Scribes are members of a learned class in ancient Israel times who studied the Sacred Scriptures and served as copyists, editors and teachers.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated as scribe identified a person who numbered or mustered the troops. - Jer. 52:25 - Such a steward controlled the access of the people to the throne rooms of king David and Solomon. - 2Sam. 8:17 - Gradually, the word came to refer to those who chose a profession of literary studies.

Hezekiah, king of Judah, chose a body of men who transcribed the ancient records for preservation including the proverbs of Solomon. - Prov. 25:1 - The nature of the scribe's work had changed by this time. He was no longer an officer of the king's court; he had become a person who interpreted the Scriptures. The scribes soon became known for their study and knowledge of the Mosaic Law.

After the Jews returned from the Captivity in Babylon, the era of the scribes began. The reading of the Law before the nation of Israel by Ezra - Nehemiah chapter 8 to 10 - signaled the nation's return to exact observance of all the laws and rites that had been given. Following the Law and the traditions that had grown up around it became the measure of devotion and spirituality.

At first the priests were responsible for the scientific study and professional communication of this legal code. But this function eventually passed to the scribes. Their official interpretation of the meaning of the Law eventually became more important than the Law itself.

This position of strength allowed these early scribes to enforce their rules and practices with a binding authority. To speak of the scribes as interpreters of Scriptures means that they provided rules for human conduct out of their study.

By the time of Jesus, the scribes were a new upper class among the Jewish people. Large number of priests in Jerusalem before A.D.70 served as scribes. One of these was Josephus, the Jewish historian. Some scribes came from among the Sadducees. Others came from the ordinary priestly ranks. But the largest group of scribes came from among every other class of people, including merchants, carpenters, flax combers, tent makers, day labourers, like Hillel, who became a famous Jewish teacher.

The young Israelite who devoted his life to become a scribe went through a set course of study for several years. Josephus began his preparation when he was 14 years old. Students were in continual contact with the teacher, listening to his instruction. The disciple-scribe first had to master all the traditional material and the unique method of interpretation of the Jewish Halakah. The aim was to give the apprentice competence in making decisions on questions of religious legislation and penal justice.

The apocalyptic writings of late Judaism contained great theological systems that were understood only by the specially initiated. This was left to the confidential teaching of the scribes. They believed that God intended to leave the mass of people ignorant of His reasons for requiring certain things under the Law. These truths was hidden from the masses because they could not be trusted to understand and apply the Law.

The city of Jerusalem was the center of this scribal knowledge and interpretation of the Law. Only ordained teachers could transmit and create the tradition; this was the matter studied to perfection by students often beginning at age 14. When they completed their study at the age of 40, they could be ordained. As members with full rights, they could act as judges, be called rabbis and occupy positions in administration of justice, government and education. They joined their chief priests and aristocratic families who made up the Sanhedrin. The scribes were held in greatest esteem by the people. Sometimes the gospels refer to the scribes as lawyers - a title that identifies them as experts in the Mosaic Law.

All the people who heard him and the tax collectors too, acknowledged God's plan by accepting baptism from John; but by refusing baptism from him the Pharisees and the lawyers had thwarted what God had in mind for them. - Luke 7:29-30 -

In Jesus' day, this Law.......

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By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

"I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the First and the Last,
the Beginning and the End" - Revelation 22:13 -

The spirituality of the Missionaries of Charity as developed by Mother Teresa is essentially Christocentric.

1. In its origin and inception: the Call of Jesus to serve Him in the poor, the Road-to-Darjeeling event, yearly commemorated on its anniversary, the 10th of September as "Inspiration Day". The Society recognizes that its existence is the result of that call Jesus made to Mother Teresa to serve him in the poorest of the poor.

2. In its purpose and aim which is to quench the thirst of Jesus for the love of men.

3. In its exemplar or model: the Christ of the Gospel, his life and teaching. The congregation endeavours to live the Gospel as thoroughly, as perfectly, as can be done today.

4. In its motive force found in Christ in the Eucharist and Christ in the poor. Christ is the cause, the mainstay and the end of the Sisters' vocation of their religious life and apostolic work.

1. - THE CALL - The call of Saint Paul and that of Mother Teresa exhibit striking similarities. The Road-to-Damascus event and the Road-to-Darjeeling event, both changed the direction of a life already dedicated to the honour and service of God.

In both cases Jesus calls, commands, directs, informs. To Paul, Jesus indicates that the zealot of Yahweh's cult persecutes him in his followers: "I am Jesus whom Saul persecutes" - Acts 9:5 - To Mother Teresa, Jesus her bridegroom to whom she is wedded for life, commands: "Serve Me in my poorest brethren" Jesus assumes what is done to his own, as done to himself.

In both cases the Lord Jesus gives an order. To Paul, he says "Go". Mother Teresa on her part acknowledges, "It was an order". The Lord commands.

They are both to be Christ's instrument for the spread of the Good News. The Lord tells Ananias: "This man is my chosen instrument to bring my name before pagans and before pagan kings and before the people of Israel" - Acts 9:15 - Paul's mission is to be universal.

Mother Teresa has all along been deeply conscious of being the instrument of Jesus. Her purpose of procuring the glory of Jesus which is limited in immediate scope to the spiritually and materially most needy, indirectly affects all sections of mankind. She has appeared and delivered her message before more kings, presidents and ministers and before larger audiences than any other religious founder.

What Paul and Mother Teresa are to do immediately, how they are to carry out their mission neither of them knows. Paul is at first blinded and has to be led by the hand. Soon he is entrusted to Ananias and is baptized. Then the Spirit guides him. Mother Teresa similarly confesses, "I knew where I had to go; but I did not know how to get there". She was not aware of how she was to fulfil God's will; hence she required perfect trust and abandon to the divine guidance.

Both these "chosen vessels of clay" will have to share in the Passion of Christ for the redemption of the world. "I myself will show him how he himself must suffer for my Name" said the Lord to Ananias - Acts 9:16 - Through Paul's Letters we know how he had to suffer. He spoke eloquently of his floggings, stoning, shipwrecks, two nights and a day at sea, persecutions, dangers from every side, false brethren, disappointments from his helpers and continual anxieties for the good of the Church he had established and nurtured.

After Paul's example and wonderful teaching, inspired by the Holy Spirit, all religious souls know that the following of Christ implies to enter into the paschal mystery, sharing in the Passion and Death of Jesus, before experiencing the joy of the Resurrection. But only with discretion and deep respect for God's action in souls can we speak of a living person in sufferings of Christ.

Mother Teresa has written more than once to persons especially tried by God, "Jesus must love you much since he gives you such a large share in his sufferings". Life has not been a bed of roses for one who rises daily at 4a.m. to make the Station of the Cross, work and pray the whole day and retire to sleep at 1a.m. She has to shoulder the burden of many new foundations every year, travel extensively, appear hundreds of times before different audiences every year.

For both Paul and Mother Teresa, it was fitting, it was prophetical that God's call should be made and heard on the road which both would use to such an extent for the glory of Jesus who had called them to apostolate. They both felt that their mission was universal: the world awaits the Good News of the coming of Christ, we must travel as far as we can, spreading the Gospel of Jesus in every land.

2. - TO QUENCH THE THIRST OF JESUS FOR SOULS - When she came to Cambridge for the convocation at which she was to receive an honorary Doctorate in Divinity from Prince Philip, the Chancellor of the University, Mother Teresa went to convent on midday. People came to meet her there, including members of the press. A reporter asked her, "What made you start your work, what inspired you and kept you going during so many years?" Mother Teresa answered, "Jesus".

The reporter looked disappointed: he must have expected long explanations but was told only one word. For Mother Teresa one word sufficed to sum up her whole life, to explain her faith, enterprise, courage, love, devotion, efficiency, single-mindedness: Jesus. Everything was due to him, every effort and sacrifice made for him. Mother Teresa expressed it again forcefully when she said, "Father, tell them: We do it for Jesus". The sentence has become her motto, her watchword, the explanation she gives of the activity and the success of the Sisters, "We do it for Jesus" everything, all the time.

3. - JESUS IS THEIR MODEL - Jesus is the exemplar or model the Missionaries of Charity are to follow: like Christ they bring hope, light, joy. They have heard the astonishing words the Lord pronounced in the synagogue at Nazareth after he had read the prophetic passage of Isaiah - 61:1-2 -
"The Spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me. He has sent me:
to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives,
to give new sight to the blind,
to set the downtrodden free,
to proclaim the Lord's year of grace". Then Jesus said: "today these words are being fulfilled in your hearing" - Luke 4:18-19,21 -

Following in the footsteps of Jesus, the Missionaries of Charity bring the good news of God's love to men,
like Jesus they go about doing good,
like Jesus they seek those in need,
they bring help to the blind, the lame, the lepers,
they provide food to the hungry and consolation to the abandoned.

In her spiritual teaching Mother Teresa likes to stress the humility of Jesus who only gives but come to ask, to ask so that he may give us. The gentle, kind, thoughtful Lord stops at the Well of Jacob to ask a person, to ask a sinner, "Give me a drink". And to dispel the woman's astonishment, Jesus adds immediately. "If you knew who is the one who asks you, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water" - John 4:10 - In truth, Jesus was physically thirsty, tired of walking, preaching the Good News, seeking souls. But He was still more thirsty for the love of men, asking us, "Give me a drink" Yes, unworthy as you are, give me a drink and I shall fill you with the water of life and love.

Christ in the Garden tell us, "Wait here and watch with me awhile" He asks for help, for comfort, for sharing in his agony but finds himself disappointed by his very apostles. "You could not watch with me even one hour?" - Matt. 26:36,40 -

Christ stoops to ask on the cross, issuing a call, a request, "I thirst". And again today he tells us. "I stand at the door knocking; if anyone will open to me, I shall come in and share his meal" - Rev. 3:20 - Lord, you ask in order to give yourself, so that, we shall share with you; the perfect love.

Christ is the perfect example of love the Sisters must seek to imitate. "Love one another" Mother Teresa pleads, "as Jesus loved us, who gave his life for us when we were sinners.

4. - CHRIST IS THE MOTIVE FORCE OF THEIR LIFE - "We could not do without him" states Mother Teresa. He inspires and sustains by his grace, their detachment, their poverty, their trust, their cheerfulness, their service of the poor. Mother Teresa confidence in Jesus knows no limit. To his presence in her and her Sisters, she attributes their strength and the remarkable fruits of their apostolic. She says, "We are able to go through the most terrible places fearlessly because Jesus in us will never deceive us; Jesus in us is our love, our strength, our joy and our compassion."

Mother's conception of man is rooted in the Gospel which teaches us the primacy of God, extols the beauty of God's plan for mankind, proclaims the dignity to each and every human person. The two greatest commandments are those of love: love of God and love of the neighbour. It has its root in the love of God, God seen in the neighbour, whoever, wherever and whatever he be.

Mother Teresa stresses that life-long devoted service of the poor requires a strong motivation, found in faith and love. "Without faith, no love; without love, no service of the poor, the abandoned, the sick, the cripple and the dying. You can do our work two years or three years without religious motivation but not a whole life-time. If you do not believe it, try to do it..."

The work of the Missionaries of Charity is not centred on the poor as it has so often been represented in the press. "Mother Teresa saw the misery and poverty on Calcutta roads and her heart went out to the poor sufferers; she had to do something about it..." No, this is not the correct story, not the right interpretation of this extraordinary activity, this wonderful work of charity that goes on since thirty-five years and will go on much longer.

The truth is that Mother Teresa heard the appeal of Jesus deep down in her soul. The Lord called her to serve Him in the poorest of the poor and she answered, "Here I am, the handmaid of the Lord, prepared to quench your thirst for love, my Jesus, your thirst as you suffer in the poor, your brethren".

"You cannot love two persons perfectly" says Mother Teresa, "but you can love all men perfectly if you love the one Jesus in them all". This means that one should centre his mind and heart, his life and activity on Jesus, see him in every human sufferer.

Mother Teresa views all her work as centred on God, depending on Him. "We are to be God's associates, doing His work, working with Him, for Him". Having given themselves up to Jesus for life without any restriction, the Sisters belong to Him and belong to those in whom He lives. Mother Teresa wants the Sisters to devote themselves fully to those who represent Christ for them. She tells them, "Let the Sisters and the people eat you up". Again she tells her Sisters, "Just as the seed is meant to be a tree, we are meant to grow into Jesus". The brides are to be moulded into the image of the divine Bridegroom, until as Paul says "Christ is formed in them", so that they may be able to say in truth, "I live no more I, of my own life but Christ lives in me" - Gal. 2:19-20 -

BY  REV.  FR.  EDWARD  LE  JOLY  S.J.

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If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

Promise refers to a solemn pledge to perform or grant a specified thing. God did not have to promise anything to unteachable, unrepented, wicked and sinful man. But the fact that almost all scriptural/biblical promises are those made by God to man indicates that His nature is characterized chiefly by love, grace and faithfulness.

The Lord made himself a debtor not by receiving something but by promising something. One does not say to Him, "Pay for what You received" but "Pay what You promised".

Love is not only one of God attributes; it is also an essential part of His nature. "God is love" - the personification of perfect love. "My dear people, let us love one another since love comes from God and everyone who loves is begotten by God and known God because God is love. - 1John 4:7-8 -

The Lord said: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still and trust in me". "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" No one can come to the Father except through me. - John 14:1,6 - By these words, He will raise us up at the last day - the promised of giving us eternal life. In John Gospel, chapter 6, God not only show us how to gains eternal life but teaches us as well; "I am the bread of life". - John 6:48 -

I tell you most solemnly,
everybody who believes has eternal life.
If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink his blood,
you will not have life in you.
Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood
has eternal life,
for I shall raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is real food
and my blood is real drink. - John 6:47, 53-55 -

Grace prompted God to promise a new land to Israelites. When you enter the land that Yahweh is giving you, as he promised, you must keep to this ritual. And when your children ask you. "What does this ritual mean?" you will tell them, "It is the sacrifice of the Passover in honour of Yahweh who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt and struck Egypt but spared our houses". And the people bowed down and worshiped. - Exodus 12:25-27 -

His faithfulness urged Him to fulfill that promise, in spite of the peoples and the nation's disobedience. And as apostle Paul pointed out, God's love, grace and faithfulness are particularly evident in His promise to Abraham. This promise was eventually fulfilled in the work of Christ. Christians should trust completely that God's promise of eternal life.

Compare this, brothers, with what happens in ordinary life. If a will has been drawn up in due form, no one is allowed to disregard it or add to it. Now the promises were addressed to Abraham and to his descendants-notice, in the passing that scripture does not use a plural word as if there were several descendants, it uses the singular: to his posterity which is Christ.

But my point is this: once God had expressed his will in due form, no law that came four hundred and thirty years later could cancel that and make the promise meaningless. If you inherit something as a legal right, it does not come to you as the result of a promise and it was precisely in the form of a promise that God made his gift to Abraham. In this way the promise can only be given through faith in Jesus Christ and can only be given to those who have faith. Merely by belonging to Christ you are the posterity of Abraham, the heirs he was promised. - Gal. 315-18,22,29 -

Christ seals the new covenant with his blood. He brings a new covenant, as the mediator, only so that the people who were called to an eternal inheritance may actually receive what was promised: his death took place to cancel the sins that infringed the earlier covenant. Now wherever a will is in question, the death of the testator must be established; indeed, it only becomes valid with that death since it is not meant to have any effect while the testator is still alive.

That explains why even the earlier covenant needed something to be killed in order to take effect and why, after Moses had announced all the commandments of the Law to the people, he took the calves blood, the goats' blood and some water, and with these he sprinkled the book itself and all the people, using scarlet wool and hyssop; saying as he did so: This is the blood of the covenant that God has laid down for you. After that, he sprinkled the tent and all the liturgical vessels with blood in the same way.

In fact, according to the Law almost everything has to be purified with blood; and if there is no shedding of blood, there is no remission. Obviously, only the copies of heavenly things can be purified in this way and the heavenly things themselves have to be purified by a higher sort of sacrifice than this. It is not as though Christ had entered a man-made sanctuary which was only modeled on the real one; but it was heaven itself, so that he could appear in the actual presence of God on our behalf.

And he does not have to offer himself again and again, like the high priest going into the sanctuary year after year with the blood that is not his own or else he would have had to suffer over and over again since the world began. Instead of that, he has made his appearance once and for all, now at the end of the last age, to do away with sin by sacrificing himself. Since men only die once and after that comes judgment, so Christ too, offers himself only once to take the faults of many on himself and when he appears a second time, it will not be to deal with sin but to reward with salvation those who are waiting for him. - Heb. 9:15-28 -

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If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

Ecclesiasticus or Wisdom of Jesus, Son of Sirach - 51:30 - This is a book of wisdom teachings. It should not be confused with the book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament. The word Ecclesiasticus means "The Church Book" in Latin. But the title of the Book of Ecclesiastes comes from a Greek word which means "assembly" or "gathering".

Ecclesiasticus or Sirach is a masterpiece of wisdom literature, organised into teachable units. Many subjects are contained in this work including faith in God as Creator and Sustainer of life, love of wisdom and ethical conduct, virtue and good deeds, the value of tradition of the past, proper behaviour and teaching, poverty and wealth, and health and sickness. It is written by Jesus Ben Sira, a Jew living in Jerusalem around 190 B.C.

Ben Sira is the last canonical representative of Jewish wisdom in Palestine.He is an outstanding example of those 'hasidim' (the 'devout') of Judaism - 1Macc. 2:42 -who were soon to defend their faith against the persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes and preserve little islands of faith in Israel in which the teaching of Christ could later take root. Though Ecclesiasticus was not accepted into Hebrew Canon, it is frequently quoted in the rabbinical writings; in the New Testament, the Epistle of St.James borrows many expressions from it and it is, next to the Psalms, the Old Testament book most frequently quoted in the Christian liturgy.

The author of Ecclesiasticus upholds Israel's traditions as a channel through which God's Word is communicated. His essay on the great people in Israel's history gives the person an appreciation for the kind of people who make our world pleasant and worthwhile. The righteous person receives a reward from God while the sinner and unbeliever in God will be punished. The final chapter 51, contains a very beautiful prayer.

I will give thanks to you, Lord and King,
and praise you, God my saviour,
I gave thanks to your name;
for you have been protector and support to me,
and redeemed my body from destruction,
from the snare of the lying tongue,
from lips that fabricate falsehood;
and in the presence of those around me.......
And my plea was heard,
for you saved me from destruction,
you delivered me from that time of evil...

Come close to me, you uninstructed,
take your place in my school.
Why complain about lacking these things
when your souls are so thirsty for them?
I have opened my mouth and spoken:
Buy her without money,
put your necks under her yoke,
and let your souls receive intruction;
she is not far to seek.
See for yourselves: how slight my efforts have been
to win so much peace.
Buy instruction with a large sum of silver,
thanks to her you will gain much gold.
May your souls rejoice in the mercy of the Lord,
may you never be ashamed of praising him.
Do your work before the appointed time
and he in his time will give you your reward. - Chapter 51 -

BARUCH - This book is a collection of materials written during the period from 150 B.C. to 60 B.C. Set in the period of the prophet Jeremiah, it actually speaks to Jews who were living during the period of 142-63 B.C. It was originally written in Hebrew and later was translated into Greek.

Baruch contains a letter - 1:1-14 - a prayer-sermon - 1:15-3:8 - a hymn - 3:9-4:4 - and a lament - 4:5-5:9 - Jerusalem had fallen into the hands of the enemy but this book declared that God will not forget His people. The refrain, "Take heart, my children! Cry out to God and he will rescue you from tyranny and from the power of your enemies" echoes throughout Baruch.

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If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

'The Book of Wisdom' by the Vulgate is known in the Greek manuscripts as 'The Wisdom of Solomon'. Classified as wisdom books, all these works are profound in their understanding and insight into practical matters of daily life. The Wisdom of Solomon was named after the great wise man of Israel, King Solomon who reigned from 970 to 931 B.C. Solomon was the model for all wise people who followed him. Many proverbs or wise sayings written many centuries after Solomon, such as this book, were attributed to him. It was composed some time around 100 to 50 B.C.

The Wisdom of Solomon is organised into various topics for convenient use by those who study the book. The first section - 1:1 to 5:23 - declares that wisdom is given only to a righteous person. The second - 6:1 to 9:19 - deals with political issues, such as God's part in judging the wicked rulers. The third section - 10:1 to 19:21 - deals with the actions of God among His people, His protection of Israel and His punishment of their enemies.

The author is neither a philosopher nor a theologian; he is a typical sage of Israel. Like the wisdom writers before him he commends wisdom, born of God, obtained by prayer, mainspring of all the virtues, source of every good. But he outstrips his predecessors, adding to the sum of this wisdom the most recent achievements of human knowledge - 7:17-21, 8:8 - The problem of retribution, for so long the study of the sages and introduction to Wisdom Books, finds its solution in this book. The author makes use of the Platonic distinction of body from soul - 9:15 - and of the doctrine of the immortality of the soul to proclaim that God has made man imperishable - 2:23 - and that incorruption is the reward of wisdom and the way to God - 6:18-19 - This life is only a preparation for another in which the virtuous live with God and the wicked are punished - 3:9-10 -

His doctrine of God's attribute, Wisdom, is traditional. Wisdom was active in the whole work of creation and Wisdom carries history to its goal. The qualities assigned to Wisdom are from chapter 11 onwards attributed to God himself but this is because Wisdom and God in his function of world ruler are the same thing. Wisdom, however, is 'an emanation of the glory of the Almighty...a reflection of the eternal light...an image of his goodness' - 7:25-26 - and is therefore distinguished from God. The author, it seems goes no further than the other wisdom writer here and it does not appear that he gives Wisdom an existence of its own; but the passage on the nature of Wisdom - 7:22, 8:8 - is a step forward in the expression of the traditional ideas and a deeper perception of them. It is not surprising that the New Testament draws upon this passage for its theology of the Word. - Col. 1:15-16; Heb. 1:3 - and especially St.John, - John 1; 3:16-17; 5:20 -

Tastes have changed and the Book of Wisdom has lost its original impact but its first section, chapter 1 to 9 has much to offer the Christian mind and the liturgy has made generous use of it.

The whole book, God as Creator. God is actively involved in human affairs. Wisdom comes from God and is necessary for preservation and creativity in this world. Immortality awaits those who live by this wisdom.

                                                                    Page 3

If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

The First Book of Maccabees is a history of the struggle of the Jews in Judea under the leadership of one family, the Hasmoneans from about 175 to 135 B.C. Judas Maccabaeus was the family's most famous leader. Most of the action took place in and around Jerusalem. The book includes speeches, prayers, laments and psalms of victory, all wooven into a beautiful history of the Jews of that period.

It was written in Hebrew but has come down to us only in a Greek translation. Its author is a Palestinian Jew writing after 134 B.C. but before the capture of Jerusalem by Pompey in 63 B.C. probably in about 100 B.C. The book is invaluable as a history of the times, though allowances must always be made in such types of literature for the influence of the ancient chronicles of Israel on which they are modelled and also for the intentions of the author.

For despite the space he devotes to battle and political intrigue, the author means to write a religious history. For him the nation's distress is a punishment for sin and successes of his leading figures are won by the help of God. He is a Jew, jealous for the faith which he perceives to be at stake in the struggle between pagan infiltration and ancestral custom. He is therefore an uncompromising foe of hellenisation and an ardent admirer of the heroes who fought for Law and Temple, winning first religious liberty and next, national independence. His story tells how Judaism, the trustee of revelation was preserved to the world.

The Second Book of Maccabees is not the continuation of the first. It is in part parallel to it: telling the Jews in Jerusalem to Jews in Egypt, how to observe the Jewish holiday which celebrates the cleansing or purification of the Temple under Judas Maccabaeus in 164 B.C. It describes events in Judea from 191 to 162 B.C. - 10:1-9 - Judas Maccabaeus's campaign of liberation is supported by apparitions from heaven and triumphantly concluded by divine intervention, the persecution itself is a manifestation of God's lovingkindness, bringing his people to their sense before accumulating sin works final ruin. - 2:19-25, 6:12-17, 15:39 -

The author concerned more with his religious intention than with historical precision. There is the same difference of approach between the First and Second Books of Maccabees as there is between the Books of Samuel or Kings and Chronicles.

The 1 & 2Maccabees is important for its affirmation of the resurrection of the dead - 2Macc. 7:9, 14:45-46 - sanctions in the afterlife - 2Macc. 6:26 - prayer for the dead - 2Macc. 12:41-45 - the spiritual fruits of martyrdom - 2Macc. 6:18- 7:41 - the intercession of the saints - 2Macc. 15:12-16 - Other Old Testament writings had left these teaching vague: but the latter justify the authority accorded to Second Maccabees by the Church.

With his last breath he exclaimed, 'Inhuman fiend, you may discharge us from this present life but the King of the world will raise us up, since it is for his laws that we died, to live again forever'. - 2Macc. 7:9 -

Still breathing and blazing with anger, he struggled to his feet, blood spurting in all directions and despite his terrible wounds ran right through the crowd; then, taking his stand on a steep rock although he had now lost every drop of blood, he tore out his entrails and taking them in both hands flung them among the troops, calling on the Master of his life and spirit to give them back to him one day. Such was the manner of his passing. - 2Macc. 14:45-46 -

Even though for the moment I avoid execution by man, I can never, living or dead, elude the grasp of the Almighty. - 2Macc. 6:26 -

But when they found on each of the dead men, under their tunics, amulets of the idols taken from Jamnia which the Law prohibits to Jews, it became clear to everyone that this was why these men had lost their lives. All then blessed the ways of the Lord, the just judge who brings hidden things to light and gave themselves to prayer, begging that the sin committed might be fully blotted out. Next, the valiant Judas urged the people to keep themselves free from all sin, having seen with their own eyes the effects of the sin of those who had fallen; after this he took out a collection from them individually, amounting to nearly two thousand drachmae and sent it to Jerusalem to have a sacrifice for sin offered, an altogether fine and noble action, in which he took full account of the resurrection. For if he had not expected the fallen to rise again it would have been superflous and foolish to pray for the dead, whereas if he in view the splendid recompense reserved for those who make a pious end, the thought was holy and devout. This was why he had this atonement sacrifice offered for the dead, so that they might be released from their sin. - 2Macc. 12:41-45 -

What he had seen was this: Onias, the former high priest, that paragon of men, modest of bearing and gentle of manners, suitably eloquent and trained from boyhood in the practice of every virtue - Onias was stretching out his hands and praying for the whole nation of the Jews. Next there appeared a man equally remarkable for his great age and dignity and invested with a marvellous and impressive air of majesty. Onias began to speak: 'This is a man' he said 'who loves his brother and prays much for the people and the Holy City - Jeremiah, the prophet of God'. Jeremiah then stretched out his hand and presented Judas with a golden sword, saying as he gave it, 'Take this holy sword as a gift from God; with it you shall strike down enemies'. - 2Macc. 15:12-16 -

'The Book of Wisdom' by the Vulgate......

                                                                   Page 2

If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -

The authority of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible is implied by its title, "the Word of God". It is the written record of the Word of God which came to prophets, apostles and other spokesmen, and which "became flesh" in Jesus Christ. Christians believe Jesus Christ was the Word of God in a unique sense. Through Jesus, God communicated the perfect revelation of Himself to mankind.

For Christians the authority of the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible is related to the authority of Christ. The Old Testament was the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible Jesus used - the authority to which He made constant appeal and whose teachings He accepted and followed. When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and led away to His execution, He submitted with the words, "The Scriptures must be fulfilled" - Matt. 26:54; Mark 14:49; John 18:9 - Jesus saw His mission in the world as a fulfillment of the predictions of the Old Testament.

The New Testament presents the record of Jesus' Life, Teaching, Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension; a narrative of the beginning of the Christian Church with the coming of the Holy Spirit; and the story of the extension of the Gospel and the planting of the Church during the following generation. It contains not only the oral [ tradition ] but the written teachings of Jesus' apostles and other early Christians who applied the principles of His teaching and redemptive work to their lives.

The Apocrypha - a group of books written during a time of turmoil in the history of the Jewish people, from about 200 B.C. to about A.D. 100. These books fall into two main divisions, Old Testament apocryphal books and New Testament apocryphal books. The Old Testament books were used by Catholic Church contains: TOBIT, JUDITH, 1MACCABEES, 2MACCABEES, WISDOM and ECCLESIASTICUS/SIRACH and BARUCH, while they are not included in non-Catholic Christian and most Protestant editions of the Holy Bible.

In the Vulgate, the three Books of Tobit, Judith and Esther are placed after the historical books. This book is a narrative about Tobit, a Jew who was taken into captivity to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, after the defeat of Israel in 722 B.C. Tobit was a strict observer of the law of Moses who met with unfortunate circumstances. On day he was blinded by droppings from a swallow that fell into his eyes. God heard the prayers of Tobit and another Jew, Sarah, who was living to the east in Babylon or Media. God sent his angel, Raphael, to save them both. Through Tobit's son Tobias and the angel Raphael, God was able to help Tobit and Sarah. It is an edifying story, in which it ends happily as Tobias marries Sarah and defeats a demon named Asomadeus and the two re-establish order in their lives. Tobit was written to show the place of fasting prayer in the lives of the faithful. It teaches that God breaks into human history, using His angels to rescue people.

Tobit is also a modelled on biblical narratives, especially on those of the patriarchs in Genesis; as a work of literature its place is between Job and Esther, between Zechariah and Daniel.

Judith book contains one of the most delightful stories in the Apocrypha. A wise and intelligent Jewish woman, Judith was devoted to observing the law of Moses. It takes place during the reign of a king of Assyria named Nebuchadnezzar. His general, Holofernes, was about to destroy the Jewish inhabitants of the city of Bethulia when Judith came to the aid of her fellow Jews. The people prayed to God for help, allowing Him five days in which to help them or they would surrender. Judith rebukes the leading men of the city for their lack of faith in God; she then falls to prayer and having duly adorned herself, leaves Bethulia and is led into the presence of Holofernes, on whom she exercises all her charm and wit. She went to the enemy camp and beheaded Holofernes, bringing his head to the Jews of the city. Terrified, the Assyrians fled and the Jews were saved.

This book has a clear points of contact with Daniel, Ezekiel and Joel; the action takes place on the plain of Esdraelon near the plain of Armageddon where Saint John later places the great eschatological battle of Revelation 16:16. Judith emphasized the importance of faithfulness to the law of Moses and the power of God in the lives of His people. It was probably written during the Hasmonean period ( 142-63 B.C. )

The First Book of Maccabees......

                                                                  Page 1

If you wish to donate. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -