Plato on Evil Politicians

"The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men."

- Plato

The Mystery Animal of the Bible - Tachash

The hide of a mysterious animal was used to create the original Tabernacle and also used to wrap up the Ark of the Covenant during travel.

What animal the word 'tachash' refers to is a matter of some debate. According to the Babylonian Talmud and Rashi's commentary, the tanchash was a kosher, multi-coloured, one horned desert animal which came into existence to be used to to build the Tabernacle and ceased to exist afterward. The King James Version of the Bible translates the word tachash as badger. Another hypothesis is that the Hebrew term "orot t'chashim" refers to very fine dyed sheep or goat leather, hence the Jerusalem Bible translates the term as "fine leather". A currently popular hypothesis is that the term "tachash" means dugong. This translation is based upon the similarity between tachash and the Arabic word tukhas, which means dugong. In accordance with this hypothesis several translations, such as the Jewish Publication Society translation, render tachash as dolphin or sea cow.

Tachash from Wiki.

The Deacon in persona Christi?

I had coffee today with Father Gary Selin, priest in residence at my parish (St John the Beloved in McLean, VA) who pointed out that for St Ignatius of Antioch, the deacons are directly associated with the person of Jesus Christ and not the presbyters:

"In like manner let all men respect the deacons as Jesus Christ, even as they should respect the bishop as being a type of the Father and the presbyters as the council of God and as the college of Apostles. Apart from these there is not even the name of a church."

- Epistle of Ignatius to the Trallesians 3:1

Thus the symbology of the Ignatian hierarchy is:

Bishop - God the Father
Presbyters - Apostolic College
Deacon - Jesus Christ

I assume that this is because the bishop himself was the chief and only celebrant and the deacons were the only other ministers present at the altar assisting the bishop. In this time, only the bishop and his deacon(s) would be standing at the altar. Thus, only the bishop and deacon would be associated with Persons of the Godhead.

Holy Mass in the Dome of the Rock

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass has been offered inside the Dome of the Rock! During the Crusades, the Crusaders converted the Dome of the Rock into a Church and was entrusted to Augustinian priests. I haven't been able to find out how long it functioned as a Church. Does anyone know?

Scary Thought: Palestinians and Mein Kampf

This is not fresh news, but Hitler's Mein Kampf is on the bestsellers list among Arab Palestinians.

NBC on the Consecrated

NBC on convents "bursting at the seems."

Hat tip to Holy Whapping.

Using Outward Piety to Judge Others

A friend of mine told me about an uncomfortable situation at a Tridentine Mass where he was reprimanded for not kneeling during the Epistle - a custom that is by no means universal. I have also found that there are certain Catholics who will indeed judge the spirituality of others based on these outward practices.

I believe that there is a tendency in Catholicism to collect "remote sanctity." Instead of loving our neighbor, biting our tongue, encouraging the downtrodden, struggling patiently through trials, in short, taking up the cross daily, there is a temptation to find sanctity in things that are good and pious. Rosary on the rear-view mirror, wearing the scapular so that it's visible, being seen with priests or religious in public, etc.

Some of the nastiest people are those have holy cards falling out of their books and who talk about all the pilgrimages they've made. And the reason they are nasty is that their criticisms are made in the language of piety.

"He doesn't receive on the tongue...Perhaps he'll learn to grow in his love for the Blessed Sacrament."

I've seen this in my own heart and it frightens me. There is a tendency to think that if you carry a Holy Rosary in your pocket, purchase Holy Mass intentions for others, and know what Saint's day it is, then you're de facto holy. But we reveal our lack of charity when use those things to belittle others or justify to ourselves that we are a notch above that other person.

Sacramentals and pious devotions are cetainly means of grace but God forbid if we hold them up as a yardstick against others.

Podcast: Jewish Passover, Catholic Mass

When the Israelites were redeemed from Egypt, they experienced the Passover miracle by spreading the blood of a Lamb over the doors of their homes. However, they also ate the Lamb in their homes. Taylor Marshall explains the significance of eating the Lamb and how it relates to the Sacrifice of the Mass where we eat the Lamb of God: Jesus Christ.

Listen to the Jewish Passover, Catholic Mass Podcast.

New Podcast: Christ the Manna

Have you ever wondered why Christ asks us to “eat Him”? Taylor Marshall examines the Old Covenant miracle of the Manna and Christ’s teaching that He is the Bread of Life that has come down from Heaven. Christ’s discourse on John chapter 6 is the definitive explanation of the Messianic role in providing not only daily bread for His people, but also divine life.

Listen to this Catholic Information Center podcast by clicking here.

Great New Blog

Father Jay Scott Newman's 'Random Thoughts'

Debunking the "Tomb" of Jesus Podcast

Listen to the "Debunking the "Tomb" of Jesus in Podcast by Taylor Marshall, approximately 8 mintues.