Revelation 3

3 "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your works; you have the name of being alive, and you are dead. 2Awake, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. 3Remember then what you received and heard; keep that, and repent. If you will not awake, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you. 4Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5He who conquers shall be clad thus in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life; I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

Jesus addresses the church of Sardis, referring to Himself as the one with the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. He cites these things to assert His authority over the Churches, especially as Sardis is a church that has drifted from Him. It is the second "exception" to the general format of the letters. Contrary to Smyrna, though, Jesus has nothing affirming to say to Sardis. While they seem like a good and lively church, in reality they are dead. However, they are not so dead that they are beyond hope. Christ calls to them to awake, and perfect their works. Otherwise, their judgement will come when they least expect it--as is the case with all who become complacent about their faith.

However, Jesus does say that there are a few holy Christians in Sardis, and they are worthy of Him. Jesus promises that along with those, all who amend their ways and overcome, will be clothed in white garments, and their names will remain in the Book of Life. Jesus will bring them before the Father in Heaven.

7"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one shall shut, who shuts and no one opens. 8I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut; I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie--behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and learn that I have loved you. 10Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial which is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell upon the earth. 11I am coming soon; hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12He who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

Philadelphia, like Smyrna, is a positive exception to the composition structure--again, nothing negative is reported about them. Jesus refers to Himself as the bearer of the Keys of David, an allusion to Isaiah 22:22, where Isaiah prophesies that the steward of David's house will be stripped of his authority, and the Keys given to another. This prophecy typologically points to Christ, who is the Steward of the New Covenant. He it is who has the authority to Open and Shut. And as such, He has opened heaven to the Philadelphians, that no one else can close. This is good news for them, because of the persecutions from the Jewish people. Because they are weak, Jesus promises them special care. He judges all people fairly, and helps those who remain faithful to them, and never gives anyone more than he can bear.

For those who are victorious, Jesus says that He will make them Pillars in the Temple! Those who were weak will be made strong enough to bear up the Church! More, they will be branded, inscribed, claimed as Jesus' own personal and treasured possession! Notably, in the later chapters of Revelation, we discover that the New Jerusalem in fact has no Temple. God Himself is the Temple of the New Jerusalem. In 1 Peter 2:5, St. Peter writes, "you, too, may be living stones making a spiritual house as a holy priesthood to offer the spiritual sacrifices made acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (NJB). Jesus, here, is promising that we will be incorporated into His Temple, and stand before God forever, worshipping Him!

14"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. 15I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! 16So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth. 17For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may be rich, and white garments to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. 19Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent. 20Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21He who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

This final letter, like the one to Sardis, has nothing positive to commend the Laodiceans for. Jesus identifies Himself as the faithful, true witness, and the origin of all things. In other words, He knows what He's talking about in his indictments.

The church of Laodicea has become complacent, "neither cold nor hot." Jesus says He wishes they were one or the other, as cold water is refreshing, and hot water is soothing, but because they are like lukewarm water, He will spit them out. In their prosperity, they have forgotten their need of God, and fail to realise that without Him, they are the very opposite of wealthy, but so poor as to be naked and blind! As such, Jesus counsels them to return to Him, using trade imagery that was familiar to their region. Laodicea was renowned for their affluence (and so Jesus counsels them to buy pure gold), which was a result of their rare black wool from the black sheep of the region (and so, Jesus instructs them to buy white robes--spiritually representing their righteous deeds). As well, they had developed a salve to relieve blindness from the dust and cataracts (which Jesus again alludes to, to cure them of their spiritual blindness). All the things that the Laodiceans had and prided themselves in materially, they needed spiritually.

Jesus alludes to Proverbs 3:12, reminding them of His unending love for them, despite their complacency. In fact, He continues to seek them out, knocking at the doors of their hearts, so that they might dine together. If they welcome Him, and are victorious, they will share His glory and kingship!

All seven of these churches were destroyed when the Muslims spread throughout the Middle East, and even today, there is but a small Christian presence there, and special permission is required in order to celebrate the Mass. Their fate should keep us mindful of our need for perseverance in following Jesus--as well as our need to pray for our fellow believers who are undergoing persecution throughout the world.

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Revelation 2

In the following 2 chapters, Jesus instructs John to write to the Seven Churches in his Diocese. Each of these letters is addressed to the Angel: again, possibly a church's guardian angel, but more likely, the "messenger" at that Church: the priest. As chapter 1 states, these letters were to be read aloud. Each letter also deals with the particular circumstances that each parish was facing—though often in a figurative sense, usually by alluding to a relative story from the Old Testament (i.e., Balaam, Jezebel). Each letter also has a word of encouragement to persevere, and a word of conviction, to bring the church to repentance, except for three cases, which will be discussed individually. The final thing to note is that each individual letter makes a reference to some characteristic of Jesus that John saw in his vision from chapter 1. A different characteristic of Jesus is referred to at the beginning of each letter, and the promise of reward or penalty to the churches that concludes each letter is a call-back to that respective element.

Viewing Revelation liturgically, chapters 2 and 3 nicely correspond to the reading of the Scriptures at Mass.

2"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear evil men but have tested those who call themselves apostles but are not, and found them to be false; 3I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5Remember then from what you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6Yet this you have, you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.'

Jesus refers to Himself as the one with the seven stars in His hand, and who walks among the lampstands. We recall from the end of chapter 1 that these stars are those angels of the churches, and the lampstands are the churches. Hence again, Jesus reminds the Church at Ephesus that He is with them, and holds them in His hand. He begins by praising them for their practices, and especially that they stick very closely to sound doctrine, testing anyone who comes and preaches to them. However, Jesus then turns and says "Right doctrine isn't enough." He tells them that they know the truth, but they don't love the truth. Their passion and love for Christ has waned.

This distinction is a crucial one. It has been remarked that "we can miss heaven by 18 inches: the distance from our heads to our hearts." Often, as Christians we can become so focussed on "the truth" and the theory of theology and orthodoxy, that we never stop to figure out how that applies to the world in which we live. Both truth and love must coexist together. St. Paul writing to this very same church, states, "If we live the by the truth and in love, we shall grow completely into Christ, who is the head" (Ephesians 4:15 NJB). That's the plus. The negative side of the coin is that, if we fail to do so, Jesus tells the church that its lampstand will be taken away.

Jesus doesn't end on a negative note, though, and tells the Ephesians that He is pleased with their hatred of the works of a group known as the Nicolaitans. Very little is known about this sect. The most complete description is from Eusebius (Church Histories, III, xxix), that the sect was named after Nicholas the deacon (Acts 6:5), and claimed to follow his teachings, but Eusebius tells us that they had actually twisted words that he had spoken that were in themselves harmless, in order to indulge in promiscuous and otherwise immoral behaviour. The early Church Fathers unanimously taught that this sect was short-lived.

Jesus promises that those who overcome will get to "eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God," an allusion to Genesis 2:9. This tree stood alongside the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil that led to the fall of humanity into Sin. According to Genesis 3:22-24, God banished Adam and Eve from Eden for the sole purpose of preventing them from eating from this tree, and so live forever. Hence, this tree is a reference to the eternal life in God. For Christians, we recognise that this Tree was "replanted" at Calvary, and that the fruit of this Tree is Jesus Himself, in the Eucharist, which He says, "anyone who eats...has eternal life" (John 6:54, NJB).

8"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: 'The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. 9I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who conquers shall not be hurt by the second death.'

The letter to Smyrna is the first "exception" mentioned above. While the typical format for these correspondences is praise, criticism, praise, the letter to the Smyrnaeans is all praise and encouragement. Jesus here identifies Himself as the beginning and the end, and as the Resurrected One. He empathises with the persecutions that Smyrna struggles under, and how poor this has made them in earthly things, but yet, He calls them rich. Their persecutors are the Jewish people of Smyrna, who would turn them over to the Romans to face their punishments. Jesus is harsh with these Jews, calling them a "Synagogue of Satan," which is reminiscent of His condemnation of the religious leaders in John 8: "You are from your father, the devil, and you prefer to do what your father wants. He was a murderer from the start; he was never grounded in the truth; there is no truth in him at all. When he lies, he is speaking true to his nature, because he is a liar, and the father of lies" (v.44, NJB).

Jesus tells us that Satan is behind the persecution about to come upon the church at Smyrna, but that they should not fear. Ten days is a reference to a rather short period of time, in contrast to Jesus' self-designation of the First and the Last. He is in charge all throughout, and to those who overcome, and remain faithful, even if they die, Jesus, who Himself "died and came to life" will grant them the Crown of Life. Throughout, Jesus reminds us of His teaching in the Beatitudes: "Blessed are the poor in spirit" and "Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness." Notably, both these first and last beatitudes have the same promise: "The Kingdom of Heaven is theirs" (Matthew 5:3,10, NJB). For a discussion of "the second death", see the note in Chapter 20.

12"And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: 'The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. 13I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is; you hold fast my name and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice immorality. 15So you also have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16Repent then. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone which no one knows except him who receives it.'

Jesus here identifies Himself in terms of the two-edged sword coming from His Mouth, which is God's Word (cf. Hebrews 4:12). This word of power is ready to be exercised against those who have strayed from Him. Jesus is mindful of Pergamum's somewhat precarious location: "Where Satan's throne is," a reference to Pergamum being a major hub of idolatry and Emperor Worship in the ancient world. Jesus commends the church there for staying true during a major persecution, even when Antipas, the bishop at Pergamum, was martyred during the persecution of Domitian (which, incidentally, goes a long way in dating the writing of Revelation to the mid to late 90's, since Domitian was emperor from 81-96, and Antipas died in 92).

However, Jesus then indicts the church of Pergamum for following the teaching of Balaam. This is an allusion to Numbers 22-24. Balak, King of Moab, feared the Israelites as they journeyed toward the Promised Land, because God had used them to wipe out all those who stood in their way. So Balak hired Balaam, a prophet, to curse the Israelites. However, Balaam could only bless the Israelites, because God was with them. Balaam counselled Balak to set traps for the Israelites to lead them into immorality so that through their sin, they would lose the blessing of God and Balaam could then curse them. This reference to Balaam and Balak corresponds to the church of Pergamum's members who belong to the Nicolaitans and practice their immoral behaviours as well. Here then we have the reverse of the letter to the Ephesians. The Pergamum church was faithful in their love of God, even in the face of persecution, but had allowed false teaching to creep in, and were just as guilty. To them, Jesus says that if they do not repent, that sword in His mouth will make war on the sinners.

But to those who stay faithful and overcome, He will give the Hidden Manna, again, a reference to the Eucharist, and a white stone with a name on it that only the one who receives it would know. The white stone means innocence. During a trial, the court would condemn a man using a black stone, and acquit him using a white stone. This white stone, then, means that those who have overcome will be found Innocent before God, and welcomed into His Kingdom.

18"And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: 'The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practice immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her immorality. 22Behold, I will throw her on a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her doings; 23and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches shall know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve. 24But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay upon you any other burden; 25only hold fast what you have, until I come. 26He who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, I will give him power over the nations, 27and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received power from my Father; 28and I will give him the morning star. 29He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

Jesus identifies Himself to the Thyatirans in terms of His appearance to John with fiery eyes and brazen feet, references to Daniel 10:6, and Daniel's description of the Messiah. Jesus commends the church's love, faith, service, and patient endurance, and that these works have only become greater as they've grown in Him. However, Jesus rebukes them for tolerating Jezebel, a so-called prophetess, who has taught them to be sexually immoral and commit idolatry. Jezebel is a reference to 2 Kings 9:22, "As soon as Jehoram saw Jehu, he asked, 'Is all well, Jehu?' 'What a question!' he replied, 'when all the while the prostitutions and countless sorceries of your mother Jezebel go on'" (NJB) Hence, some woman in Thyatira was claiming to receive prophecies from God that taught immoral practices and idolatry. Jesus says that He had given her time to repent, but that soon, she and all her followers would be punished. Whether the adulteries are literal or not is open to interpretation, since throughout the Bible (cf. Ezekiel 23), idolatry has been symbolically compared to adultery, and is again later in Revelation itself. Either way, sin is sin.

The just punishments dealt serve to show that Christ is the just judge, who repays all according as their works deserve. But for the rest, Jesus encourages them to continue as they have, and if they overcome, they will be given to share in Jesus' authority and Messianic reign, as the allusions to Psalm 2:8-9 indicate. The Morning Star that Jesus promises to give is Himself.

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Revelation 1

1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants what must soon take place; and he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3Blessed is he who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written therein; for the time is near.

In the first three verses, St. John tells us the purpose of writing his vision. He tells us its origin: From God, through Jesus Christ. He tells us the recipient of the message, namely, himself. He identifies himself as John, and further says that he has borne witness of God's Word and of Jesus Christ to everyone he met. In saying so, he identifies himself as a missionary, at least. While modern scholars debate exactly which "John" this is, the earliest testimony of the Church has always identified him as St. John, the Beloved Apostle, who wrote the Gospel according to John as well as the three letters bearing his name. Finally, John tells us his purpose in writing. It is a warning and an encouragement to the Church, about things that are soon to take place. This document was intended to be read during the Liturgy, and the Liturgy is the proper setting for Revelation: "Blessed is he who reads aloud...and blessed are those who hear."

The phrase in verse 1, "What must soon take place," is an allusion to Daniel 2:28. In this passage in Daniel, the prophet Daniel tells the king of Babylon that the visions that the King has seen are of things "that must soon take place." He goes on to relate Nebuchadnezzar's dream, and to interpret it for him. The dream contrasts the kingdoms of the world, vs. a Heavenly Kingdom "which will never be destroyed" (Daniel 2:44). This Kingdom will triumph over all the kingdoms of the world. This allusion to Daniel is the first of over 300 in the book of Revelation. These allusions go a long way in revealing its meaning. More often than not, it is the context that the allusion is from that gives the meaning, rather than simply the words used. Here, we recognise that the Heavenly Kingdom from Daniel's prophecy is the Church, and that it is the subject of that vision, namely the Church's struggle with, and eventual triumph over, the kingdoms of the world, that is the subject of Revelation.

4John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 7Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, every one who pierced him; and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. 8"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

Again, there is a Liturgical reference, in the addressing of the Letter to "the seven churches that are in Asia." These seven churches (according to v.11: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea), were real churches in the Roman province of Asia. Before St. John's exile to the island of Patmos (Rev. 1:9), he was the Bishop of what could be called "The Diocese of Ephesus." St. Timothy, to whom St. Paul addresses two letters, was John's auxiliary. As Bishop of Ephesus, John would have been the Overseer to all these parishes. After his exile, Timothy replaced him, but until his death, John still cared for and ministered to his flock any way that he could.

John greets the churches with Grace from the eternal God, and from the seven spirits who minister before His throne. These seven spirits, mentioned elsewhere in Revelation, are the same as those mentioned in Tobit 12:15. John also sends Grace from Jesus Christ, and strings quotations and allusions together to describe Our Lord. They are from Psalm 89:37 (faithful witness), 89:27 (first-born...ruler of kings); Isaiah 55:4 (witness again); Exodus 19:6 (a kingdom, priests to his God); Daniel 7:13 (coming with the clouds); Zechariah 12:10 (every eye will see him, every one who pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of him), and all point to the glorious Messiah.

Verse 5, "has freed us from our sins by his blood," is rendered in other translations more graphically as "has washed away our sins with his blood." This is not only a reference to Jesus' Crucifixion, but also to our baptism into Him. That Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet that John was writing in, tells us that He is the totality and perfection. He was in the beginning, and will be in the end, unchanging. All things are under His control--even the crazy and disturbing images that we will see in this Book.

9I John, your brother, who share with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11saying, "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea." 12Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden girdle round his breast; 14his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, 15his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters; 16in his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth issued a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

John tells us that he has been exiled because of his proclamation of the Gospel, and shares therefore in the hardships being undergone by the Church. Depending on the dating of the Book of Revelation, this could refer to various seemingly devastating persecutions by the Roman Empire. If the writing is from before AD 70, then the persecution is that of Nero. If later, c. AD 90-95, then it was the persecution of either Vespasian or Domitian. According to Tradition, St. John endured and survived all three, as the only one of the Apostles to not be martyred. There is some debate as to when Revelation was written, based on internal content and the testimony of others. I personally hold that it was written just after AD 70 and the destruction of Jerusalem, as a prophetic retrospective of why Jerusalem fell, and how that foreshadows the ultimate judgement of the world by God. Others suggest that it was written before AD 70 and actually prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem with a telescopic view to the end. Either way, the Book of Revelation ultimately is about the sack of Jerusalem, and the replacing of Temple-worship with the New Covenant of the Eucharist, and the ultimate consummation of the New Jerusalem, the Church.

John received this vision while "in the Spirit on the Lord's day." That is, while worshipping on a Sunday. Because Jesus' resurrection was on a Sunday, this day became the new Lord's Day for the Christians.

The description of Jesus here is a composite of allusions primarily from Daniel chapters 7 and 10, as well as Ezekiel 43:2. Daniel chapter 7 relates the judging of the nations by the Messiah. Chapter 10 relates a vision of the Messiah. Ezekiel 43:2 describes the glory of God. Together they again demonstrate the true glory of Jesus, who is Himself God. The Jesus we see here seems drastically different than He who walked the earth in the first century. But the same Jesus who died for us, is the same Jesus who appears to John--now, however, His glory is unveiled. This is the Jesus that we serve, the Jesus who is coming again!

17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 19Now write what you see, what is and what is to take place hereafter. 20As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches."

John is so overwhelmed in the presence of the glorified Christ that he falls down as though dead—an experience referred to in Charismatic circles as being "slain in the Spirit." Jesus announces Himself, the First and the Last, who lives even though He died, and not only that, but in rising again, now has the victory and authority over death itself. Chapter 1 comes full circle with a second allusion to Daniel 2:28 in verse 19, and then Jesus explains the relevance of the seven lampstands and seven stars. These seven stars are the angels of the seven churches listed earlier. Whether these seven angels refer spiritually to angelic beings in charge of each church, or humanly to the priests of each church (since "angel" literally means "messenger") is not certain, nor incredibly important.

The lampstands, however, are more significant. In the ancient Temple, before the Ark of the Covenant, there was a golden seven-armed lampstand, called the Mennorah. This Lampstand was kept lit to signify the presence of God (similar to how the Candle above the Tabernacle in a church is always lit when there is a consecrated host within the Tabernacle). When Jerusalem was sacked, and the Temple was destroyed, the Mennorah was carried away to Rome, and later melted down for the gold. Its departure from Jerusalem was a symbolic statement that God was no longer present. Here, Jesus says that as He dwelt in the Temple when the Mennorah was there, now He dwells in the Church, which is the New Mennorah. As indicated, through the Eucharist, this is literally the case as Jesus comes to us Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity to be with us.

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Bible Study: The Revelation of St. John

Introduction

Hey all. Here at St. Andrew's, I teach a Bible Study Thursday nights, from 7:30 to 9:00 pm. This past year we studied Revelation. Since over the summer months, there won't be much other teaching happening in the Youth Ministry, I thought I would post the commentary on Revelation here, based on that Bible Study. God bless!

By the by, starting September 21st, we'll be studying the Old Testament book of Tobit.

The Book of Revelation, the last of all the books of the Bible, is also the least understood. Throughout the world, and throughout the different sects and denominations within Christianity, much confusion, disagreement, debate, and squabble abounds over its proper interpretation. Even its author and date of writing are up for debate among scholars. And these questions are not recent, but many of them go back to the beginning.

The Book of Revelation was one of the last books to be inducted into the Canon of Scripture (the authoritative list of the books of the Bible), finding acceptance by St. Athanasius in around AD 367, and ratified by following Church Councils. However, over 1000 years later, at the time of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther again wanted to remove it from Scripture because he could not make sense of the book. In his own words, "A revelation should be revealing."

In recent years, Revelation has been at the forefront of Protestant thought, due to the popularity of the best-selling Left Behind series. This series of Christian fiction interprets Revelation in a literalistic fashion and in a purely futuristic sense--making the book all about the Return of Jesus Christ. However, their interpretation, and that of many Protestants, (known as dispensationalism) is a new teaching, originating in America around the end of the 19th century. Historically, and traditionally, the Catholic Church has never taught this, and still does not.

That brings us to the purpose of this study: What does the Catholic Church teach about the Book of Revelation? What Martin Luther and the majority of Bible Scholars these days fail(ed) to take into account in trying to understand this mysterious book is that it, and indeed, all of the Bible, is only ultimately comprehensible within the Liturgy of the Church. Traditions and denominations that have splintered from and rejected the Tradition of the Catholic Church have lost that key, and as close (or as far) as any of them come to interpreting Revelation, it will always be incomplete.

Throughout this study, we will be using The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth by Dr. Scott Hahn (himself a convert to Catholicism) as a guide to show us that as much as Revelation is a book that discusses the fate of the Church and the world in St. John's own day, and as much as it reveals things about the End of the World and the Return of Jesus Christ, ultimately, Revelation, in all its bizarre and confusing imagery, is about something very near and dear, something very familiar to all of us. The key to understanding Revelation is the Mass, and on the other hand, the key to really understanding the Mass is the book of Revelation.

Scott Hahn writes in his introduction,

Of all things Catholic, there is nothing so familiar as the Mass. With its timeless prayers, hymns, and gestures, the Mass is like home to us....
The Mass is near and dear. The Book of Revelation, on the other hand, seems remote and puzzling....
Well, in this little book, I'd like to propose something outlandish. I propose that the key to understanding the Mass is the biblical Book of Revelation--and, further, that the Mass is the only way a Christian can truly make sense of the Book of Revelation.

God inspired all of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16) and as such He meant for it to be for all peoples of all times. Therefore, what John wrote down is relevant to us today. God still speaks through His Word, if we are open to hearing His voice. Otherwise, what would be the point of a Bible Study? So let us open our hearts to His Word.
Come Holy Spirit, and enlighten the hearts of Your people. Reveal Your truth to us. Amen.

Just a note. For the commentary, the Words of Scripture will be Bold and blue, while my comments will be in the normal light grey default type. Scriptures quoted outside of Revelation will be in blue, but not bolded. Words of Christ, as always, will be red. The Scripture text will be in the Revised Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

God bless.

Go To:
Chapter 01 | Chapter 02 | Chapter 03 | Chapter 04 | Chapter 05
Chapter 06 | Chapter 07 | Chapter 08 | Chapter 09 | Chapter 10
Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15
Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20
Chapter 21 | Chapter 22 | Conclusion

Youth N Scripture

This post is a talk that one of the kids in the St. Andrew's Youth Ministry, Dez Nacario, gave last night at the Charismatic prayer group that focused on youth. It rocked out loud, so I wanted to put it up here. Dez, you're my hero!

When I was first asked to talk at this meeting I thought, "Oh, that's cool. I can just throw something together and talk," but then I realized "Youth and Scripture? That's such a huge topic! What am I supposed to talk about?" So I prayed about it, asking God what it was that He wanted me to teach. What was it that He wanted me to say? This passage came to mind:

"Let no one have contempt for your youth, but set an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. Until I arrive, attend to the reading, exhortation, and teaching." (1 Timothy 4:12-13)

Reading and reflecting on this passage made me think that the majority of youth today just aren't trying to live for God. It's just not seen as cool. Things like going to church every week, reading the Bible, praying, and putting everything you got into God will make today's youth look at you and say, "Wow, what a dork." Now, that's not our entire youth. Some of our youth hear their calling to follow Christ, and that's wonderful. So, if some of our youth can follow Christ and live to be His disciple, why not the rest of them? But then again, are we getting the opportunity to do this? Are people doing their jobs and setting an example in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity? Are we living up to the responsibility to attend to the reading, exhortation, and teaching?

The theme for these talks is discipleship, and I think that it has to start with the youth. The point of my talk tonight is youth. Youth getting involved with scripture and the church. Youth knowing what the church and Jesus are really about. Youth learning to be Disciples of Christ.

Youth getting involved in the church is important. A big part of getting youth involved is making sure that we understand our faith. You can't just tell them to believe, they have to understand what they believe. A lot of them will say, "Give me a reason to believe!" Well, how are you supposed to respond to that? Having them read the Bible, even if it's just a little bit of it every week, can help a lot. If they don't show much of an interest--most kids, especially teenagers, won't--maybe reading it with them and then talking about what you read could help. Sit down with them and try to relate some of the scripture to their own lives. Go to mass as a family, that is so important. If they see you skipping out then they'll think that attending mass weekly isn't important. And don't forget to pray. Pray for them and pray with them.

Another great way to get them involved is to get them into a youth group. Now, any of the kids from St. Andrew's youth group know that although the teachings at the meetings can be really lengthy, they're geared for us. They're meant so that we can understand what the church is really about. And they're presented in a fun way, I mean, if the deal is dodge ball or some other activity like paintballing and then a "brief" talk I think that's pretty fair. After an hour and a half or so of throwing a ball around, or shooting your friends, or just running around, I think we can sit and listen to a teaching. And when your youth minister can relate paintballing to our Catholic faith, you've got to admit that that's pretty impressive! With a youth group you can learn about the church and get really involved, and then in turn teach what you've learned. A lot of kids I've met that are involved in youth groups really do have a grasp on their faith. When they understand their faith, they seem to have more of a willingness to just live for God. If we don't understand what we're supposed to believe, then how are we supposed to be enthusiastic about God or the church? Especially in a world where you can lose your way so easily. This generation is plagued by temptation, and we do lose a few people. We have to be taught about God, we have to learn about the church by the right people or we could end up getting the wrong ideas about the church. And when there are displays of youth's faith, it's just one of the most inspiring things to witness. It just makes you feel so alive and full of His love. And it gives you the confidence to stand up and say, "I'm a Christian" for all to hear. I think that the main concern with youth today is not being seen as cool or accepted if they're a Christian, and they have to learn that 'Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteous sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.'
Who really cares if other people think that they're cool? Isn't what's important that you're giving it all to God? Isn't the only opinion that really matter's God's? I think this is what youth should be learning. When I look at the world today I think, "If I can deal with you talking about drugs, sex, and beer, then why can't you deal with me talking about something as cool as Jesus Christ?" I think that getting involved while you're still young will help you grow in your faith. We all know that kids can be cruel, so if you can stand up against persecution from kids, who can come up with the most horrid ways to taunt somebody, don't you think you'll be able to handle any type of persecution when you and those giving you a hard time are older just a little bit better?

Youth should be able to turn to Scripture and God when they need help. They should know the power of prayer. They should be able to read the Bible and find comfort and guidance, and understand what it's trying to tell them. For many people my age, religion is lost on them. For any of the youth here tonight, can you honestly say that you turn to God, Scripture, and the Church when you need help? Or even the adults, can you say that you do? That you've taught your children that they can they can lay all their problems down before the Lord, and let Him guide them? Another problem with youth is the majority of us have virtually no patience to speak of. If we pray we expect an answer or solution to just appear immediately. Have we really learned that it's all in God's time? When we pray, do we really take that to heart?

I know that tonight I may have spoken as if I wasn't part of the youth, but I am and I know that I am not a saint. I've just been lucky enough to be raised to know my faith. I've been lucky enough attend a church with not only amazing and insightful priests, but a youth group that is--I will only say this once, or else Greg will never let me live it down--a youth group that is actually pretty cool and rather fun. Unfortunately, not everyone has been offered the same things that I have. I acknowledge that it's now my turn to spread God's word. Now, just because I'm out there trying to teach others about God, doesn't mean that everyone else doesn't have to. Isn't it our responsibility as Christians to go out and spread the Gospel? In fact, I believe Jesus instructed us to do so. 'He said to them, Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature' (Mark 16:15). So, let's spread His Word, not only to the youth, who are the future, but to anyone and everyone. God Bless!"

Adversus Da Vinci, Pt. 5

The Artwork: What's So Controversial about Leonardo?

Well, in our conclusion to The Da Vinci Code series, I wanted to look at the artwork, particularly The Last Supper and La Gioconda, since they feature so prominently in the book. We'll begin with La Gioconda.

La Gioconda
More commonly, it's known as The Mona Lisa, but this is it's official name. As such, there is no anagram about calling it The Mona Lisa (Amon, L'Isa?! Whatever). In fact, the name "Mona Lisa" wasn't something that Leonardo called his painting, but comes from Giorgio Vasari's biography of Leonardo, published thirty-one years after his death! The painting is a portrait of Lisa, the wife of wealthy Florentine businessman, Francesco del Giocondo. Since "Mona" is a common contraction of "Madonna", the Italian word for "My Lady", the title given to the painting by Vasari literally means "My Lady Lisa" and has nothing to do with Amon or Isis. Neither is it a self-portrait of Leonardo in drag, nor a celebration of androgyny. It is what it is, a beautiful painting.

Brown makes the claim that the horizon on Lisa Gherardini's left side is higher than that on her right, and since left=feminine and right=masculine, therefore this is a subtle way of expressing the glories of woman. Except, on what does Brown base his assumption that the left is the "feminine" and right is "masculine"? And even so, I wonder if he was looking at the same painting that we are. Click on it and blow it up, if you want! Not only is there no definitive horizon line, but the heights of the background are even, if varied. The highest points on each are pretty much the same, and can hardly be construed as containing symbolism!

So much for accurately describing artwork, Brown!

The Last Supper
Because Dan Brown spends so much time on The Last Supper, so will we. In The Da Vinci Code, Brown makes a number of embarrassingly ignorant claims about the painting and its meaning, so lets compare Brown's reality with, well, real reality.

The first thing that Brown claims about the painting is that there is no "Chalice" in the painting. No "Holy Grail." Instead, according to Brown, there are 13 cups of wine at the table, one for each Apostle plus Jesus. So because Da Vinci didn't paint the Grail, according to Brown, it's actually not the cup, but Mary Magdalene, and all that jazz.

Well, I'm a little puzzled here. Which is it, Brown? Are there 13 cups, or no cup? If there are 13 cups, then what's the big deal?! The Grail is right there! Jesus' cup! Just because it's not gold and doesn't have a stem doesn't mean it's not the Holy Grail! You'd think that Brown hadn't seen Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade! The Grail is right there!

The second thing that Brown claims about this painting is that the person to the left of Christ...well, our left, His right...is a woman, Mary Magdalene. He claims that the two figures make a V in the middle of the painting, as the focal point, thus symbolising feminity again. Further, Brown writes:

Sophie examined the figure to Jesus' immediate right, focusing in. As she studied the person's face and body, a wave of astonishment rose within her. The individual had flowing red hair, delicate folded hands, and the hint of a bosom. It was, without a doubt...female. (p. 243)

Here again, I find myself wondering if Brown and we are looking at the same painting. The alleged V shape between Jesus and "Mary" is not the focal point of the painting. Jesus Himself is.

Further, the figure to Jesus' right does not have "a hint of a bosom", nor red hair, nor can one really describe the figure's hands as "delicate". "Blurry" maybe. Much is made over the fact that this figure has no beard, so therefore it must be female! No one seems to pay any attention to the fact that the third guy on Jesus' left also has no beard! No one cares about him!

The fact is, the person to the right of Jesus is John the Apostle. Traditionally, John was considered the youngest of the Apostles, and so, frequently, was portrayed without a beard. This was the common Renaissance motif for painting young men: womanly faces with men's bodies--and that, contrary to Brown's ideas, is what we have here.

The third thing Brown says is that Judas, John, and Jesus together form a hidden "M". Brown claims it stands either for Mary Magdalene or Matrimonio. He then says this M has been subtly hidden in many different Churches throughout the world, most blatantly, at Our Lady of Paris in London. Well, if there's a Church called "Our Lady" of anything, with a big M on the altar, I wonder what that M would stand for? Surely not Mary, the Mother of Jesus! But again, Brown cleverly avoids mentioning Our Lady in order to make his discussion of the other Mary more convincing. If people kept in mind the importance in Christian iconography of Our Blessed Mother, this hogwash about Mary Magdalene would never have gotten anywhere!

Finally, Brown makes the audacious claim that St. Peter was jealous of Mary Magdalene because Jesus intended to found the Church on her, instead of him. Therefore Leonardo portrayed Peter behaving threateningly toward Mary (who is really John), making a hand-across-the-throat gesture at her...er...him. In fact, if you look, St. Peter's hand is actually resting on John's shoulder. All his fingers are out, not just the one. His index finger is a bit longer than the others, since it is pointing to Jesus rather than just following the curve of John's shoulder, but it's hard to construe it as some sort of threatening gesture!

Moreover, Brown discusses an allegedly disembodied dagger, another subtle threat to Mary Magdalene. Brown claims that if you count the arms, it belongs to no one at all! As a matter of fact, the dagger belongs to Peter. He just happens to be holding it at a very awkward angle. Apparently, this knife dealy gave Leonardo some trouble, and he practised it a few times in his sketchbooks. Thanks, Leonardo, for putting the mystery to rest. Too bad Mr. Brown didn't study up!

So why does Peter have a knife? Why is his hand on John's shoulder? What exactly is happening in this picture?

Well, Brown gets one thing right about the painting. The scene portrayed is in fact Jesus' announcement that one of His disciples will betray Him. At this announcement, according to the Gospels, all the disciples are shocked, and ask, "Is it I?" (Mark 14:17-21). Hence, Leonardo's depiction of the disciples in a bit of commotion.

In John's Gospel, at this point, Peter leans over to John and asks him to ask Jesus who He meant, since John was sitting right next to Jesus (John 13:21-27). Jesus' response is that it is the person who took bread at the same time He did, and look again at the painting: Judas (that guy between Peter and John clutching the bag of money) is reaching for a loaf of bread just as Jesus is! So, the only remaining question is, what on earth is Peter doing with a dagger? Well, in Luke's Gospel, chapter 22, verses 35-38, Jesus tells His disciples to be prepared for the crisis of His arrest and crucifixion. He tells them even to sell their cloaks to buy swords if they don't already have one. At this, the disciples pick up two knives and say, "Hey, here are some swords!" Later on, in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus is arrested, Peter uses one of those very knives to hack off a guard's ear (John 18:10,11). Since the sword was first grasped at the Last Supper, Leonardo threw it in, just so we'd know that this is Peter.

So there you have it. The two most controversial paintings in The Da Vinci Code really aren't all that controversial at all. In fact, they're pretty straightforward, and just as any good painter should, Leonardo put together a very clear masterpiece full of subtle detail and clear meaning.

The neat thing about The Last Supper, is that it was painted on a wall in the convent of Santa Maria della Grazie, in the dining hall. The light sources in the painting even match up to those that are in the hall, to make those dining there feel as if they were actually at the Last Supper. That it depicts the point where Jesus predicts that one of His disciples would betray Him serves as a reminder that we all must remain faithful to Christ. None of the disciples knew whether they were the person, and all had to ask, "Is it I?" That should be our question, too. Dan Brown would make us all Christ's betrayers. But ironically, he has given many the incentive to explore and research the truth of the Catholic Church and of Jesus Christ! Such an examination can only serve to strengthen our faith, if we really do, as the tagline for The Da Vinci Code movie encourages us, "Seek the Truth."

God bless!

Adversus Da Vinci, Pt. 4

Jesus Meets the Holy Women: Has the Church Truly Oppressed Women?

Well, we're getting there, to the end of The Da Vinci Code series! The title comes from the 8th Station of the Cross, where Jesus encounters the weeping women of Jerusalem on His way to be Crucified. Notably, Jesus meets several people on His way to the Crucifixion: His Mother, Simon of Cyrene, Veronica, and the group of women. Only one of those people is a man. All the other men in the stations are beating on Jesus except for station 14, where Joseph of Arimathea puts Him in his tomb. This devotion seems typical of the respect the Church has always had for women.

The bulk of the information in this post is not my own, but the research of Fr. William Slattery, whom I had the opportunity to hear speak on this the February before last. He graciously emailed me his notes, which I slightly adapted for this post. Thank you, Fr. Slattery!

Did the Church crush the ancient feminist religions destroying "the sacred feminine" and has it oppressed womanhood ever since? This is the claim of Dan Brown throughout the book.

However, the reverse is true: The Church established the veneration of "the sacred feminine" in the respect for The Blessed Virgin Mary. In fact, I find it highly ironic that a 454 page book that claims to be discussing the Catholic Church only ever mentions Mary once, and then, just as a passing thing, discussing ancient Christian iconography, and alleging that it's a rip-off of pagan iconography! That's the only time she's mentioned by name (p. 232)! Now, anyone who's anyone realises that Catholicism has a huge place for the Blessed Virgin Mary! In fact, she's in the highest position the Church can give to a human being! So how can a book make the claim that the Church that exalts and honours Mary as chief of all the saints, and most blessed of all women, oppresses those same women? Logic apparently isn't Brown's forté, and he tries to cover that up by omitting mention to the Mother of God!

The Church also liberated women from the oppression of paganism and set standards which contemporary feminism is still trying to equal.

Firstly a few facts on the so-called "sacred feminine" in ancient pagan religions: The Church did not destroy "the sacred feminine" because it never existed. There was no Female Goddess: pagan religions were polytheistic, and among those religions' many gods, the chief one was always a male, like Odin or Zeus. There has never been a matriarchal society: for example, Catalhoyuk, the 9,000 year old Stone Age settlement, according to the analysis of the human bones found there, had a division based on sex of work and implicitly of responsibilities and was not a strictly egalitarian society. Devotees of Wicca--sometimes known as the Goddess Movement--have laid claim to an ancient heritage. Historians now believe that not a single element of the Wiccan story is true.

On the contrary, Christianity brought about the liberation of woman: The Bible proclaimed the equal dignity of woman with man: Galatians 3:28, "There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither slave nor freeman, there can be neither male nor female--for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

God's revelation freed woman from being obliged to physical motherhood as the only way of self-fulfillment when Christianity declared virginal consecration as a vocation for woman: 1 Cor 7:35. Up until that point in history, pagan cultures, and even ancient Judaism, valued women based upon how many children they could have! But the Church changed that when they said, "You aren't valuable based on how many children you can have, but based on the fact that you are created in Christ's image, and He loves you! You don't have to have children to have value. You don't even have to be married if you don't want to!"

What has the Church done for womanhood? The answer is that the status of women before and after the arrival of Catholicism was like night and day because Catholicism proclaimed an unheard of belief in the ancient world: the total equality of male and female: Woman is the equal to man in origin, nature and destiny. Before that, women were regarded as chattel, as property, not as people!

As regards the difference between the status of women in Christianity and in pagan religions in general, the Church changed the general attitude to women prevalent in some ancient religions as simply being a sex object. For example, if a man wanted to worship at the ancient temples of Diana or Aphrodite, he could do so by hiring a "ritual prostitute"!

In Ancient Rome because of Catholicism the infanticide of girls was eliminated: in the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa, in which males outnumbered females by thirty per cent or more, many families refused to raise a second girl. As one husband's letter put it: "If a girl, discard it." The Church stopped this!

The Church abolished polygamy.

Women were far less likely to be forced to have an abortion: a frequent cause of death for women of the time. Notably, it's still a frequent cause of death, or at least complications, even today!

Women from Christian families were three times less likely than women from pagan families to be married before thirteen years of age. That's like, marrying someone in their 30s or older, while you're still in grade 7 or 8! Yay Catholic Church!

Christian women exercised greater freedom to choose their spouse because of the economic support available from the Church. Women could therefore flee to the Church to escape an unwanted marriage, because the Church would take care of them until they chose to get married, or chose to consecrate themselves to virginity as a nun.

The Church demanded that husbands be faithful (quite a contrast with pagan Rome).

The Church elevated women as men to the highest rank in the church: models of Christ-likeness--the Saints. For example, Mary Magdalene, who is called the Apostle to the Apostles, since she was the first person to see the Empty Tomb and tell Jesus' disciples! Ironically, her feast day was on the same day that the DVC movie premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, and her most famous shrine is just a hop-skip-and-jump away from the Festival! So much for trying to cover her up, Dan Brown. As the writer Flannery O Connor said: "The Church would just as soon canonize a woman as a man, and I suppose has done more than any other force in history to free women."

Partly as a result of this, women of all ranks were conspicuous in the new religion and there was a notable presence in some churches of women of important social status.

In the Middle Ages (yes, those terrible Middle Ages!), the social importance, power and influence of women rose to such heights that we still haven't recovered the same level:

Politically, Between the 1000s and the 1200s almost every throne in Europe was occupied by or powerfully influenced by a woman such as the Queen of France, Blanche de Castille.

Some women were the equivalent of provincial governors and mayors and exercised power that many men today would envy. They were feudal lords and as powerful as men of the same rank in virtue of their role as abbesses of monasteries, often administering vast territories with villages, parishes. One example is Heloise, abbess of the Paraclete monastery in France.

Politically, women had the right to vote: there is the example of a woman Gaillardine de Frechou who, during a vote in her area of the Pyrenees Mountains, was the only one in the population to vote No to a certain agreement.

Career-wise, women exercised different professions: in the survey ordered by St. King Louis IX and others there are accounts of a woman teacher, doctor, pharmacist, plasterer, dyer, copyist, salt merchant, a woman Crusader, a woman hairdresser, a woman miller and so on.

In education, women were educated as well as men through the convents. The abbess Hroswitha in Germany, a writer, influenced the development of both the theatre and the German language; the abbess Herrad of Landsberg wrote the best-known encyclopedia, Hortus Deliciarum of the 1100s. Not to mention the talented musician Hildegarde of Bingen. There were even dual monasteries on different parts of a property where men and women lived separately but were ruled over by women, as occurred in the famous abbey of Fontevrault.

In the home the woman ruled alongside her husband over both family and property and retained power over what belonged to her from before marriage.

In the armed forces, we still have not had a female commander in chief since Joan of Arc was promoted to the position by the Catholic Church.

If you had said to Queen Isabella of Spain, to Joan of Arc, Catherine of Siena or any of the aforementioned women that the Church subjected women, they would all have been very indignant and most of them would have flown into a towering passion. They would have asked in various ways where the whole sense of medieval respect for womanhood came from, where their ability to study and rule and govern came from?

This is the bright and shining truth of Christianity, that women as well as men are of equal worth in Christ's eyes. We are all able to attain to the highest position in the Catholic Church: that of Saint. And truly, that is our calling, and that is what we should be striving for! God calls us all to it with open arms; let's accept His invitation!

Below, I've posted the Concluding Footnote from Fr. Slattery's notes:

Concluding footnote: UNRELIABLE SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
Brown actually cites his principal sources within the text of his novel. One is a specimen of academic feminist scholarship: The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels. The others are popular esoteric histories: The Templar Revelation: Secret Guardians of the True Identity of Christ by Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince; Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln; The Goddess in the Gospels: Reclaiming the Sacred Feminine and The Woman with the Alabaster Jar: Mary Magdalen and the Holy Grail, both by Margaret Starbird. (Starbird, a self-identified Catholic, has her books published by Matthew Fox's outfit, Bear & Co.) Another influence, at least at second remove, is The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets by Barbara G. Walker.

The use of such unreliable sources belies Brown's pretensions to intellectuality. But the act has apparently fooled at least some of his readers--the New York Daily News book reviewer trumpeted, "His research is impeccable."

God bless!