Author: Eddie O'Neill

3 min read

Scripture

What is the Meaning of the Many Numerals in Scripture?

Eddie O'Neill

May 7, 2021 4:12 am May 7, 2021

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3 min read

For any student of the Bible, it doesn’t take long to see that certain numbers appear throughout both the Old and New Testament. For instance, there are the 12 tribes…

For any student of the Bible, it doesn’t take long to see that certain numbers appear throughout both the Old and New Testament.

For instance, there are the 12 tribes of Israel and the Twelve Apostles. God rested on the seventh day of creation in Genesis, and one cannot forget the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12.

What is the story behind all these numerals? Why do they appear again and again? For us as Catholics, do numbers mean more?

The practice of interpreting numbers is nothing unique in religious history. Cultures have applied meaning to numbers since the beginning of civilization. However, numbers found in the Bible have taken on mystical meaning across the centuries.

Assigning meaning to numbers in the Bible is an ancient practice known as gematria, a Greek term meaning calculation. It is based on numbers which are assigned to each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Gematria is thus the calculation of those letters, which translate into words or phrases. By assigning a numerical value to a word or phrase, it is believed that two words with the same numerical value have some significant meaning to each other or simply to the number itself. Numbers thus have a key role in understanding God’s role in the universe.

For instance, the number 40 is used throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Noah was afloat during the Great Flood for 40 days and 40 nights (see Gn 7), Moses and the Israelites spent 40 years in the desert and Jesus was tempted by Satan for 40 days (Mk 1:13). Jewish tradition has it that the number 40 represented a time of transition where an extraordinary event occurs.

Enter the Church Fathers

Around the second century, the Church Fathers — those who clarified or passed on Christian doctrine — were quite familiar with this Jewish tradition of assigning numerical meaning to words or phrases. However, they condemned the use of numbers as having some magical significance. Instead, they taught that the numbers found in the Holy Scriptures were full of mystical meaning which could be interpreted for deeper significance.

For instance, St. Augustine, in a letter replying to Tichonius the Donatist, said, “If Tichonius had said that these mystical rules open up some of the hidden recesses of the law, instead of saying that they reveal all the mysteries of the law, he would have spoken truth.”

As well, it would have been around these first centuries of Christianity that the formal rituals which related to public worship and the Mass were taking shape. The question to ask then would be: Is there numeric symbolism in the sacrifice of the Mass or in some of the prayers for Catholics? The answer is yes.

For instance, as Catholics, we have the threefold penitential right — Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison — and the Agnus Dei, or Lamb of God. Outside of the Mass, we have a certain number of Masses that are offered for the dead. The Latin word novena is the root for our novenas. These nine days of prayer are thought to be based on the time that Mary and the disciples prayed in the Upper Room before the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Finally, if one wants to pray a 54-day Rosary Novena they will end up praying six full novenas. The first three should be offered for a particular intention and the last three novenas offered in thanksgiving.

In short, when it comes to numbers in the Bible and in Catholic tradition, nothing is coincidence.

Eddie O’Neill writes from New Castle, Colo.

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1 min read

The Church

Basilica or Cathedral?

Father Reginald Martin

May 5, 2021 7:40 am May 5, 2021

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The term “cathedral” comes from cathedra, the word describing a bishop’s throne. A cathedral, thus, is the principal church in a diocese. A bishop may preside over services anywhere in…

The term “cathedral” comes from cathedra, the word describing a bishop’s throne. A cathedral, thus, is the principal church in a diocese. A bishop may preside over services anywhere in his diocese, but one church — usually in the place where he lives — is designated the cathedral.

The New Catholic Encyclopedia makes an interesting point, observing a cathedral need not be the diocese’s most impressive church. Many Catholics are surprised to learn that St. John Lateran, not St. Peter’s, is the cathedral of Rome.

What is less clear is the designation of a “basilica.” Originally, the term described a hall for public business, with an area designated for a legislator to sit. In its early days, the Church celebrated its liturgies in private homes, but embraced the notion of a special site for the presider. As the Church grew, and constructed special buildings for its services, it adopted this form for its structures. Later, an altar became part of the area reserved for the presider.

The present Code of Canon Law does not mention basilicas, but the earlier code observed that the Holy See grants the title, and acknowledged the “antiquity, dimensions or fame” of a church (see 1917 Code of Canon Law, Canon 1180).

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4 min read

Church Teaching

What is theology?

Father Harrison Ayre

May 3, 2021 7:42 am May 3, 2021

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This is the first in a seven-part “Introduction to Theology” series from Simply Catholic. Read the entire series here. Often people look at theology as an academic discipline in which…

This is the first in a seven-part “Introduction to Theology” series from Simply Catholic. Read the entire series here.

Often people look at theology as an academic discipline in which people talk about subtle nuances that have little to do with Christian living. Then there are those outside of Christianity who question it as a discipline at all because faith, in the eyes of many, is unreasonable.

But theology is a proper field of study, and one with an ancient tradition. Scripture itself is not only a source of revelation but is a type of theological work. And St. John Henry Newman, in his “The Idea of a University,” presents theology as the hub of all the sciences, because God is at the center of all creation.

What, then, is theology?

Theology is rooted in two Greek words: Theos, meaning God, and logos, meaning reason. Theology is using our reason to study and know more about God and how he has shown himself to the world. There is a discipline known as “natural theology,” whereby we are able to study certain truths about God, including the fact that he has created the world and the fact that God exists. As St. Paul makes clear that God’s existence is revealed through his creation, the truth of natural theology is knowable by reason alone. “Christian theology” is when we use our reason to study and know more about God and how he has shown himself to the world. The object of study is God and his revelation, including how he had revealed himself to Israel and in the definitive revelation in his Son, Jesus Christ, which is especially manifested in Scripture and Tradition. Theology often goes further than this by applying what we know about revelation to new topics and social phenomena. In short, because God touches every facet of our existence, theology deals with the whole of life.

Theology, then, is not a discipline reserved to academics, though the academic realm is absolutely vital to theological knowledge and development. Instead, Jesus redeemed the whole of man, including our brains. In return, he desires that we use them. More importantly, by growing in our knowledge about the Faith through theological study, we grow in love for Jesus Christ. If we love him, we want to know everything we can about him, because love wants to know. By studying and reflecting with our mind on the content of faith, we also fulfill St. Peter’s command: “Always be prepared to give a reason for the hope that is within you” (1 Pet 3:15).

As theology attempts to understand God, it must avoid two equally dangerous extremes: rationalism and fideism. Rationalism says we can know everything by reason alone and do not need revelation or faith to know about God. Fideism says that we do not need to learn and grow in our knowledge of God — rather, that it is just enough to believe. According to the Church’s tradition, both of these approaches are heresies.

Theology makes clear how we need the grace of faith in order to enlighten our minds so that we can come to know God more deeply. In fact, it is by the gift of faith, given through baptism, that we gain access to the very life of God. We can know some basic things about God: that he exists, that he is one, infinite, omnipotent, etc. But to know that God is Trinity is something reason cannot reach on its own. In order for reason to be open to this mystery, it needs the aid of faith and revelation.

Theology, then, is really an exercise of faith and reason at the same time. As such, we can see how we must be open to God and his revelation and receive what he has revealed in humility so that God can be heard. By hearing God speak, we then take time, like Mary, to ponder these things in our hearts so that we may be able to understand the meaning and substance of the words and events of salvation history, Scripture, Tradition and revelation. This is an act of theologizing. And this rational reflection — of asking questions, of wanting to probe the mysteries of faith — is by no means a worthless exercise. It is, in fact, the highest and most important thing we can do, because it is an act of contemplation that builds up our communion with God and with one other.

Father Harrison Ayre is a priest of the Diocese of Victoria, British Columbia. Follow him on Twitter at @FrHarrison.

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1 min read

Papacy

What are the qualifications needed to be elected pope?

Michael R. Heinlein

April 28, 2021 7:30 am April 28, 2021

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Canon 332 of the Church’s Code of Canon Law states: “The Roman Pontiff obtains full and supreme power in the Church by his acceptance of legitimate election together with episcopal…

Canon 332 of the Church’s Code of Canon Law states: “The Roman Pontiff obtains full and supreme power in the Church by his acceptance of legitimate election together with episcopal consecration. Therefore, a person elected to the supreme pontificate who is marked with episcopal character obtains this power from the moment of acceptance. If the person elected lacks episcopal character, however, he is to be ordained a bishop immediately.”

Now, in consideration that Canon 1024 states: “A baptized male alone receives sacred ordination validly,” it is concluded that one only needs to be a baptized male in order to be elected pope. Even married men, as much as that might seem as fantasy to some, could be elected pope! Many bishops in the early Church had been married first, however they would cease to live in the conjugal state. That would not annul or dissolve one’s marriage, however.

Michael R. Heinlein is editor of Simply Catholic. Follow him on Twitter @HeinleinMichael.

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4 min read

Liturgy

Why are Liturgical Rules Important?

Marcus C. Grodi

April 28, 2021 7:00 am April 28, 2021

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4 min read

On the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called His would-be-disciples to a deeper, fuller conversion. To follow Christ is not merely external obedience, but a matching obedience of the heart….

On the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called His would-be-disciples to a deeper, fuller conversion. To follow Christ is not merely external obedience, but a matching obedience of the heart.

Our external piety and the motives of our heart should be directly connected. As the Catechism explains:

“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” (No. 1430).

Jesus addressed this matter directly in His teaching on prayer, almsgiving and fasting: “Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven” (Mt 6:1, RSV).

For those who sincerely want to grow closer to Jesus, who are striving by grace to “be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48), this can pose a sticky conundrum.

When we attend Mass, the most vivid occasion when we “practice our piety before men,” what do we do when the practices of people around us differ from what we believe is right? What should we do when few of the people around us are genuflecting, kneeling, bowing, crossing themselves or showing reverence to Our Lord in the tabernacle?

On the other hand, what should we do when the people around us seem to be going overboard in their piety, in ways that seem far too showy, extravagant or self-promoting?

In either situation, when expressing our piety in public requires being different from those around us, how can we be sure we’re doing it for God’s sake rather than as a statement to others?

Some, in the name of “freedom,” dismiss liturgical rules and rubrics as a straightjacket to spiritual expression. They protest: “It really doesn’t matter how you pray or what you do with your body; all that matters is uniting your heart with God. We should be free, and that means being spontaneous!”

But the devil laughs at such a notion, for in our striving to be “free” we find it nearly impossible to focus on God when the overpowering motive is to be different and separate from those around. Too often in these circumstances, the underlying motive is not to please others or even God, but to feed the ego of self.

How do we avoid this problem? Herein lies the beautiful freedom of the liturgy. In her wisdom, the Church insists that liturgical rules and rubrics free us from the tyranny of trying to please others or ourselves. The Church teaches in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal:

“The gestures and posture of the priest, the deacon, and the ministers, as well as those of the people, ought to contribute to making the entire celebration resplendent with beauty and noble simplicity, so that the true and full meaning of the different parts of the celebration is evident and the participation of all is fostered.Therefore, attention should be paid to what is determined by this General Instruction and the traditional practice of the Roman Rite and to what serves the common spiritual good of the People of God, rather than private inclination or arbitrary choice” (No. 42).

Consider: When is a railroad train the most “free”? When it remains on the tracks, where it can roam full-steam ahead within trustworthy limits.

And when are we most free to worship God without the inner conflict of mixed motives? When in willing obedience we simply worship within the guidelines of our loving mother, the Church. For then we can be confident that our Father who sees in secret will reward us (see Mt 6:4).

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3 min read

Saints

St. Margaret of Castello: A saint for the disabled

Thomas Craughwell

April 26, 2021 7:34 am April 26, 2021

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St. Margaret’s life is one of the most heart-wrenching stories in the calendar of the saints. She was born blind, with severe curvature of the spine; her right leg was…

St. Margaret’s life is one of the most heart-wrenching stories in the calendar of the saints. She was born blind, with severe curvature of the spine; her right leg was an inch and a half shorter than her left, and her left arm was malformed. She never grew beyond 4 feet tall.

Her parents kept little Margaret hidden away in their house in Metola in the Italian province of Umbria. She was 6 years old when the family traveled to a shrine at Castello, hoping for a miracle. When no miracle took place, Margaret’s mother and father abandoned her.

Some women of Castello found the terrified child and took care of her until they could arrange for her to be adopted. A husband and wife, Venfarino and Grigia, invited Margaret to live with them; they treated her like their own daughter, with love and kindness. She appears to have spent the rest of her life with her adoptive parents.

There was a convent near Margaret’s home, and the nuns became fond of her. When she was about 13 years old, Margaret asked to be admitted as a postulant. Given her years of friendship with the sisters, Margaret expected that she would be happy in their convent. She was in for a disappointment. The nuns were lax in keeping the rule of their order and even in keeping the routine of daily prayer and meditation. Margaret, on the other hand, was intensely devout.

The lack of fervor in her sisters surprised and confused her, while Margaret’s zeal made the nuns self-conscious, angry and resentful. Ultimately, the superior of the convent asked Margaret to leave. She returned to her adoptive parents and at age 15 joined the Third Order of St. Dominic, which permitted her to wear the habit and take the vows of a nun but still live at home where she felt loved and secure.

Margaret’s disabilities did not make her bitter; rather, she became one of the most generous, sympathetic people in Castello. She nursed the sick, consoled the dying and visited prisoners. Margaret said that in the sufferings of her neighbors she saw the image of the suffering Christ. As for her own disabilities, she regarded them as a means to unite her pain with the pain Christ endured on the cross. Her courage, her patience and her deep religious devotion won her the affection of everyone in Castello.

Margaret died when she was 33 years old. At her Requiem Mass the crowd was so great it seemed that the entire town and all the peasants from the countryside had come to the funeral. Th e parish priest planned to bury Margaret in the churchyard, but after the Mass was over the mourners insisted that she must have a tomb inside the church, with all the other distinguished dead of the parish.

The priest and the congregation were still arguing the point when a girl whose legs were crippled dragged herself to Margaret’s coffin. She touched the casket, then stood up and began to walk. The miracle convinced the priest to give Margaret a tomb inside the church. Today her remains lie beneath the high altar of Castello’s Church of St. Dominic.

St. Margaret (1287-1320) is the patron saint of the poor and anyone dealing with a disability or physical challenge. She also is venerated as one of the patron saints of the pro-life movement. Pope Francis declared her a saint through equipollent canonization on April 24, 2021. Her feast day is April 13.

Craughwell is the author of more than 30 books, including “Saints Behaving Badly” and “This Saint Will Change Your Life.”

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Author: Eddie O'Neill

What is the Meaning of the Many Numerals in Scripture?

Enter the Church Fathers

Basilica or Cathedral?

What is theology?

What are the qualifications needed to be elected pope?

Why are Liturgical Rules Important?

St. Margaret of Castello: A saint for the disabled

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