SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

                In my sermon last weekend I mentioned a number of Scriptures that I believe that Catholics should know.  I do not mean that they should be memorized, but that we should know where they are found, and should return to them over and over, as they are particularly rich, and offer us great guidance and  comfort, and are deeply empowering.

                Matthew 5, 6, and 7.  This is the Sermon on the Mount.  In these three chapters Jesus lays out clearly and succinctly what the new way of life he is calling us to involves.  I come back to these words over and over in my prayer.  For me, they are absolutely foundational for living the Gospel life.     

                Luke 15.  This chapter contains the three great parables of God's mercy, and is often called The Gospel in Miniature.  The parable of the Good Shepherd, who leaves the ninety-nine on the hillside, and seeks out the one sheep that was lost.  The woman who has lost a coin, and who searches desperately until she finds the coin, and then calls family and friends to come and celebrate with her.  And the parable of the Prodigal Son, or the Father and the Lost Boy (actually, two lost boys).  Nowhere in Scripture is the         compassion and mercy of God toward sinners more beautifully portrayed.

                John 6.  This is the Bread of Life Discourse, in which Jesus proclaims that he is the Bread from Heaven.  His flesh is real food and his blood real drink.  Those who eat his flesh and drink his blood will live forever.  This is the most developed theology of the Eucharist in the Bible, and is at the heart of the Catholic understanding of the sacrament.  Every Catholic should be intimately familiar with these verses in order to really appreciate the meaning and the significance of the Mass.

                Romans 8.  St. Paul's Letter to the Romans is his most important Epistle.  He lays out in this letter the essence of his theology of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.  Chapter 7 makes it absolutely clear that, left to our own devices, we are slaves of sin, and that we are completely lost.  No one can be saved by following the law, because no one can follow the law sufficiently to deserve God's love.  But chapter 8 lets us know that God has given us a savior, Jesus Christ, and there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.  He speaks of the victory that is ours in Christ.  "The sufferings of the present are as nothing compared to the glory that God has prepared for us.....The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought.....All things work for the good for those who love God and who are called according to his purpose.....If God is for us, who can be against us?.....What will separate us from the love of God?  Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?  No in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us."

                We will spend the rest of our lives plumbing the depths of these Scriptures and making them our own.  I encourage you to do so.

                I do not say these are the only Scriptures that we should know so well, but they are a good start. 

YOUCAT (YOUTH CATECHISM)

                The Vatican has released, world-wide, a new catechism aimed at young people, entitled YouCat.  It takes the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and presents it in a fashion that will be accessible to young people.  Everyone who attends the World Youth Day in Madrid will receive a copy of the book, and it is there that the first big push for the book will take place.  I have had a copy of the book for the past week or so, and am really impressed by it.  It is presented in question and answer form, similar to the Baltimore Catechism that was so popular in the past.  Its lay out is very attractive, and the margins of each page are filled with quotes from the Bible, from Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul, and other saints and important Catholic writings. 

                I am very excited about this catechism.  Mr. Jacks and I are working to get a copy for each of our junior high students (6, 7, and 8th grades) as a supplement to their religion text books.  We are also looking to purchase copies that can be used in our LifeTeen program.  I would recommend it as a Confirmation gift, stocking stuffer, or birthday gift for any young Catholic (probably those under junior high will not quite be ready for it), and for any adult Catholic.

                The book is being put out by Ignatius Press, and discounted copies can be purchased on Amazon.  We hope to have a copy of YouCat for each member of our Junior High, as well as copies for our LifeTeen group.  I would appreciate any donations that you might make to help us buy these books and get them into the hands of our young people.