The Catholic Mass According to Fr. Mike

Father Mike Schmitz, born in 1974 to a large Catholic family in a Chicago suburb, was ordained a Catholic priest in 2003. He serves in the Diocese of Duluth MN and has become well known through his presence on social media and YouTube videos.

Like all ordained Catholic priests, Fr. Mike has a clear understanding of the Mass offered routinely at all Roman Catholic Churches worldwide. However, his ability to explain the 2000-year-old Mass at high speed with love, joy, enthusiasm, and smiles, must rank him at least in the top 10% of Catholic priests on that measure.

My wife recently brought Father Mike’s YouTube presentation on the Mass to my attention, and I liked it so much I wanted to help him share it with others. That is why I am offering it in this blog post. I’m pretty sure that even many “Cradle Catholics” can benefit from his high-speed clear explanations. Check it out and, if you like it, share it with others.

Prayer, Vocal and Interior

A song of my youth is I Say A Little Prayer for You. I don’t remember giving it a lot of thought in 1968. I guess I was too busy. More recently I have wondered about differences between praying and saying a prayer with some suspicion of the value of the latter. It seemed to me that I can easily “say a prayer” when my mind is elsewhere while praying from the heart and mind dominates my thinking. So, I asked Magisterium.com about the Catholic Church position on that and this is what I got, in italics, plenty of food for thought:

Yes, the Catholic Church explicitly recognizes a distinction between “praying”—which emphasizes interior, heartfelt communion with God—and “saying a prayer,” which refers to vocal or external expression. This differentiation is rooted in the Church’s teaching on the human person as a unity of body and soul, where both forms of prayer are essential and complementary. Vocal prayer externalizes the inner life of prayer, while interior prayer provides the depth that prevents vocal prayer from becoming mechanical.1 2 3

Vocal Prayer: The External Expression

Vocal prayer, often described as “saying a prayer,” involves spoken words and engages the body alongside the soul. It is particularly suited for communal settings and follows Christ’s example in teaching the Our Father to his disciples.1 3

Vocal prayer, founded on the union of body and soul in human nature, associates the body with the interior prayer of the heart.1

The Catechism explains that this form is “external and so thoroughly human,” making it accessible to groups, and even interior prayer cannot neglect it entirely.2 The Catechism of the Council of Trent further distinguishes public prayer, which “indispensably” requires words to excite the piety of the faithful, from private prayer that aids interior devotion.4 God Himself desires this external homage, as it renders “perfect homage which is his due” by involving our senses.5 6

However, vocal prayer risks superstition if reduced to mere ritual without interior disposition, such as attributing efficacy solely to external performance.7

Interior Prayer: The Heart’s Communion

“Praying” in the deeper sense points to interior prayer, which arises from the soul’s ardor and awareness of God. It is “living prayer that rises from the depths of the soul,” sought by the Father who desires worshippers “in Spirit and in Truth.”4 5

This interior dimension is taught by the Holy Spirit, the “interior Master of Christian prayer,” and is accessed through Christ’s sacred humanity.8 9 10 Even vocal prayer evolves into contemplative prayer as one becomes aware “to whom we speak.”2 Tradition plays a key role, as the Holy Spirit teaches through the Church’s living Tradition, beyond mere spontaneous impulses.11

The Necessary Unity of Both

The Church insists that these are not opposed but interdependent: interior prayer without vocal expression remains incomplete for embodied humans, and vocal prayer without heart is sterile.2 3 5 6

Even the most interior prayer, however, cannot dispense with vocal prayer. In any case it must always spring from a personal faith.3

Private prayer uses words to foster interior attention, while communal prayer demands them.4 This harmony reflects conversion’s call: true penance begins in the heart but urges “visible signs, gestures and works.”12 Consecrated life exemplifies this, linking communal and personal prayer for full effectiveness.13

In summary, the Church affirms the user’s intuition—distinguishing vocal recitation from heartfelt prayer—but teaches their profound integration as vital to Christian prayer life, always oriented to the Father through Christ in the Spirit.8 10

References (CCC is a reference to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.)

[1] CCC 2722. Vocal prayer, founded on the union of body and soul in human nature, associates the body with the interior prayer of the heart, following Christ’s example of praying to his Father and teaching the Our Father to his disciples.

[2] CCC 2704. Because it is external and so thoroughly human, vocal prayer is the form of prayer most readily accessible to groups. Even interior prayer, however, cannot neglect vocal prayer. Prayer is internalized to the extent that we become aware of him “to whom we speak;”4 Thus vocal prayer becomes an initial form of contemplative prayer.

[3] Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 569. Part Four – Christian Prayer. CHAPTER THREE – The Life of Prayer. Christian Prayer – How can vocal prayer be described? Vocal prayer associates the body with the interior prayer of the heart. Even the most interior prayer, however, cannot dispense with vocal prayer. In any case it must always spring from a personal faith. With the Our Father Jesus has taught us a perfect form of vocal prayer.

[4] Catechism of the Council of Trent, The Lord’s Prayer – Introduction: On Prayer. https://www.magisteriuhttps://www.magisterium.com/docs/bca78fa8-4968-4ea8-8522-727db99ffac3/ref/page33m.com/docs/bca78fa8-4968-4ea8-8522-727db99ffac3/ref/The%20Lord’s%20Prayer%20-%20Introduction:%20On%20Prayer

[5] CCC 2703. This need also corresponds to a divine requirement. God seeks worshippers in Spirit and in Truth, and consequently living prayer that rises from the depths of the soul. He also wants the external expression that associates the body with interior prayer, for it renders him that perfect homage which is his due.

[6] CCC 2702. The need to involve the senses in interior prayer corresponds to a requirement of our human nature. We are body and spirit, and we experience the need to translate our feelings externally. We must pray with our whole being to give all power possible to our supplication.

[7] CCC 2711. Entering into contemplative prayer is like entering into the Eucharistic liturgy: we “gather up:” the heart, recollect our whole being under the prompting of the Holy Spirit, abide in the dwelling place of the Lord which we are, awaken our faith in order to enter into the presence of him who awaits us. We let our masks fall and turn our hearts back to the Lord who loves us, so as to hand ourselves over to him as an offering to be purified and transformed.

[8] CCC 2664. There is no other way of Christian prayer than Christ. Whether our prayer is communal or personal, vocal or interior, it has access to the Father only if we pray “in the name” of Jesus. the sacred humanity of Jesus is therefore the way by which the Holy Spirit teaches us to pray to God our Father.

[9] CCC 2681. “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’, except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3). the Church invites us to invoke the Holy Spirit as the interior Teacher of Christian prayer.

[10] CCC 2672. The Holy Spirit, whose anointing permeates our whole being, is the interior Master of Christian prayer. He is the artisan of the living tradition of prayer. To be sure, there are as many paths of prayer as there are persons who pray, but it is the same Spirit acting in all and with all. It is in the communion of the Holy Spirit that Christian prayer is prayer in the Church.

[11] Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 557. What is the importance of Tradition in regard to prayer? In the Church it is through living Tradition that the Holy Spirit teaches the children of God how to pray. In fact prayer cannot be reduced to the spontaneous outpouring of an interior impulse; rather it implies contemplation, study and a grasp of the spiritual realities one experiences.

[12] CCC 1430. Jesus’ call to conversion and penance, like that of the prophets before him, does not aim first at outward works, “sackcloth and ashes,” fasting and mortification, but at the conversion of the heart, interior conversion. Without this, such penances remain sterile and false; however, interior conversion urges expression in visible signs, gestures and works of penance.23

[13] Fraternal Life in Community, 15. Communal prayer reaches its full effectiveness when it is intimately linked to personal prayer. Common prayer and personal prayer are closely related and are complementary to each other. Everywhere, but especially so in some regions and cultures, greater emphasis must be placed on the inner aspect, on the filial relationship to the Father, on the intimate and spousal relationship with Christ, on the personal deepening of what is celebrated and lived in community prayer, on the interior and exterior silence that leaves space for the Word and the Spirit to regenerate the more hidden depths. The consecrated person who lives in community nourishes his or her consecration both through constant personal dialogue with God and through community praise and intercession.

Catholic Confirmation

For the following explanation of Catholic Confirmation, we can give thanks to Magisterium.com, ChatGPT, the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and our priest who recently led a Man’s Prayer Group discussion of the subject.

This is a summary statement from Magisterium.com: “Confirmation is an indispensable sacrament of initiation, bishop-administered, Apostolically transmitted (by the laying on of hands), and essential for full sacramental communion in specific cases, completing the grace begun in Baptism.” An interesting reference.

The Sacrament of Confirmation in Catholic Teaching

The Sacrament of Confirmation completes Baptism as one of the three sacraments of Christian initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist), conferring a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit to strengthen the baptized for mission and fuller participation in the life of faith.1 2 Its benefits include an increase in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, empowerment for Christian witness, and deeper communion in the faith received from the Apostles, all rooted in biblical precedents of post-baptismal laying on of hands.3

Benefits of Confirmation

Confirmation builds upon Baptism, providing spiritual increase, healing, and mission to the Christian’s life of faith, as the seven sacraments collectively address key stages of spiritual life.1 Specifically:

  • Fuller outpouring of the Holy Spirit: The sacrament ensures the reception of the Holy Spirit, often manifested through visible gifts, completing the initiation into Christian life.2
  • Strength for apostolic mission and witness: It equips the Christian with graces for evangelization and obedience to God’s commandments, fostering love of God and neighbor.1
  • Unity in apostolic Tradition: Through bishops in apostolic succession, Confirmation guarantees fidelity to the faith and sacraments handed down from the Apostles.3

These benefits form part of an organic whole among the sacraments, with each having a vital place oriented toward the Eucharist.2

Christ instituted the sacraments of the new law. There are seven: Baptism, Confirmation (or Chrismation), the Eucharist, Penance, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. … they give birth and increase, healing and mission to the Christian’s life of faith.1

Biblical Foundations for These Benefits

Scripture provides the primary biblical basis for Confirmation in the early Church’s practice of laying on hands after Baptism to invoke the Holy Spirit, demonstrating benefits such as immediate reception of the Spirit, charismatic gifts, and empowerment for ministry.4 5 6

  • Reception of the Holy Spirit post-Baptism (outpouring and increase): In Samaria, after Baptism “in the name of the Lord Jesus,” Peter and John prayed and laid hands on the baptized, who then received the Holy Spirit.4

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them … Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.4

  • Charismatic gifts for mission (tongues and prophecy): Paul laid hands on disciples at Ephesus, resulting in the Holy Spirit coming upon them, with manifestations of speaking in tongues and prophesying—signs of strengthened witness.5
  • Personal empowerment and healing (filling with the Spirit): Ananias laid hands on Saul (Paul), declaring he was sent so Saul might be filled with the Holy Spirit, leading to restored sight and Baptism, illustrating holistic strengthening.6 7

So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”6

These accounts from Acts reflect apostolic practice, aligning with Confirmation’s role in conferring the Spirit’s gifts through successors of the Apostles.3

The provided sources from 1 John emphasize broader Christian life themes like sinlessness in Christ and obedience through love,8 9 which indirectly relate to the Spirit’s sanctifying work but are not specific to Confirmation.

Summary

Confirmation’s benefits—deeper infilling of the Holy Spirit, charismatic empowerment, and mission strength—are biblically grounded in Acts’ laying-on-of-hands episodes and doctrinally framed by the Catechism as completing initiation within the sacraments’ organic unity.1 2 4 5 These sources affirm its apostolic origins while noting that fuller exposition appears elsewhere in Church teaching.

References

1 – CCC-1210 – Christ instituted the sacraments of the new law. There are seven: Baptism, Confirmation (or Chrismation), the Eucharist, Penance, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. The seven sacraments touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life: they give birth and increase, healing and mission to the Christian’s life of faith. There is thus a certain resemblance between the stages of natural life and the stages of the spiritual life.

2 – CCC – 1211 – Following this analogy, the first chapter will expound the three sacraments of Christian initiation; the second, the sacraments of healing; and the third, the sacraments at the service of communion and the mission of the faithful. This order, while not the only one possible, does allow one to see that the sacraments form an organic whole in which each particular sacrament has its own vital place. In this organic whole, the Eucharist occupies a unique place as the “Sacrament of sacraments”: “all the other sacraments are ordered to it as to their end.”

3 – CCC – 1209 – The criterion that assures unity amid the diversity of liturgical traditions is fidelity to apostolic Tradition, i e., the communion in the faith and the sacraments received from the apostles, a communion that is both signified and guaranteed by apostolic succession.

4 –  Acts 8:14-17 – Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.  The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit  (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus).  Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

5 – Acts 19:6. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied—

6 – Acts 9:17 – So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

7 – Acts 9:18 – And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized,

8 – 1 John 5:1-2 – Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child.  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.

9 – 1 John 3:1-5 – See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.  And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.  You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

Isaiah 11:1-2 – A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. (OT Prophet on Gifts of the Spirit)

Luke 4:18-19 – “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Jesus on gifts of the Spirit)

Acts 10:44-46 – “While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, 46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. (Peter witnesses the gifts.)

Deuteronomy 34:9 – “ Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Acts 8:17 – “ Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Maybe more later on “the laying on of hands.”

A Few Old Testament Heroes

How did the small pagan world of five thousand years ago, maybe as few as 10 million people, become the current global population of eight billion souls, approximately 30% Christian and another 30% or so believing in one God but rejecting the Trinity?

Christians rightfully see the 1st Century ministry of Jesus as the origin of the Christian Church, but that miracle was preceded by 1700 years of preparation, beginning with God’s command to Abraham to get up and go. That was the first step in setting apart a Chosen People who would lead the way from pagan polytheism through henotheism (one God for us) to monotheism (one God period, for everybody) to the Incarnation and establishment of the Church.

We might have a tendency to think that once those Chosen People, the Jews, had escaped from Egypt, had spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness, grumbling and eating manna, and had entered the Promised Land with total victory over Jericho (Joshua 6), all would have been well. Not so. There was still some 1400 years to go before the Incarnation.

For a quick feel of how much preparation was still required after the initial defeat of Jericho, skip ahead a few hundred years to 1 Samuel 4 to read about two consecutive battles lost to the Philistines, 7,000 Jews killed. Description of the battles shows that henotheism, was alive and well.

Preparation for Jesus is the essential theme of the Old Testament story, beginning with that call to Abraham about 1700 BC. It climaxed about a thousand years later when the Jewish prophet Isaiah proclaimed one God for all and the promise of a Savior. Other Old Testament heroes between Abraham and Jesus include Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, King David, Cyrus, Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Judas Maccabeus, and the prophet Isaiah. The list below assigns some approximate dates with links to Bible verses about each of these heroes.

Just to get thing off to a start, here is a quick and simple review of the ancestry of the Jewish People, who led adoption of and advocated the concept of One God for everybody but did not abandon their Jewish faith for Christianity. The earliest Christian Church included many Jews, but the Jewish establishment didn’t accept Jesus as the promised messiah.

And here, beginning with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph from the list above, are 33 great Bible stories about those heroes. Click on the links to the right for more information and then use the back arrow at upper left to get back to this post.

God chooses and sends Abraham ~1,700 BC Genesis 12:1-9
God promises the birth of Isaac. Genesis 17
God renames Jacob (Israel) Genesis 32:22-32
Joseph, Jacob’s son, sold into Egyptian slavery. Genesis 37:12-36
Joseph’s rises to power in Egypt Genesis 41:37-57
Joseph dies, his family all in Egypt. ~1450 BC Genesis 50:22-26
Israelites are enslaved in Egypt Exodus 1:8-22
Moses is born, kills, and fleas Exodus 2
God calls Moses and gives him a job. Exodus 3
The first Passover Exodus 12
Moses leads the scape from Egypt Exodus 14
The Ten Commandments (other gods?) Exodus 20
Arrival at promised land Numbers 13
Moses reviews the greatest commandment. Deuteronomy 6:1-15
Joshua replaces Moses Deuteronomy 31:1-8
Death of Moses Deuteronomy 34
Entry to the Promised Land ~1,400 BC Joshua 3
Birth of Samuel, the last of the Judges 1 Samuel 1
God Calls Samuel 1 Samuel 3
Israel demands a king. 1 Samuel 8
King David rules after failure of Saul ~1000-961 BC 2 Samuel 7
Division of the kingdom after Solomon 922 BC 1 Kings 12
God calls Isaiah the Prophet 740 BC Isaiah 6:1-8
Northern kingdom Samaria defeated by Assyria 721 BC 2 Kings 17
Southern Kingdom Jerusalem defeated by Babylon 586 BC 2 Kings 25
Only One God Period Isaiah 45:1-7
Prophecy of Jesus and Mary Isaiah 7:10-17
Prophecy of God to bless all nations Isaiah 2:1-4
God uses an outsider, Cyrus. 538 BC Ezra 1:1-11
Zerubbabel led temple reconstruction after exile. 537 BC Ezra 3
Ezra was a leader in recovery from exile. Ezra 7
Nehemiah was a leader in recovery from exile. 440 BC Nehemiah 2
Judas Maccabeus led return to Jerusalem after victory over Syria. 164 BC 2 Maccabees 10

 

 

 

Bible Tinkering and Tweaking

Father Henry Wansbrough (1934 –  ) offered this comment on the Universalis App January 1, 2026: “At a certain stage, in the 1960’s, there was a great tendency to translate the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5) as ‘happy are the poor in spirit’ etc. But God’s blessing does not mean ‘happiness’ in the sense that the poor in spirit are singing and dancing, having fun. Rather it means that God’s protective hand is over them.”

The 1960’s were a tough time. We were dealing with the Vietnam War, LBJ’s declaration of the War on Poverty, and the Sexual Revolution. The first two were doomed to failure and the third struck a blow to traditional family structure, roles, and responsibilities and to traditional Christian morals. So, we shouldn’t be surprised that some liberal Bible scholars thought that replacement of “blessed” with “happy” was a reasonable tweak. An “anything goes” attitude was gaining ground. (In the 1960’s, my wife and I were two busy with graduations, marriage, relocations, and birth of two sons to take much notice of social trends.)

Bible scholars generally agree that translations of the Bible should always start with original language documents, generally Hebrew for the Old Testament and Greek for the New Testament. However, that is not a simple task. There are no surviving original copies of any Bible books. The Southeastern Baptist Seminary, famous for Bible scholarship, lists a dozen or so ancient Greek NT manuscripts, the earliest from the 2nd Century and the latest from the 5th Century. Some are bits and pieces, and the oldest manuscript of the entire New Testament is Sinaiticus, dated in the 4th Century. Vaticanus, also a 4th Century document, is considered of high quality but doesn’t include the whole New Testament. Well, enough boring details. The purpose of this paragraph is just to explain the difficulty of choosing original Greek to translate.

Biblegateway.com is an excellent resource including more than 150 translations of the New Testament in 50 languages. It includes the Latin Vulgate, the authentic Latin Bible for the Catholic Church. The translation by Jerome from Greek and Hebrew to Latin was done in 384 AD to 405 AD, and the Council of Trent approved the Vulgate as the authentic Bible for the Catholic Church in 1546 AD. The Vulgate was probably revised some between 405 and 1546, but the meanings of those ancient Latin words never change!

Catholic approval of Bibles in other languages is typically entrusted to local church bishops charged with using the Vulgate as their guide. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops specifies the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) for Liturgy and several others including the  New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition (NRSV-CE) for personal use. Their complete list of approved versions is HERE.

I’m surprised that the Bibles approved by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops includes The Good News Translation. It was originally ( in1966!) called Good News for Modern Man. And, “Happy”  shows up nine times in Matthew 5 and 255 times in the Bible. Happy shows up only once in the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV-CE) New Testament expressing the appropriate emotion of Zacchaeus thinking of welcoming Jesus to his house.

When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him.” – Luke 19:5-6

The best advice for us is to read the Bible regularly, taking care to read versions that have not been tweaked to conform with 20th or 21st century thinking.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:2

 

CHANGE?!?!

For at least two years now I have been spending some serious morning time on the daily Mass readings for the Catholic Church. Those readings usually include related passages from the Old Testament, the Psalms, and the New Testament. They are available for reading and listening at the USCCB website and for reading only at Universalis.com. I have found that my learning is better if I listen and read simultaneously, and I normally do that a couple of times as part of the morning routine.

I use the Universalis App because it includes commentary from Father Henry Wansbrough, a 91 year old Catholic Priest who is a monk at Ampleforth Abbey in northern England. He has decades of experience with Sacred Scripture, and I figure his opinions and comments are worthy of some attention. Here is an interesting quote from the Wikipedia article: “He was an early advocate for the acceptance of Protestant scholars, persuading the editors of the Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture to remove asterisks highlighting the contributions of Protestant scholars in the second edition, arguing that “we can learn from one another”. I like that attitude and hope my Protestant friends will continue reading.

Today, December 31, 2025, the Gospel reading was the prologue to John’s Gospel, John 1:1-18. Father Wansbrough provided this bit of history in his commentary for the Universalis App: “The Prologue of St John has a special place in Christian Theology, and for centuries was recited at the end of Mass as summing up the whole work of redemption.”

That was new information for me, and I had to do a little investigating to learn more about such a significant change. I wasn’t doubting Father Wansbrough but was hungry for documentation. I typed in this question on my iPad: Is it true that the Prologue of St John has a special place in Christian theology and for centuries was recited at the end of the Mass as summing up the whole work of redemption?  I was both pleased and surprised at the AI answer which started with this paragraph:

Yes, it’s true: St. John’s Prologue (John 1:1-18) holds a profound place in Christian theology, summarizing themes of the Word (Logos) becoming flesh and summing up redemption, and for centuries was recited at the end of the Mass (the “Last Gospel”) as a fitting conclusion to the Eucharistic celebration before its removal in modern rites. It emphasizes Jesus’s pre-existence, divinity, and incarnation, making it a powerful meditation on God’s redemptive work.

What is most interesting is that the documentation provided consists almost entirely of laments of “the removal in modern rites” including recitation of John 1:1-18 at the end of Mass. That removal was a result of The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council in the early 1960’s. Here is an example of the laments.

Catholic Masses follow the same program everywhere, the only variances being the homilies delivered by the ordained priest or deacon. Since the fourth century, the Mass, except the homily, had been in Latin everywhere. Vatican Two endorsed the use of local vernacular languages to encourage and increase understanding. The new standard mass (Novus Ordo), in place now since 1969, incidentally excludes the recitation of John 1:1-18 at the end of every Mass.

Personally, I am very thankful for Vatican Two, a significant change. I doubt I would be Catholic today if the Mass were still always in Latin. If Masses were still followed by John 1:1-18 in local languages, I would be very happy with that. I would fit nicely with the Nicene Creed, the prayer of confession (Confiteor), and the Our Father Prayer, all recited now at Mass in local languages.

In the Catholic Church, change is slow and deliberate, but it does occur. Of course, we know one thing that never changes, though we can always improve our understanding.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. – Hebrews 13:8

The Nicene Creed

In 325 AD the Christian Church was about 300 years old and was “one holy, catholic, and apostolic church” meaning that it was established by Jesus, God in flesh, was universal, and was led by bishops of the time, successors of the original apostles who were followers of Jesus during his earthly ministry

Decades of study and discussion had resulted in general agreement on documents to be included in the Christian Holy Bible, but it would be another 42 years before the earliest extant publication of the list of 27 books comprising the New Testament taught by Christian Churches today.

In 325 AD, the first split in the “one holy, catholic, and apostolic” Christian Church, Eastern Orthodox vs. Western Roman Catholic in 1054 AD, was 729 years in the future, and the Protestant Reformation, which ignited unending splintering of the Church, was 1192 years in the future.

The battle for truth in Christian theology has been long and troublesome. Even in the first century, Jesus and his followers were often challenged by false teachers and false teachings. The New Testament includes mention of the antichrist denying that Jesus was divine, a different gospel, false doctrines, corrupt minds, and depraved conduct.

The battle for truth wasn’t any easier for the successors of the original apostles who were constantly fighting heresies. The church teachings were challenged in the first 300 years by Gnosticism, Docetism, Arianism, Monarchianism, Adoptionism, Marcionism, Montanism, Ebionitism, Macedonianism, and Novationism. A typical theme of the heresies was denial of the Trinity, God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a treasured belief of essentially all Christian churches today.

The Nicene Creed which originated in the First Ecumenical Council of the Christian church in 325 AD addressed Arianism, a heresy mentioned in the previous paragraph. Arianism challenged the divinity of Jesus and of The Holy Spirit. Hundreds of bishops met in Nicaea to clarify the truth about the divinity of Jesus. Thanks to Newadvent.org we have an English translation of that first Nicene Creed. The original language was Greek.

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten of his Father, of the substance of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father. By whom all things were made, both which be in heaven and in earth. Who for us men and for our salvation came down [from heaven] and was incarnate and was made man. He suffered and the third day he rose again, and ascended into heaven. And he shall come again to judge both the quick and the dead. And in the Holy Ghost. And whosoever shall say that there was a time when the Son of God was not, or that before he was begotten he was not, or that he was made of things that were not, or that he is of a different substance or essence from the Father or that he is a creature, or subject to change or conversion — all that so say, the Catholic and Apostolic Church anathematizes them.

Fifty-six years later in the 381AD First Council of Constantinople, the bishops addressed Macedonianism which denied the divinity of The Holy Spirit. They added the phrase, “And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.”

It was another 208 years until, at a Council of Toledo, the Latin church unilaterally added the Filioque phrase, “and the son,” to the Holy Spirit phrase making it “And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. What a shame that the Filioque was a contributing factor motivating that first 1054 AD split in the one holy, catholic, and apostolic church.

One thing we might take away from this narrative is that all Christian churches owe thanks to the universal Church of those early centuries for defining the contents of our New Testament and for clarifying our fundamental theology about the Trinity.

Another thing we might take away from this story is that when it comes to its responsibility for truth on theological issues, the Catholic Church is slow and deliberate.

Below is the 2025 Nicene Creed, the English version approved by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops following Vatican II (1962-1965), the 21st Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church. If curious about those 21 councils, go to magisterium.com and ask for a list of the ecumenical councils of the Catholic Church. It is interesting.

The Nicene Creed

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

Wisdom Bible Books

This post is a change of emphasis from Catholic Theology to a Bible study.

The Catholic Church classifies six or seven Bible books as Wisdom Books. The Catholic Study Bible, Second Edition, includes Psalms with the comment that Psalms is “often associated” with the Wisdom books. I have not included Psalms in this list of six.
1. Job
2. Proverbs
3. Ecclesiastes
4. Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon or Canticle of Canticles)
5. Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus)
6. Book of Wisdom (or Wisdom of Solomon)

The last two, Sirach and Book of Wisdom are excluded from many Protestant Bibles but are included in the Catholic Bible because they were in the 1st century Greek Bible, the Septuagint, the Bible of the early Christian Church.

I had a personal interest in learning more about these books and the classification they share and decided to start with Magisterium.com, an AI program that is seeded with “an ever-growing number of Church documents/resources. I asked it this simple question: What books of the Bible does the Catholic Church classify as Wisdom books and why?

Then I followed up with six questions, one for each of the books, in this format: “Write a short summary of the Book of _________ as a Wisdom Book.”

The responses to the questions were so compact and interesting, complete with references, that I decided to share them in this post instead of trying to come up with my own wording. So, I submit the following as better explanations than I could have written, even after hours of research, and as a strong endorsement and recommendation of Magisterium.com. Only some underlining of text is mine, attempts to highlight key things to remember.

The Wisdom Books per Magisterium.com

The Catholic Church classifies seven books of the Old Testament as Wisdom literature (also called sapiential writings): Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (or Canticle of Canticles), Wisdom (of Solomon), and Sirach (also known as Ecclesiasticus). These books form a distinct category within the canon of Sacred Scripture, emphasizing practical and reflective teachings on moral living, the fear of the Lord, human experience, and divine wisdom, often through poetic, proverbial, or philosophical forms rather than narrative history or prophecy.1 2 3 4 5 (Comment: Yes I noticed that the opening sentence mentions seven but the paragraph lists only six books. I guess Psalms would be the seventh.)

The Canonical Status and List of Wisdom Books

The Church’s canon, definitively affirmed at the Council of Trent (1546), includes these books as inspired Scripture, with the first four being protocanonical (accepted from the earliest Christian centuries) and the last two deuterocanonical (fully integrated into the Septuagint and Vulgate traditions).3 6 They are grouped together because they belong to the broader division of the Hebrew Bible known as the Ketuvim (Writings), but Catholic tradition highlights their shared sapiential character—derived from the Latin sapientia (wisdom)—as instructional texts that explore how to live wisely in relation to God and creation.4 5 7

  • Job: A poetic dialogue on suffering, divine justice, and the limits of human understanding, portraying wisdom as rooted in humble reverence for God’s inscrutable ways.5 7
  • Proverbs: A collection of short, practical sayings attributed largely to Solomon, teaching ethical conduct, prudence, and the pursuit of wisdom as a path to righteousness.3 4 5
  • Ecclesiastes (Qoheleth): Reflections on the vanity of earthly pursuits and the value of fearing God amid life’s uncertainties, emphasizing wisdom’s role in finding meaning.3 4 5
  • Song of Songs (Canticle of Canticles): Poetic celebration of human love, interpreted allegorically as God’s covenantal love for His people, linking eros to divine wisdom.3 5 6
  • Wisdom (of Solomon): A deuterocanonical work personifying Wisdom as a divine attribute active in creation and salvation history, urging fidelity amid persecution.1 3 5
  • Sirach (Ecclesiasticus): A deuterocanonical compilation of ethical maxims and prayers, extolling wisdom as obedience to God’s law and observance of creation’s order.2 3 5

These books are distinct from the Pentateuch (Law), historical books, and Prophets, forming the third major section of the Old Testament in Catholic Bibles.3 6 Psalms, while poetic and sometimes included in broader discussions of wisdom themes (e.g., “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” in Ps 111:10), are categorized separately as a hymnal or liturgical collection rather than core Wisdom literature.7

Reasons for This Classification

The Church classifies these books as Wisdom literature for theological, literary, and historical reasons, rooted in their content, style, and reception in Jewish and Christian tradition:

  1. Thematic Focus on Wisdom as a Divine Gift: These texts center on hokmah (Hebrew for wisdom), portrayed not as abstract knowledge but as a practical, God-given insight for righteous living. Wisdom is often personified as a feminine figure (e.g., calling people to a banquet in Prov 9:1-6 or as God’s companion in creation in Wis 7:22-8:1), inviting humanity to align with divine order amid life’s complexities.1 2 5 8 9 This contrasts with prophetic calls to repentance or historical narratives of Israel’s covenant; instead, it draws from everyday observation of nature, morality, and human frailty to reveal God’s providence.5 8 10 For instance, Sir 1:26-27 states, “If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord will supply it for you,” linking wisdom to Torah obedience and fear of the Lord.8
  2. Literary Style and Genre: They employ poetry, proverbs, riddles, and dialogues rather than straightforward prose. Hebrew poetry here is intuitive, sententious, and realistic, expressing subjective experiences without rigid forms—e.g., Job’s dramatic debates or Proverbs’ terse maxims.4 7 This gnomic (didactic) style influenced early Christian reading, as seen in New Testament allusions (e.g., Jas 4:5-6 quoting Prov 3:34).1 4 The deuterocanonical books (Wisdom and Sirach) extend this tradition in Hellenistic Greek, blending Jewish thought with philosophical elements like virtue ethics, yet remaining faithful to monotheism.1 2
  3. Historical and Canonical Development: In the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament, c. 3rd-2nd century BC), these books were grouped as sapiential works, influencing the Vulgate and Church Fathers like Augustine, who noted their authoritative status despite pseudonymous attributions (e.g., to Solomon).1 2 6 Early synods (e.g., Rome, 382 AD) and councils (e.g., Hippo, 393; Carthage, 397) listed them alongside other Scriptures.11 3 12 Rufinus (c. 404) called Wisdom and Sirach “Ecclesiastical” books suitable for edification, though fully canonical.11 Liturgically, they are read sequentially in the Roman Breviary (e.g., Proverbs in August, followed by Ecclesiastes, Wisdom, Sirach, and Job), underscoring their instructional role for moral formation.13 Jewish tradition (e.g., Talmud) similarly valued them as Hokhmah (Wisdom), though excluding deuterocanonicals post-70 AD.
  4. Theological Preparation for Christ: These books prefigure New Testament revelation, identifying Wisdom with the Logos (e.g., Wis 7:26 echoed in Heb 1:3; Prov 8 in Jn 1:1-14).1 14 9 They teach that true wisdom involves humility before mystery (Job, Ecclesiastes) and covenant love (Song of Songs), culminating in Christ’s cross as “the science of the Cross” (Wis 10:4; 14:7).14 10 This aligns with the Church’s view of Scripture as a unified whole, where Wisdom literature deepens ethical and eschatological insights.8 10In summary, these books are Wisdom literature because they uniquely guide believers toward divine wisdom through reflective, poetic instruction, fostering a life of virtue and communion with God. For deeper study, consult the Catechism of the Catholic Church (nn. 120-130) on the canon or a Catholic Bible with footnotes.

Majesterium.com on Each Book

The Book of Job, a profound work in the Catholic canon of the Old Testament’s Wisdom literature, grapples with the mystery of innocent suffering and divine providence, presenting Job as a model of patient faith amid inexplicable trials.1 Structured as a poetic dialogue framed by prose prologue and epilogue, it opens with Job—a righteous, prosperous man from the land of Uz—being tested by Satan with the loss of his wealth, family, and health, all with God’s permission, to prove his integrity (Job 1–2).1 2 Job laments his plight but refuses to curse God, engaging in heated debates with three friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar) who insist his afflictions must stem from hidden sin, a view rooted in retributive justice common to wisdom traditions.1 3 A younger interlocutor, Elihu, later argues that suffering can refine virtue without implying guilt.1 The poetic core explores themes of human limitation before God’s inscrutable wisdom, culminating in God’s direct address from the whirlwind, not explaining Job’s pain but revealing the grandeur of creation (Job 38–41), which humbles Job into repentance for presuming to question divine ways (Job 42:1–6).1 4 The epilogue restores Job’s fortunes doubly, affirming God’s justice while underscoring that suffering is not always punitive but can be a proof of divine love.1 As wisdom literature, Job challenges simplistic moral equations (e.g., prosperity for the righteous), emphasizing trust in God’s hidden providence, the limits of human understanding, and the redemptive value of patient endurance, prefiguring Christ’s passion and offering consolation to the afflicted.1 5 6 It teaches that true wisdom begins with “fear of the Lord,” acknowledging divine sovereignty over evil and history.

The Book of Proverbs stands as one of the principal wisdom books in the Old Testament, offering a collection of practical, poetic teachings on moral living, ethical conduct, and the pursuit of divine wisdom.1 2 Attributed primarily to King Solomon, son of David, it serves as a manual for righteous living, emphasizing that true wisdom begins with “the fear of the Lord” (Prov 1:7), which fosters understanding, justice, and prudent decision-making in daily life.3 1 4

Structured as a series of maxims, parables, and exhortations, the book opens with a prologue (Prov 1:1-7) outlining its purpose: to impart wisdom, instruction, and insight for all people, from the young to the wise.3 1 The core content divides into several collections: an extended introduction (chs. 1-9) personifying Wisdom as a guide who calls aloud in the streets, warning against folly, evil companions, and temptations like adultery (e.g., Prov 1:8-19; 2:1-22; 5:1-23).3 5 1 This is followed by Solomonic proverbs (chs. 10-22:16; 25-29), shorter sayings on topics such as honesty, diligence, humility, and charity (e.g., Prov 3:27-35: “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it”).6 1 Additional sections include appendices attributed to other wise figures, like the words of Agur and Lemuel (chs. 30-31), culminating in an acrostic poem praising the virtuous woman.1

Central themes revolve around the contrast between wisdom and folly, portraying wisdom as a divine gift from God that orders creation and human affairs (Prov 3:19-20), protects the upright, and leads to blessing, while folly brings ruin.6 1 4 Rooted in Israel’s covenant faith, it integrates moral instruction with reverence for God, influencing later wisdom literature like Sirach and drawing from ancient Near Eastern traditions while affirming Yahweh as the ultimate source of insight.7 1 8 In Catholic tradition, Proverbs is protocanonical, quoted in the New Testament (e.g., Rom 12:19-20), and valued for forming consciences in ethical matters, reminding believers that wisdom is not mere human prudence but participation in God’s mind.1 2 9

The Book of Ecclesiastes, attributed to “Qoheleth” (the Teacher or Preacher, traditionally linked to Solomon), is a profound Wisdom Book in the Old Testament that grapples with the enigmas of human existence under the sun.1 2 It opens with the famous refrain, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity,” emphasizing the fleeting, ephemeral nature of life’s pursuits—wisdom, pleasure, wealth, labor, and even life itself—which ultimately yield no lasting gain amid cycles of repetition and inevitable death.1 3 2 Qoheleth observes that generations come and go, but the earth endures, and human endeavors often lead to sorrow, as “in much wisdom is much vexation, and those who increase knowledge increase sorrow” (Eccl 1:18).2

Through reflective inquiry, the book critiques the limits of human wisdom, noting its superiority to folly yet ultimate futility, since the wise and foolish share the same fate.1 4 Qoheleth explores private vanities like the pursuit of pleasure and toil, concluding that such efforts are “a chasing after wind,” leaving one to despair over what must be left to uncertain successors.4 Public injustices compound this, as the righteous perish while the wicked prosper, yet the sage advises moderation: avoid excess in righteousness or wickedness, and embrace a balanced life.1 5 Despite these contradictions, Qoheleth counsels modest enjoyment of God’s gifts—eating, drinking, and finding joy in work—as a divine provision, urging contentment within life’s narrow bounds set by Providence.1 3 4

The book’s moral core, rooted in covenantal wisdom, calls for reverence toward God amid life’s inconsistencies: “Fear God, and keep his commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone” (Eccl 12:13).3 6 It warns against overreaching human understanding, which cannot unravel all mysteries, and reminds readers to remember their Creator in youth before old age’s decline and death’s approach.1 6 Ultimately, Ecclesiastes offers consolation by directing hope beyond earthly vanities toward divine judgment and eternal perspective, affirming that true wisdom lies in submission to God’s will.1 3

In summary, as a Wisdom Book, Ecclesiastes teaches that life’s transience fosters humility and piety, encouraging faithful labor and enjoyment without illusion, all under the fear of God that alone endures.

The Song of Songs, also known as the Canticle of Canticles, holds a unique place in Catholic Wisdom literature as a poetic masterpiece attributed to King Solomon, forming part of the triad of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and itself, which outlines a spiritual progression: moral instruction for beginners (Proverbs), detachment from worldly vanities (Ecclesiastes), and ultimate union with God through contemplative love for the perfect soul.1 2 Unlike the proverbial or reflective style of other wisdom books, it is a lyrical collection of love poems celebrating the mutual affection between a bridegroom (traditionally Solomon) and his bride (the Shulammite woman), depicting scenes of courtship, wedding procession, and marital bliss, with vivid imagery of gardens, vineyards, and natural beauty.3 This exaltation of human love reaches its poetic summit in the Hebrew Scriptures, drawing on the ideal of family life while valuing virginity as a virtue preparatory for covenantal union.4

In Catholic tradition, the book’s literal sense describes conjugal love, but its deeper, allegorical interpretation—affirmed by the Church and patristic writers like Origen, Ambrose, and St. Bernard—portrays the intimate, spousal relationship between God and Israel, Christ and the Church, or Christ and the individual soul purified by grace.3 2 As the pinnacle of Old Testament wisdom, it invites readers to contemplate divine love as superior to earthly delights (“Thy love is better than wine”5), nourishing mystical theology and asceticism by illustrating the soul’s journey from betrothal to eternal embrace, free from spot or blemish.3 This spiritual marriage motif echoes throughout Scripture (e.g., Ephesians 5:23-32; Revelation 19:7) and underscores the book’s role in guiding believers toward heavenly communion.2 6

The Book of Sirach, also known as Ecclesiasticus, is a deuterocanonical wisdom book in the Catholic Old Testament, attributed to Jesus ben Sira (or Ben Sira), a Jewish scribe and teacher from Jerusalem in the early second century B.C.1 2 It serves as a practical handbook for moral and ethical living, blending traditional Jewish wisdom with reverence for the Torah and the “fear of the Lord,” which the author equates with the beginning, root, and fullness of true wisdom (Sir 1:14-20; 24:22).3 4

Structured as a collection of proverbs, maxims, instructions, and poetic reflections, Sirach addresses everyday aspects of life, emphasizing virtues like humility, justice, prudence, and charity while warning against vices such as pride, greed, anger, and folly.3 5 Key themes include:

  • Family and Social Relationships: Guidance on honoring parents (Sir 3:1-16; 7:27-28), choosing a worthy spouse (Sir 7:19, 25-26), disciplining children (Sir 7:23-25), treating slaves and laborers justly (Sir 7:20-21), and cultivating true friendships (Sir 6:5-17; 9:10).1 3 6
  • Piety and Worship: Calls to fear God, obey the Law, support priests (Sir 7:29-31), and integrate faith into daily actions, including prayer and almsgiving (Sir 4:1-10; 35:1-24).2 3 7
  • Social Ethics and Prudence: Advice on dealings with the powerful, the poor, and strangers; moderation in wealth, speech, and travel; and compassion for the afflicted (Sir 4:1-10; 8:1-19; 9:1-18).3 8 7
  • Wisdom’s Divine Origin: Wisdom is portrayed as God’s gift, poured out on creation and especially on those who seek it through obedience and humility, leading to a blessed life and eternal reward (Sir 1:1-10; 24:1-34).4 5

The book praises Israel’s heroes (Sir 44-50) and underscores God’s sovereignty, justice, and mercy, integrating personal experience with divine revelation to foster a holistic, God-centered life.2 3 5 Its timeless counsel promotes dialogue with other cultures while rooting ethics in covenant fidelity, making it a vital resource for Christian moral formation.3

The Book of Wisdom, also known as the Wisdom of Solomon, is a deuterocanonical work in the Old Testament, classified among the Sapiential Books alongside Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Sirach. Composed in Greek likely in Alexandria around the first century BC, it reflects Hellenistic Jewish thought while emphasizing divine wisdom as a guide for righteous living, moral discernment, and eternal life.1 Attributed pseudonymously to King Solomon, the book personifies Wisdom as a divine attribute—eternal, emanating from God, and accessible through prayer and fidelity to His law—urging readers, especially rulers, to seek her above all earthly pursuits.2

The text divides into two main parts. Chapters 1–9 form a speculative exposition on Wisdom’s nature and value: it begins with a warning against the folly of the ungodly, who persecute the just yet face divine judgment (chs. 1–5); exhorts kings to pursue Wisdom as a gift from God (ch. 6); and describes the author’s prayer for Wisdom, portraying her as a breath of God’s power, a reflection of eternal light, and a partner in creation who renews all things and befriends holy souls (chs. 7–9).3 Wisdom here is not mere human prudence but participation in God’s mind, enabling insight into creation, history, and moral choices, ultimately leading to immortality for the righteous.4

Chapters 10–19 shift to a historical review, retelling salvation history from Adam to the Exodus to illustrate Wisdom’s protective role: she guides the righteous (e.g., through the flood, Babel, and the Red Sea), contrasts with idolatry’s folly, and demonstrates God’s merciful justice in punishing Egypt’s oppressors while saving Israel.5 Throughout, the book integrates philosophical reflection with theology, affirming that true wisdom fears the Lord, rejects sin, and aligns human life with divine providence, offering a bridge between Jewish tradition and emerging Christian eschatology.6

In essence, as a Wisdom Book, it teaches that divine Wisdom—intelligent, holy, and all-pervading—transforms believers into friends of God, fostering justice, humility, and eternal joy amid trials.7

Magisterium.com – Find out everything you might want to know about this powerful software at this link. I recommend it for all Catholics and anybody curious about Catholic Theology.

Christian Baptism

Baptism, the gateway to membership in the Church, is the first of seven sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony) established by Jesus during his earthly ministry and entrusted to the Church he founded. Baptism is a pre-requisite for reception of the other six sacraments.

Basis and Commandment

The importance of baptism and the meaning of it are based on the baptism of Jesus as reported in Matthew 3:13-17. Present at that baptism were Jesus, The Father, and The Holy Spirit.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” – Matthew 3:13-17

The command of Jesus to the Church to baptize is in the passage known as The Great Commission, Matthew 28:19-20.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20

The Process

The essential ingredients of Christian Baptism are immersion in or pouring on the head of water, right intent, and invocation of the Trinity. Those together effect the process of immersion into the death of Christ and rising with Him as a new creature with a share in Christ’s priesthood and the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The process begins with explanation of the sacrament to the person to be baptized, or to the parents of an infant to be baptized, resulting in understanding and a profession of faith as part of the process.

Baptism can be by total immersion in water or by pouring water over the head as a bishop, priest, or deacon says, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The baptism is followed by an anointing which signifies and acknowledges the presence of The Holy Spirit.

In case of Emergency such as imminent death or no availability of a bishop, priest, or deacon, Any baptized Christian who has the right intention and uses the proper Trinitarian formula may validly baptize.

The Result and Responsibility

Catholic baptism is not something done by us in memory of Jesus or to follow the example of Jesus but is an act of God entrusted to the church to cleanse of and forgive sin and to bring us into the Church, the first step in our journey to a life pleasing to God.

We will never be free of sin in this life, but we can be pleasing to God once our focus is on love of God and neighbor. This goal of perfection is explained and expressed in Matthew 5:43-48.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. – Matthew 5:43-48.

That perfection is possible because we are changed by God when baptized as described in 2 Corinthians 5:16-21.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. – 2 Corinthians 5:16-21. 

Summary (Thanks to magisterium.com)

In Catholic theology, baptism is not merely a symbolic ritual; it is a sacrament instituted by Christ that, through water, the Word, and the Trinitarian invocation, forgives sin, confers sanctifying grace, and incorporates the baptized into the Body of Christ. Its rite—immersion or pouring, anointing, and the Trinitarian formula—effects a permanent spiritual seal, making the baptized a child of God, a sharer in Christ’s priesthood, and a participant in the Church’s mission. As the first sacrament of Christian initiation, it opens the way to all other sacraments and to the full life of discipleship.

Personal Comment

I was baptized March 30, 1951, age 9, at the First Baptist Church, Maryville, TN. I have that detail because, as part of my conversion in 2011 to the Catholic Church, I was asked to provide documentation of Christian baptism. That baptism was deemed valid by the Catholic Church so I was able to begin the process there with the sacrament of Confirmation. The Catholic church does not repeat valid baptisms because that would imply doubting the validity.

Truth and Love

It is unfortunate that the 21st Century meanings of truth and love do not do justice to the important ancient Greek and Hebrew words translated as truth and love in most English Bibles. Now we tend to talk easily of scientific truth, religious truth, and personal truth, giving the most weight to scientific truth but each of us entitled to our own truth. And we love God, neighbor, peanut butter, football, and our iPhones. It is common now to talk of four types of truth, objective, subjective, normative, and complex. And we are just told now that love has many meanings. So, what is our 21st century theological understanding to be  of Jesus saying “I am the way, the truth, and the life” or that we should love our neighbor as ourself?

Truth in Hebrew

The primary 1st century Hebrew word for truth was ‘Emet (אֱמֶת) meaning firmness, faithfulness, or truth. An example is Psalm 119:142 – Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and your law is the truth.

There was no optional meaning of the Hebrew word such as personal or religious truth and no Hebrew word suggesting a different kind of truth except maybe one translated opinion as in this verse: But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive opinions. They will even deny the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. – 2 Peter 2:1

Truth in Greek

The primary 1st century Greek word for truth was Aletheia (ἀλήθεια) which was understood as meaning reality. It is translated as truth in John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. There is no modifier such as religious or personal in front of the word and no suggestion that it was an opinion. That was Jesus Christ, God in flesh, declaring that he is the truth.

The idea of separating scientific truth and religious truth and allowing personal truth was a product of the Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution. For 1st century Biblical writers, truth was rooted in God alone.

A 21st century person who wants to “follow the science” instead of following God must be prepared to be on the move because scientists are continually learning about God’s creation. The informed Christian still believes that truth is rooted in God alone and that learning more about and worshipping and serving God are appropriate goals. Of course we are all entitled to our own opinions, but opinions may or may not be truths.

Love in Hebrew

A powerful 1st century Hebrew word for love, often translated in the Bible as “steadfast love or loving kindness” was Hesed (חֶסֶד). It’s basic meaning was goodness or kindness, supporting the idea that Biblical love has nothing to do with emotion or with hunger for peanut butter but has hands and feet and focuses on God and on helping people and improving processes that help people.

Love in Greek

The key Greek New Testament word translated as love in English Bibles is Agape (ἀγάπη).  Arguably the most pertinent use of that word in the New Testament is in the response of Jesus to a question about the greatest law. He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ – Matthew 22:37-38. And the story of The Good Samaritan makes it clear that Agape has nothing to do with emotion or hunger but is about doing things to meet the needs of others.

It is interesting that the 4th-3rd century Latin Vulgate, the official Bible of the Catholic Church, translated Agape as caritas and that the King James Version followed that example and translated it as charity. So now we have 1 Corinthians 13:13 published as “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” in the English King James Bible and as “And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” in the NRSVCE Bible.

The expert opinion of why this happened is that caritas and charity at the times of those translations had much deeper meaning than charity has today. Now donating $100 a year to a food bank qualifies. In the forth and seventeenth centuries they implied dedicated focus on helping others.

Any Solutions?

So, what do we do about the changing of meanings of important words? What words today would carry the meanings that Jesus intended when speaking of Aletheia or Agape? Unfortunately, there are several hundred English versions of the Bible. Maybe one more, translating Aletheia as “God’s Truth” and Agape as “sacrificial care for others” would be appropriate.