On the Prophet Isaiah, St. Basil the Great, and Bishop Fulton Sheen
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Last week’s post was special because it includes a
page in honor of the feast of Mary’s Assumption into
heaven. That feast is celebrated annually every August
15th. Aside from that page, there were also links to
articles on Catholic saints, history, and prayer.
Six saints were featured in that post: St. Benedict
of Nursia, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Bridget of
Sweden, St. Edith Stein, and Sts. Cyril and
Methodius [the six great patrons of Europe].
There was also a brief and short historical sketch
of the four mendicant orders that helped solve a
crisis in the Church starting the 11th century. A
special article was given also on what Carmelite
spirituality is: teaching us the important symbols of
the spirituality: the “hermit-pilgrim-mendicant”, the
mountain, and the spring. Lastly, there were two
posts for web loggers and web site owners who wish
to improve and progress their Catholic web site or
blog. To review the information from last week’s
post, you can click here
This week’s post follows-up on the theme of Mary’s
Assumption into heaven and speaks of it as a dogma
together with three other Marian dogmas. A special
feature for this post is a scriptural study on the
prophet Isaiah and his book. This study tells us
of the structure of the book and how Isaiah’s
prophetic leadership in 8th B.C. also created a
following of disciples who continued his tradition
of prophecy. Lastly, this post features the person
of St. Basil the Great, “the Father of Eastern
Monasticism”. To check on this information you
can click on the links below.
This post features:
- General Presentation of
the Prophet Isaiah and His Book - Marian Dogmas in the
Catholic Church - Saint Basil the Great:
Bishop and Doctor - On Old Testament Studies,
Fulton Sheen, E.F. Schumacher, and More - Lectionary Reading for the
21st Sunday of the Year in Ordinary Time, Year C
General Presentation: Isaiah
The prophet Isaiah heard a call from Yahweh
to prophesy to the northern and southern kingdoms.
His task was to warn these kingdoms of Yahweh’s
judgment upon them because of their infidelity
to His commandment: of not trusting in Him more
but rather on military alliances. Both northern
and southern kingdoms fell nonetheless and the
people were exiled into Babylon. During Isaiah’s
lifetime, his religious genius gathered around
him many disciples. These disciples continued in
the prophetic tradition of Isaiah. Thus the book
of the prophet Isaiah is a composite of many
authors - with the first section coming from the
prophet himself, and the second and third section
coming from the writings of his disciples.
Marian Dogmas
Last August 15 was the feast of the Assumption
of Mary. Mary’s Assumption into heaven is one
of the Marian dogmas in the Catholic Church.
There are four Marian dogmas in relation to the
truth about the Blessed Virgin Mary: her divine
motherhood, her perpetual virginity, her immaculate
conception and her assumption into heaven. This
article examines what a dogma is, briefly relates
the meaning of each of the four Marian dogmas,
and how all of them in summary really point to
the central importance of Christ as the main
subject of Catholic faith.
Saint Basil the Great
So great were St. Basil’s accomplishments that
he was already being given this honorific title
during his lifetime. He was known to be “the
Father of Eastern monasticism”, since he wrote a
rule that would not only regulate his community
of monks but also influence religious life in
the Eastern Church. Aside from this, St. Basil
was also known to have defended well the faith
in the East against the Arians—more particularly
standing his ground against Arian Emperor Valens.
Aside from being involved in politics of his
time and the administration of his diocese
as a bishop, Basil was noted also as a brilliant
orator and a prolific writer. This can be seen
through his sermons, his writings, and the four
hundred letters he wrote that eventually influenced
many during his time. St. Basil was also known to
have founded an immense charitable institution
called the “Basilade”: an institution which included
a hospital, a hospice, an asylum for orphans, and
a school for the young. He was such a holy man
and so loved by the people that at his funeral
there were vast throngs of Christians, Jews,
and pagans.
On Old Testament Studies…
Featured on this page are books on various topics:
studies on the Old Testament, a book on the life
of popular American bishop Fulton Sheen, and the
book “Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People
Mattered” by E.F. Schumacher. These and other
inspiring and outstanding books are available at
discount prices from Ignatius Press.com
Lectionary: 21st Sunday Year C
The readings for the 21st Sunday of the Year are
taken from: the book of the prophet Isaiah, the
letter to the Hebrews, and the gospel of Luke.
From the book of Isaiah, we learn of Yahweh’s
intention to bring back His people from their
exile in Babylon - gathering them back to Jerusalem.
Then in the letter to the Hebrews, the author
of this epistle speaks about the discipline of
God: which can be likened to how sons are
disciplined by their fathers. We are taught that
every trial or test that we experience in life
is one way in which the Lord disciplines us and
shows how he wants us to live according to His
commands. Finally, in the gospel of Luke, we are
told of how Jesus tells the people that only
those who do the Father’s will can be allowed to
be part of the Kingdom of Heaven; and those who
do evil will be barred from entry into the kingdom
of Heaven. This passage can be linked to the
passage in Matthew which speaks of the final
judgment: of how we are to be judged by the way
we treat our neighbor as a brother or sister
in need.
