Stephen K. Ray's Blog, page 32

Grandkids say the funniest things – from the mouth of babes!

6 year old James: “You can put a lot of things in the Dead Sea but they all float.”

4 year old Natalie: “Even God?”

James: “Maybe not.”

Natalie: “Yes, he can walk on water!”

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Jesus Appeared to 500 at one time (or was it really 2,000?)

We are now in the forty day period between the Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord. During these forty days we are told,

He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3 ESV-CE)

We know of about 12 of these appearances. But one is especially interesting to me. St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians around the year AD 55 with a list of men who first saw the risen Christ. This would have been about 25 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus.

He did not include women since in that day and age they were not considered reliable witnesses, and St. Paul is making a “legal defense” of the physical and bodily resurrection. In this list written 25 years later he writes,

 He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. (1 Corinthians 15:5-7)

Notice the middle sentence. He appeared to five hundred brothers. There are speculations as to where and when this happened, but we are not told. It could likely be when he appeared in Galilee, possibly with many of the locals who had eaten the loaves and fish.

Here is what piqued my interest this morning. When Jesus fed the multitudes we are not told the whole number of people he fed. In Matthew 14:21 it reads,

And those who ate [the loaves and fish] were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

We know there were 5,000 men, but how many people if you include the women and children? Speculations are that with the women and children the number who ate that day swelled to 20,000.

Now if the same general rule and holds true for the 500 men who saw the risen Lord — that women and children were not included in the number — then with the women and children we could expect the number was closer to 2,000 who witnessed the risen Lord at that “one time”.

The Greek word behind “brothers”  is adelphos which can mean only men, or brethren in general, as in all the followers of Christ. Remember, Paul does not list the women who first saw Jesus at the tomb on that resurrection morning (Mark 16:1). In his 1 Corinthians 15 list there are only men mentioned. It is possible that adelphos could be men and woman, but it is also possible, and maybe even likely, that “brothers” refers only to men.

If this is the case, then it is possible that 500 “brothers” saw the risen Christ along with about fifteen hundred women and children. Thus the number of eye-witnesses would swell to even more impressive numbers.

Then notice what St. Paul says about the five hundred brothers,

Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. (1 Cor 15:6) 

That means that twenty-five years after the resurrection there were still many of these witnesses who were still alive and ready to testify to what they saw with their own eyes. Some had died, but many were still giving witness to what they saw.  This means that if anyone wants to check it out for themselves, these living witnesses are ready and willing to testify.

Now let’s take it one step further. If some of these witnesses were children at the time of this appearance to “five hundred brothers at one time”, then some of this list of witnesses would still have been available into the 2nd century.

For example, if a young boy of ten years old was a witness to Christ with that large group, by the year AD 100 he would be eighty years old. So even by the end of the 1st century and into the 2nd century some of these witnesses would still be telling what they saw.

And the testimony of living witnesses passed on through the early Church. One of my favorites is St. Irenaeus writing at the end of the 2nd century (AD 180) recalling his listening to St. Polycarp, who told of his time with St. John who walked with Jesus for three years.

“But Polycarp also was not only instructed by apostles, and conversed with many who had seen Christ, but was also, by apostles in Asia, appointed bishop of the Church in Smyrna, whom I also saw in my early youth, for he tarried [on earth] a very long time, … having always taught the things which he had learned from the apostles, and which the Church has handed down, and which alone are true.

For I [Irenaeus] have a more vivid recollection of what occurred at that time than of recent events … so that I can even describe the place where the blessed Polycarp used to sit and discourse …  how he would speak of his familiar association with John, and with the rest of those who had seen the Lord; and how he would call their words to remembrance. (Irenaeus of Lyons, Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenæus)

So Polycarp knew not only the apostles, but also many others “who had seen the Lord” referring most likely to the eyewitnesses we have mentioned above. And he passed this testimony on to Irenaeus who wrote about it in AD 180.

So, we know that Jesus is risen! The testimony of the living witnesses lives on in their writings and in the Church. He has risen indeed!

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St. Paul Mediterranean Cruise almost sold out

Our October St. Paul Mediterranean Cruise through Italy, Greece and Turkey has only a few cabins left. Close to being sold out.

St. Paul Mediterranean Cruise & Pilgrimage, October 10-20, 2024

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Ireland Pilgrimage in August is now sold out

Our Ireland trip in August is already sold out
Starting a waitlist.
www.FootprintsOfGod.com

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Steve on EWTN’s Bookmark to Discuss “Genesis”

I had a great time at EWTN down in Alabama recording two TV shows: Bookmark with Doug Keck and Mitch Pacwa Live with you guessed it Fr. Mitch.

On both shows we discussed my new book GENESIS, A BIBLE STUDY GUIDE AND COMMENTARY. A deacon friend just wrote me:

I finished reading your book on Genesis and really loved it. It reads well, provides lots of interesting information about both Scripture and culture, even has some personal anecdotes, and helps orient readers to all the prominent characters of the OT. I heartily recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about this book of Scripture.

The first show is posted here — I will add the Fr. Mitch show tomorrow or Thursday.

Bookmark is already on YouTube (see below) but will also air live on EWTN in May – all times below are Eastern time.

Sunday, May 12 at 10 AM, Monday May 13 at 5 AM and 5 PM, Saturday May 18 at 11:30 PM. Enjoy!

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Day 10: Last Evening; Comments & Farewells

All good things must come to an end, and this pilgrimage has come to a very happy and successful conclusion.

The last evening is always fun and jovial and we share lots of comments and farewells, blessings, and our “last supper”, with hugs and tears and cheers.

Enjoy this uplifting and heartfelt movie.

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What Happened to Detroit?

A friend from the UK wrote and asked me what happened to that once magnificent city of Detroit. I gave his a short response which may sound harsh to politically correct ears but I never claimed to be politically correct choosing rather to be honest and speak my mind. Here was my answer:

This was once a glorious city. My Catholic ancestors from my mother’s side immigrated to Detroit where they built businesses and thrived when Detroit was something to behold. My great great grandfather carved the oak altar rail at St. Anne’s Catholic Church, the first in Detroit and now a Minor Basilica. My grandfather owned lots of properties. I was born in Detroit and my dad worked his whole life at Ford Motor Company. We moved out before the big collapse. The popular saying was, “The last one to leave, turn off the lights.”

What happened to Detroit is easy to explain. 75% of children live without a father — there is almost a 50% illiteracy rate. The Black people who make up the majority in downtown have leaders that teach them to be victims. The welfare state replaced the need for a father. The State becomes the father with promises to provide everything.The Rev. Jesse Jackson’s and Al Sharpton’s of the world lie to their people and keep them on the modern day plantation.

Young men without dads look up to pimps and drug lords. They join gangs as “substitute families.” Girls give away sex without commitment. They have no fathers so they fall for the first man who says they love them. They have babies and get money from the government. Their babies are doomed to repeat the same cycle of poverty and despair. Abortion is rampant.

God and discipline were taken from the schools and replaced with chaos. No one can discipline unruly students who have never been taught discipline or the value of an education. They have no idea or interest in the meaning and responsibilities of a democratic republic or civic duty. They have no idea what the Declaration of Independence or Constitution are. The school dropout rate is unbelievable and the arrest rate reflects it. People are afraid to walk in the streets.

And the Black youth unemployment? Businesses are not likely to hire a young man with no education or discipline, who won’t speak understandable English and who applies for a job slouched over, wearing a hoodie, pants hanging off his butt and sporting a bad attitude. When I was running my business a decade ago more than half of the people from Detroit that applied for employment had a criminal record, could not read, or could not pass a drug test.

The city officials are gangsters and some in prison (e.g., the last major Kilpatrick), yet Blacks continue voting for the same crooks because they are Black Democrats who promise to be Santa Claus. Promised pensions were too high and are now breaking them. Trade unions got greedy and protected bad employees. Whites fled (like our family in 1960). The population dropped from about 2 million to 600,000. Taxes increased, services decreased. Neighborhoods were abandoned. Churches were closed. Businesses moved out. Except for a few areas, Detroit is now a huge burned-out slum.   Christian morality and the family, enterprise and hard work were replaced with single-parent families and fatherless children, with secularism and socialism, with a culture that knows nothing of work but only food stamps, welfare and government dependence. My heart goes out to those stuck in this culture of death and despair. Though there are hotspots of development, don’t expect Detroit to recover in our lifetime. 

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Day 9: Mass at Lourdes Grotto; Tour of Bernadette’s Life & Apparitions

The weather cooperated nicely with us today as we went to the early morning English Mass at the Grotto at Lourdes.

We had our group picture taken in front of the huge basilica before walking through the small town of Lourdes following the life of Saint Bernadette and her apparitions.

Everybody had the afternoon free again to enjoy all there is to do at Lourdes. Lots of shops, all day confessions, revisiting the shrine, collecting water to take home and all the chapels again for prayer, Rosary and much more. We gathered together again at 6:30 PM for blessing of religious items purchased and at 7 PM for our Farewell Dinner and everyone prepares to leave early in the morning.

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Day 8: First Full Day at Lourdes France!!

It was raining today, but we all started out with good spirits anyway. We walked up to the huge basilica, and had Mass in the chapel of Saint Joan of Arc. Cozy little chapel just for our own private group.

Then we took a tour of all of the shrine areas with Teresa who, as usual, gave us all a great and impassioned explanation of everything we saw — the churches, the grotto, the water, the statues, the shops and much more.

We all broke up at 11:30 and everybody had the rest of the day to enjoy lunches and dinners, and shopping and resting and confession, and the waters of Lourdes, and much more.

First video is of the day in general, and the second video is the evening candlelight procession.

EVENING ROSARY CANDLELIGHT PROCESSION

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Day 7: Burgos to Loyola for Mass then to Lourdes

Left Burgos and headed for Lourdes through the Pyrenees Mountains. We stopped enroute in Loyola, Spain, the birthplace of St. Ignatius to visit the basilica and celebrate Mass in the room where Ignatius experienced his conversion.

We arrived in Lourdes and checked into our beautiful hotel Grand Hotel Moderne, which is 100 steps away from the entrance into the Lourdes shrine.

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