Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:01 Yesterday, we considered the fact we're all members of a fall on race by nature, born children of wrath. Excluding of course our lady, because of Adam's sin, men are now born without sanctifying grace. And we considered the fact that in order to live the life of heaven, we have to be supernaturally alive. We have to have sanctifying grace. We saw as the most important thing that we'll ever do is die. If we die with supernatural life, we can live with the light, the life of heaven. If we die without it, we can't today. We'll consider the circumcision of our Lord, not our way of thinking. That might seem like a funny thing to think about let alone to celebrate, but to the degree we think that way that's the degree. We don't think with the church since this is one of the great feasts. So let's take a few minutes this morning to make sure we understand why this is such a great feast to do that.
Speaker 0 00:00:58 We'll take a real quick look at a few things in the beginning that we've already considered. In previous years, we'll look at circumcision in old Testament, our Lord circumcision and what this has to do with us. And finally, we'll consider another interesting point. Now we're only going to hit the high points today. If you really want to make a lot more connections and you have the time, be helpful, some time to dig out the sermons on the precious blood and sermons on baptism Christmas and new years from a year ago. Listen to those again. And if you're really ambitious, you could sit down and read st Paul's that or the Romans and his letter to the Hebrews. Okay? Having said that circumcision in the old Testament, we all know that God gave the commandment of circumcision to Abraham. When he told Abraham that he would make of him a great nation, that in Abraham, all the nations of the earth would be blessed.
Speaker 0 00:01:47 It's in Genesis chapter 12, that's a covenant of Abraham. He enters into this blood covenant with God. The sign of his blood covenant with God was circumcision. Now why circumcision? The point was it out of Abraham was giving God of his personal blood from the very source of his fatherhood. What Abraham was doing at God's command is pleasuring himself and his seed. The tribe of all those who will be descended from him in this blood covenant with God. In other words, Abraham is standing there in the place of all his descendants. And so there's one man, Andersen to this covenant with God on behalf of himself and all his descendants. Adam represented all his descendants from God. That's why we're here. That's where the mess comes from what he did now. Abraham is representing all his descendants before God, God accepts Abraham's blood sacrifice and rewards by freeing all those in this covenant, from original sin in the old Testament circumcision on the eighth day, free the baby from original sense, a circumcision for shadowed infant baptism as a great Saint doctor, the church, the venerable beats as quote, you ought to know that circumcision under the law rot the same healing against the wound of original sin as does baptism in his time of real grace, except that under circumcision, they were not able to enter the gate of the heavenly kingdom close quote, the venerable beat.
Speaker 0 00:03:17 So it forgives original sin, but it doesn't open heaven because heaven isn't open yet. Pope innocent. The third makes this same point quote, although original sin was remitted by the mystery of circumcision and the danger of damnation was avoided. Nevertheless, there was no arriving at the kingdom of heaven, which up to the death of Christ was barred to all. But through the sacrament of baptism, the guilt of one made read by the blood of Christ is remitted unto the kingdom of heaven. One also arrives whose gate the blood of Christ has mercifully opened for his faithful close quote, Pope innocent the third. Okay. We might wonder why circumcision of all things, a fitting way to Freeman from original sin. Well, first off a Saint Paul makes clear and Hebrews nine 22, there is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood. And Abraham is shitting blood from the very source by which original sin is passed onto his descendants.
Speaker 0 00:04:12 As Saint Thomas Kwan says, quote, original sin is contracted through the act of generation close quote. And since original sin comes from Adam, we all inherited original standard from our fathers. Saint Thomas says, quote, original students contracted from the father, not from the mother close quote. So now we can see why it's a fitting way to free men from original sin. We can also see why this pertain only to men in the old Testament. Girls can be forgiven original sin, and those days merely by offering them up to the lower part to circumcision of our Lord, all the commandments of the law perfectly fulfilled in Christ. Therefore days after his birth, he was circumcised now because Jesus was circumcised. According to the law, he entered into that blood covenant between God and the seed of Abraham. Of course, our Lord didn't have original sin. He couldn't have original sin in the first place because he's got okay.
Speaker 0 00:05:16 Last myth, Steven thinking the second place, although original sin was passed down to each one of us all the way down from Adam through our own father Christ. Our Lord doesn't have a human father. Okay. So absolutely speaking, although it wasn't absolutely necessary that the blessed version be immaculate. You can see since Christ didn't have a human father, still God got to make his own mother. And there's just no way he would ever allowed a single state to stay in his blessed mother, even. Okay. So why did he get circumcise him Saint Thomas Aquinas's among other reasons that this prevented the Jews from rejecting Christ for being uncircumcised, that it showed his willingness to accept the burdens of the law of Moses in order to obtain freedom for us and the demonstrated Christ membership among the children of Abraham makes them one of the children, maybe part three, how does this apply to us?
Speaker 0 00:06:11 Well, in our hand misses, we see right there in the Canon and the Canada mass, we talked about our patriarch, Abraham, our father in the faith. Now it doesn't matter for Croatian or Sylvanian or Mexican or German or Irish or French or Spanish or Indian or anything, any of the tribes of man, unless we're Ashley of Hebrew descent, we might wonder how can Abraham possibly be our patriarch, our father? How is it that Abraham became our father? How does that work? Let's see, we've seen it. Baptism takes the place of circumcision. We all know the Baptist wants to just free from a original actual sin. We know by the virtue of our baptism, we're supernaturally United to Christ. We become members of Christ, mystical body. We're placed in the state of grace. We get that supernatural life. And so that means we share in and have one in the same life, this divine life of Jesus.
Speaker 0 00:07:10 All right, we know all that. So what we already know that we don't have to get circumcised, we just get baptized. What does that have to do with the feast of circumcision? Circumcision was a ceremony that only applied to the descendants of Abraham and it's power to forgive original sin and at 20 centuries ago. All right. So what, what God promised Abraham that in him, all the nations of the earth would be blessed. The sign that promise was circumcision. And we received that promise because we've been baptized now, wait a minute, father, you left something out there. How does the son who God's the son of God's promise to Abraham of circumcision? And will you receive that promise by baptism? How does that work? How does that work? When we're baptized, we entered into the life of Christ. We became members of his body and he was circumcised on our behalf, but his circumcision Christ was enrolled as one of the children of Abraham.
Speaker 0 00:08:08 He was enrolled as an heir to the promises given to Abraham. That means that when we were incorporated into Christ, by Holy baptism, we ourselves also became heirs to the promise of Abraham. That's what Saint Paul means in Galatians three. And cautions two, when he says for as many of you has been baptized to put on Christ in whom also you're circumcised with circumcision, not made by hand, but in a circumcision of Christ. So on the eighth day, when our Lord was circumcised, he became an heir to the promises of Abraham and by our union with Christ, our Lord, we all become not only adopted sense of God, but adopted sons of Abraham. We can truly call Abraham our patriarch, our father, and faith, and set by celebrating the great feast of circumcision. We're celebrating the fact that already at only eight days of age Christ, our Lord underwent this little suffering on our behalf.
Speaker 0 00:09:02 All those that are not descended from the Hebrews so that we could be recipients of the promises made to our father Abraham quick review. This section we've seen the God promised to Abraham, all nations. We blessed in him that Abraham entered into this blood covenant with God, a family relationship with God and a sign of blood cone. It was circumcision by circumcision. On the eighth day of the sentence, Abraham became heirs to his promises and shedding of blood freedom from original sin. We've seen it Christ or Lord became an air to those promises by his circumcision. Now by our baptism, we become members of Christ and therefore airs to the promises, spiritual sons, Abraham free from original sin and capable of entering that heavenly promised land. Okay. Part four, the Jews in order to really appreciate the significance of the circumcision. We have to spend a few minutes this morning talking about the Jews.
Speaker 0 00:09:55 We'll briefly discuss four commonly misunderstood topics, one antisemitism to biblical Judaism, three, the relationship between Catholicism, the biblical Judaism, and for rabbinic Judaism one, and I sent it to ism. Many Catholics are completely confused as to the correct meaning of antisemitism. We'll start by stating a few things. It does not mean. And I Semitism does not mean opposition to the Jewish religion does not mean opposition to the behavior and or policies of powerful Jewish individuals, whether in business media or government, it does not mean opposition designers. It is not being opposition to the behavior and or policies of the state of Israel. Okay. Then what does antisemitism mean? I'll answer that by quoting a reply given by the Holy office in 1928, the Holy office is now I'll call the congregation for the doctrine of faith until recently it was headed by Cardinal Ratzinger. Okay.
Speaker 0 00:10:55 This is an official definition of antisemitism given by Rome, the only office quote, as the apostolic see condemns every form of hatred and jealousy between nations. So in a special manner, it condemns hatred of the people once chosen by God. This hatred is commonly designated as antisemitism close quote. I'll repeat that as the Apostolics. He condemns every form of hatred and jealousy between nations. So in a special manner, condemns hatred of the people once chosen by God. This hatred is commonly designated as antisemitism three things to notice about this Roman definition. First note, the use of the phrase, the people once chosen by God. This is critical to understand why does the church call the Jews? The people once chosen by God, because they are no longer the chosen people they harmed? No. Well, who is we are, that's the whole point of today's feast.
Speaker 0 00:11:56 That's why it's such a great freestyle. What are the true legitimate heirs of Abraham and his promises? Second point notice that the church condemns every form of hatred and jealousy between nations, all nations. In other words, just as every form of hatred and jealousy between men as individuals is condemned. We already know that. Okay. So also the same sins are condemned between nations third point hatred of the Jewish nation is condemned in a special manner by the church. Why the late great domestic theologian father Fe answer's quote because they're the nation and rates in which the word became flesh. I Lord, is who choose the house of David. This hatred of chooses at people is commonly designated by the term. Had I Semitism close quote. So the true meaning of antisemitism is a hatred of Jews as a race, as a particular people. In other words, antisemitism is a particular type of, as sin of racism and racism is always wrong.
Speaker 0 00:12:53 Okay? But we must also see, clearly it's not anti-Semite it's medic or central to, for us to be opposed to Jewish political influence Jewish business or financial influence Jewish cultural influence, or especially Jewish religious influence any more than it's sinful for us to be opposed to the same things with Islamic influences in these same areas. This needs to be understood. Paul posse 11 makes this point perfectly clear, quote, it's impossible for Christians to be add a Semites by this. He means it's impossible for us to do it without sending. It is impossible for Christians to the antisemites, but we acknowledged that everyone has the right to defend himself. In other words, to take the necessary precautions for his protection against everything that threatens his legitimate interests. So it was called the vicar of Christ. So if the ADL is screaming, bloody murder about a particular Catholic event or something, it's not being antisemitic to oppose them, they need to be opposed at the Pope.
Speaker 0 00:13:52 It is impossible for Christians to be antisemites, but we acknowledge that everyone has the right to defend himself. In other words, to take the necessary precautions for his protection against everything that threatens his legitimate interest. Okay. Second point, biblical Judaism, biblical Judaism. This is the religion that came into being with a covenant between God and Abraham, which received the laws and liturgical ceremonies from God. I'm not Sinai, which ended some 40 years after the crucifixion with the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, in 70 a D this religion no longer exists. It's extinct, it's gone forever. Period, close the book. It's gone. Third point the relationship between biblical Judaism and Catholicism, it will be clear where it went. Your thoughts ism is the fulfillment and the, of biblical Judaism and has super seeded it, which is precisely why biblical Judaism no longer exists. We have the true high priest, our Holy father, Paul, we have the true priest of God, the Catholic priesthood. We have the true Levi. So it's the deacons. We have a true sacrifice, which is placed in God. The Holy sacrifice, the mass, we have the true temple, the Catholic churches scattered throughout the world. Where are they? There's to the promise. We're now the chosen people. It's no longer a question of bloodlines. It's no longer a question of a natural life, which was inherited naturally, but it's a question of supernatural life, which is given to mankind by grace
Speaker 1 00:15:39 Fourth point,
Speaker 0 00:15:39 Okay. Rabbinic, Judaism, Judaism, as it exists today, rabbinic Judaism was originally correct created by the various Pharisees who liked st. Paul before his conversion refused to believe in our Lord. As one Israeli intellectual has recently noted quote, perfect Israel. You've all of Hebrew university moved that rabbinic Judaism came out of the ruins of the old temple center, biblical Judaism, practically. At the same time as Christianity, Christianity actually superseded biblical truth Judaism and became the faith of millions. It's still a small band of men, challenged it's advent and altered offered an alternative rabbinic, Judaism, rabbinic, tutees, and produced its own Holly books, the Mishnah and the Talmud as Christianity produced the new Testament professor, you've all wrote, quote, the biblical Judaism died all religions claim to be legitimate heir Christianity or Bennett Judaism. Thus, the Judaism we know of is a jealous sister, not a mother, faith, Christianity, its practitioners are not the people who remain faithful to the old religion as a biblical Judaism with its sacrifices, Jerusalem temple, rich Hill parody ties and priest disappeared.
Speaker 0 00:16:56 2000 years ago. It is a new faith explicitly made to fight Christianity, Jews. Aren't just, non-Christians like we're non Buddhist. They are anti-Christian even now when the majority Jews have ceased to practice the rules of the faith, this anti-Christian streak is not gone for extended instance about ties to is banned from receiving Israeli citizens by the law of return close quote, Israel Shamir. This was written by a man whose con is a convert from an ethnic Judaism to Greek orthodoxy and important points. Points out that have been at Judaism comes out of the rooms of the old Campbell center, biblical Judaism, as a direct challenge to Christianity, the leaders were the leaders that rejected Christ, huh? It produces its own books. The mission and the Talmud just as we produced the new Testament, two religions both make the claim to be the legitimate yes. To biblical Judaism, that's us and rabbinic Judaism.
Speaker 0 00:17:58 So the Judaism we know is he cellist sister, not another faith Christianity. It's a new faith explicitly made to fight Christianity. Modern chews are not the people who remain faithful to old religion since biblical Judaism with its sacrifices, Jerusalem, temple ritual, purity ties, and peer priests disappeared 2000 years ago. Modern Jews are not the chosen people. Okay? The fact that being a member of the chosen people is no longer limited to them is the whole point of two days. Feast. This feast celebrates the fact we no longer have to be members in the Hebrew nation. We no longer have to be physically descended from Abraham in order to become children of the promise. We no longer have to be physically descended from Abraham in order to become the real heirs of Abraham. That even though we may not be Hebrew, we are now each members of the chosen people or celebrating the fact that to be a member of the chosen people.
Speaker 0 00:18:55 It's not a question of bloodlines. It's no longer a racial issue. Our Lord has done away with all that. The real division mankind is now whether or not we are members of Christ, whether or not we've received adoption as a sons of God, by which we become heirs to the promise of Abraham. So modern Jews are not the church, it and people, but they still can be Bobby Comey Catholic, just like the rest of them and the kingdom of God, the bloodlines no longer matter. It's not a racial issue. We're the chosen people. And we long for the day when the choose and all of mankind will join us Neely before the crib of our savior.
