Happy Easter to all! Christ is risen!

Egeria

Just sharing a post from the sibling blog for Holy Week! Blessings!

http://unifyingthefaith.blogspot.com/2017/04/egeria.html?m=0

Did the Annunciation Really Take Place on the Sixth Month?

"The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[a] will be holy; he will be called Son of God (Luke 1:35)(NRSV)."

The foregoing passage is well known to most Christians, regardless of their denomination. What is taking place is that the angel Gabriel is announcing to Mary that she will have a son, Jesus. When read in full context starting at verse 26, Luke writes that this was on the sixth month. Of course, March 25^th falls on the first month of the Hebrew calendar which is Nissan, although the year begins at Rosh Hashanah during the month of Tishrei…there’s plenty of theology to support this even if it sounds confusing. Moreover, this brief post isn’t going to be about the Hebrew calendar, so you can relax. So, what sixth month is Luke talking about? Well, Elizabeth (Mary’s cousin) was on the sixth month of her pregnancy with John the Baptist, and this is what many believe Luke meant by the sixth month. However, this idea sounds a bit ambiguous to an extent and maybe a little unclear.

The dedication in the Gospel of Luke is to Theophilus.  Based on who Theophilus was, and where he resided we can get a better understanding of which was the sixth month Luke was referencing, and it was most likely that Theophilus used the Syro-Macedonian calendar. The following quote explains it well.

“There is a high probability that the Annunciation in the sixth month is a reference to the sixth lunar month according to Luke's Syro-Macedonian calendar. In 5 BCE the sixth lunar month of Xanthikos was from March 10 to April 7. The middle of that month was about March 25, 5 BCE, the traditional date for the Annunciation. This was also the day of the Vernal Equinox (www.nowoezone.com).”

In conclusion, the Annunciation most likely took place during the Vernal Equinox on the sixth month (Xanthikos), and, yes, Christmas most definitely takes place nine months later. Blessings and I hope you enjoyed reading!

References:

http://www.nowoezone.com/NTC06.htm

http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-applications/data-services/spring-phenom

NRSV Bible

Thinking about Earth’s History and Getting Sidetracked by Job

Hello! I hope everyone is doing well. Happy February (the shortest of all the twelve months in the year)! I am one of those people that love making posts on Facebook. One never knows what I will post about on any given day at any given time, and that includes me. All I know is that the topics have a very broad range of possibilities from political to musical…who knows. Recently, I posted something off the wall about the Sphinx. I said the following:

Let's suppose that the Sphinx really is 800, 000 years old based on erosion, wouldn't that just mean we don’t know anything at all about our history, perhaps. Also, considering that the Earth is millions of years old, it is highly possible that we are just one of many civilizations that have inhabited this planet. Just a thought!

One friend asked what I was smoking, and another said something to the affect that neither idea was true, and could be a leftist thought that could probably sway one from the faith. Both responses sounded pretty rational since the post was obviously extremely controversial based on our understanding of history and Judeo-Christian thought, as well. My response to them was the following:

Not smoking anything...lol! Not a leftist thing either. It's a thing a small group of geologist believes. Now, with relevance to God, it is very difficult to make a case against the faith. In fact, a Young Earth fundamentalism approach to Scriptures can sway one from the faith easier than one would assume. It is very difficult to determine a timeline in certain parts of Scriptures. For example, the first four verses in Genesis 6 could have taken a million years to elapse...we really don't know…. Who are we to set limitations on God?

That question, who are we to set limitations on God, immediately made me think of Job. Now, if you don’t know the story of Job, I will not spoil it for you by telling it. But, Job is possibly the oldest book in the Hebrew canon part of the Bible or the Old Testament. Job was a very rich guy that lived in the land of Uz. He had a large family and owned a lot of livestock. Anyhow, he was a pretty good guy, and something catastrophic happened to him, and he questions God. Of course, I have summarized the story which is way more detailed and graphic. But, what made me think of Job initially was really a specific verse in the book in which God answers Job and says to him: ““Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.” Basically, my thought with relevance to what I posted on Facebook is that isn’t it just like God to let us know or make us aware that we really don’t know anything or understand anything in contrast to Him (all knowing). And, when I say us, I mean everyone because whether you are an Evolutionist or Creationist, and Atheist or not, if the Sphinx really was built by a civilization 800, 000 years ago it would basically mean that most of us have it all wrong. Except, those few geologists that may be right, I would like to meet because if they really are possibly right we may have to rewrite history in a major way. I hope you enjoyed reading, and I hope you fact check anything I say, not because I may be wrong, but because it is good research. Also, below I wanted to share the first seven verses of Job: 38. Enjoy reading!

                "The Lord Answers Job

1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:

2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

3 Gird up your loins like a man,

                  I will question you, and you shall declare to me.

4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

                Tell me, if you have understanding.

5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!

                Or who stretched the line upon it?

6 On what were its bases sunk,

                or who laid its cornerstone

7 when the morning stars sang together

                and all the heavenly beings[a] shouted for joy (NRSV)?"

Footnotes:

Job 38:7 Heb sons of God

Reference:

NRSV Bible

Do you know About the Defects of Jesus?

Do you know about the defects of Jesus? Personally, I never knew that Jesus had any defects; however, while reading an article on aleteia.org, I discovered that he actually did because of Vietnamese cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan. The following are excerpts from that article:

“Vietnamese cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan’s extraordinary life deserves to be better known, particularly his great love for the Holy Eucharist. Imprisoned by the communist regime for thirteen years (9 of which were spent in solitary confinement), the priest ministered to others throughout his ordeal....

In an address in 2,000 Van Thuan declared that he had “…met the living Jesus; he fascinated me. I followed him – because I love the defects of Jesus.” His address may be found in one of his books, Testimony of Hope (aleteia.org).”

Well, I also love the defects of Jesus after reading The 5 Defects of Jesus. Read all about them in the full article at the following link. Blessings!

The 5 defects of Jesus - Religion - Aleteia.org – Worldwide Catholic Network Sharing Faith Resources for those seeking Truth – Aleteia.org

Reference:

http://aleteia.org/2017/01/18/the-5-defects-of-jesus/?

Happy 2017!

Wishing all have a wonderful new year! May 2017 be filled with many blessings.

Feliz Navidad a todos! Merry Christmas!

Feliz Navidad a todos! Merry Christmas!