Pope Benedict XVI on the Historicity of the Magi and Star

It is obviously popular to question the historicity of the Gospels’ portrait of Jesus. Scholars who practice the historical-critical method of biblical study devoid of faith – and thus rejecting the possibility that God entered our world in Christ – object to the historicity of a multitude of events recorded in the Gospels and propose a different Jesus than the one communicated by the four evangelists. Pope Benedict XVI, himself a master of the tools of historical-critical scholarship, wrote his three volume Jesus of Nazareth to answer such skepticism. By wedding the tools of historical-critical scholarship to the Church’s faith, he demonstrates to all who will listen that the Jesus of the Gospels is in fact “the real, ‘historical’ Jesus in the strict sense of the word. . .[T]his figure is much more logical and, historically speaking, much more intelligible than the reconstructions we have been presented with in the last decades” (Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration, xxii).

With the Church celebrating the great feast of Epiphany, it is the perfect time to see how Pope Benedict argues the star and magi in Matthew’s infancy narrative are historical. These “are not a meditation presented under the guise of stories [i.e., Jewish haggadah], but the converse: Matthew is recounting real history, theologically thought through and interpreted” (Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives, 119). Mind you, Benedict agrees with Jean Daniélou who, even though he held the star and magi are historical, stated that, if it were somehow proved that Matthew intended them only as theological symbols, it would not affect the Church’s faith since these elements do not pertain to any essential truth of Christian faith (Infancy Narratives, 118).

Benedict recounts a number of details showing that it was historically possible that magi, purveyors of religious, philosophical, and astronomical knowledge, traveled from Persia in search of the newly born king of the Jews. He points out that the Roman historians, Tacitus and Seutonius, both recorded the speculation that the ruler of the world would soon emerge from Judah (Infancy, 95). Such speculation was surely fueled by the spread of Judaism throughout the Mediterranean. The Holy Father points out how long such speculation had been spreading; he recalls the ancient prophecy of the pagan prophet Balaam, recorded in Numbers 24:17, “I see him, but not now; / I behold him, but not nigh: / a star shall come forth out of Jacob, / and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; / it shall crush the forehead of Moab, / and break down all the sons of Sheth.” Extrabiblical confirmation of Balaam’s existence and reputation as a middle eastern prophet were recently uncovered, pointing to the historicity of the prophecy recorded in Numbers as well as its being defused throughout the region hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus (Infancy, 91).

In regards to the Star of Bethlehem, Benedict reviews different theories explaining it as an astronomically identifiable occurrence. Benedict earlier expressed his conclusion that Jesus was born around 7-6 B.C., and notes how Johannes Kepler calculated that a conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars occurred at that same time. Kepler likewise postulated that this may well have been accentuated by a supernova – a point that appears confirmed in Chinese chronological tables (Infancy, 98-9). Closer to our own time, twentieth century astronomer Ferrari d’Occhieppo believed the star could be explained by a 7-6 B.C. conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation Pisces (Infancy, 99). Benedict sees the star implying that “the cosmos speaks of Christ, even though its language is not fully intelligible to man in his present state” (Infancy, 100).

Such a conjunction would surely have caught the attention of Persian wise men, devoted to astronomy and knowledgeable of religious matters such as the prophecy of a ruler coming forth from Judah. Even more than catching their attention, however, they felt moved to seek this ruler out. Pope Benedict sees the magi as representing “the inner dynamic of religion toward self-transcendence, which involves a search for truth, a search for the true God and hence ‘philosophy’ in the original sense of the word” (Infancy, 95). It was only natural that they would seek the newborn king in Jerusalem, in Herod’s palace. Benedict finds the turmoil experienced by Herod and Jerusalem by the magi’s appearance to coincide with the historical portrait of Herod as a paranoid ruler looking to kill anyone he perceived as a threat to his rule, even his own sons (Infancy, 103, 108).

The magi, through the chief priests and scribes summoned by Herod, are directed to God’s Revelation, to Micah’s prophecy (5:1) that the Messiah was, like David, to be born in Bethlehem (Infancy, 104). Their philosophy and natural religion brought them to a certain point, but Revelation was needed to reach their final destination. The star then reappears and they follow it directly to Jesus. Benedict sees in these events, “Creation interpreted by Scripture” (Infancy, 105-6). With so many historical indicators of the plausibility of Matthew’s narrative, Pope Benedict concludes that the wise exegete should accept Matthew’s account as historical, until unassailable proof is put forward that Matthew intended the narrative to be understood as haggadah (Infancy, 119).

A Morning in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

I'm honored to be partnering with the Institute of Catholic Humanism in St. Louis to celebrate the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart. Here is a flyer for the event, and you can register at THIS LINK.

Riffing on the Star of Bethlehem

In my last post I mentioned attending a wonderful lecture by Philip Blaxton on Cardinal Ratzinger's The Spirit of the Liturgy. I was reminded of it again when I thought of the Star of Bethlehem. Cardinal Ratzinger had spoken of something changing within the cosmos with the birth of Christ - by taking on a human nature, God had wed himself to His creation, and it was thus forever changed. The Star of Bethlehem was a sign of this change, drawing the first Gentiles to their Jewish Savior.

Now there are many different theories as to what the Star of Bethlehem. While it is certainly possible that the Magi were drawn to Judea by a supernatural light, the majority of theories involve a celestial event - from a comet, to a supernova, to a conjunction of planets. Let's assume for a moment that one of those natural theories is correct - what an awe-inspiring example of God's almighty providence!

If the "star" was a natural event such as a supernova or conjunction of planets that coincided with the birth of Christ, then it was set in motion with the Big Bang. The universe was set in motion in such a way that this "star" would be visible in the Middle East at the exact time that God would make his entry into creation. What an amazing reminder that, despite man's capacity to sin and his attempts to unravel the divine plan, none of this occurs outside of God's loving providence. Before man's Fall, God already knew His Remedy! Man has his freedom, but God also retains His - and His freedom is exercised from eternity! The angels captured it perfectly, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!” (Lk 2:14)

Book Review: "An Economics of Justice & Charity"

I have spent the past year delving into the Epistle of James, looking at the epistle's Jewish roots as well as how its inspired author's thought has continued to unfold within the Church's meditation and subsequent teaching. James had a number of things to say about the proper relationship between capital and labor, the rich and the poor; and it left me wanting to understand the Church's social justice teaching, specifically in regards to economics. I had heard phrases such as, "a preferential option for the poor," and "just wage." I knew of the Church's opposition to communism and that Leo XIII's Rerum Novorum began a series of papal teachings on the topic of social justice; but I felt ill-prepared to dive immediately into such deep waters. I needed a trustworthy guide - ideally an orthodox, one-volume overview of the subject. Archbishop Sheen's Justice & Charity (TAN, 2016) was, of course, excellent; but Sheen penned his lectures in 1938, before John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI made their decisive contributions.

I couldn't help but feel that Providence intervened when I received Angelico Press's email blast announcing the release of Thomas Storck's An Economics of Justice & Charity: Catholic Social Teaching, Its Development and Contemporary Relevance. It was exactly what I was looking for. Storck takes readers through all of the pontificates from Leo XIII to Francis, providing historical context and explaining the key points of their social justice encyclicals and speeches.

As an already-accomplished author and contributing editor of The Distributist Review, Storck's prose and analysis is impeccable. When I finished the book I felt like I had a decent enough grasp on the salient points to begin tackling the papal encyclicals for myself. (Links to the encyclicals at the Vatican website are provided after this review.) Prior to reading An Economics of Justice & Charity, I had no idea that the Church defined a "just wage" as one that allowed a man to care for his family, without need for his wife to work outside of the home. I was amazed to find Pope Pius XI advocating for "profit sharing" in the 1930s! I appreciated the popes' analysis of socialism as a reaction to laissez-faire capitalism. Storck's analysis of John Paul II's Centesimus Annus was especially detailed, and he supported his points well. He also provides an appendix wherein he seeks to explain the Church's ongoing opposition to usury.

If you want to delve into the untapped treasure of the Church's social justice teaching, An Economics of Justice & Charity is the place to begin. Storck is an ideal guide to explore the papal magisterium on this subject.
_____________________________

Links to Papal Encyclicals:
Rerum Novarum (1891)
Quadragesimo Anno (1931)
Divini Redemptoris (1937)
Mater et Magistra (1961)
Populorum Progressio (1967)
Laborem Exercens (1981)
Centesimus Annus (1991)
Caritas In Veritate (2009)
Laudato Si (2015)

Mail from the Vatican!

Since Cardinal Ratzinger's writings figured so heavily in Through, With, and In Him, I sent a copy to both the Pope Emeritus and Pope Francis. It was pretty exciting to fish this out of the mailbox today:

Why Is Christmas on December 25th? Beyond the Myths

I was reading a post from Jimmy Akin and came upon a great quote on the matter of Christians choosing Dec. 25th as the date to celebrate Christ's birth in an attempt to re-appropriate a date already celebrated by pagans:

In his book, The Spirit of the Liturgy, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger commented:

"The claim used to be made that December 25 developed in opposition to the Mithras myth, or as a Christian response to the cult of the unconquered sun promoted by Roman emperors in the third century in their efforts to establish a new imperial religion. However, these old theories can no longer be sustained" (pp., 107-108).

Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Emeritus Benedict) is certainly no slouch as a scholar, so you had better believe there is solid data behind that statement.  Reading down in the comments on Akin's post I came across this link to Dr. Taylor Marshall's article, with a stunning chronology offering an explanation for why Christians began celebrating Jesus' birth on December 25th.  Please read it to check out the details.  Here is the rough outline: "We can discover that Christ was born in late December by observing first the time of year in which Saint Luke describes Zacharias [a priest, and father of John the Baptist] serving in the temple (Lk.1). This provides us with the approximate conception date of John the Baptist. From there we can follow the chronology that Saint Luke gives and that lands us right smack at the end of December."

Very interesting.  I look forward to reading more.

Why I Love "Rote" Catholic Prayers

My friend Denise Fath posted this quote from Emeritus Pope Benedict on Facebook this morning, and it captured my sentiments perfectly: 

"Prayer should be 'wholly personal' but we also constantly need to make use of those prayers that express in words the encounter with God experienced both by the Church as a whole and by individual members of the Church. For without these aids to prayer, our own praying and our image of God becomes subjective and end up reflecting ourselves more than the living God."

Amen.  The prayers of the Church and of her saints, rather than stifle my ability to express myself to God, enlarged it.  I slowly came to see how the spontaneous - what seemed to me, the more “authentic” - prayers I offered at the beginning of my faith journey were those of a child.  They were heartfelt and sincere but, in retrospect, they seemed focused upon my life and the small circle of lives touching mine.  They were limited by my lack of knowledge regarding both the deepest needs and movements of the human heart and how prayer could be more than thought and words.   

The prayers of the Church are those of an adult with two thousand years of spiritual depth and know-how.  When I listened to her pray, especially at Mass, I was called out of myself, called to pray for and with the whole Body of Christ – on earth, in purgatory, and in heaven!  I was called to pray, fast, and do penance both for my sins and my brothers’ and sisters’.  Left to myself I don’t know how I ever could have arrived at the realization that all of our daily activities, even suffering, can be transformed into prayer! (My spontaneous prayers now take all of this into account.)

And studying the gospels and the religious life of Jewish people in first century Palestine convinces me that the Church did not arrive at the content or manner of her prayer lightly.  I found the same concerns and practices in the prayer of Jesus himself! The Church’s rich spiritual life is the work of the same Holy Spirit through whom Jesus poured himself out in prayer to the Father.

The Gravity of the Papal Conclave - What I Didn't Realize!

On the drive home today I caught Dr. Matthew Bunson on Kresta in the Afternoon.  He shared two details - both related to art - that I never considered in relation to the Conclave; and both speak to the gravity of the Cardinals' actions.  

First, just before entering the Sistine Chapel, the College of Cardinals will gather to hear a sermon in the Cappalena Paolina (Chapel of St. Paul).  And the Cardinals will listen to that sermon beneath Michelangelo's fresco, the Martyrdom of St. Peter.  Looking at that fresco, each of them knows what election to the Papacy entails.

Second, once the Cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel, they will engage in their deliberations under Michelangelo's Last Judgment.  They will elect Peter's Successor beneath that sobering reminder that each of them will have to answer to God for how he voted.

EVERY Christian Has a Pope (It's Simply a Question of "Who?")

Whether we are Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, "non-denominational," or a variety of Christian somewhere in between, each of us has a pope.  Each of us has someone we:

1) look to for direction in living the Christian life, and
2) appeal to as an authority in explaining why we interpret Jesus' teachings the way we do.  

It might be the founder of your denomination, a favorite author, pastor, or ... simply yourself.

Some may object, "I just go by what the Bible tells me.  I don't need someone to interpret what Jesus said to me."  But my friends, unless you are reading the Bible in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, you are depending on someone else's interpretation of what Jesus said! And even if you are reading the Bible in its original languages, you still have interpret the meaning - the intent - of its words.  Let me give a few examples:  

• When you read the gospel accounts of Jesus' Last Supper, if you understand His words "This is My Body" and "This is My Blood," to mean anything other than that the bread and wine have literally become His Body and Blood, then you are engaged in interpretation.  The same can be said of Jesus' words in John's Gospel, "My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.  He who eats [trogein in Greek, meaning "chews, gnaws on"] my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him" (Jn.6:55-56).

• Jesus told the Apostles, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (Jn.20:23).  If you do not believe that Jesus gave the shepherds of His Church the power, in His Name, to forgive sins, then you are engaged in some type of interpretation.

• If you believe that we are saved through faith alone, and that works play absolute no part in obtaining final salvation, then you are interpreting the Epistle of James (the only place in the Bible where you find the phrase "faith alone") in some sense other than the text's face-value, "You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone" (Jas.2:24).

Now, if you have read these verses (or the multitude of similar ones) but haven't experienced a pull toward the Catholic Church you either

a)  haven't truly wrestled with them, or 
b)  believe there is another way to interpret them

We Catholics are very comfortable with their face-value meaning.  If you understand them in a way other than at face-value however, what is your authority for that?  What is the weight of your argument?  Whose insight are you relying on, and what are their (or your) credentials?  

I glossed over or tried interpreting them other ways - for a couple of years - but the more I learned, the more I found myself humbled.  Time after time, when I really dug into Scripture and how it was understood by its earliest readers - in 70 A.D., 90 A.D., 107 A.D., 150 A.D. - those in a far better position to understand its original meaning, their interpretation always matched what was being said by the Pope today! 

I realized how I had went for years denying the Pope's gift of  infallibility, but acting as if I was infallible!  (And seriously, what credentials did I have?)  I denied that the Pope was the Successor of Peter, holding the "the keys of the Kingdom," with the power to "bind and loose" (Mt.16:19) but lived my life as if I did - as if I was the final arbiter of what Christ taught!  The thing is, when I finally buckled down and did the research, every piece of historical evidence spoke in the Popes' favor instead of mine (or anyone else's)!  Here's but one example.
 
A little unsettling to think about?  Tell me about it.  What it finally came down to for me was this:  "Jesus, I know that you didn't appoint me as an infallible authority.  I need help, I need guidance, to understand Your teaching and how to live it out.  If You appointed the Pope as a shepherd for me - and I am now convinced that You did - then I accept him."

Each of us has a pope, it's just a matter of, "Who?"

Why the New Pope will be POWERLESS

Cover of Pope Fiction

- powerless to change Church teaching, that is.  

Every time a new Pope is elected, the media begins to buzz as to whether or not this new Pope will be more "liberal," and bring Church teaching up to date with the "modern" world.  We even hear it among fellow Catholics.  
Will this new Pope:

• ease restrictions on the use of contraceptives?
• recognize same-sex "marriage"?
• allow women to be ordained to the priesthood?
• change Church "rules" on divorce and remarriage?

What these questioners fail to realize is that the Pope does not have the power to change these things.  Why not?  Because they are not his policies; they are Christ's.  

The world has shown itself to be a place of opinion, not moral conviction.  Its understanding of sexuality and the meaning of marriage has morphed in the past 50 years.  But Jesus' understanding has not.  Many, many Christian groups have slowly let go of elements of Christ's teaching in this area.  But the Successor of Peter, because Christ appointed him to share His own role of acting as a Rock to the faithful, cannot. (See here, here, and here.) Take an issue such as "same-sex marriage" - it is oxymoronic to the mind of Christ and thus, must be to the Pope's as well (and honestly, to anyone who believes that Jesus' words were not just those of a man, but God). 

The Pope's ministry is to strengthen his fellow bishops and all of the faithful in living out Christ's teachings.  He has no authority to change them. 

Please keep our new Pope in your prayers; he has a tough row to hoe - but in the end God will make his work fruitful.  A couple of verses to keep in the back of our minds as we pray:
 
"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (Jn.16:33)
 
"Whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith." (1 Jn. 5:4) 

Who Were the Earliest Popes?

With the news of Pope Benedict's resignation at the end of February, it seemed like a good time to recall the names of our earliest popes.  There's this idea out there that the papacy didn't really come together until the 400's, and that's flat out wrong.  Irenaeus, the Bishop of Lyons (France), in his Against the Heresies, put forward the Bishops of Rome from Peter to the time of the work’s composition (c.189 A.D.):

Since it is too long to enumerate in such a volume as this the succession of all the Churches, we shall confound all those who, in whatever manner, whether through self-satisfaction or vainglory, or through blindness and wicked opinion assemble other than where it is proper, by pointing out here the successions of the bishops of the greatest and most ancient church known to all, founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious Apostles, Peter and Paul, that Church which has the tradition of the faith which comes down to us after having been announced to men by the Apostles. For with this Church, because of its superior origin, all churches must agree, that is, all the faithful in the whole of the world; and it is in her that the faithful everywhere have maintained the Apostolic tradition.

The Blessed Apostles [Peter and Paul] having founded and built up the church [of Rome], they handed over the office of the episcopate to Linus. Paul makes mention of this Linus in the Epistle to Timothy. To him succeeded Anencletus; and after him, in the third place from the Apostles, Clement was chosen for the episcopate. He had seen the Blessed Apostles and was acquainted with them. It might be said that he still heard the echoes of the preaching of the Apostles, and had their traditions before his eyes. And not only he, for there were many still remaining who had been instructed by the Apostles.

. . .To this Clement, Evaristus succeeded; and Alexander succeeded Evaristus. Then, sixth after the Apostles, Sixtus was appointed; after him, Telesphorus, who also was gloriously martyred. Then Hyginus; after him, Pius; and after him, Anicetus. Soter succeeded Anicetus, and now, in the twelfth place after the Apostles, the lot of the episcopate has fallen to Eleutherus. In this order, and by the teaching of the Apostles handed down in the Church, the preaching of the truth has come down to us (Book III, 3:2-3).

So there you go.  Who will be the next man to act as Christ's Prime Minister?  I can't wait to see!

New Year's Resolutions for the "Year of Faith"

On Oct. 11, 2012, Pope Benedict initiated the “Year of Faith.” It will conclude on the Solemnity of Christ King in November, 2013.  This year is significant since it marks both the 50th anniversary of the opening of Vatican Council II and the 20th anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  Benedict wrote an apostolic letter, Porta Fidei, in which he invites all of us to make a concentrated effort toward renewing its Faith in the Lord Jesus - in terms of personal union with Him and knowledge of His person and the Faith He imparted to the Church.

Both the Pope and the CDF (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) made suggestions for how we can best take advantage of this year.  On "St. Joseph Radio Presents..." (airing on EWTN and Sirius Satellite at 1p.m. and 11p.m. ET on Saturday, 1/5/13) Dr. Kevin Vost and I shared their main points and offered practical New Year's Resolutions for how we can put them into practice.  See what you think:

So far as I can detect, a unifying principle that seems to run through Benedict and the CDF's suggestions is to renew the faith of the entire Church through the renewal and reinvigoration of each individual member's relationship with Christ Jesus and that means putting ourselves into direct contact with Him.  I would suggest making a resolution to place yourself before Jesus in prayer at the beginning, middle, and end of each day.  Everything thing else the Pope and Bishops, or Dr. Vost and I, suggest can be placed into that matrix of at least three times of daily prayer.

Feed ourselves on the Bread of Life, Jesus present in the Eucharist, and the Word of God, Scripture and Tradition. 

1. Make Mass the most important part of the weekend.  Resolve to speak about it as a privelege instead of a chore (this has a big impact on little ears). 
2. Resolve to unite yourself with Jesus in the Eucharist one additional day each week. (Look at your morning schedule, locate the day it would be easiest, and put it on your calendar.)
3. Make a visit to Jesus in the tabernacle or Eucharistic adoration chapel when you are out running errands or on the way home from work.

Read Scripture everyday by ...

1. Having the Gospel reading used at Mass delivered via email each morning.  (Sign up at Daily Gospel) 
2. Have the Bible waiting for you on either the breakfast table for when you get up, or your nightstand for when you go to bed, and spend five minutes reading from the Gospels.  It's a daily opportunity for you to see and hear Jesus.  (Might I suggest a Bible with excellent study notes, such as the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament
3. When you exercise, either read the Bible or listen to it read aloud on your iPod.
4. Listen to an audio version of the Bible as you drive.

Memorize the Creed and make its recitation part of how you begin each day.

1. Incorporate it into your morning workout, strengthening your soul and mind along with your body.
2. Make it part of your morning shower or dressing routine, getting "your head on straight" before you head out into the world

Study the Catechism of the Catholic Church this year.

1. Portions of the Catechism can be emailed to you each day (Sign up here)
2. As with the Bible, keep the Catechism on your breakfast table or nightstand.   (Just three pages a day and you should have it completed within the year!)
3. Read the Catechism online for free.  (Here it is, all indexed with hyperlinks.)

Be inspired by how the saints lived and explained the Faith (by reading books written either by, or about them).

1. There are hundreds of these books that you can read on the internet or download for free.  (Check out the Christian Classics Ethereal Library)
2. Join Dr. Vost and I for our "radio book club" over this next year as we pick a different Christian classic to read and then discuss on-air once a month.  Our first book will be St. Patrick's Confession, and you can call in to discuss it with us on-air March 16th at 1:30 p.m., ET - (855) 447-6000.

Cultivate a deeper relationship with Jesus by seeing him through the eyes and heart of His Mother, Mary.  Pray the Rosary (Creed & Scripture) daily.

1. Make it part of your morning drive to or from work.
2. Take 15 min. to pray it with your family after dinner.
3. Incorporate it into your workouts.  Peggy Bowes has developed an entire plan to help you - The Rosary Workout

Share the Faith with others!

When your co-workers ask you what you did last night or over the weekend, simply honestly share what you have been studying or what Christian activities you participated in.