Scriptural analysis

i) Exodus 20

(1) Arrived at Mt. Sinai and got Tablet.

(2) Punishment for golden calf is wandering for 40 years in the desert

ii) Deuteronomy

(1) Wandering is done

(2) Deut 5:1-3.

(a) Only Moses, Joshua and those descendents of those that were at Mt. Sinai were at this meeting.

(i) Those that committed idolatry were all dead at the end of the 40 years.

(b) “The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 3 It was not with our fathers that the LORD made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today. Deut 5:2-3

iii) Exodus 2:23-25

(1) This is 40 years after God made a deal with Abraham, saying people will get own land, own kingdom and universal blessing for humanity.

(2) Explanation of the word “remember” in this passage

(a) When God “remembers”, it means something has come into being

(b) Does not mean that He forgot.

(c) Weird translation of the Greek from Hebrew.

6) What the celebration of the Mass does

a) Every celebration of the Mass brings us back to the last supper and the 3 major events of Passion, Death and Resurrection

b) We are brought back to the “hour” that the world was saved

i) “my hour has not yet come”

c) Past, present and future come together

i) “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again”

7) New Testament shows us constant progression.

a) Creation

i) Sacrifice

(1) Abel offers best of sheep

ii) Invocation of divine name

(1) God reveals himself in a personal way

(2) Reveals self in a name, YAWEH

(a) “I am”

(3) No graspable meaning yet still personal

(4) First revealed to Enosh

iii) “Walking with God”

(1) “To be upright and single-hearted”

b) Abraham

i) Total obedience to the Word

(1) Was a city dweller and then called by God to wander.

(2) Considered the ultimate example of faith, along with Mary as the NT version.

ii) Test of faith

(1) Everything hinges on Abraham getting to have a child with a menopausal wife.

iii) Concern for world

(1) Told life will be destroyed and Abraham barters with God

(2) Compare to Noah, as Noah did not show concern for others, though still a good man

(3) Because of this, the Covenant goes to Abraham.

iv) Conformity to God

(1) Abraham willingly offers son for sacrifice

(a) Happened near where Jesus was eventually crucified

(b) 2 spectators (like at Crucifixion, with 2 criminals), the son Isaac carries his own wood,etc

v) Descendants will undergo struggle/perseverance.

c) Moses

i) Saving revelation

(1) Introduced Himself for the first time since Enosh as YAHWEH

(2) Reveals himself to show love

ii) Struggle to want what God wants

(1) Moses wants God, but has hard time figuring out what he is supposed to do

(2) Struggle to conform

iii) Contemplation

(1) 1st person since Adam to see God face-to-face.

(a) Moses’ face glows so much after meeting with God that he has to hide his face from the people.

(2) 1st example of desire to know and feel God.

iv) Intercession

(1) Willing to give up life to save people not worthy of God’s love

(2) Used own personal relationship with God to barter and save the people.

v) Covenant ratified in blood

(1) Exodus 24: Shows covenant and contemplation at the same time

(a) 24:3- he tells people 10 commandments

(b) 24:6- blood put into bowls (chalices)

(c) 24:8- sprinkles blood on people, “blood of covenant”

(d) 24:11- the people listed here drink and eat in God’s presence.

(i) Notice the familial ties?

vi) More notes on Moses

(1) Moses had 3 lifetimes of40 years each in his 120 years on earth.

(a) First 40: a Prince

(b) Second 40: he is met by God, returns to lead people to Israel

(i) 80 has a special significance in Biblical numerology

(c) Third 40: Man of God.

vii) David

(1) Model of faith

(a) Big-time sinner, but is a model of hope for he truly repents of his sin.

(2) Loving/joyful trust in God.

(a) “David was a man after God’s own heart”

(3) Glorify God above self.

8) Looking at the Mass

a) It is no accident that the Mass is composed of two main parts, the Liturgies of the Word and Eucharist.

i) Luke 24:13-35

(1) Scripture was reflected upon and after understanding who Jesus is, then bread is broken and Jesus is revealed.

(2) This is the BARE OUTLINE of the Mass.

b) Revelations 4 and 5 outline the Mass as well.

(1) Outlines the structure of church

(2) There are 4 things that every church must have.

(a) Crucifix

(i) “Lamb of God, living but slain”

(b) Altar

(i) Under altar are martyrs that have gone before us

(ii) Alters are often shaped like tombs for that reason

(c) Book with 7 seals

(i) There is something in church about this, but I can’t seem to find the word for it… help!

(d) Throne chair

(i) Priest’s chair

9) The Sign of the Cross

a) Ezekiel 9:4

i) The “X” mentioned is actually the symbol tav, or the Jewish “T”

ii) Literally, “making the sign of the cross”

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