Thursday, June 8, 2017
Why do Christians observe the Sabbath on Sunday?
While Jesus lay in the tomb, the heart of time skipped a beat.
Under natural circumstances, the going down and rising of the sun determines the ending and beginning of a day. But a supernatural event overshadows the natural, and the Divine Will subsumes the cycles of creation. Those who are of the Spirit know that the Light of the World is Jesus Christ, and His going down occurred the afternoon of the sixth day and His rising determined the start of the next day, the new Sabbath, the new seventh day. So what was formerly the first day of the week became the last, the Sabbath, which is the Hebrew word for seventh.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Catholic Bible - new revised edition March 9, 2011
[the below text copied from USCCB website March 6, 2011]
The New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE)
Released on March 9, 2011, the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) is the culmination of nearly 20 years of work by a group of nearly 100 scholars and theologians, including bishops, revisers and editors. The NABRE includes a newly revised translation of the entire Old Testament (including the Book of Psalms) along with the 1986 edition of the New Testament.
The NABRE is a formal equivalent translation of Sacred Scripture, sponsored by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, using the best manuscripts available. Work on most books of the Old Testament by forty revisers and a board of eight editors began in 1994 and was completed in 2001. The 1991 revision of the Psalter, the work of thirty revisers and six editors, was further revised by seven revisers and two editors between 2009 and 2010. Work on the New Testament, begun in 1978 and completed in 1986, was the work of thirteen revisers and five editors.
Articles on NABRE and the Old Testament in the Church
The Seven Penitential Psalms and the Songs of the Suffering Servant
To enhance your observance of Lent, we [USCCB website] are providing a special preview of the Seven Penitential Psalms and Songs of the Suffering Servant from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah as they appear in the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Along with the text of the psalms and songs, we are also providing audio versions and reflections to encourage the practice of Lectio Divina or “divine reading,” a way of praying with Scripture that calls one to listen to, study, contemplate and thoughtfully assimilate God's Word.
Please note that the New American Bible texts that currently appear on this [the USCCB] web site are not the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) versions. We are working on bring the NABRE texts to you in a new, improved format later this year (2011). [copy text ends here]
Historical Timeline of Approved Bible Translations for English-Speaking Catholics
c. 400 AD - The Vulgate - St. Jerome, working from Greek and Hebrew texts, translates the Old and New Testament into Latin. By the 13th century this revision had come to be called the versio vulgata, that is, the "commonly used translation", and ultimately it became the definitive and officially promulgated Latin version of the Bible in the Roman Catholic Church.
1610 AD - Douay-Rheims - the Old and New Testament translated into English in their entirety. Approved for use during the liturgy when the priest after having given the readings in Latin reads them again in English for the sake of the laity who are not learned in Latin. More about the Douay version.
1970 AD - New American Bible (NAB) - a re-translation of the Bible into English based on ancient manuscripts in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek; the official version approved for liturgical use.
1986 AD - NAB - New Testament & Psalms are revised.
2011 AD - New American Bible Revised Version (NABRE) - Old Testament is revised, thus completing the revision started in 1986.
The New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE)
Released on March 9, 2011, the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) is the culmination of nearly 20 years of work by a group of nearly 100 scholars and theologians, including bishops, revisers and editors. The NABRE includes a newly revised translation of the entire Old Testament (including the Book of Psalms) along with the 1986 edition of the New Testament.
The NABRE is a formal equivalent translation of Sacred Scripture, sponsored by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, using the best manuscripts available. Work on most books of the Old Testament by forty revisers and a board of eight editors began in 1994 and was completed in 2001. The 1991 revision of the Psalter, the work of thirty revisers and six editors, was further revised by seven revisers and two editors between 2009 and 2010. Work on the New Testament, begun in 1978 and completed in 1986, was the work of thirteen revisers and five editors.
Articles on NABRE and the Old Testament in the Church
The Seven Penitential Psalms and the Songs of the Suffering Servant
To enhance your observance of Lent, we [USCCB website] are providing a special preview of the Seven Penitential Psalms and Songs of the Suffering Servant from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah as they appear in the New American Bible, Revised Edition. Along with the text of the psalms and songs, we are also providing audio versions and reflections to encourage the practice of Lectio Divina or “divine reading,” a way of praying with Scripture that calls one to listen to, study, contemplate and thoughtfully assimilate God's Word.
Please note that the New American Bible texts that currently appear on this [the USCCB] web site are not the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) versions. We are working on bring the NABRE texts to you in a new, improved format later this year (2011). [copy text ends here]
Historical Timeline of Approved Bible Translations for English-Speaking Catholics
c. 400 AD - The Vulgate - St. Jerome, working from Greek and Hebrew texts, translates the Old and New Testament into Latin. By the 13th century this revision had come to be called the versio vulgata, that is, the "commonly used translation", and ultimately it became the definitive and officially promulgated Latin version of the Bible in the Roman Catholic Church.
1610 AD - Douay-Rheims - the Old and New Testament translated into English in their entirety. Approved for use during the liturgy when the priest after having given the readings in Latin reads them again in English for the sake of the laity who are not learned in Latin. More about the Douay version.
1970 AD - New American Bible (NAB) - a re-translation of the Bible into English based on ancient manuscripts in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek; the official version approved for liturgical use.
1986 AD - NAB - New Testament & Psalms are revised.
2011 AD - New American Bible Revised Version (NABRE) - Old Testament is revised, thus completing the revision started in 1986.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
9/16-19 : Pope Benedict in Britain
Pope Benedict's vist to the UK, Sept. 2010 : overview, media, and resources can be found on: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special_reports/papal_visit/
Radio4 : http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/pope/
Radio4 : http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/pope/
Saturday, August 7, 2010
St. Teresa of Avila's Work Preserved in New Facsimiles
Publisher Completes Series of 4 Books
MADRID, Spain, JULY 22, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Manuscripts by St. Teresa are being protected by the Editorial Monte Carmelo, which has finished a 10-year project of reproducing the manuscripts of four of her great works in facsimile editions.
"The Interior Castle," "The Book of Her Life," "The Book of Her Foundations" and "The Way of Perfection" are now all available from the publisher.
The last to be finished, "The Way of Perfection," was completed last month.
The editions preserve the original texts of the manuscripts, which are already very flimsy and not available for direct study.
"The Way of Perfection," for example, is sold in a two-volume set, the first volume containing the facsimile of the manuscript, and the second volume containing a paleographic transcription and complete dictionary.
[read the complete article in ZENIT - http://www.zenit.org/article-29968?l=english ]
MADRID, Spain, JULY 22, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Manuscripts by St. Teresa are being protected by the Editorial Monte Carmelo, which has finished a 10-year project of reproducing the manuscripts of four of her great works in facsimile editions.
"The Interior Castle," "The Book of Her Life," "The Book of Her Foundations" and "The Way of Perfection" are now all available from the publisher.
The last to be finished, "The Way of Perfection," was completed last month.
The editions preserve the original texts of the manuscripts, which are already very flimsy and not available for direct study.
"The Way of Perfection," for example, is sold in a two-volume set, the first volume containing the facsimile of the manuscript, and the second volume containing a paleographic transcription and complete dictionary.
[read the complete article in ZENIT - http://www.zenit.org/article-29968?l=english ]
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Bible Differences
Q: What is the main difference between the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Bibles?
To the layperson the most noticeable difference is in the number of books in the Old Testament: Old Testament Comparison Chart. The Catholic Old Testament has 46 books, the Protestant has 39, and the Greek/Eastern Orthodox use the Septuagint which has 50**.
As for the New Testament, all major Christian denominations have the same canon, that is, their NT bibles contain the same number of books and same content, the differences being only in the wording due to different translator's interpretations. There are 27 books in the New Testament.
To the layperson the most noticeable difference is in the number of books in the Old Testament: Old Testament Comparison Chart. The Catholic Old Testament has 46 books, the Protestant has 39, and the Greek/Eastern Orthodox use the Septuagint which has 50**.
As for the New Testament, all major Christian denominations have the same canon, that is, their NT bibles contain the same number of books and same content, the differences being only in the wording due to different translator's interpretations. There are 27 books in the New Testament.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Approved Books
Q: How do I determine if a book has been approved by the Catholic Church?
There are many many books that have been written about the faith and that attempt to instruct souls on the faith or some aspect of it. Though the author may have good intentions, he or she may not be teaching in accord with the Church and there is always the danger of a Catholic being misled or misinformed. Such poses a danger to the soul in that it can lead to heresy or even apostasy. Therefore, as an aid to the faithful, the Church instituted a method by which a book is given a mark of approval so the Catholic reader may have confidence in the orthodoxy of the material he is reading. This mark of approval is called the Imprimatur. A book that has been reviewed and approved by valid Church authority is marked in the following way: Near the very beginning of the book, usually on the same page where one finds the copyright information, one will see the word "Imprimatur" followed by the name of a bishop and a date and a place, under it the words "Nihil Obstat" followed by the name of a bishop or priest, a place, and a date. "Imprimatur" is Latin for "it may be printed", and "nihil obstat" means "it is without error." The names refer to those who reviewed the book and approved it and on what dates and in what place they issued their approval. After the Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat one may also find an explanatory paragraph, for example it may read: "The NIHIL OBSTAT and IMPRIMATUR are a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free from doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the NIHIL OBSTAT and IMPRIMATUR agree with contents, opinions or statements expressed."
Note: Every book meant to give doctrinal or spiritual instruction, including the Bible, the Catechism, the lives of the saints, etc. should have an IMPRIMATUR. If it does not do not read it, or at least do not read it with the intention of taking spiritual instruction from it. Many Catholic books are now available on the internet, often if it is a traditional text, there is an imprimatur attached to the book but it is not reproduced in the internet version. These internet books cannot be guaranteed as being free from error because the nature of electronic texts is that they can be easily edited by anyone without permission of the original author or publisher. It may be best for the faithful to stick to printed copies, but at the same time it is not necessary to be paranoid. Just keep in mind that if you are reading from the internet, if something doesn't seem right it probably isn't.
There are many many books that have been written about the faith and that attempt to instruct souls on the faith or some aspect of it. Though the author may have good intentions, he or she may not be teaching in accord with the Church and there is always the danger of a Catholic being misled or misinformed. Such poses a danger to the soul in that it can lead to heresy or even apostasy. Therefore, as an aid to the faithful, the Church instituted a method by which a book is given a mark of approval so the Catholic reader may have confidence in the orthodoxy of the material he is reading. This mark of approval is called the Imprimatur. A book that has been reviewed and approved by valid Church authority is marked in the following way: Near the very beginning of the book, usually on the same page where one finds the copyright information, one will see the word "Imprimatur" followed by the name of a bishop and a date and a place, under it the words "Nihil Obstat" followed by the name of a bishop or priest, a place, and a date. "Imprimatur" is Latin for "it may be printed", and "nihil obstat" means "it is without error." The names refer to those who reviewed the book and approved it and on what dates and in what place they issued their approval. After the Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat one may also find an explanatory paragraph, for example it may read: "The NIHIL OBSTAT and IMPRIMATUR are a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free from doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the NIHIL OBSTAT and IMPRIMATUR agree with contents, opinions or statements expressed."
Note: Every book meant to give doctrinal or spiritual instruction, including the Bible, the Catechism, the lives of the saints, etc. should have an IMPRIMATUR. If it does not do not read it, or at least do not read it with the intention of taking spiritual instruction from it. Many Catholic books are now available on the internet, often if it is a traditional text, there is an imprimatur attached to the book but it is not reproduced in the internet version. These internet books cannot be guaranteed as being free from error because the nature of electronic texts is that they can be easily edited by anyone without permission of the original author or publisher. It may be best for the faithful to stick to printed copies, but at the same time it is not necessary to be paranoid. Just keep in mind that if you are reading from the internet, if something doesn't seem right it probably isn't.
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