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Catholic Doctrine Bible Study

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Nov 17, 2021 • 21min

Session 153: Genesis 23-25:18

Chapter 24 Lessons from this chapter to learn regarding choosing a mate: Pray for guidance! Look for someone who is: willing to serve, who follows through with tasks, who is willing to make sacrifices. Abraham’s servant evangelizes Rebekah’s family.  (Make sure your potential spouse and their family understands that your Catholic faith is of greatest importance.  Don’t be unequally yoked!) 25:12-18 God keeps his promises. (Fulfills 17:20....  Ishmael developed a dynasty of his own.)
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Nov 17, 2021 • 21min

Session 152: Genesis 22 - Part 2

Abraham/Isaac relationship prefigures God the Father and Jesus: “your only one”, Mount Moriah, donkey, wood, sacrifice,  willing son,  lamb.   The “lamb” would not be provided until Jesus. “Ram”  acceptable but incomplete. Mount Moriah:  Same spot where Solomon built his temple, same ridge where Jesus was crucified, same place where Moslem Dome of the Rock mosque now sits! Abraham trusted the promise God made him in 17:19.  Abraham knew God would not ultimately require Isaac to be sacrificed. (See 17:19) God still wants human sacrifice!  But with our life, not our physical death.  (We must “die” to ourselves (our desires) and desire what God wants. Abraham’s ACTIONS demonstrated his FAITH.  (As with many things in our Catholic faith, it’s not “either/or”, it’s “both/and.”
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Nov 17, 2021 • 21min

Session 151: Genesis 19:30-22:12

19:31-38 Drunkenness, incest, illegitimacy, raising enemies of God’s people is a result of the daughters’ lack of Catechesis and moral guidance while growing up.  (They grew up in Sodom,(!!!) and their father compromised his faith while there.)  Lesson for us:  Teach the faith, and the morals that come with it, to your children/grandchildren, formally, and even more importantly, THROUGH YOUR EXAMPLE!!! 21:4 Isaac circumcised when 8 days old, per God’s command.  (Circumcision prefigures New Covenant baptism.) 21:9-21  God was with (v.20) Ishmael as he grew up, even though he was not the son of the covenant.  God loves all people!! 22:1 God put Abraham to the test.  (We are all tested, that’s how we learn to trust God!)
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Nov 16, 2021 • 21min

Session 150: Genesis 18:16-19:29

19:7 Lot is surrounded by evil, and he tries to placate the evildoers without repudiating them.  (He calls them “brothers.”) “(No half measures will do!  No “hesitation “ (v.16). You must choose between good and evil!) See CCC 2357-59, Leviticus 12:13, Romans 1:26-27, 1Cor 6:9 on homosexuality.  We love the sinner, hate the sin.  The PRACTICE is sinful, the ORIENTATION is not; it is a cross to bear just like any other. A person is much more than their sexuality, so we can be friends with a person regardless of their sexual orientation.  We can love them, (but we don’t have sex with everyone we love!!) 19:26 Don’t “look back” with any fondness at the sins you have been involved in!!
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Nov 16, 2021 • 23min

Session 149: Genesis 16-18:15

Abram didn’t “get away with” his deceit in Egypt.  It cost him 17 years of strife with his wife! (Sarai vs. Hagar, an Egyptian slave he was given.)  (You don’t “get away with” anything!) Abram and Sarai “put God in a box”  in terms of how they thought God would bring about an heir.  (God is omnipotent!) 17:4 God changes Abram’s name to Abraham:  One of only 3 times God changes someone’s name.  (Each time, the person is to become the leader of God’s people.  The final time was Peter, who was to lead Christ’s (one!) Church. Circumcision was a sign of being in God’s family.  It was a requirement.  Prefigures baptism.  18:1-8  Be kind to strangers: they are all a face of Christ!  This story quoted in Hebrews 13:2.
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Nov 16, 2021 • 21min

Session 148: Genesis 14-15

14:14-17 If Abram had followed God’s 12:1 instructions explicitly (leaving family behind), he wouldn’t have needed to go to war.  (God’s full plan is always better than our “amendments” to it!) Melchizedek a precursor of Christ: Priest, King, accepts a tithe, “bread and wine” prefigures Eucharist.  See Psalm 110:4 and Hebrews 5:6,10 and 6:10-7:19. 15:6 Abram’s faith credited to him as righteousness. (Yes he had faith, but was also OBEDIENT, he ACTED on his faith.  See James 2:21-2:24 which synthesizes the connection between Abram’s faith and “works.” 15:17 God’s covenant with Abram was unilateral. (Only God, in the form of a flaming torch, passed between the slaughtered animal-halves, not Abram.) (Message to us:God loves us unconditionally, and keeps his promises.)
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Nov 16, 2021 • 22min

Session 147: Genesis 12-13

12:1-4 Abram had great faith: trusting God to move 600 miles to a place he knew nothing about. (Trust God to direct your paths.) 12:7-8 He “evangelized”: He built 2 altars in a land of pagans. (Be proud of your faith!) 12:10-20 Yet, he was human, he sinned:  Went to Egypt without praying, lied about his wife being his sister only, allowed his wife to be used by Pharaoh.  (He didn’t need to do any of this; God had already promised him blessing.) In spite of this, God was willing to keep working with Abram.  (And us!)
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Nov 16, 2021 • 22min

Session 146: Genesis 8-11

The aftermath of the flood reveals deep symbolism through the raven and dove, representing death and the Holy Spirit. The discussion pivots to God's dietary laws, highlighting a major shift from vegetarianism to meat consumption while emphasizing trust in divine guidance. Covenants take center stage, particularly Noah's, with the rainbow symbolizing God's promises. Pride's destructive role is explored through the story of the Tower of Babel, contrasting humanity's division with the unifying power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
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Nov 16, 2021 • 20min

Session 145: Genesis 5-7

Delve into the intriguing genealogy from Adam to Noah, highlighting figures like Enoch and Methuselah. Explore the stark moral lessons of human wickedness and divine love that bind us as family. Discover how Noah's unwavering faith led him to follow God's seemingly nonsensical plan. Compare the biblical flood narrative with ancient tales like the Epic of Gilgamesh, revealing contrasting portrayals of deity. Lastly, consider the deep symbolism of the Ark as the Church and the water as a prefiguration of baptism.
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Nov 16, 2021 • 19min

Session 144: Genesis 4 Cain and Abel

Both Cain and Abel were religious! (Both brought offerings.)  It’s not enough to be “religious.”  We are to bring our BEST to God. (Time, talent, treasure)  (Perhaps it was Cain’s ATTITUDE toward giving? What’s YOUR attitude towards giving?) v.6 God did not punish Cain at all for his unacceptable offering....God merely encouraged Cain to do better next time. (God loves us just the way we are, but he also loves us enough to not stay that way!  We can all be more Christ-like than what we are today. Cain showed ENVY  (one of the 7 Deadly Sins) toward Abel.  (Envy vs. jealousy: Envy resents another person having something...in this case, approval.  Jealousy is wanting something another has....like approval. Jealousy can be good or bad; Envy is always bad.) v.9 Yes, we ARE our brother’s keeper!! (See also Luke Chapter 10: the parable of the Good Samaritan.) Cain doesn’t repent, doesn’t even ask for forgiveness!  (We must!) v.10-15God punishes sin, but still shows mercy. v.14 Cain blames GOD! v.14 Cain says he “must avoid (God’s) presence.”  God never said that!! God continually  calls to all of us, but when we are in sin WE sometimes choose to separate ourselves from God. Jesus is from the line of Seth (Luke 3:38)

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