Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28th Edition with NRSV/REB Greek-English New Testament

This fantastic resource will be released on April 18, 2013, according to Christianbook.com.  The standard Greek edition, without the NRSV or REB, will be released in mid December. 

B16 on the Beheading of John the Baptist

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
on the last Wednesday of August, we celebrate the liturgical memorial of the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus. In the Roman Calendar, he is the only saint whose birth, June 24, and death through martyrdom are celebrated on the same day. Today’s memorial dates back to the dedication of a crypt of Sebaste in Samaria, where, by the middle of the fourth century, his head was venerated. The cult spread to Jerusalem, in the Churches of the East and Rome, with the title of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist. In the Roman Martyrology, reference is made to a second finding of the precious relic, transported, for the occasion, to the church of St. Sylvester in Campo Marzio, Rome.

These small historical references help us to understand how ancient and profound devotion to the John the Baptist is. In the Gospels his role in relation to Jesus stands out very well. In particular, St Luke tells his birth, his life in the wilderness, his preaching, and St. Mark tells us about his tragic death in today’s Gospel. John the Baptist began his preaching under the emperor Tiberius, in AD 27-28, and his clear invitation addressed to the people who flocked to hear him, is to prepare the way to welcome the Lord, to straighten the crooked streets of life through a radical change of heart (cf. Lk 3, 4). But the Baptist did not limit himself to preaching repentance, conversion, he also recognized Jesus as the "Lamb of God" who comes to take away the sin of the world (Jn 1, 29), he has the deep humility to reveal in Jesus the true Messenger of God, stepping aside so that Christ can grow, be listened to and followed. As a final note, the Baptist bears witness to his fidelity to the commandments of God with his blood, without ever giving in or turning back, carrying out his mission to the very end. In his Homilies the IXth century monk, St. Bede writes: "For [Christ] he gave his life, although he was not ordered to deny Jesus Christ, he was ordered not to silence the truth. However, he died for Christ "(Hom. 23: CCL 122, 354). For the love of truth, he did not stoop to compromises with the powerful and was not afraid to use strong words with those who had lost the path of God.

Now we look at this great figure, this strength in passion, in resistance to the powerful. Where does this life of rectitude and coherency, this interior strength, completely spent for God and to prepare the way for Jesus, come from? The answer is simple: from his relationship with God, from prayer, which is the main theme of his whole existence. John is the Divine gift that had been long invoked by his parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth (cf. Lk 1:13), a great gift, humanly beyond hope, because both were advanced in years and Elizabeth was barren (cf. Lk 1:7), but nothing is impossible for God (cf. Luke 1:36). The announcement of the birth takes place in a place of prayer, the temple of Jerusalem, indeed it takes place when it is Zechariah’ turn to have the great privilege of entering the holiest place of the temple to burn incense to the Lord (cf. Lk 1: 8-20). The birth of John the Baptist was marked by prayer: the song of joy, praise and thanksgiving that Zechariah raises to the Lord and which we recite every morning at Lauds, the "Benedictus", enhances the action of God in history and prophetically indicates the mission of his son John, who precedes the Son of God made flesh in order to prepare the way for Him (cf. Lk 1.67 to 79). The whole existence of the Forerunner of Jesus is powered by his relationship with God, especially in the time he spent in the wilderness (cf. Lk 1.80), the desert is a place of temptation, but also the place where the man feels his poverty most because he is deprived of material support and safety, and he understands that the only solid reference point is God Himself. John the Baptist, however, is not only a man of prayer, of constant contact with God, but also a guide in our relationship with God. The Evangelist Luke notes that when introducing the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples the "Our Father", the request is formulated with these words: "Lord teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples "(cf. Lk 11:1).

Dear brothers and sisters, the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist reminds us, Christians of our time, that we can not stoop to compromises with the love of Christ, his Word, the Truth. The Truth is the Truth and there is no compromise. Christian life requires, so to speak, the daily "martyrdom" of fidelity to the Gospel, that is the courage to let Christ grow in us and direct our thinking and our actions. But this can only happen in our lives if there is a solid relationship with God. Prayer is not a waste of time, it does not rob much space from our activities, not even apostolic activities, it does the exact opposite: only if we are able to have a life of faithful, constant, confident prayer will God Himself give us the strength and capacity to live in a happy and peaceful way, to overcome difficulties and to bear witness with courage. St. John the Baptist intercede for us, so that we always maintain the primacy of God in our lives.

I offer a warm welcome to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors, especially those from England, Indonesia, Japan and Malta. Today, the Church celebrates the Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist. John, whose birth we celebrate on the twenty-fourth of June, gave himself totally to Christ, by preparing the way for him through the preaching of repentance, by leading others to him once he arrived, and by giving the ultimate sacrifice. Dear friends, may we follow John’s example by allowing Christ to penetrate every part of our lives so that we may boldly proclaim him to the world. May God bless all of you! 

(Wednesday Audience from Castel Gandolfo via news.va article)

The Saint John's Bible

One Bible that I have neglected all too often over the past few years is the magnificent Saint John's Bible.  I plan to rectify this oversight during the coming weeks and months.  Stay tuned!

Until then, does anyone happen to own any of the hardcover volumes or prints?  Perhaps have seen the original up close? What has been your experiences with the Saint John's Bible?

Semi-Regular Weekly Poll

Will there ever be an ESV-CE in print?

• Yes
• No

Acepoll

More polls: Online polls

Looks Interesting

Envoy for Christ: 25 Years as a Catholic Apologist by Patrick Madrid

Description:

Over the past twenty-five years, Patrick Madrid has explained and defended the Catholic faith worldwide. Envoy for Christ is a fascinating look inside Catholic apologetics from Madrid’s vantage point on the frontlines. A collection of written material that spans the author’s career, Catholic thought is applied to a variety of apologetic issues, and in addition, Madrid will look at how he has applied Catholic truth to circumstances in his own life. With some of his earlier works, he will also explain how his thinking has changed and developed over the years. This is a summary of the legacy of Patrick Madrid’s far-reaching public ministry.

This book is due out in October from Servant Books.

Scott Hahn on the Queenship of Mary

A Song Title for Our Translations

So, if you were to assign a song title for the various Catholic Bible translations what would they be? I started to think about this yesterday and came up with a few.

NABRE: "I Still Haven't Found What I Am Looking For" by U2
This translation has been so unsettled during its 40+ year history. There have been three major updates since its first publication in 1970 and now we have to look forward to a new revision in ten years. I have a burning desire to see the USCCB and CBA produce something that will serve the Church in America well.

RSV-2CE: "Who are You" by The Who
This translation just doesn't seem to get the support from its publisher that it deserves. It attempts to "correct" the original RSV-CE but with little documentation as to what has been changed and by whom. This translation is truly an enigma. I really want to know if you think this as well?

NRSV: "Mixed Emotions" by The Rolling Stones
For me, at least, the NRSV does a number of things very well, but makes some poor choices along the way, mostly in the way of excessive inclusive language. Am I not the only one who feels this way?

Jerusalem Bible: "If I Should Fall Behind" by Bruce Springsteen
Published in English in the 1960's, the Jerusalem Bible was a fresh rendering of the Holy Scriptures.  To this day, it remains beloved by many who experienced the changes after Vatican II, Mother Angelica, and many in the charismatic community.  And while the NJB improved on the original in some ways, it never quite caught on as well as its predecessor, at least here in the USA.  Now with a clear move within the Church for more formal equivalent renderings, for both liturgical and scriptural texts, one wonders if any one will wait for and embrace the Jerusalem Bible in future years.

Douay-Rheims: "Alive" by Pearl Jam
Over four hundred years since the publication of the New Testament (in its first edition), the Douay-Rheims is still alive. Although, like Pearl Jam, one of my favorite bands back in the '90s, its popularity continues to slowly fade away.  Now a days, it has a small, but fiercely loyal fan base.

So how about you?