|
|
Br. Mike Ward, ofm |
|
OT Daily Notes Fall 10
Tuesday, January 11, 2011 OT Sorry, I was unable to update the website yesterday. BRING YOUR TEXT BOOKS WITH YOU FOR THE FINAL EXAM. THEY ARE NOT YOURS TO KEEP. The last two days we focused on Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and The Tower of Babel. From these stories we made connections to the Monarchy and the Babylonian Exile. Why? The Monarchy and the Babylonian Exile serve as the “World Behind the Text” for these very meaningful and truth laden stories. Without proper knowledge of the historical background of the stories, we risk misinterpreting the stories. We noted the following. Bathsheba was David’s “forbidden fruit.” Yet God still gave David another chance, along with suffering the consequences. We are Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel and Noah and the builders of the Tower of Babel! Could the Tower of Babel represent all that is opposed to YHWH, similar to Babylonian? It seems so! The Tower was built from bricks, the symbol of slavery. By destroying the Tower, God is actually sending a message of freedom! The different languages represent FREEDOM! And, the waters of the flood represent a “new beginning.” Emphasis should be on the creation of something new, not the destruction of the bad. You need to be studying for your final. The best way to do this is to your tests and quizzes as a study guide. Plus review the notes from this website.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Friday, January 7, 2011 OT You took Quiz 2.6 today. Your next allotment of “Service Hours” are due today. I returned all graded work and collected any late or absent work. Extra credit work is due on Monday, January 10, 2010. Goal of Class today: Symbolism of Genesis 3. What we did in class today. After the quiz we did the following summary to help us understand the meaning of Genesis 3. Be sure to know this chart for the final. Symbolic Truths of Genesis 3. Adam = Humanity Eve = Mother of all Living Serpent = Idolatry (Canaanite fertility symbol) Eden = Ideal friendship with YHWH Adam’s Rib = Equality Tree/Fruit = God’s Law/Command (Do this and be happy.)
Keep in mind that this story was circulated/composed during the Monarchy. During the monarch the kings of Israel did NOT obey God’s law and love only God, they practiced idolatry. And what happened? Well the kingdom became split and eventually was destroyed. A good lesson to be learned by all. A few particulars. Notice that “Adam” as a proper name is not used in Gn 3. The Hebrew, “ADAMA” means, “earth creature.” The “name” of Eve is given to the “woman,” by “the earth creature,” after the man and woman are banished from the Garden of Eden. The serpent tempts the woman by saying that she will live forever, like YHWH. Hence she will be god. The woman did not die a physical death, but she did die to the life she had and now is living a new life. Notice the symbolism? The serpent is the Canaanite fertility symbol. Get it? Live forever? The story is a warning NOT to worship other gods, if so, then one loves things and uses people. Notice that the woman brings the man “down” with her because she listened to the serpent. Notice that Adam and Eve are EVERYMAN and EVERYWOMAN, they are us! They represent us, not actual historical persons. This makes the story more real and very TRUE! So how can you apply this story to your life? Is there a person in your life who is “bringing you down?” What do you value in life? People or things? When do you not like to listen to authority and wisdom figures? When do you want to do your own thing, regardless of others? Have you ever been tempted to want to live forever and have control over everything?
You should be studying for the final. You should be reviewing all your tests and quizzes. You should be gathering and organizing thoughts for your final essay. To help you, be sure to put all the test questions and answers into SENTENCES that make sense. Then, make up your own questions.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thursday, January 6, 2011 OT I returned Quiz 2.5 You will have a quiz tomorrow on BW 2.14, Creationism and BW 2.15. Goal of Class today: A mature understanding of Original Sin using the story of Genesis 3. What we did in class today. We basically covered BW 2.14, “The Fall of Man.” Here we discovered the following. Gn 3 attempts to answer the question of evil and its origins. Be careful to NOT take the story LITERALLY. If you do, them evil is the result of a talking snake and eating a particular fruit. (Notice, the text does NOT say apple.”) The details of the story are meant to reveal a deeper truth. Adam and Eve were SELFISH! They did not do what God wanted them to do. Selfishness is the cause of evil! Eve was not content with her present state in life. She wanted more, she wanted to be a god and live forever. She shared this with Adam. We are all born with an innate sense to be selfish. Could this be an understanding of Original Sin? Think about it. When a baby is born, a baby is only concerned with his/her own needs. We don’t blame a baby for being selfish, or for crying when the baby wants something. However, when an adult does this, then there are problems! We learn to grow out of this infantile selfishness and begin to be loving and caring, LIKE God. Since we are made in God’s image, then we are to be loving and caring like God. As young people and adults, it is our CHOICE to be selfish. Hence, choice brings evil into the world, when anyone chooses not to be kind, loving and caring. When we cooperate with evil, the world becomes a sad place. But the situation is NOT hopeless. Genesis 3 tells us that God still cares for humanity. How? In the story, Adam and Eve are banished from Paradise, yet God makes leather garments for them. These leather garments will basically last for a long time, if not forever. Hence, even though there is punishment for wrongdoing, God still loves and cares for his creatures! What a great lesson? Does this sound like the sacrament of reconciliation? It should! Ok, let’s take this a step further. Genesis 3 was “written” during the time of the Monarchy. At this time, Israel was rather rich and successful and the decision was made to have the country ruled by a king. In the ancient world, a “pagan” king equated himself with a god! Wow, perhaps the story of Genesis 3 could also be a warning to Israel’s kings to remember that they are NOT gods! YHWH is the only God. Yet, Israel’s king was supposed to be LIKE God, LOVING and CARING. See how cool this is. See how this “makes sense?” This is because we are taking a faithfully critical look at the text and realizing the history and theology behind it. We are going beyond the mere words and discovering their more truthful meaning.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Study words for final: Here is a starter list for terms you should know for the final. The list is NOT exhaustive. You need to know names of the people we discussed. 1. Torah 2. Ruah 3. Hesed 4. Tetragrammaton 5. Pentateuch 6. Eros/Agape/Philos 7. TaNaK 8. Nabi 9. Ktuvim 10. Apocrypha 11. Deuterocanonical 12. Vernacular 13. pericope 14. Incarnation 15. Lectionary 16. Cantory 17. Ordo 18. Septuagint 19. Exodus 20. Exile 21. Monarchy 22. Jehova 23. Shema 24. Adonai 25. El/Elohim 26. YHWH 27. Hellenism 28. Priest /Prophet/ King 29. NAB 30. NKJB 31. GNT 32. Revelation vs Inspiration. 33. Acrostic 34. Ziggurat 35. Doxology 36. Parallelism 37. Antithetical/ Synonymous/Stair Step 38. Lament 39. Satan 40. Wisdom 41. Suffering 42. Idolatry 43. Babylon 44. Processional Way 45. Measuring Stick for God. 46. Messenger formula 47. Justice 48. Baal 49. Ishtar/ Marduk 50. Nebuchadnezzar 51. Hammurabi 52. Prophets 53. Creationism/Intelligent Design. 54. Answers in Genesis.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Wednesday, January 5, 2011 OT Today you took Quiz 2.5. I collected BW 2.14: The Flood. BW 2.15 is due tomorrow. FINALS INFORMATION: You should be getting your tests and quizzes and worksheet together for the final. If you have a binder, then your work is done. Begin studying for the FINAL NOW. See how much material you have, then split it up by how many days you have BEFORE the final. Keep reviewing every day. Goal of Class today: Understanding the dynamics of Creationism/Intelligent Design and the Catholic Church. What we did in class today. We reviewed Genesis 1 and 2 before the quiz. After the quiz we learned that Creationism is not supported by the Catholic Church. Creationism is the same as Intelligent Design. The approach is very literal and narrow. The organization called, “Answers in Genesis” has recently built what is called the “Creation Museum” very near to us in Kentucky. The point of the museum is to “prove” that the Story of Genesis 1 is LITERALLY true. Currently they are making plans to build a similar theme park based on Noah’s Ark. Remember, Catholics are instructed to understand not only the literal meaning of the biblical text, but also the SPIRITUAL meaning of the text. This means we must be faithfully critical when we read scripture. We must be aware of the World of the Text, the World Behind the Text and the World in Front of the Text (our world, our lives, our thoughts and feelings). Extra Credit. Compose a “critical” essay on the Creation Museum. Focus on how you think a Catholic School teacher should approach it and teach about it to students. Why? 200-250 words typed.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tuesday, January 4, 2011 OT I returned all graded work today in 4th period. In 10th period, we ran out of time, so you do not receive your prophet project grade. However, the grades are bots. Quiz tomorrow on Genesis 1 and 2 and JEPD. Plus the notes from yesterday on CREATIONISM. I assigned BW 2.15: The Flood. BW 2.15 is due on Thursday. Here is your essay for the Final Exam. Start putting together your thoughts NOW. A friend of yours, who does not attend Padua, or a Catholic school, meets up with you on the weekend. In the course of the conversation, your friend asks you if you have to take a religion course each semester while attending Padua. You reply, “Yes! I am currently taking a class about the Old Testament.” Your friend then asks, “What could you possibly use that class for in ‘real life?’”
Write an essay as if you are responding to your friend’s question. What do you say to your friend? BE HONEST!
Do not simply list what you have learned. (That would put your friend, and me to sleep.) I want you to consider the usefulness of the information you learned in class. How do you plan on “actualizing” what you have learned about the Old Testament, God, religion, and yourself? You MUST explain your thoughts and feelings. Do not simply make broad, general statements. You do have to fill in your essay with content from the class.
Goal of Class today : Understanding the purpose of the Creation Accounts in Genesis 1 and 2.
What we did in class today: We reviewed BW 2.12 and BW 2.13. These worksheets will the basis for your quiz tomorrow. As well as the notes from yesterday.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Monday, January 3, 2011 OT I collected BW 2.12, BW 2.13 and HW 2.5. I assigned BW 2.14: “The Fall of Man.” Due Wednesday, 1/5/11. I assigned your Service Hours Reflection Paper today. It is due on 1/10/11. Merry Christmas. FYI: The Christmas Season BEGINS on 12/25 and continues until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which is 1/9/11 this year. Tell this to Macy’s and Target! The time before Christmas is the ADVENT SEASON! Goal of Class today: A mature, Catholic understanding of the Creation Stories in Genesis: Genesis 1. We started to review BW 2.12. Here we find that Gn 1 is NOT a science book. The priestly writers composed and edited this story during the time of the Exile. The purpose seems to be to convey that God created the universe, God did this because he loves us and God created all things “good.” Notice that there are 3 days of separating and 3 days of population with one of day of resting to CELEBRATED and ENJOY the goodness of creation. Humanity, male and female were created at the same time. God creates simply by giving a command. God acknowledges the goodness of His creation. Gn 1 was written AFTER Gn 2. The bible is NOT in chronological order. The World Behind the Text of Genesis 1 is the Babylonian Exile! The World Behind the Text of Genesis 2 is the Monarchy period, written by what we called the “Yahwist Writer.” Creationism is the same as “Intelligent Design.” The approach takes a very literal understanding of Genesis 1. This is NOT an approach accepted by the CATHOLIC CHURCH. More tomorrow.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thursday, December 16, 2010: OT I assigned 3 things today: 1. Read the article, from Catholic Update: Creationism: What is a Catholic to Do? and complete the study guide I made for you (HW 2.5). Due 1/3/11 2. BW 2.12: The First Story of Creation Due 1/3/11 3. BW 2.13: The Second Story of Creation. Due 1/3/11 Goal of Class today: Worldview and the Bible: How does this help us to understand Genesis 1 and 2? What we did in class today: We read part of Gn1 and Gn 2 and discovered the following. The priestly writers wrote Gn 1 during the Exile. The Yahwist writers wrote Gn 2 during the time of the Monarchy How can we tell the above? First, look at the words, "God" and "LORD." These two different ways of referring to God show us that there were different writers at different time periods with different understandings of the divine. The priestly source views God as distant, yet very powerful. They wrote during the Exile, when it appeared that God was just that -- distant and far away. The Yahwist source viewed the Divine as close by and with human characteristics. Hence, during the time of the monarchy, the Israelites viewed God as close by and like them! It makes sense. Remember from earlier discussions that YHWH means, "I want to have a relationship with you." We must not get bogged down by the details of the Creation Accounts. The ancients thought the world was flat, encased by a dome and supported by pillars. Hence the "dome in the sky" in Gn1. The Catholic Church teaches that the Creation Accounts in the Bible are NOT scientific explanations of how the universe was created. Notice in Gn 1 that God creates simply by a command. God controls the water, which is a symbol for "chaos." Were the Israelites not living in chaos during the time of the Exile? Gn 1 reminded them and assured them that God, not the Babylonian gods, was in control of the universe, though He seemed very distant and far away. Note in Gn 1 that humans are created at the same time during the 6th day. Men and women are EQUAL. On the seventh day, God rested. This demonstrates the characteristics of a priestly writer. Priests were in charge of keeping the "Holy Order." Hence with God, chaos is held back and life is run in a orderly function with God as controller. In Gn 2 "Adam" is created FIRST and God creates like a farmer, a potter and a surgeon. Hence God is very close and personal in Gn 2. A female is created from the male indicating EQUALITY once again. God was seeking to make a suitable PARTNER for the "earth creature." The word "adam" means "from the earth." Read the material I gave you and you'll be set for next week.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Wednesday, December 15, 2010 OT I collected HW 2.4, your test corrections. Prophet Projects are due tomorrow. Goal of Class today: King David: a model of repentance. What we did in Class today: - First we did a short review of the history of the Tau Cross. Ezekiel makes reference to the “tau” in Ez 9:4-6. Here the innocent are marked with the “tau.” These are the ones who remain faithful to YHWH. Francis looked at the Tau as the from of a cross, and modeled his clothing after it. Francis bore the weight of the cross 24/7. The Tau cross is now a familiar symbol for the Franciscan Order. You will receive one of these during your Christian Life class. - A review of the above is on the same sheet as your Ruth Bible worksheet. - We read the story of David, Bathsheba, Uriah and Nathan. You were given a worksheet to use as a review of this material. o You should know each of the above characters and their roles in 2 Sam 11-14. o David: § Committed Adultery with Bathsheba § Schemed to get Uriah killed. He succeeded. § David let power and greed control his actions. § His sin got worse, the more he tried to cover it up. § Nathan told David a story and asked his advice. David ended up incriminating himself. § David did repent: Ps 51. § Nathan assured David of God’s forgiveness. However this did not mean that David would be excused from the consequences of his actions. o Uriah: § Member of David’s army. § When summoned by David to come home, Uriah shows that he is a man of integrity, honest and valor. § David tries to get Uriah to go home and be with his wife. Uriah does the “right thing” and does not. Even getting drunk does not alter Uriah’s good judgment. § A frustrated David, writes a letter to set up Uriah for death at the “front line.” Uriah himself carried the letter! Yet he was so LOYAL he did not read it. § What does the above say about David? § Uriah does get killed o Bathsheba: § The baby dies. Eventually she and David marry and they have Solomon et al. Bathsheba does mourn Uriah death, but married David rather quickly.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Friday, December 10, 2010. I returned Test 2.3: I assigned HW 2.4: Correct your test. You must type your work and use complete sentences. HW 2.4 is due on Monday, 12/13/10. Goal of Class today: Using the story of Ruth to help us to understand that doing what right is not always what is easy. What we did in class in today. Using PPt we reviewed the story of Ruth. You should know the main characters of the story and the plot. You should be able to answer the following. The World of the Text information: When does the story of Ruth take place? Why do Elimelech and Naomi move from Bethlehem to Moab? Who did they take with them? Who did the sons of Elimelech and Naomi marry? What happened to Elimelech and his sons? Now that Elimelech and sons were dead, what did that mean for Naomi, Ruth and Orpah? What did Naomi decided to do? What did Ruth and Orpah do? Why? When Naomi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem, who took Ruth under his care? How did Boaz care for Ruth? How did Boaz’s treatment of Ruth counter the culture of his day? How did Boaz and Ruth end up marrying? How was Naomi involved? How is Ruth related to King David? What kind of man was Boaz? What kind of woman was Ruth? What are the themes of the Book of Ruth? World Behind the Text Information: When was the story of Ruth written? Who wrote the story of Ruth? What is winnowing? What is gleaning? What was the attitude toward foreigners of the readers of the story? World in Front of the Text What is our attitude toward foreigners ? When are we faithful? Do we believe God can work through others? How trustworthy am I? When do I do the right thing and sacrifice for another? When am I honest in my dealings with cultural rules and norms? How do I treat “the other?” Where are my loyalties? Why?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thursday, December 9, 2010 You took Test 2.3 today. I was unable to be with you. You were assigned BW 2.11: The Book of Ruth. It is due on Friday, December 10.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Wednesday, December 8, 2010 OT TEST is tomorrow. It is on the prophets. Be sure to use your Study/Reading Guide and your Bible Worksheets. Goal of Class today: The prophet Jeremiah: Highlights. What we did in class today: We reviewed the prophet Jeremiah using the 3 worlds as our guide. Refer to your bible worksheet and the PPt presentation. Add to your worksheet that Jeremiah was also known as the “weeping prophet.” He wept for the people of Judah because he knew they were going to be destroyed because they would not listen to his/God’s message.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tuesday, December 7, 2010 OT Class was shortened today due to the CFO coin collection. I returned any graded work I had for you. Be sure to go over your quizzes to see if the ScanTron machine made any errors. Test on Thursday on Prophets. Be sure to be studying your Bible worksheets and your Reading/Study Guide. Goal of Class today: The prophet Ezekiel: take responsibility for your actions and don’t pay attention to externals. It is what is on the inside that counts. What we did in Class today: We reviewed your Ezekiel worksheet. Ezekiel was the first prophet to receive his call to be a prophet not within the Promised Land: God has NO boundaries. Ezekiel at the scoll to symbolize that he could speak God’s Word. Ezekiel had to write and use pantomime to get his ideas known. Ezekiel used a lot of symbolism in his words to make his point. He even shaved off his hair and his beard. Ezekiel challenged the Jews to take responsibility for their actions. STOP whining and blaming others for your misfortune. Ezekiel reminded that Jews that what matters is what is in one’s heart. External looks are meaningless. The most famous story of Ezekiel is that of the “Dry Bones” in Ezekiel 37. Here he equates Israel with being lifeless in Babylon until the breath of God, “ruah” puts flesh and skin on them and brings them back to life. If was those who went off to Exile who would rebuild the Temple. Not the ones who were not exiled. Why? Nebuchadnezzar exiled the brightest and the best. This was his downfall. For these people did not loose their faith and eventually many returned home to rebuild the Temple. How does your life reflect the words and stories of Ezekiel? Are you dry and lifeless? How does “ruah” affect your life?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Monday, December 6, 2010 OT In honor of the feast of St. Nicholas, we watched the following: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm5AzClT-J0 This video explains who St. Nicholas was and how he got secularized into Santa Claus. What is the "truth" of Christmas? For extra credit: Watch this video with one or both of your parents. Discuss the video and write a 200-250 word essay summarizing your conversation and the result of your conversation. We took quiz 2.4 today. We introduced Ezekiel Test on Thursday.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Friday, December 2, 2010 OT I was unable to be with you today. You were supposed to turn in BW 2.10: Jeremiah. You were given a reading/study guide for Chapter 8 of your text book. This is to be completed by Monday, December 6, 2010 We will have a quiz on Dec 6. The quiz we focus on Jonah and Isaiah. As far as Ezekiel and Jeremiah are concerned be sure you know that these two are Major Prophets. Ezekiel is characterized by his rather bizarre visions. He was the first prophet to be called outside of the land of Israel. His "call" is symbolized by him eating a scroll, "the Word of God." Jeremiah thought he was too young to be a prophet. His career is marked by extreme suffering. Be sure to know the worksheets and PPts for Jonah and Isaiah. The reading guide will also help you. Don't get hung up on the names of the kings and the particulars of dates. You already know that the Exile was 587 BC to 538 BC. Be more concern with knowing the big picture. Good luck Start getting ready for your final by getting your binder in order.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thursday, December 2, 2010 OT I returned BW 2.8 and BW 2.9 BW 2.10 is due tomorrow. Be sure to bring your TEXTBOOK and BIBLE to class tomorrow. You will need them to work on a reading guide. I will not be in class tomorrow. Goal of Class today: Isaiah’s message today. What we did in class today: We watched the following YouTube videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ciMUvaD0CA&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKK0vVt-Lj0&feature=related
The first video “Christianizes” Is 1:17. Isaiah says that to worship God fully we must learn to do good. This means we must make justice our aim, redress the wrong, take care of the orphan and defend the widow. Liturgical sacrifices and worships are worthless without the actions to back them up. The second video reminds us that religion is all about a RELATIONSHIP. We don’t exist alone. God love us, so we are called to love OTHERS – including our enemies. We tied this message in with CFO and our Advent kindness project. We finished reviewing the Isaiah worksheet. Be sure to know the difference among the “3 Isaiahs.” Second Isaiah introduces the “Suffering Servant.” It is not unusual for a servant to suffer for doing what is right. Yet, we serve ANYWAY.
Be sure to study the PPt I posted as well as your notes and worksheets. They MAY be a quiz on Monday.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Wednesday, December 1, 2010. OT RECONCILIATION SERVICE in the Library today. I collected BW 2.9. BW 2.10 is due on Friday. Be sure to be doing research on your prophet. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tuesday, November 30, 2010 OT: I collected BW 2.8: Isaiah I assigned BW 2.10: Jeremiah. BW 2.10 is due on Friday, 12/3/10 Reminder: BW 2.9: Ezekiel is due on tomorrow. I returned BW 2.7: Jonah. Report to the LIBRARY tomorrow for a Reconciliation Service. Goal of Class today: Isaiah and our world today. What we did in class today. We began with a short review of Jonah: - Jonah is all of us. - Jonah challenges us to do God’s will. - Jonah challenges us to love our enemies like God does. - Jonah challenges us to use our gifts and talents wisely. I showed the YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0HhHLHLHaA to help prepare for our Reconciliation Service tomorrow. Do we throw rocks at our enemies, or do we build bridges with those rocks? We then reviewed the prophet Isaiah following along with your worksheet and my PPt. Highlights: - 3 Isaiah’s: Pre Exile, Exile and Post Exile. - Messages are slightly differently but similar. - Challenge / Comfort / A balance of both - Isaiah’s call is marked by a seraphim, “purifying” the lips of Isaiah. - Isaiah is called the aristocratic/statesmen prophet. - Isaiah receive his call while in the Temple. - The bubonic plague is probably responsible for the death of Sennacherib’s army. Note: On your Ezekiel Worksheet, # 3 should be Ez 1:2. Note that some verses are “out of order.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Monday, November 29, 2010 OT: I collected BW 2.7: The Book of Jonah I assigned BW 2.9: Ezekiel. BW 2.9 is due on Wednesday, 12/1/10 Reminder! BW 2.8: Isaiah is due tomorrow. Goal of Class today: Using the 3 Worlds of Interpretation to help us ACTUALIZE a biblical text. What we did in class today. Using the Story of Jonah and the outline I gave you on the back of BW 2.7, we discovered how to ACTUALIZE the Word of God. To “actualize” the Word of God means to make the message we read come alive in our world and our lives NOW. We first reviewed the “3 Worlds:” “World Behind the Text,” the “World of the Text” and the “World in Front of the Text.” We then learned that the bible may be used as a “window” to the ancient world (World Behind the Text) and as a “mirror” reflecting back on our world (World in Front of the Text). For Jonah, I gave you an outline to follow and made a PPt for you to visualize the above. The PPt may be found in my website. I hope you paid attention today; for what we did is the process that you will have to do to complete your prophet project, due December 16. Interesting tidbits about the Jonah story. Jonah went against the wishes of God. The non-Jewish sailors prayed to their gods in times of trouble. Jonah, whose God is YHWH did not do so! Even the non-Jews thought he should. Jonah did not want to enter enemy territory. He did not trust that YWHW would protect him. The non-Jewish sailors threw Jonah overboard and asked YHWH to forgive them for doing so. YHWH sent the large fish to protect Jonah. The large fish is a metaphor for the God’s protection. Jonah gave THANKS to YHWH while in the belly of the fish. The belly of the fish is a metaphor for what we would call “hitting rock bottom,” being at our “deepest and darkest hour.” Jonah does go to Nineveh. Nineveh’s size is measured in how long it would take to walk through it, 3 days! The Ninevites converted immediately and Jonah was upset that God did not squelch them! Poor Jonah, he still doesn’t get it. The ancient people would have “laughed their heads off” at this story, it is very satirical. Note that the story of Jonah was written sometime during the Diaspora but the story itself takes place in the 8th cen B.C., during the Assyrian occupation. During the Diaspora a common mindset was to hate and destroy anyone not believing in YHWH, The book of Jonah was written to challenge that mindset. Jonah’s story reminds the reader that YHWH is merciful and kind even to our enemies. Now, we look at our world and see how the story of Jonah either challenges or encourages us. Jonah is very real, in that Jonah is everyone of us!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Tuesday, November 23, 2010 OT Today you took Quiz 2.3. Grades are posted on NetClassroom. I collected, graded and returned BW 2.6: “Introduction to the prophets, Elijah and Elisha.” I assigned BW 2.7: The Book of Jonah, due Monday, November 29. On the backside of this BW, you will find and outline of the “Introduction to Jonah” found in your CYB. This outline will give you an idea of what to do for your prophet project. I assigned BW 2.8: The Book of Isaiah, due Tuesday, December 1. Goal of Class today: The death of Jezebel. What does it teach us? What we did in class today. After the quiz, we reviewed the requirements for your Prophet Project. You located the prophet you are working on in your CYB to get an idea of what you are working with. Be sure to read the Introduction to your prophet, his actual words, the footnotes and the textboxes found within the prophet’s book. You will also find some information about your prophet from your textbook. DO NOT USE INTERNET SOURCES for your project. You may use the Good News Translation Bible to help you with the wording. Basically, you will make a “Billboard” that will “advertise” your prophet. Arrange your billboard in a such a way that that those who look at it will want to read your prophet immediately. We then read the story of the death of Jezebel in 2 Kgs 9:30. Poor thing, she had no idea how many people hated her. She ended up being thrown out of her widow and then run over by a horse and rider. Worse yet, the dogs came and ate her remains! (In the ancient world, dogs were “garbage eaters,” not so much household pets.) UGH….there was nothing left but her skull and bones of her hands and feet. YIKES. A terrible woman died a terrible death. I related Jezebel’s death to the death of the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz. That witch died cursing the world, no one seemed to care about her death. In many instances, we “die as we lived.” It is not unusual for a mean, nasty and cruel person to die in the same manner in which they lived. However, as we know, there are exceptions. Look at the life of Jesus. He was kind and loving, yet died a cruel death. The difference is that that OTHER’S evilness killed him. Yes, bad things do happen to good people. Yet, when this happens the person who dies is remembered for being good and kind and at times heroic. Some cultures refer to the death of Jezebel as, “what goes around, comes around,” or “you get what you give.” So what did you learn about yourself today? Be sure you read the story of Jonah and the Introduction to his book carefully. Many are familiar with this story. Watch out! You may be surprised with the details, after you actually READ the story.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Monday, November 22, 2010 OT I returned all graded work. I collected HW 2.3 and graded it and gave it back to you. I assigned BW 2.6: Introduction to the prophets. This information is generally a review so it is fair game for the quiz. We will have a quiz tomorrow that focuses on the prophets in general and Elijah and Elisha. Be sure to review your notes, the reading guides and your Bible Worksheets. Goal of Class: Elijah and Elisha as servants and law protectors. What we did in class today. To help you visualize Elijah and Elisha, I showed the following YouTube videos. These are cartoons, but get the main ideas of Elijah and Elisha across fairly accurately. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLu9xAAOc3s&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwMFZRk4Dgo&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwMFZRk4Dgo&feature=related Highlights from the Homework and the videos. Elijah and Elisha constantly called people back to right relationship with God. Elijah and Elisha lived during the time when the kingdom split. They were part of the Northern Kingdom, Israel. Elijah means “The LORD is my God.” Jah, is from YHWH (LORD) and El is another word for “God,” in Hebrew. Elisha means “The LORD is my salvation.” The key to understanding Elijah is to understand the tension between the worship of YHWH and that of Baal. King Ahab, of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, married Jezebel a Canaanite who practiced Baal worship. She hated Elijah. An oracle is God’s message, spoken by a prophet. Elijah tells of the drought. Key stories of Elijah: - Confrontation with Jezebel and Ahab - Running away and being fed by ravens. - Having the poor widow feed him - Bringing the widow’s son back to life. - Challenge of the fiery altar between YHWH and Baal. - Killing 450 of Baal’s priests - Lots of bloodshed. - Elijah finding God on Mt Horeb/Sinai in the form of a whisper! - Elisha’s life parallels Elijah’s - Elijah’ CLOAK is the symbol of God’s power working through him. - Elijah is carried off to heaven in an chariot - Elijah gives his cloak to Elisha to carry on his work. - Elijah and Elisha’ work sets the stage for the rest of the prophetic books. o Hence, Elijah is considered to be the “father of the prophets.” o The themes for the prophetic tradition are § Religious devotion and § Social Justice.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Friday, November 19, 2010 OT I assigned your Project for the Quarter. Please read the assignment over the weekend. You will be assigned a minor prophet according to your number in class. If you want to see who you will have, check it out in the handout page of this website. I assigned HW 2.3: Reading/Study Guide for pp 161-164 of your Textbook. HW 2.3 is due on Monday, 11/22/10. Goal of Class Today: Overview of the prophetic tradition. How does the prophetic tradition affect teens today?
Basically, we covered the Reading/Study Guide for pp 156-161 of your Textbook. You were to have this read and filled out for class. To help us visualize the answers, we followed along with a PPt presentation. Most of this should have been a review for you. Here’s what you knew already. Kings were to keep the political order, priests were to keep the “holy order,” and prophets were called to be sure both were doing their job. Prophets offered challenges to those in power and offered COMFORT to the poor. The prophet’s voice is God’s voice. Hence the voice of the poor is God’s voice. The Hebrew word for prophet is “nabi.” You know the plural form as “neviim,” from your knowledge of the TaNaK! You know that God called the prophets in many ways and the prophets responded in many ways. The prophetic tradition begins around the time of the monarchy and through the time of the Exile and into the Diaspora a bit. New Things We Learned today 1. The prophetic tradition is connected to Moses: he heard God’s word and shared it. a. Moses is the “law giver.” b. Prophets are the “law enforcers.” 2. There are “Former/Early Prophets” and “Latter/Later Prophets” a. The Former Prophets are weaved throughout the Historical Books of the Old Testament: b. Former/Early Prophets i. Deborah ii. Samuel iii. Nathan iv. Elijah v. Elisha c. The Latter/Later prophets are part of the Literary Prophetic Tradition. i. There are a total of 18 prophetic books in the Catholic Old Testament. ii. There are two groups of “Latter Prophets” 1. Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel 2. Minor Prophets iii. The distinction between major and minor prophets is simply the length of their writings. iv. The message of both is equally important. 3. Marks of a prophet a. Call from God to leave former life b. Message was usually unpopular for those in power. 4. General message of the prophet = repent (change your behavior) 5. Judges were “warrior prophets.” a. Judges combined the role of king and prophet and thus often used warfare to spread their message. 6. There is a basic “Call Narrative” for each prophet. a. Mysterious Setting b. Initiated by God c. Resistance d. Reassurance from God e. Sent on a mission. 7. Each call to prophecy comes in a different manner, (more later.) 8. God communicated his choice of kings through the prophets. 9. Measuring stick for Israel a. How well are the poor doing? b. Prophets were both political and social minded. c. Justice is the key word for the prophet. 10. Messenger formula: “Thus says the Lord.” a. Prophets never speak their own words. b. Prophets speak the Word of God. 11. Role of prophets a. Messengers b. Law Enforcers c. Advocates for the Poor d. Servants. We then began a conversation about the 3 Worlds of Interpretation: World Behing the Text, World of the Text and World in Front of the Text. Be sure to refer to PPt on the Website.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thursday, November 18, 2010 OT We reviewed the Solomon Bible Work: BW 2.5. We should have a quiz on it tomorrow, but we’ll wait till next week. I returned Q 2.2. Correct this on your own and come to me with any questions you may have. I gave you a new Reading guide for pages 156-161 of your text book. Keep the one I gave you yesterday for side “2 of 2:” Pages 161-164 of your textbook. For tomorrow, be sure you have read pages 156-161 of your text and filled in the Reading Guide. Goal of Class today: Using Solomon we further understand Idolatry and Love in the Biblical Context. What we did in class today; We basically went through BW 2.5. In the process we reinforced the definition of “idolatry.” Idolatry is LOVING things and USING people. Idolatry is not simply bowing down and singing to a statue. The statues are symbols for those things that hold our attention and our love. In today’s world, money, power, prestige and technologies are the “golden calves.” Solomon began his reign by loving YHWH. By doing so, he also loved his people and made sure they all got what they needed (JUSTICE). Hence, Solomon LOVED people and USED things – he acted JUSTLY. However, Solomon became greedy and he lost sight of his love for YHWH. Thus, he ended up LOVING things and USING people to get what he wanted. In the process the people of the kingdom did not get what they NEEDED! UGH! Forced labor and heavy taxes made the people very unhappy. In the process, Solomon built for himself a grand palace. Note that the Temple took 7 years to build, yet the palace took 13. These numbers are highly meaningful. “Seven” in the biblical text implies divine completeness, wholeness, or enough time. (Think of 7 days in a week.) So, 14 would be DOUBLE the goodness. Yet, the palace took 13 years! Yes, this is highly meaningful. The author of the text could be implying that Solomon was more concerned about his own good. The number 13 implies that Solomon’s thinking was in error! God tried to warn Solomon through his conscience. Yet, Solomon did not listen to the voices of wisdom within him! He got caught up in the voices of society. Hence he built a great palace, a huge army and grand naval force. All of this was done at the expense of the common person. As a result, Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, oppressed the people even more. Eventually, Jeroboam, Solomon’ servant, started a rebellion that eventually caused Solomon’s Kingdom to split! The northern kingdom was named Israel and the southern kingdom stayed with the blood line of King David and was named “Judah,” the tribe David was from. We know what happened next, the Assyrians defeated the Northern Kingdom and then the Babylonians eventually defeated the Assyrians and then destroyed the Southern Kingdom of Judah and its Temple.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Wednesday, November 17, 2010 OT Goal of Class today: Quiz and review test. What we did in class today. You took Quiz 2.2 today. Grades are posted on NetClassroom. After the quiz we reviewed T 2.2. I gave everyone a point for a ScanTron error. If you found another ScanTron error, you must submit the ScanTron to me with the error clearly circled with an explanation of what you want be to do. I assigned BW 2.5: Solomon. This is due tomorrow. I also assigned a reading guide that is due on Friday. I did make an error when copying the Reading Guide. Here’s the deal. You need to read pp 156-161 by Friday. The Reading Guide I gave you ends on number 13. It should go to number 24. I will have a new one for you tomorrow. Keep the second side however. This side is for pages 161-164. We’ll go over this tomorrow.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tuesday, November 16, 2010 OT I returned BW 2.3 and BW 2.4. Quiz tomorrow on the Books of the Wisdom Tradition. Study your notes, the worksheets and the PPt. Concentrate on numbers 17 thru 34 of your reading guide. Goal of Class Today: Wisdom Books and Teens today. What we did in Class today: We continued with our discussion of the Wisdom Books. We focused on Song of Songs, Wisdom, Ecclesiastes and Sirach (Ecclesiasticus). Song of Songs: - Love songs of the bible. - Characters in the Song of Songs include a Bride, and Groom and the Daughters of Jerusalem. o The daughters represent all those people affected by the love between two people. § LOVE does not simply exist between two people. § A loving relationship affects the family, friends, coworkers and acquaintances of the two people in love. o In the Song of Songs, the man and women use very symbolic language to express their love for each other. o We read how the man compares his bride to the horses of his chariot! HOW ROMANTIC is that? He also says that his bride is a lily among the thorns….Ah………. we get the expression “a rose between two thorns” from the Song of Songs. - So, yes, there is “sex talk” in the bible. But this “sex talk” is in the context of a committed, mature relationship. - We read a textbox I the CYB about Pornography and how porn uses people, it does not love them! We are called to LOVE people, not use them. - One of the most important aspects of a relationship is DIALOGUE! Two people must be willing to speak openly and honestly with each other about ANYTHING! If not, they run the risk of NOT having a strong committed relationship. - True love is BOTH URGENT and PATIENT. - The dialogue in the Song of Song can represent three things. o 1. YHWH’s love for his people (hesed) o 2. Christ’s love for the Church o 3. The committed relationship of a husband and wife. - So, the question to you is, what is a committed relationship? Is it possible for a teen to commit to a life long relationship now? Are you able to talk about this honestly with your parents? How do you perceive “LOVE?” The Book of Wisdom: - Attributed to Solomon, but he did not write it. It was written by an Alexandrian Jew. - This is the LAST book of the Bible to be written! - It is a combination of poems, proverbs and wise sayings. - Basically Wisdom is listening to the VOICES of history. Ecclesiastes: (Be sure to review your BW 2.3 for this one.) - Most famous line: “Vanities of vanities.” Basically, nothing last forever. Both the good and the bad do not last forever. - Eccl 3 is used widely at funerals: “There is a time for everything.” It gives a sense of order, that God is in control even when things at the moment seem very out of whack. - Eccl encourages a balance between the extremes of life. Things are not all bad or all good. One must find a healthy balance between the two. - It best to trust that God is in control of it all, either way. - Qoheleth is the author, another name for Solomon. But we are not sure if this is a real person or not. - By attributing the book to Solomon the book now has authority. - God is stronger and wiser than us, so we need to trust in God. - The book is written to make us THINK about what is really important in life. “The best things in life are NOT things!” - The themes and questions of the book are similar to those raised in the Book of Job. - God as the final judge will take care of all things. We need not worry about whether or not evil is being punished or if good is being rewarded. God will provide. - Eccl. suggests that in order to live well, we must do all things well! Be the best you can be! Book of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) - This was once the Church’s instruction manual. (Ecclesial means “Church related.”) - The Book of Sirach was written so that those living in the Diaspora may gain the wisdom of their ancestors. - Ecclesiasticus DOES mention Israel’s ancestors as models of behavior, in contrast to the rest of the books of the Wisdom Tradition. - Sirach is very practical in nature: - Sirach takes the 4 basic necessities of life (water, food, clothing, shelter) and expands them to 10! - Some relate Sirach to an “environmentalist” because he refers to the earth as a “mother.” - Sirach believes that if we live a good life and do what is right there is no reason to fear death. - No matter what one does in life, what matters is that they have a kind heart. -
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Monday, November 15, 2010 OT We began by asking God for wisdom like he gave Solomon and St. Francis. I collected BW 2.3 and BW 2.4 Goal of Class today: The value of Wisdom Literature today. What we did in class today - 4th period saw the following YouTube video on Solomon and the famous “Whose Baby is it?” case. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpDjR2Jtao0&feature=related - This is one example of why much of the Wisdom Tradition is attritubuted to him even after his death. - With the aid of a PPt we covered Questions 14 of your reading/study guide for wisdom (4th period) - Some points to add: Proverbs is the advice column of the OT. - Wisdom tradition does not see “blind faith” as a value. Faith can come about through careful study and reason. In fact, no book of the bible advocates “blind faith.” - Today we must be careful of advertising. Are we believing advertisers over our parents or teachers? Whose advise to we follow?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Wednesday, Thursday, November 10, 11, 2010 OT You took Test 2.1 Today. I collected HW 2.2, your T2.1 corrections. I assigned BW 2.3: The Book of Ecclesiastes and BW 2.4: The Book of Sirach. Both BW 2.3 and BW 2.4 are due on Monday, November 15. Be sure to look over your Wisdom Reading/Study Guide also. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tuesday, November 9, 2010 OT I returned all graded work I collected HW 2.2: Test Corrections. Test on Wednesday or Thursday. Goal of Class today: Introduction to Wisdom Tradition. What we did. We reviewed the reading guide for pages 202-206 using a PPt. you may access this PPt online. For the test: All of the question are based on the notes, specifically the handouts on both of the movies, the Worksheets on Job and the Reading guide for pp 202-206, and your homework. Be sure to know the difference between the Torah, TaNaK, Bible, Septuagint. How may books are in each? There are a handful of questions using the timeline. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Monday, November 8, 2010 OT I returned all graded work that I had for you. NetClassroom should be up to date. Remember, your grade is your responsibility. HW 2.2: Test corrections are due tomorrow. You must answer in complete sentences. You may NOT use the letters for your answers for any question. No exceptions. You should be studying for a test on either Wednesday or Thursday, depending on when you have class. I gave 4th period a study guide for Job. I will give it to 10th tomorrow. Goal of Class: Suffering: Innocent vs Redemptive. What we did in class today: We used the story of the Mother and her seven sons in 2Mac7 to ground our discussion. The brothers did not compromise their values and the mother agreed! In the end all were killed ruthlessly! The idea here is that their deaths are not in vain. There is hope that in the next life, they will be rewarded well. Now, don’t get this confused with suicide bombers and terrorists. The brothers died for their faith, they did NOT kill for their faith. See the difference? The brothers “offered up” their lives for the sake of the Torah. To succumb to fear would have been devastating for those who continued to live. They refused to compromise their values and act out of fear. The mother too, acted likewise. WOW. What an incredible story. Would it have not been “easier” and less painful if the brothers just ate the pork and ask for forgiveness? SURE, but at what price? The right thing to do is not always the easy way! Perhaps there are situations in your life right now that are tempting you to compromise your values and faith. Perhaps it is your own friends who are the tempters and using fear to have you do things “their way.” If so, WALK AWAY!” Along with the above discussion, we pointed out how important it is to understand the historical context of the stories of the bible. Without the historical context we run the risk of misinterpreting or misunderstanding the biblical text. We finished up the video about “Why Bad Things Happen?” Why did God not create a perfect world? Well, the deal is, God DID create a perfect world. Much of the pain and suffering we deal with are consequences of the poor choices we have made. Be sure to know the 3 possible reactions to suffering: 1. Resentment / 2. Martyrdom complex / 3. Trust. Trust seems to be the best option It puts a framework around our suffering. In doing so, we avoid falling into hopeless despair.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Friday, November 5, 2010 OT - You took Quiz 2.1 today: Grades are posted. - LA 2.2 is due Monday. - HW 2.2: Test corrections are due on Tuesday. For the timeline, you may not use the letters. You must explain your answer. - Test will be either Tues or Wed, depending on what day we have class. - After the quiz we returned our DVD: Why Do Bad Things Happen. Please review the notes I gave you.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thursday, November 4, 2010 OT I returned Test 2.1 today. For HW 2.2 you are to make corrections for Test 2.1. You must answer each wrong answer correctly. You must do this on a separate sheet of paper in complete sentences. You must type your work. No written work will be accepted. You must write out the answer; using the letters to the answers is NOT appropriate. If there is a ScanTron error, you must PROVE that Scatron is wrong and that your answer is correct. I am expecting you to use your notes, the textbook, your CYB, your notes and the website to assist. You will receive a percentage grade for your work. If you have 14 questions to correct and only answer 7 of them correctly, then you will receive a 50% for your work. (5/10). HW 2.2 is due on Tuesday. I collected HW 2.1. Be sure you have worked on your study guide for the reading. Goal of Class today: Suffering in the Wisdom Tradition. What we did in class today: The Wisdom Tradition of the Bible views God as first and foremost as the creator. Since God is Creator, then God must “know” what he is doing and has a plan. God created out of love and thus loves us. The Yahwist tradition of God, views God from the point of view of the Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Same God, simply different angles from which to understand God. Both lead to the same conclusion: God is all power and mighty and created and love us and wants a relationship with us. We finished watching the movie, “God in the Dock.” Be sure to know the following. 1. What was the suffering for each plaintiff? How did the suffering come about? 2. How did each plaintiff respond to the suffering? 3. How did God respond to each plaintiff’s situation? 4. According to the movie, does God feeling pain? 5. Does God feel responsible for the pain and suffering of the plaintiffs? Why not? 6. Why did God create us? 7. What does free will have to do with love? 8. What does love have to do with free will? 9. Can free will exist without love? 10. Why is suffering part of love and free will? 11. What would happen to humans if God did take away all the pain and suffering? 12. What is the deal with the Prosecutor saying “one needs intelligence and courage” to prove God guilty? 13. The jury is split on their decision. How do the plaintiffs respond? 14. How does God respond the anger and physical cruelty of the plantiffs? 15. What is the response of the plaintiffs to God’s mercy? For quiz, tomorrow, be sure to know the above, plus you should have a good handle on Job. Review your worksheet. 1. What happened to Job? 2. What is Satan’s role in the story? 3. Why were Job’s friends silent? 4. What did Job’s friends want him to do in his response to his suffering? 5. What happens to Job for claiming his innocence? 6. What part of the OT will one find Job? What about 2 Maccabees? 7. How is the suffering in Job different than the story of the mother and her 7 sons? +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Wednesday, November 3, 2010 OT I assigned LA 2.2 today. It is due on Monday 11/8/10. HW 2.1 is due tomorrow. Quiz on Friday. Goal of Class today: Innocent suffering: what’s the point? What we did in class today: We prayed using the First Reading for the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time simply means we are counting the Sundays. The next season of the Church is Advent. We go to Mass primarily to say THANK YOU to God. From that spirit of Thanksgiving we praise God. We read the story of 2 Maccabees about the martyrdom of the mother and her seven sons. The story is rather gruesome. Be careful when you read it. Why do the sons suffer? What is the point of their suffering? We call this “redemptive suffering.” This means there is hope in life after death. This type of suffering is in contrast to the suffering of Job and the characters in our movie, God in the Dock. Such suffering seems to be innocent suffering. Yet as we are learning, many times suffering comes about because of the poor choices a person makes. Today, in the movie, we hear the plight of Dr. Sally Carlin and Mr. Quinlin. Dr. Sally is a social worker who is overwhelmed by the poor in undeveloped countries. She is unable to see God at work in her or in the people she helps. Mr. Quinlin refuses to take responsibility for any of his suffering. He sees this as a sign of weakness. His wife is institutionalized and his daughter is a prostitute. He refuses to see his hand in his family’s suffering. Yet, he thinks he is doing the right thing. The prosecutor then puts God on the stand. She claims he is all talk and no action. She does not see that suffering gives evidence of free will, which in turn is evidence of God’s love for humanity. Otherwise, if God took away choice, humans would be ROBOTS – unthinking, unfeeling, beings without dignity and respect. The prosecutor refuses to see this point of view and can only see the pain and suffering of the present. She is unable to look past it. So, is suffering useless? Hmmmmm…….. What do you think of the statement of suffering being like garbage? Suffering stinks, but it can make us stronger and better, like fertilizer. Hmmmmm ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tuesday, November 2, 2010 OT. I returned BW 2.2. Don’t forget HW 2.1 is due on Thursday. Do a little at a time! Goal of Class today: Wisdom Tradition and understanding of God. What we did in class today: We reviewed the story of Job. We re-read page 206. It is important to note that when we use the word Yahweh, we are referring to an image of God that is very close and personal. This is an understanding of God through the Patriarchal Tradition. On another level, there is another view of God understands God as far away, and transcendent. This is the Wisdom’s tradition of God. God is first and foremost CREATOR. This understanding of God grew out of the Exilic period and Diaspora! Both image of God are correct! It’s a both/and situation! How cool is that! Here’s an illustration. I can stand in the front of the class and see all of you. I can also stand in the back of the room and “see” all of you. The students have not changed, yet I see you differently because of my perspective. Hence, it is not possible that the Jews of the Diaspora “saw” God differently, than the Hebrews of the Exodus! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Monday, November 1, 2010 OT I returned LA 2.1 I assigned HW 2.1 : Read pages 202-210 in your TEXTBOOK and answer the study/reading guide that I gave you, up to # 34. Answer the following Review Questions on the following pages: Page 203, Answer #3. Page 205, Answer # 1, Page 210, Answer #’s 1,2,3. HW 2.1 is due on Thursday. Yes, typed, using complete sentences. Goal of Class today: Psalm parallelism review. What we did in class today: We watched a YouTube video of a Catholic Church version of Ps 145: “I Will Praise Your Name, My King and My God.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la9LqQR5SJg The above version of Ps 145 is rather “classic” in Catholic circles. We reviewed parallelism and how to articulate it in your papers. The following is going to be a good tool for us. From now on, write out the lines of the psalm you are analyzing and then highlight the words from each line (a, b) that relate to each other. For example. Ps 2:1a: Why do the nations protest 1b: and the peoples grumble in vain? Ps 2:1 is synonymous. Ps 2:1b repeats the same thought, or idea of Ps 2:1a. The nations in 1a is the same as the peoples in 1b. The phrase, “grumble in vain” in 1b, means the same thing as “protest” in line a.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Friday, October 29, 2010, OT I had to attend an seminar for the diocese today. The sub should have collected LA 2.1. You worked on BW 2.1: The Book of Job. You were to finish this for homework and turn it in on Monday, November 1, 2010. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thursday, October 28, 2010 OT. You took Test 2.1 today. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Wednesday, October 27, 2010 OT Test is tomorrow. Goal of class today: Can Lamentations speak to us today? What we did in Class today: We discussed BW 2.1 via a PPt. (Available on website.) We also looked at Lam 5:1-5. - What is the significance of the author stating that they had to “buy” their water and strangers took their land? - What period does this poem speak of? Why? What you should know about Lamentations? - When written - Why written - How written - Message - Purpose Questions? What did the Jews do when faced with suffering? Did they take responsibility for it, or did they blame God? What do we do with our own suffering? Does God cause suffering? Or is suffering a result of the choices we make? How do we KNOW God is in control of everything? What do we mean when we say, God is in CONTROL? For test, in addition to the above. We start with the notes on Ancient Babylon. Then move on to Psalms and Lamentations. Then put it all together on a timeline (Exodus vs Exile) Specifics: Be sure to know the following “Eye for an eye. . . .” Who wrote it? Why? What was its purpose? Babylonian kings and their gods. What was the relationship like? What did Babylon symbolize? Why? What was Nebuchadnezzar’s “claim to fame?” Who was Robert Koldeway and what did he do? Major road and makeup of ancient Babylon. Whose names are on the bricks of Babylon? What is a Ziggurat? Who is Cyrus? How did Babylon fall? Who tried to warn the kings of Babylon? Who is Daniel? What did he do in Babylon? Psalms: Literary Structure vs Categories How many? How are they arranged? Shortest psalm, longest? Acrostic? Oldest? Why? What is a doxology? Why is it important? Lamentations? Be sure to know the timeline…. Lamentations / Psalms / Temple built? Destroyed?/ Prophets speak words of warning/ Prophets speak words of comfort/ paying for water / Start of synagogue worship and Torah / Abraham / Moses / David / Solomon / Jesus / Moses staff / Ps 137
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tuesday, October 26, 2010 OT I returned BW 2.1. Be sure to study this worksheet for your test on Thursday. I assigned LA 2.1: LA 2.1 is due on Friday, October 29, 2010. Goal of Class today: Form and meaning of Acrostic poetry and Lamentations. What we did in class today: 1. We prayed using Ps 145 from our CYB. 2. What did we learn from Ps 145? a. Acrostic poetry: in Hebrew, using the letters of the alphabet to guide the thoughts. i. Many of have done this with our names, or have made “Mother’s Day” cards using acrostic poetry. ii. Why would one use this? It gives form and meaning to our sentiments and feelings. b. We can identify the type of psalm by the words the psalmist wrote. c. We can identify the STRUCTURE of the psalm by looking at each verse and identifying the parallelism! You can do this! d. There are 22 letters in the Hebrew Alphabet. 3. We started out discussion on Lamentations, finally! a. You may look at the PPt on lamentation on my website to remind you of our discussions.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Monday, October 25, 2010 OT: I returned Quiz 1.5. I collected BW 2.1: The worksheet on Lamentations. Test will be on Thursday. Goal of Class Today: Differentiate between the “type” of psalm and the “structure” or the “style” of a psalm. What we did in class today: We saw a YouTube video on the song, “On Eagle’s Wings.” We learned that “On Eagle’s Wings,” as we sing it in church is actually Psalm 91! This song is highly popular at funerals. The lyrics of Ps 91 speak to those suffering the death of a loved one. Why do those words still speak to us today, thousands of years after their writing? Psalms touch our souls and our hearts. Doing so, these words are timeless. They help up to give form to our emotions. This “forming” gives a sense of control. The psalms are timeless because God’s goodness and mercy is timeless. We reviewed the 4 types of psalms. We reviewed the 3 types of parallelism (Note that your text mentions 3, but does not label them! We used my PPt to help us. Synonymous / Antithetical / Stair- Step. For practice, attempt to do a structural analysis on the following verses. Ps 5:8 Ps 51:4 Ps 20:2 Ps 37:16 Ps 61:2 Ps 45:2 Ps 34:11 Ps 88: 2
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Friday, October 22, 2010 OT Goal of Class today: Literary Style of the Psalms. What we did in class today: - You took Quiz 1.5. This is the last grade for the First Quarter. - You should have BW 1.3 done by now. However, let’s rename it, BW 2.1 and make it due on Monday, 10/25. After the quiz we began to review our knowledge of Psalms and understand the Literary style of Psalms. Check PPt on this website. You book says there are two types of parallelism in the psalms. I told you there are three: Synonymous, Antithetical, Stair Step. More later. 10th period had 2 surprise visitors. Zachary and Danielle, both 2010 Grads stopped by to say hello. They gave a short talk on the importance of studying hard, and playing hard here at Padua. This type of attitude has served them well in college. Be sure to get caught up this weekend.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Thursday, October 21, 2010 OT Goal of Class today: Psalms touch our hearts and help us to channel our feelings in healthy ways. What we did in Class today: We prayed Ps 137 and analyzed it. You should be able to answer why the psalmist wants to smash babies against a rock. We continued with the PPt on psalms. Be sure to review your homework and the Bible Worksheet on psalms. Quiz will be on material that we covered since Monday. Test will be next week. Know the differences and similarities between the Exodus and the Exile. Know the 4 Categories of Psalms. Be able to identify the type or category of psalm. Oldest psalm may be Ps 29. Why do we believe this to be so? Why is it not possible that David wrote all the psalms?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Wednesday, October 20, 2010 OT The Lamentation Study/Reading Guide is due tomorrow.
Goal of Class today: Tie in the emotions of Psalms with the History of Israel. How do these emotions affect a teenager today? What we did in Class today. I returned you corrected T 1.2 answers. Most of them were poorly done. I have made copies of them and will use them to help me determine your effort grade. 4th period saw how Cyrus defeated the Babylonians if you would like to review this movie online, you may do so at the following link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrxKGC0CTt0&feature=related Once you access the above video, fast forward to 3:48. This is what you will be responsible for. Balshazzer was so confident in his walls that he put more faith in them then he did in people or God! What walls have you built around you? Is the writing on the wall and you refuse to see it, or hear it? Or perhaps you are in the process of breaking down those walls. Determine for yourself. We then continued our discussion on the Psalms. Check the “Handout/PPt” page on my website for the PPt on “The Psalms.” +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tuesday, October 19, 2010 OT Be sure to be ready for a quiz on Friday. For your Service Hours Reflection papers. For grading purposes you may see an “X” for your grade on NetClassroom. This “X” is not count for a zero, nor does it mean you are exempt from a grade. I use this “X” to simply mean I have your paper and have not recorded the grade for it. Part of the Grade depends on the completion of your hours. If you KNOW you have not completed your 4 hours. COME AND SEE ME NOW!!!!!1 Goal of Class: How does knowledge of the Exile and Exodus apply to teenagers? What we did in Class today? - We finished reviewing BW 1.2. Be sure to review this often. - Some interesting facts o Two Important Developments happened as a result of the Exile § 1. The Synagogue as a place of worship. § 2. The Torah began to take shape. o Notice from the above that the Religious leaders started to take the lead and unite the people! o The Jews now meet weekly to worship. This reminds them to take out just ONE day to say Thank You to God in a communal way. They “gather together” to show their unity. (Catholics gather as a community once a week on Sundays. In this way we realize that live is more meaning when part of a group. At one time, in this country, all businesses were closed on Sunday! Now many stores are 24/7! When is there time to do anything else? Ps 121 reminded us that God is with us, 24/7. Thus only God is 24/7, if something else is it seems as though we make that thing a god! ) o The Jewish faith is brought together through the writing down of its stories. o Cyrus, a Persian, is God’s saving instrument. Hmmmmm, Abraham, Moses, David, now Cyrus? God can work through anyone, even one’s enemy. Gosh that’s weird! Gosh that is very challenging. Are we challenged to see God even in people we don’t like? Are we constantly on the go 24/7. Many teenagers say the #1 thing they want to do is SLEEP! What is this telling us about our society? How can you feel rested? How can your feel secure knowing that God is with you 24/7. You can talk to God 24/7. It’s much better than texting. Perhaps we need to feel connected. Perhaps this is why we cherish our cell phones. Have our cell phones replaced God’s presence? Hmmm - In 4th period, we began to review the information on the psalms. - In 10th we saw how Cyrus defeated the Babylonians. He slipped someone is under the moat’s gate! First he redirected the flow of the Euphrates river. - It is this story where we get the phrase, “ the writing is on the wall.” We should finish up psalms tomorrow. I know I gave you reading for Lamentations. They are very similar to what you read for the psalms. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Monday, October 18, 2010 OT I collected your Service Hours Reflection Papers and returned any graded work that I have in my folder. Be sure to check NetClassroom for your grades. If you do the work this week we will have a quiz this week, not a test. However, if you decided not to do the homework, we’ll have a test on Friday. Goal of Class today: See how the events of Exodus and the Exile affect our understanding of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and ourselves. What we did in class. I gave you BW 1.2: Exodus and Exile worksheet work on in class and work on as a group. This worksheet is a REVIEW, you should be able to figure out the answers from the wording of the questions! You CAN do this. Finish the Bible Worksheet for homework tonight. I gave you a Reading Guide for the Introduction to the Book of Lamentations in your CYB. You must complete this by Wednesday. (BW 1.3)+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thursday, October 14, 2010. OT Remember, your Service Hours Paper is due on Monday, October 18, 2010. We will have a test or quiz this week. Study every night. Goal of Class today: Learning how to understand a biblical text. What we did in class today: We used Ex 17: 8-13 to demonstrate how to interpret a biblical text. First, one must read the text itself. By reading the text one discovers the characters and the plot. Hence, at this point we are looking at the “literal sense” of the text. Next we need to look at the details. We see Moses has a staff in Ex 17:9. For LA 1.3 I gave 3 other pericope in which Moses had a staff. Hence we learned that the staff symbolizes God’s presence. See, we are using other parts of Scripture to help us understand a particular pericope. We can do this because the author wrote the text in this way. We then need to understand something about the culture of the people who wrote this text. I informed you that the people at the time of the story of the Exodus (1250 BC) and the time the story was finalized, 587 BC, people believed that the gods were territorial. This is why battles were fought. We are not justifying war. We are simply attempting to understand the historical context of the pericope. In Moses’ case, there is a very clear connection between his actions and God’s activity. (Today we would call this prayer.) Another perspetive to add to the mix is to see how our Tradition understands this text. We see a connection between Ex 17:8-13 and the Responsorial Psalm for the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Ps 121: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6,7-8). Both pericopes speak of getting protection from God. (Remember both of the above pericopes are proclaimed on the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time. In Ps 121:5 God is referred to as a “guardian.” This guardian is like shade. From the footnotes for Ps 121:5, we learn that ancient peoples believed they needed to be shielded from the sun, hence God is like shade. Also, the sun was a pagan god, so Yahweh was thought to protect them from the other gods. So, we put this all together for ourselves and can conclude that when we focus on God, our lives go well. Focusing on God as protector we are reminded our of goodness and do good things. In this way, evil is overcome! We can then ask ourselves what is the correct way to act? How do we focus on God? Is this done through prayer? What is our response to evil? How do image God? Do we simply use God to get what we want? Have fun with this process.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tuesday, October 12, 2010 OT NO quiz on Thursday. Work on LA 1.3!!! +++ NOTE+++ In the interest of time, there will not be a project this quarter. However, if you wish you may choose to do some sort of artwork that you think will help you understand the material covered. This is due Wednesday, Oct 20. I collected HW 1.9 I returned most graded work. Check NetClassroom. I assigned LA 1.3: LA 1.3 is due Thursday, 10/14/10. I assigned Homily Service Reflection Paper, due Monday 10/18. Goal of Class Today: Review story of Naaman using biblical critical reading skills. What we did today: We reviewed your requirements for your Service Reflection Papers. They are due on 10/18/10 We went through the story of Naaman and ELISHA (not Elijah!) in 2 Kgs 5. We saw a picture of people with leprosy. +++ Extra Credit+++ Type a 200-250 word essay about leprosy today, in the 21st century. Cite your sources. You must use your own words. We looked into the text to find the characters and plot of 2 Kgs 5. We then had to look at the world of the ancient people to understand a few things. - The number 7 in the biblical context means, complete, or whole. - To tear one’s clothes means to have nothing to do with the situation. - We discovered that leprosy is a type of skin disease. - Women had a very low place in society in the ancient world. Thus, for the slave girl to suggest anything to Naaman, was a HUGE undertaking. - Gods were territorial in the ancient world. Ancient gods protected their “country” against the enemies. - A holocaust is a sacrificial burning. A complete burning, so that the item being sacrificed would be unrecognizable. The idea was that the sacrificial item was “reassembled” up in the heavens. (Think of “Wonkavision”) Incense was burned along with the burning to add a sweet smell to the stench of burning flesh. So, you see we had to look at the world that produced the writing to fully understand what was being written. More on this Thursday.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Monday, October 11, 2010 OT I collected LA 1.2. I returned HW 1.8 I returned Quiz 1.4. You are to look it over for homework and come in tomorrow with questions. HW 1.9 is due tomorrow. I collected BW 1.1 from 4th. We should have another test next week, either Wednesday or Friday. Expect a quiz on Thursday of this week. Goal of Class: Babylon as the “cesspool of vice.” What we did in class today: We finished the Babylon DVD for this unit. Highlights include. Koldeway, a German, found ancient Babylon in the early 1900’s. He shipped most of his finding to Germany. Iraq was left with what he did not want. Babylon was huge, built on a grid system. Its walls were very thick and high. Why? The Processional Way was very impressive! The idea was to awe everyone. The Ishtar gate is famous. It is now in Germany. Saddam Hussein built a ½ size on the original site. The bricks of the original Babylon are stamped with the name of Nebuchadnezzar. New bricks on the site are stamped with the name of Saddam Hussein. The “Hanging Gardens of Babylon” are one of the “7 Wonders of the Ancient World.” One of Nebuchadnezzar’s wives/queen wanted them there to remind her of her home. Nebuchadnezzar could do whatever he pleased, so he even put a garden with plants that were NOT indigenous to this land! Remember, he saw himself as a “little god.” Life in Babylon, was “free going” and had a “do whatever” mentality. It was a “cesspool of vice.” It symbolized everything that was opposed to God. There are storage vaults in Babylon that were thought to be wells for the gardens, but archeologists found “ration lists” with Jewish names, which offers prove of the Exile. It is not surprising to learn that many people were seduced by this opulent wealth and care free spirit that did not take into account human dignity and respect. Nebuchadnezzar had a “ziggurat” built. It was an ancient skyscraper about as high as our Statue of Liberty in New York. Nebuchadnezzar sat on a throne to demonstrate his power and authority. What is a dais? Marduk statue was made out or 22 tons of gold! The prophet Jeremiah speaks out against the evils of Babylon. Eventually, Nebuchadnezzar has disturbing dreams. He calls in Daniel, a Jew, to interpret the dreams for him. Daniel tries to warn Nebuchadnezzar. But as you can imagine, the king does not listen. More later. ++++ Extra credit opportunity+++ We learned today that the “Hanging Gardens of Babylon,” erected by Nebuchadnezzar, are one of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.” To receive extra-credit, find out the other six “7 Wonders of the Ancient World” and write a brief description of each one. You must type your work and cite your sources. You must also include a picture with each “wonder.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Friday, October 8, 2010 OT I was unable to be with you today for class. You should have received BW1.1: “Lesson 41 The Book of Psalms.” You should have finished BW 1.1 in class. LA 1.2 is due on Monday, Oct 11, 2010. HW 1.9 is due on Tuesday, 10/12. You need to have 4 hours of service hours done by October 15. This must be 2 hours for family service and 2 hours for Padua service.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thursday, October 7, 2010 OT I was unable to be with you today. You took Quiz 1.4. After the quiz you should have begun reading pp 211-215 in your textbooks. After reading the text you should have attempted to complete the study guide for this material. This study guide is on the other side of the study/reading guide for the textbook reading on Babylon. You were assigned HW 1.9: Answer the R&R Questions on page 215. HW 1.9 is due on Tuesday, 10/12/10. (Note: Your Homework instructions may indicate to answer the questions on page 210, you should answer the questions on page 215. Thanks.) Remember, LA 1.2 is due on Monday 10/11/10. Do not wait until Sunday 10/10/10 to begin!!!!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Wednesday, October 6, 2010 OT I returned. LA 1.1 and collected HW 1.8. Quiz tomorrow on Babylon. Be sure to check notes and your reading guide. We watched more of the Babylon video. Be sure to check the notes I gave you in class. Babylon stands for everything opposed to YHWH. Babylon was a military and cultural power. There was lots of trade and art. Babylon was located in Mesopotamia, (Land between 2 rivers) modern Iraq. Hammurabi composed “eye for an eye.” It is NOT a recipe for revenge. The Babylonians including the kings FEARED their gods and tried to appease them. Ancient kings viewed selves as “little gods.” Nebuchadnezzar was a smart guy, but still feared gods and killed those who disagreed with him. Prestige, wealth and fear helped keep the kings in power. (But not for long.) Babylon was HUGE with great buildings. A Ziggurat was the ancient version of a “skyscraper.” Brick was the major building material of ancient Babylon. Many psalms express deep emotion about the Exile. Yet, the Book of Lamentations is an entire book that is an emotional reaction to the Exile.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tuesday, October 5, 2010 OT I collected your test corrections. I have NOT decided how theses will affect your grade. I will look them over and see the amount of effort put into them I collected LA 1.1. I assigned LA 1.2, Due Monday, 10/11/10. Do not wait until Sunday 10/10 to do this! Quiz on Thursday, on the Babylon movie. Goal of class today: Reflect on Francis and the Movie, Up! Fear and gods in the ancient world. What we did in class today: We wrote about our experiences from yesterday and offered some suggestions. We spoke about the importantance of service to others. Sometime this service to others means suffering. We then spoke about the ancients’ understanding of the gods and the weather. The ancients lived in fear of the weather and hence in fear of their gods. They thought that they needed to keep the gods happy in order to be happy. “Fear of the Lord,” in the Old Testament does not mean we are to be afraid of God. Rather “fear,” as used in the Old Testament, is more like “awesome respect.” We stand in awesome respect of God’s power and glory. This is what YHWH was trying to convey to Abraham, to Moses, to David and to the Jews of the Diaspora. God continues to convey this to us today. We will pick up on the Babylon movie tomorrow. Stay tuned.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Friday, October 1, 2010 OT I returned T 1.2 today. I assigned HW 1.8: Answer the R and R questions on page 182 of your textbook. Type your work using complete sentences. HW 1.8 is due on Wed 10/6/10. For Test 1.2 everyone is to make corrections to the test in the following manner. You are to correct EVERY wrong answer on your test. Do this by following our examples in class. Turn each question into a complete sentence with the correct answer. DO NOT rewrite the question and simply give me the correct letter associated with the correct response. Your grade will depend on your effort and correctness. This work is due on Tuesday, 10/5/10 LA 1.1 is due Tuesday, 10/5/10. Goal of Class today: Understand ancient Babylon’s role in the development of the Hebrew Scriptures. Who are the characters of ancient Babylon? What we did in class today: We began to watch the DVD: Babylon: Past, Present, Future. You may watch this video on your computer the clips via YouTube on my website on the “Link’s Page.” We watched “Parts” 1-3 in class today. Along with the video I gave an outline to follow along with. We got up to VII in 10th period and VIII in 4th. The point of watching the movie is to provide you with a visual for your reading of pages 179-181. The movie gives us an historical perspective of the city of Babylon both before the reign of Nebuchadnezzar and during. This is the historical context in which the Torah began to be shaped into the form we have today. +++ Extra Credit+++ The DVD, Babylon: Past, Present and Future was made in the year 2000. At that time, the ancient city of Babylon was being “restored” as a tourist attraction. Discover what has happened to this ancient site since the U.S. overthrew Saddam Hussein and is now at war with that country. You must write a 200-250 essay that must be typed using double spacing. Be sure to cite your sources. Your essay must tell me what has happened and include a personal reflection on your findings. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thursday, September 30, 2010 OT Today you took Test 1.2. After the test you were to read pp 179 -182 of your textbook using a reading guide. Your reading and the guide must be completed for tomorrow’s class.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Wednesday, September 29, 2010 OT TEST tomorrow. The test is cumulative. The test covers the Study/Reading Guide for Chapter 1, the PPt presentation on the Chapter, the biblical readings we have read in class, the PPt on the details of the TaNaK, the Protestant OT and the Catholic OT. Goal of Class today: Review and emphasize the importance of a critical reading of the biblical text. What we did in class today: - We finished the PPt on the different bibles: TaNak, Protestant and Catholic. The PPt is posted on the Web. - Be sure to know the following dates and significance o 90 AD o 587 BC o 2nd Cen BC o 16th Cen AD - Know the vocabulary words listed on yesterday’s notes for this class. - What is “critical reading” - What is the “vulgate?” Who is responsible for the Vulgate? When did the Vulgate originate. - What is the vernacular? - Why is Vatican II so IMPORTANT in the life of the Church today? Don’t forget, the literal and spiritual aspects of interpreting Scripture What’s the difference between the two?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tuesday, September 28, 2010 OT I returned HW 1.4 I collected HW 1.7: Parent form #2 for Service Hours. Test will be on Thursday of this week. Some of you received a salmon colored mid quarter Progress Report. I suggest you show this report to those responsible for paying your tuition. Then, come up with a PLAN of ACTION and talk to me ASAP. In many cases it is simply a manner of missed assignments. Take charge and responsibility for your education. Goal of Class today: Learning the skill of identifying parts of a Biblical text. What we did in class today: We focused on Ps 95 which in the Responsorial Psalm for October 3, 2010. What we learned today: - The Church has particular seasons that it uses to help us pray. At the moment we are in what is called “Ordinary Time” § Ordinary Time is a “season” in which we “count” the Sundays. § During ordinary time the pericopes proclaimed at Mass focus on Jesus’ life and ministry. § Note: Jesus is not in the OT. However the OT is a precursor to the life of Jesus in the NT so, there is a connection here. Think of Amos’ and Habakkuk’s concern for the poor. Was Jesus not concerned about the well being of the poor? § Following the above logic we saw on our LA 1.1 that Sunday, October 3, 2010 is “The 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time.” - We then turned to the Responsorial Psalm for the 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time. o For the 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time the Responsorial Psalm is Ps 95: 1-2, 6-7,8-9. o Here’s what we learned about the STRUCTURE of a Responsorial Psalm. o There is a “response” between stanzas that is lead by a “cantor” and repeated by the congregation. Often this “response,” or “refrain” is one of the verses from the Psalm itself. For 10/3/10 the “refrain” is Ps 95:8. o Stanzas are the verses that are sung between the refrain. Hence the stanzas for the Responsorial Psalm for 10/3/10 are Ps 95:1-2, Ps 95:6-7 and Ps 95: 8-9. - We then talked about Ps 95 itself. o The CYB gives a title to Ps 95. This title was NOT written by the original Psalmist. The titles for the Psalms were put there by the editors of your CYB. o Psalms in general express emotions and thoughts based in historical events. o We read Ps 95: 8-9 about time being spent in the desert and people complaining. A student made the connection that perhaps this “event” was the time Moses was with the Israelites in the desert for 40 years! Yes!!!! Good thinking! - We then returned to our discussion about the Hebrew bible and the Protestant and Catholic Old Testaments : Refer to the PPt and your notes. o We reviewed the Septuagint o We learned the divisions of the Hebrew bible and why it is referred to as the TaNaK. o We learned why the Catholic OT has 46 books and the Protestant bible only 39 o We learned that St. Jerome translated the entire Bible in Latin in the 4th Cen AD. This version of the Bible is referred to as the “Vulgate.” o Martin Luther wanted the Bible translated into the vernacular, that is the “language of the people.” He translated the Bible into German in the 16th century. o The Douay Rheims Bible was an English translation of the Latin in 1582. o But in reality Bibles in the vernacular were not popular in the Catholic Church until Vatican II in 1963. Test will cover Salvation History, terms and information from Chapter One’s Reading Guide and the PPt that we covered in class and LA 1.1 things. Look at how much you know already! Shema / Hesed / Torah / Pentateuch / Deuterocanon/ Apocrypha/ TaNak / Septuagint / Magisterium / Pseudepigrapha/ YHWH / Adonai / Elohim / Diaspora / Exodus / Exile / Priests / Prophets / Kings / EABPGR / GELND / Literal Sense of Scripture / Spiritual Sense of Scripture: Allegorical, Moral, Anagogical / Tradition / Scripture / Jehovah / Canon / 90 AD / 587 BC / pericope / Lectionary / Ordinary Time / Responsorial Psalm / Divine Inspiration / Divine Revelation / Incarnation / Amos / Habakkuk /Biblical notation / Neviim /Ktuvim/ Torah/ Historical Books / Wisdom and Poetry Books/ Prophets / Vulgate / Vernacular / “ordo”/ cantor / stanza / 150 Psalms /
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Monday, September 27, 2010 OT I distributed another parent signature form that details specific dates for your service. These forms should be titled HW 1.7. They are due tomorrow. I assigned LA 1.1: It is due Oct 5, 2010. Be sure to work on it now. We prayed with the prophet Habakkuk. We pray for patience. We learned that at times the abbreviations for Biblical books is NOT always consistent. For example, some will use Hab for Habakkuk and our CYB uses Hb. Be aware of this, don’t be confused. We also saw how a pericope is cut from the bible and placed in the Lectionary. Goal of Class today: Biblical context of the Books of the Bible. How does knowing the arrangement of the Books of the Bible help us to interpret a pericope. What we did in class today. - Prayed using the Lectionary First Reading for Sunday, 10/3/10. - Learned about biblical abbreviations not being consistent. - Saw how a pericope looks in the Lectionary vs the Bible. - Continued our discussion on Interpretation. - We are now understanding why the Catholic OT has 46 books - Be sure to use the PPt on the website. - You should know the following o What is the Septuagint? Greek Translation of Hebrew Scriptures, includes 7 additional Books – why? o Catholic Bibles use the books of the Septuagint for our present OT. o When did all this happen? o What about the Protestant OT in the 16 cen. What did Martin Luther do with the books of the OT? o How is the above different from the Catholic OT?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Friday, September 24, 2010 OT: We will have a test next Thursday. Goal of Class today: How to faithfully interpret the OT. What we did in class today. - We first looked at Amos 6:1, 4-7 and Ps 146. o We saw how the “theme” of taking care of the poor was consistent in both of these pericopes. o These two pericopes will be proclaimed at Mass on Sunday, 9/26. Get your ears, and your hearts, ready. o There are 150 psalms o The psalms are Israel’s poetry, they express their deepest thoughts and feelings about life and God. They still touch our hearts today. - We then continued our discussion through Chapter 1 of the textbook. - We continued using a PPt to guide us. The PPt can be accessed via the website. - Here’s what you should know from today’s class; - What is the magisterium? - Why do Catholics have the Magisterium? - What could happen if Catholics did not have the Magisterium? - What is involved in a “faithful interpretation" of a Biblical pericope? That is, interpreting Scripture in light of the Holy Spirit? o Salvation History (Unity of Scripture)/ Tradition / Faith - What is Divine Inspiration? From a Catholic perspective. - What is NOT Divine Inspiration? - What are the “senses” of Scripture? (Literal and Spiritual) - What are the three types of “spiritual senses? (Allegorical, Moral, Anagogical) - What are the necessary tools of Bible study? o Basic understanding of the original language of the text o Understand the community effort of Translation o Knowledge of other non-biblical writings (pseudepigrapha) o Archaeology
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thursday, September 23, 2010 OT We reviewed Test 1.1 today. I graded your binders today. I gave time in class to work on HW 1.6; it is due tomorrow. We proclaimed Am 6:1,4-7 in class. Amos was a prophet who took issue with the rich and powerful. He claimed that if they did not changed their ways, then they would be hauled off into Exile. From the text alone we can deduce who Amos was and what he spoke about and when he did so. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Wednesday, September 22, 2010 OT
Today you took Test 1.1. Grades are posted on NetClassroom. I assigned HW 1.6: Read pages 17-26 in your textbook. Answer the R&R Questions on page 21 and on page 26. Be sure to type your work and use complete sentences. HW 1.6 is due on Friday, 9/24/10 While you are reading, be sure to use your reading/study guide to help you.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tuesday, September 21, 2010 OT TEST on Salvation History and General bible information and vocabulary is tomorrow. You’ve known this for a week. Today was a review day of Salvation History Be sure to check the website for the graph of Salvation History. It is in the Handout/PPt page of the website. You will see this graph on the test. To study, challenge your self to place the events and the people on the timeline. Have fun with it. Be sure you know the following words: Hesed, Shema, Torah, Pentateuch, Hellenism, YHWH, Canon, Apocrypha, Adonai, Deutercanon, Elohim, Kings, Priests, Jehovah.Be sure your binders are put together an in order. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Monday, September 20, 2010 OT I am still collecting parent signature forms for Service Hours Contracts I returned Q 1.3 to 4th period. Review this for the Test. TEST will be on Wednesday, September 22, 2010. Goal of Class today: Big Picture of Salvation History. What we did in class today: I used the chalkboard to fill in a timeline of Salvation History. This will help you visualize the history part of Salvation. I put a PPt of this on the website. We started with Abraham and continued through Jesus! Highlights include: Covenants: Abraham / Moses / David / Jesus. God hears the cry of the people during the Exodus and the Exile. Questions you should know the answers to. Use the study guide I gave you to study for the test. Use the timeline to help visualize the events and keep them in order. (see PPt on website) I should be able to give you a skeleton of the timeline and you should be able to fill it it with dates / people/ and events. In the desert, what did the people do? Were they happy? Why did the nation of Israel SPLIT? Why did the nations become so “weak” as to fall to foreign domination? Be sure to know the major roles of the prophets and priests during the time of the Exile. Why is the Exile so important in Biblical history? What takes place during the time in Babylon? How long did the Exile last? What is the whole business of REMEMBERING? What should the Hebrew people remember and why? What’s the point? Be sure to know what HELLENISM is. This is very important.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Friday, September 17, 2010 OT:
We continued our “Sprint Through Salvation History.” We finished in 10th period.
Goal of class today: finish Salvation History.
Test on Tuesday, September 21, 2010. Study this weekend.
What we did in class today. I collected HW 1.4: Parent Signature on Freshmen Service Hours agreement. I returned Q 1.3 to 10th, I forgot to do so for 4th. Grades are posted on Netclassroom. I gave everyone a copy of their progress report. Use these to encourage yourself to do better, or to pat yourself on the back. Be sure to come up with a plan of action if your grade is below a 77 %.
We reviewed the “Priest / Prophet / King” paradigm. Kings are in charge of the “political order.” Priests are in charge of the “holy order.” The prophet is a challenging voice to both when they don’t keep things in order. The prophet is also a voice of comfort to those who are suffering. It seems as though the goal of each of the above is to take care of the common person. When the priest and king do so, then all get what they NEED and thus all are happy. But when either the priests or the king become selfish, those not in power suffer. When the “poor” suffer then the prophet speaks for them. The prophet does not speak his own words, but rather they are God’s voice. God seems to be the voice of the poor! Hmmmmm. Ok, so the Kingdom of Israel split after the death of Solomon, in 922 AD. Yikes! the kingdom was in bad shape due to high taxes and forced labor to build the Temple. Prophets came on the scene to challenge the leaders of both kingdoms to take care of the poor. Unfortunately few of the kings, or the priests listened. Many of the kings practice idolatry. As a result, the kingdoms became weaker and weaker and the Assyrians defeated the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Babylonians defeated the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The Babylonians placed many of the Jews into Exile in 587. They destroyed the Temple and as such figured they “killed” the God of the Jews. They were wrong. While in Exile in Babylon, the prophets encouraged the Jews to remember the covenant with Yahweh. You see, while in Babylon, many were encouraged to believe that Yahweh did not exist anymore. Hence without their God, the Hebrew people would cease to exist. However, the priest/scribes also helped out. They began to assemble, edit and write what would eventually become the Torah (The Law). Remember, they were in Babylon doing this. While in Babylon, it appeared as though God had abandoned the Hebrew People. However, while in Babylon the Jews come to understand that God was not limited to simply being in the Temple in Jerusalem. They came to realize that God was the ONLY God and this God was UNIVERSAL and thus not bound by land or a building. The Exile lasted about 50 years. It ended when the Persians headed by Cyrus the Great overtook the Babylonians. As a result of this, Cyrus allowed the Jews to leave Babylon. Many returned to the land of Judah and Israel, but many did not. Those who did not return “home” settled elsewhere in the empire and became known as the “Jews of the Dispersion.” Hence the “Diaspora” is Jews living all over the world. To “connect themselves to each other,” these Jesus see Jerusalem as their capital even though there was no country to be capital of. Around 333 BC Alexander the Great took over the empire and began to spread the Greek culture and influence. This influence of Greek culture is know as “Hellenism.” The Romans came on the scene in 64 BC. They allowed the Jews to practice their own religion. This was ok. It would have been better if the Romans were not so, shall we say, “mean” to the Jews. The Jews were very unhappy under the oppressive Roman rule. During Roman occupation the Jews hoped and prayed that God would send a messiah to free them from the Romans.
Christians believe that that “messiah” was Jesus. The saving work of Jesus continues through Christians today.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thursday, September 16, 2010 OT HW 1.4 is due tomorrow. (Service Hour form)
Goal of class today: Overview of Salvation History: An overview of god working in our history. Test will either be Monday or Tuesday, depending how we do on Friday.
What we did in class today:
You took Quiz 1.3 We took up where we left off in our “Sprint Through Salvation History.” We started with the monarchy. Here we found that the united nation of Israel did not last long. Because of heavy taxes and forced labor during Solomon’s reign, after he died in 922 BC, the Kingdom split into two. The Northern Kingdom was Israel and the Southern Kingdom was Judah. During this time the prophets became very vocal. They challenged the priests and kings to take care of the people, but to no avail. The Kings did not listen. The crux of the issue was that the poor were not being taken care of. The Kings were too self-centered and thus began to practice idolatry. The priests were not much better. Eventually, foreign powers took over. The Assyrians defeated the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Babylonians defeated the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The Babylonians hauled the brightest and the best of the Hebrew people off to Babylon with the intent of luring them into accepting the Babylonian way of life and “become a Babylonian.” The Babylonians thought they would win because they destroyed the Temple located in Jerusalem. The thought was that the god resided in the Temple. So, if a nation destroyed another nations temple, then they simultaneously destroyed that people’s god! Hence that people would not have divine protection. So would be in their best interest to become part of the “winning team.” The people of Judah did NOT fall for this. During this horrible time, the prophets reassured the people that God had NOT forgotten his covenant with them. The priests stepped up to the plate and began to write down the sacred stories so that they would be preserved. The point of this was so that people of Judah would NOT forget God’s covenant with them based in hesed. In 10th period we discussed the model of “priest / prophet / king.” Kings are in charge of the political world:keeping the people safe, happy, well fed with shelter and clothing. Priests are in charge of the “holy order.” In other words, priests ensure that the people’s spiritual needs are met. A prophet was the person who challenged both priest and king to do one’s job correctly without being selfish. So if a king and/or a priest was corrupt, which is what happened during the monarchy period, prophets would challenge them to change. Yep, not too often did anyone listen to a prophet. As such the poor would not taken care of and the tiny nation of Israel was divided and then destroyed by foreign powers. However, while in Babylon the prophets comforted the people and reminded them of God’s hesed and the priests began to write down the sacred stories down. Hence the beginning of the first written Torah! More tomorrow. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Wednesday, September 15, 2010
You met in the Chapel today to learn about your requirements for Service Hours for Freshmen. You'll need to sign the agreement form and turn it in to ME. Label it HW 1.4. It is worth 5 points! It is due NO LATER than Friday, September 17, 2010 Quiz tomorrow on Salvation History up to 1000BC the time of Saul/ David/ Solomon. Test on Monday. - What to know. 1. Stories in the Primeval History. 2. Abraham/ patriarch/ matriarch/covenant: babies and land ( A place to call "home:) 3 Patriarchs -- Who? In order. 4. Moses and Exodus: Who? What? Why? 5. Desert / Moses / Law/ Covenant 6. Moses / Joshua and Promised Land. 7. Tribes/ Judges / Agricultural life 8. Nation/ Kings: Saul/David/ Solomon and Temple. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tuesday, September 14, 2010 OT For TOMORROW’s class, we will meet in the CHAPEL. Be sure to bring your Bibles and something to write with. There will be a quiz on Salvation History on Thursday. TEST should be on Monday, 9/20/10 Goal of Class: Overview of Salvation History. What we did in Class today: We reviewed the golden rod sheets “A Sprint Through Salvation History” up to and including the “Nation and the Temple.” We followed the sheets as well as the the homework and the study guide. The PPt we used may be accessed via the website. Some highlights to add: A COVENANT is a SACRED PROMISE initiated by GOD! We learned today that God made a covenant with ABRAHAM that involved DESCENDENTS (BABIES) and LAND (From Ur to Canaan (Promised Land)) The descedents of Abraham, Jacob and his sons, experienced a famine in the Promised Land and fled to EGYPT. Here in Egypt they found food! After @ 400 the Egyptians did not like having all the Hebrews around and eventually the Hebrew people became slaves of the land! The Hebrew People cried out to GOD! God HEARD them, and sent MOSES to get the Hebrew People out of Egypt. Moses led the people into the DESERT for 40 years. Here, Moses went up Mt. Sinai to receive the 10 commandments. This was the basis of the COVENANT God made with Moses and the People. So now the covenant took the form of the 10 commandments and was based in the fact that God would be FAITHFUL to the people (hesed!). Joshua led the people into the Promised Land via a series of Battles. The people organized themselves into 12 tribes (modeled after the 12 sons of Jacob) headed by military leaders called JUDGES. Here in the Promised Land the Hebrew People adapted an AGRICULTURAL lifestyle. Why? Now they had land and a place to call home so they took “root” here! Without a king, the 12 tribes were not recognized as a nation. So, the people decided they needed a King to rule them so that they would be like other nations. The first 3 kings of Israel were 1. Saul 2. David 3. Solomon. David was the most famous, yet it was Solomon who built the Temple. The Hebrew people believed that God resided in the Temple. As such they would be protected from their enemies because God was so close.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Monday, September 13, 2010 OT I returned Q 1.2. Be sure to study from the quizzes for your final Goal of Class today: Introduce Francis and the Shema /Review Quiz/ Intro to Salvation History What we did in class today: - The Shema is central to understanding the Hebrew Scriptures. In Dt 6:4-9, the Israelites learn that there is only one God (YHWH) and that they should be faithful to that one God. If God was everything for them, then the world would be a better place. Serving one God meant that the Israelites were to be of service to others! - St. Francis, in the Middle Ages, took on this “All God or nothing” mentality. One of his prayers was “My God and My All.” Francis gave up all to God and in the process was of great service to the world. So it seems that to put God first in one’s life means to be embrace a life of service to others! Hmmmm - We prayed using the song, “My All.” Additionally we discussed that I am NOT a Franciscan MONK! I, Br. Tom and Fr. Ted are Franciscan FRIARS! Monks live in monasteries and take the vow of stability. Friars, the word means “brother” in Italian, are itinerants – we move from place to place. Friars live in Friars with other Friars usually among people not separate from them. Ad- Reviewed the quiz. Be sure you are able to make sentences out of each question. - Began Salvation History o Be attentive to the timeline in your CYB on page 1806ff. o We defined salvation history as God’s actions in the world and people’s reaction to God over many years. o Biblical period covers @ 2000 years. Notice this is BIBLICAL history. It includes both the OT AND the NT. o The Hebrew Scripture canon was established in 90 AD. At this time many of the writings of the New Testament we just being written. o The actual writings of the OT probably can be dated @ 900 BC to 100 BC o We defined Biblical Prehistory, also known as “primeval history. o In Primeval History we find 2 Creation Stories, and the stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and the Flood and The Tower of Babel. o Biblical History begins with the story of the person Abraham @ 1850 BC. For our purposes we will round off that year to 2000 BC - Be sure to review this information for tomorrow.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Friday, September 19, 2010 Freshmen retreat. Remember to work on the Study Guide for Salvation History. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=+++++++++++++++++++ Thursday, September 9, 2010 OT Tomorrow is Freshmen Retreat: You may dress casual with padua t-shirt or sweat shirt. Sweat pants are ok, so are NON-ripped or torn jeans. You may not wear the following: Shorts / flip flops / slippers / hats/ caps or ripped or torn jeans. Campus Ministry will supply you with LUNCH tomorrow. Goal of Class today: Overview of the Catholic OT. What we did today in Class: - We took Quiz 1.2 - I returned HW 1.3: Sprint Through Salvation History “fill-in-the-blank.” - I distributed a study guide for Salvation History: This will ensure that all of us are on the same page when it comes to our study of the Bible. If this all new to you, then you need to spend more time on it. If this is a review for you, then please review and know it better than before. We will cover this on Monday. - We looked at the Table of Contents in our CYB and learned the following. - The Catholic OT has four parts. - 1. Pentateuch / Torah / The Law - 2. Historical Books - 3. Wisdom and Poetry Books - 4. Prophetic Books. Here is a way to learn the first 5 books of the Bible God Enjoys Long Naps, Dude! Get it? Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy We highlighted, or starred, the 7 additional books of the bible in the Catholic OT. We discovered that these books are not all gathered in one place. They are spread out among the Historical, Wisdom/Poetry and Prophetic Books. The Historical Books will tell the HISTORY of the ancestors of Abraham. The ancestors of Abraham are called in more than one manner: Hebrews / Jews and Israelites. (“Israeli” is a modern term for a citizen of Israel. Is it NOT the same as Israelite.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Wednesday, September 8, 2010 OT: Quiz tomorrow. I collected HW 1.3 Goal of Class Today: Bible /OT Basics What we did in Class today: We Finished the reading Guide for Chapter 1 up to page 17. We reviewed what we learned yesterday. We looked at the layout of our Bibles to get an understanding as to how the Bible is arranged and put together. For quiz tomorrow: Be sure to know the following: Hesed / YHWH / Adonai / Elohim / Jehovah /Shema/ G*D/ LORD vs Lord Canon/ Apocrypha / Deuterocanonical/ NAB Tetragrammaton: What is it? What does it mean to us today? # of Books in Catholic OT / Hebrew Bible and Protestant OT Year the Hebrew Bible was established as a canon. Basic “story line” line of the OT Pentateuch / Torah / Law How many testaments in the bible? In the Catholic OT, how many sections do we arrange the books? First book of the Bible First “section” of the Old Testament.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tuesday, September 7, 2010 OT: Remember: HW 1.3 is due tomorrow. Some have yet to turn in HW 1.2 For prayer today we used the prayer: “God we ask for your Blessing.” At times, it may be wise to pray for ourselves. We pray for guidance to make good decisions and to remember how good we are and that we are getting better everyday. Goal of Class today: Catholic approach to the Bible and God. What we did in class today: Using the reading/study guide for Chapter One, we used a PPt to help us visualize a Catholic approach to the Bible. You may access the PPt via my website. Catholics view reading the bible as a journey. A journey begins with a single step that requires preparation and a willingness to: - ask questions, - to be challenged - and to change. We learned that the 4 letters used to form the word “Yahweh” is called a “tetragrammaton.” The word “Yahweh” is helpful to use because it emphasizes that God wants to have a relationship with us. This is unlike the other gods thought to exist during the time of the writing of the OT. This relationship with Yahweh is based in God’s FAITHFULNESS. The Hebrew word for this faithfulness is “hesed.” Faithful Jews do NOT say the word formed by tetragrammaton. We say Yahweh not out of disrespect, but to understand the importance of the relationship God’s wants with us. In the Hebrew Bible one will find the consonants for Yahweh overlayed with the vowels from Adonai. When a faithful reader sees this in the text, one will say, “Adonai.” In our English text we will use the word LORD. See 15:1 to remind yourself. Catholics view the word “Jehovah” as a misreading of the combination of the constantans of Yahweh and the vowels of Adonai. The Bible is a collection of books that tell of God’s relationship with us and its Ups and downs. In the Catholic Bible, we have 46 books of the OT. The Hebrew and Protestant Bibles have 39 Books. The 7 additional books in the Catholic OT are referred to in Judaism as “deuterocanonical” and is known as the “apocrypha” in Protestant traditions. The word “canon” means “official list.” Hence the bible is also called a “canon.” We cannot add to or take books out of the canon. It is a fixed set. The Hebrew Canon was fixed in 90 AD. Catholics view the Bible as a LOVE letter from God. The crux or the major theme of the OT is that of relationship as expressed in the Shema Dt 6:4-9. There are NO SECRETS in the Bible. God is not trying to hide God’s love for us. A question was raised about Apocalyptic Literature. It seems as though this literature uses code and secrets. Yes, but this code was used to protect the identity of the author and his audience. The code did not hide the message of God’s love.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Friday, September 3, 2010 OT We used Gn 15:1-6 for our prayer today. Here we discovered that the first words spoken by “YHWH” to humankind were “Fear not!” Abram, in response, faithfully followed “YHWH” not out of fear, but because it was the right thing to do. We reflected on doing the right thing, because it is the right thing to do. How often do we operate out of fear? Perhaps we would be happier if we didn’t. If we always do what we’ve always done, we’ll always get what we’ve always gotten. Goal of Class today: Understanding the layout or our bibles and the biblical text in general. What we did in class today. I assigned LW 1.3: Read the golden rod sheets: “A Sprint Through Salvation History” and the reading guide I gave you. The reading guide is due on Wednesday, September 8. (The sheets are posted on the “Handout Page” of my Website.) Do not wait till the night before to do this. Do a little bit each time so that you REMEMBER the material. An athlete would NEVER wait till the night before to practice for a game, so why should a student wait till the minute? We learned some specifics about the bibles we are using in class. - The New American Bible (NAB) is a Catholic Translation of the original Hebrew and Greek Texts. This is the translation approved by the United States Council of Bishops (USCCB) for use at Mass. - The editors of the bible we use for class have arranged our bible and added footnotes and textboxes that are appropriate for Catholic Teenagers. - We use the Catholic Youth Bible (CYB) Revised. The “revised” refers to the commentaries, footnotes and textboxes, maps, etc in this particular bible. - The headings for the pericopes of our bible are unique to the NAB. Not all translations use the same headings or titles. - The original Hebrew text did not incorporate headings, punctuation, nor vowels! The Original Greek did not use headings nor punctuation. (Some thought this strange. Think about it for a moment. In today’s world, when we “text” someone, don’t we often leave out letters and punctuation! Hmmmm - Most bible translations are not Catholic. The most popular English translation of the bible on the market is the King James Version (KJV) or the New King James Version (NKJV) - There are 39 books in the Hebrew Bible, all written in Hebrew - Catholic Old Testaments have 46 books (7 additional). - Protestant bibles do NOT include these seven books in their canon. The 7 additional books are called “deuterocanoncial” in the Jewish tradition and Protestants refer to them as “apocrypha.”+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thursday, September 2, 2010 OT 4th period did not meet today due to “Freshmen Encounter.” HW 1.2 is due tomorrow (Friday.) For 10th period we read Gn 15:1-6 and learned the following. (We reviewed “pericope” and biblical notation.) Abram did not have any heirs. He believed the LORD (Yahweh) was controlling of all this. When you see “LORD” in caps in your CYB, it means Yahweh. Yahweh told Abram his descendents would be a numerous as the stars of the sky. Abram had faith in God and acted “righteously.” (He did the right thing.) We started to review Quiz 1.1
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Wednesday, September 1, 2010 OT I collected HW 1.1 in 4th period, but not 10th. It is due tomorrow for 10th. I assigned HW 1.2: Have your parents/guardian sign off on the syllabus and Course Instruction sheet. Due on Friday, September 3. Today you took Quiz 1.1
For extra credit: You must email me TONIGHT, 9/1/10 in the following manner. You must put your name, number and period in the subject line of the email. No exceptions. And you must print off a copy of the email and bring it into class with you tomorrow. (4th period must come up to the room before school or after or during the day) The email must be sent by 10:00 pm this evening. NO exceptions. In the "body of email" tell me what you hope to learn in this class and why. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tuesday, August 31, 2010 OT: Goal of Class today: Bible basics: Languages of the bible and pericopes. What we did in class today: I did not collect HW 1.1 today. Make sure it is typed and bring it in tomorrow. There will be a quiz tomorrow, on what we discussed in class and on the questions from HW 1.1. We learned how to properly address your homework assignments. We learned the word PERICOPE. It is a Greek word, meaning “to cut out” or “cut from.” In biblical studies we use this word to refer to a particular Book, chapter and verses of the Bible. For example: Dt 6:4-9 would be a pericope. In effect we are cutting verses 4-9 of Dt 6 “out” to study the or to pray them. To identify a pericope we use biblical notation, or biblical citation. This would be the book of the bible, the chapter and the verses. We learned last week that the pericope, Dt 6:4-9, as a whole, is called the “Shema” in the Hebrew tradition. In Hebrew, the word “shema” means to “to listen, to hear.” The Shema is the most central or important prayer of the Jewish faith. Other tidbits we learned today. 1. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew. 2. The New Testament was originally written in Greek. (The first Christians probably celebrated the Mass in Greek!) a. Why Greek? During the time frame of the writing of the Old and New Testaments, Greek was the most common language for those people living in the fertile crescent area. 3. Jesus probably spoke Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek. 4. Jesus would have prayed, using the Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus would NOT have known of the New Testament. (It was not written yet.) During the time of Jesus and the Roman Empire, Latin was reserved for the elite and mainly used for banking or governmental purposes.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Monday, August 30, 2010 OT I was not in class today. You received a Reading Guide for Chapter 1 of your text book. You were to read pages 14-17 and fill in the Reading Guide. Then for homework (typed and complete sentences) you are to answer the 3 questions posed on page 21 of “Review and Reflection.” These answers are due tomorrow, Tuesday, Aug 31 (HW 1.1)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Friday, August 27, 2010 OT: Goal of Class today: Understand that the Bible is Love Letter from God. Begin to understand this means that all of us are good people. What we did in class today. 1. Reviewed the website for this class. Be sure to check it every night. Be sure to check your review all your notes for every class every night. 2. We located Dt 6:4-9, the “Shema,” in our bible and discussed it. 3. We read the “Pray it” box in the beginning of our bibles. What we learned today. 1. The Shema is the most important declaration of faith in the Old Testament. 2. “Shema” is the Hebrew word for “listen very closely and intently.” 3. See the text box on page 203 of your CYB’s . 4. The Shema is a reminder for all of us to put God first 5. Why put God first? 6. We learned the Bible is a LOVE letter from God. In this love letter we learn that we are all GOOD because God made us. 7. If we are All GOOD, then we are called to do good things. 8. How do remember to do good thing? By remembering that we are good and putting God first in our lives 9. When we FORGET that we are Good, then we forget to do good. 10. We all make mistakes. Mistakes are not intentional. To be intentionally “bad” is to forget our own goodness. 11. The point of all this is that God wants us to be HAPPY! 12. Being HAPPY is the major human goal. It is part of us from the moment we are born. 13. From a Christian perspective to be truly happy begins with a belief in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 14. God wants to be in relationship with us every day. God revealed this love to us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. 15. How do you respond to God’s call to relationship?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thursday, August 26, 2010 OT Goal of Class: Receiving Bibles in the context of a prayer service. Uncover present understandings of the Bible. What we did in class today: - We received our assigned seats and our class numbers. - We received our Bibles by having a prayer service in which we prayed and we blessed our bible. (see download page of website for prayer service.) (10th period did not finish the prayer service. Be sure to write your names in your bibles! These are yours to keep. Highlights from class discussions - Bible is a book that is a collection of books. - Bible is NOT an instruction book. (What is it?) - Many believe the Bible is the Word of God. (Who believes this and why?) - Catholics do not read from “Bibles” during Mass. Scripture passages for a particular day are selected from the bible and placed in book called the Lectionary. Many Protestant denominations use a similar lectionary.
Students’ understanding of the Bible and its contents will vary depending on one’s own experience.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Wednesday, August 25, 2010 OT: First Day of School WELCOME TO PADUA FRANCISCAN HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2014 Goal of class today: Welcome and assign textbooks. What we did today in class: - We prayed - Textbooks were assigned - Instructions for class we distributed. - We talked bout the importance of exploring “why” we do, or believe the things we do. The first step is to realize our own experiences! |
|
