Scripture with the Fathers

We review Chapter 43 and then consider the thoughts of St. John Chrysostom regarding the sons of Israel (Jacob) when, driven by famine to go to Egypt and meet Joseph. St. John describes how Joseph's brothers consciences, convict them when Joseph treats them roughly and accuses them as spies. They are convicted of their crime when they suffer distress at the hands of Joseph. Yet Joseph treats t...

Being treated as spies and roughly so, Joseph's brothers, who had attempted to kill him, but sold him into slavery and lied to their father, come to acknowledge their sin. Simeon, the oldest, whose job it was to protect Joseph, is held in prison as a hostage to test them. It is through this that they begin to come to repentance. Recognizing our sin, which sometimes comes only as through punish...

What does it mean to not judge? How do we then know right from wrong? Should we not correct others who's behavior is not in keeping with the commands of the Gospel? How can we live according to the commands of Christ if we cannot judge our own behavior or those whom we love? We gain insight by looking to Ezekiel and St. Paul in Scripture. We look at commentaries from Dr. Scott Hahn and Curtis...

When we see with the eye of the soul, we see the things of this world as things to be used to further the kingdom, to serve others and the Church. Jesus reiterates the Law of Moses in sharing what we have been given with those who are in need. If the eye of the soul is illuminated by God, we serve that which we see and to where our heart is turned. Anxiousness is rooted in not living in the now, b...

We discover the topology of Joseph as a Christ like figure in the Old Testament. We hear from St. John Chrysostom and look at Psalms, Daniel and Matthew. We can see in the life of Joseph a foreshadowing of the life of Christ.

Jesus teaches us to fast. What is the teaching of the Church on fasting? We look to the Catechism and the Code of Canon Law to see what the official teaching is on these aspects of piety. So How do we fast and what do I do with my treasure? What is my treasure? And where is my treasure? We look to Psalm 49, St. John Chrysostom and St. Jerome to see what this means.

Pharaoh has a dream that none can interpret. Not the priests of their religion, not his magicians, nor Pharaoh's "wise men" could interpret the dream. Joseph is remembered by the butler, the wine bearer and Joseph is brought before Pharaoh. God, through Joseph, properly interprets Pharaoh's dream. Joseph is appointed to the office of Vizer of Pharaoh. We go through Haydock's...

The Fathers break down for us the Lord's prayer and what it means, what is it means. In order to understand this, we must go back to the original Greek text. What is this daily bread that we ask for? Does God lead us into temptation? How do we gain knowledge of ourself and any weakness that must be corrected to become fully refined in virtue.

Joseph interprets the dreams of the Baker and the Butler. Joseph doesn't rail against those that have done him great injustice and falsely accused him. Rather, he only states his innocence and asks the butler to remember him when he is restored to his position. We hear from St. John Chrysostom extolling the virtues of Joseph. We look at St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians and the Gospel According...

When we pray are we praying for the Glory of God or vain glory for myself? What about repetitive prayer like the heathens? Is the Rosary, the litany of the Saints, the Precious Blood or the litany of the Blessed Virgin a reconstitution of the prayers like the heathens? Aren't those prayers simple repetition? We look to the Fathers, principly Augustine and Chrysostom, but also we look into the...

Joseph retains his virtue by escaping Potiphar's lustful wife. Potiphar has Joseph put into a dungeon. We see by reading the Hebrew text that Joseph would seem to be in the same position as when his brothers put him into a pit. Joseph remains trusting in divine providence and God deals favorable with Joseph as Joseph remains in his virtue, particularly his meekness and docility to the Lord's worki...

The three basics of Christian life Jesus affirms what every Jew would have known as basic piety. But Jesus tells us not to do this for others to see. Yet we engage in public prayer, particularly in the worship of God through the Sacrifice of the Mass. How do we square that circle? The Fathers give us the answer. We also look to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Joseph is a topological Christ and displays great virtue in the midst of many trials and in the face of great temptation. Joseph's is graced by God and prospers in everything he does, as do those to whom he is a servant. We hear from St. Cyril of Alexandria and St. John Chrysostom to gain insight into how the events of Joseph, son of Israel, are timeless and perhaps more so now in these our times.

Jesus teaches that the internal disposition of the person brings about transgressions of the law. Anger brings about murder, lust adultery which leads to divorce, swearing oaths leads to lies, retaliation leads to vengeance and injustice, love of enemies and not just those who can return that love.

The failures and sinfulness of man do not thwart God's purposes for the salvation of man realized in Jesus. In fact, it is precisely through man's failures and sin that God weaves His story and shows man's need for Him and how He shows man to himself. Even within this illicit union of Judah and Tamar, God brings forth the lineage of King David and the everlasting King, Jesus.

What does it mean that Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Prophets? Or is it better to say that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law of the Prophets? We look to Scripture into the Old and into the New Testament and consider the commentary from Curtis Mitch and Dr. Edward Sri, St. Jerome, Rabanus Maurus, Archbishop of Mayence, A.D. 847, and St. John Chrysostom in how Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law...

We hear from St. Cyril of Alexandria breaking down Chapter 37 with a look forward to Christ. We look to the Psalms, Jeremiah, Isaiah and St. Matthew in the writing of St. Cyril. Because God doesn't waste words, we see much in all the details.

We continue with The Sermon of the Mount and discuss how the Fathers, Chrysostom, Hilary and Augustine give us insight into why Jesus is using these themes of Salt and Light. Why Salt and Light? We also see in the prophet and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church this theme of Salt and Light.

In this episode we cover the last four of the beatitudes 6-9 and hear from St. Ambrose, St. Jerome, St. John Chrysostom, St. Augustine and St. Gregory the Great. St. Augustine breaks out for us the Beatitudes in the hierarchy of the beatitudes and how they bring us to peace within in the integration of the soul and then that allows us to bring peace to others and strength us to be able to withstan...

We begin in this episode the "Joseph Cycle" that will continue to the end of Genesis. Was Joseph purley innocent in being put upon by his brothers? We hear from Dr. Bergsma and Dr. Pitre to give us the genre of Genesis and in particular, the Joseph cycle. We also hear from St. Cyril of Alexandria. The Joseph Cycle opens with the narrative of Joseph's brothers intending to kill him, t...

In this episode we look at the Beatitudes individually from the perspective of Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine and Chrysostom. When Jesus takes His seat on the mountain and preaches the Sermon on the Mount, was he saying anything brand new, or was He teaching that which He had spoken before in the law, the prophets, and the writings? Was Jesus simply fulfilling the prophecy that God Himself would teach...

Was Job a real person? Esau makes peace with Jacob and peoples the lands around Canaan. Like Lot and Abraham, Jacob and Esau separate, Jacob remains in the land of the promise while Esau settles in the surrounding areas.

Why is Jesus sitting while teaching? Can we find anything in Scripture to give us an indication of why and what it might mean? Is "seeing the crowds, just seeing, or is that a weak English words that sort of translates from the original Greek? We look to St. Augustine and St. John Chrysostom to gain some insight.

The little gems in this Chapter foreshadow the death of the Holy Innocents. The Chapter gives us a quick summary of God's promise to Abraham, Isaac and now with Jacob. St. Cyril of Alexandria gives us the keys to understand this Chapter in light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Rachel and the prophet of Jeremiah are heard from as well.

Why did Jesus begin his ministry in Capernaum? Was this just a random luck of the draw or was there a purpose in Jesus using Capernaum as his home base at Peter's home? We look to the Old Testament to gain insight to why Jesus is where He is and why He goes to where He goes.