Pastor’s Corner
The Te Deum (From Fourth Sunday of Easter, 2022)
The Te Deum is the Church’s ancient hymn of praise offered in particular at times in which she has received abundant blessings from God and wishes to offer words to express her gratitude. We always recount the singular and unsurpassable gift of redemption, and so it is right to offer this prayer every Sunday, but all of us should know it well and have it ready at hand for those moments in our lives in which we ought to give particular thanks to God:
You are God: we praise you;
You are God: we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:
Father, of majesty unbounded,
Your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
And the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the king of glory,
The eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
You did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death,
And opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come, and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
Bought with the price of your own blood,
And bring us with your saints
To glory everlasting.
V. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance.
R. Govern and uphold them now and always.
V. Day by day we bless you.
R. We praise your name forever.
V. Keep us today, Lord, from all sin.
R. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
V. Lord, show us your love and mercy;
R. For we put our trust in you.
V. In you, Lord, is our hope:
R. And we shall never hope in vain
The “brothers” of Jesus (Comment on Gospel from the 14th Sunday in OT)
In last weekend’s Gospel from Mark 6:1-6, mention was made of the brothers and sisters of Jesus, and I said I would write a small explanation of this in light of our belief in Mary’s perpetual virginity, i.e. Mary only had one son. Please note, this is a very brief explanation, and most of it is derived from Dr. Brant Pitre’s treatment of this passage in his “The Mass Readings Explained” series available through Catholic Productions.
First, the word in Greek here is ἀδελφὸς (“adelphos”), and its most normal translation is indeed “brother,” as in a sibling (e.g. “Peter and Andrew his brother” in Mark 1:16). However, it can also mean a close relative, such as a cousin, and we do well to translate it as such when the context lends itself to that meaning. A great example of this is 1 Chronicles 23:21-23, where we read “The sons of Mahli [were] Eleazar and Kish. Eleazar died, having no sons, but only daughters; their adelphoi, the sons of Kish, married them.” (1 Chr. 23:21-22, NRSV with LXX). It is notable that though the same word (adelphos), the NRSV translated the word as “kin” not “brother.” Why? The context clearly explains that these “brothers” were in fact cousins, i.e. the sons of their uncle, Kish. There are other scriptural examples of using this word to describe cousins, but this will suffice.
So now the question is: is there any context, within the text, that describes these “brothers” as close relatives or cousins, rather than siblings? Yes! James, Joses (or Joseph), Simon, and Judas are listed in verse 3 as his “brothers.” Later in Mark at the crucifixion in 15:40, 47 and at the empty tomb in 16:1, there is a Mary described as the “mother of James and Joses.” Could this be the same Mary who is the mother of Jesus? No! First, because Mark would have simply described her as “the mother of Jesus,” not “the mother of James the younger and of Joses.” Second, because in Matthew, she is described explicitly as “the other Mary” (cf. Mt. 27:56 and 28:1).
Indeed, we can even look at the proclaimed passage in question as further proof. When Jesus delivers his famous retort, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place,” he says, “and among his own kin (συγγενεῦσιν, syngenēusen).” In other words, when Jesus is the one describing his own relationship with these others, he himself uses a word which is more easily rendered “cousin,” rather than the word “adelphoi” which the crowd used.
Most notable, of course, is John 19:25-27, when Jesus entrusts his mother to his beloved disciple. Though not within the Gospel of Mark, it nevertheless stands to reason, not to mention the cultural norms of the time, that if Jesus had living siblings, he would have entrusted his mother’s care to them, not to one of his disciples.
One last question to consider: Why is the passage so vague? It is almost as though Mark assumed his intended audience would understand what he meant by “adelphoi.” Well, it turns that Church historians have identified James and Joses as two of the first bishops of the church in Jerusalem (which also explains why they get mentioned again in Mark 15:40, while Judas and Simon do not). In other words, these men would have been very famous among Christian circles, and though kin of Jesus, would have very likely been known more colloquially as the adelphoi, “brothers,” of Jesus.
This last fact points to a much deeper principle when studying Scripture: belief in Tradition is a necessary condition of interpreting Scripture correctly. The two must always go hand in hand. How could we have known that James and Joses were famous figures of the early Church, who though known to be cousins of Jesus were often called his brothers? Tradition. One is not higher than the other, but neither will be understood correctly if they are separated.
Presentation made to YALL on How to Make a Good Confession
Helpful links
Some Examen Questions Specific to Young Adults
How do I approach my free time (if I have any)? Do I perceive it as a gift unique to my state in life and welcome it as an opportunity to be of service to others? Or do I see it as my right, and fill it inordinately with self-serving diversion?
How do I handle movements toward self-pity? Do I recognize such movements as disordered and engage in healthy self-care (proper sleep, exercise, healthy diet, a measure of journaling if needed, etc.) and/or acts of charity directed toward others? Or do I allow myself to dwell in self-pity and use it to excuse myself from charity and my duties, or to permit myself to indulge in activities that are either morally illicit, or to which I have become inordinately attached? While exercising a healthy reliance on friends and family for support, do I recognize that I am still primarily responsible for my emotional health?
How do I exercise prudence, particularly in regard to the direction of my life? Do I consciously and trustingly ask God what His will is for my life, both in my daily activities and in my life’s general direction (i.e., my vocation)? Or have I withheld openness to God’s influence either out of distrust or neglect?
How do I approach attachments in my life? Do I frequently examine where I might have become attached to my smart phone, gaming, television, social media, exercise, certain relationships, etc.? If and when these have led to sin, especially mortal sin, have I quickly “cut it off” (cf. Mt. 5:30)? Do I exercise holy detachment, even toward good things? That is, am I free to do without them should God ask?
Links to other Examinations