Catholic Foundation Library Michael Joseph Mouawad

Catholic Foundation Library #1

According to an ancient tradition, one can distinguish between two senses of Scripture: the literal and the spiritual, the latter being subdivided into the allegorical, moral, and anagogical senses.

"The profound concordance of the four senses guarantees all its richness to the living reading of Scripture in the Church." So says the Catechism of, the Catholic Church in paragraph 115.

In this talk, we learn about the literal and the spiritual senses of Scripture and we begin to understand how we need to use the four senses in order to read Scripture according to the mind of the Church.

Highlights
The importance of the literal sense cannot be underestimated. Find out why.
Is the literal sense the same thing as the word-for-word meaning? It all depends.
The spiritual sense is divided into three senses. Learn what they are.

Catholic Foundation Library #2

In paragraph 116 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we read "The literal sense is the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture and discovered by exegesis, following the rules of sound interpretation: 'All other senses of Sacred Scripture are based on the literal.'"

The literal sense is not necessarily the word-for-word meaning of the text. The context, the writing style, the epoch, the subject, and the whole of Scripture in the Tradition of the Church must be taken into consideration to properly understand what the text is saying.

Highlights

The literal sense tells us that Scripture cannot explain itself. Find out why.
The literal sense tells us that the Sacred authors used images, euphemisms, hyperbolae, metaphors, and idioms, just like us. Taken literally, these devices lead to absurd interpretations.

Catholic Foundation Library #3

In Matthew 20:29 and following, and Luke 18:35 and following, we read of the healing of the blind man. Trouble is that Matthew tells us that Jesus was entering Jericho and Luke tells us that the Lord was leaving Jericho. It can't be both. Is there a contradiction in Scripture? Obviously we can't take Scripture word-for-word here, so how are we to understand what actually took place? Learn how to apply the literal sense properly.

In the second chapter of Mark, we meet Jesus and the disciples walking through a field of wheat. The disciples start plucking the wheat and eating the grain. The Pharisees ask Jesus why he lets his disciples do this on the Sabbath when, according to them, plucking wheat is considered work and thus, unlawful.

Jesus asks them if they heard how David went to the high priest, Abiathar, and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat.

What's so strange in this passage is that, if you read 1 Samuel 21:2 and following, you find out that it was not Abiathar, the high priest, but his father Ahimelech.

It sounds like Jesus got it wrong or Mark got it wrong. There are theologians who would say that this is a mistake but it is a small mistake so it does not matter.

I beg to differ.

Scripture is inerrant -- no errors. We need to properly read it.

Catholic Foundation Library #4

In paragraph 116, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says that "we can acquire a more profound understanding of events by recognizing their significance in Christ; thus the crossing of the Red Sea is a sign or type of Christ's victory and also of Christian Baptism." This is what the allegorical sense of Scripture stands for: Understanding the literal passage as it applies to Christ.

Highlights

In John, Chapter 3, Jesus compares himself to a serpent of bronze. What did he mean? Find out how the allegorical sense helps us to understand this text.
Find out why Moses did not lead the Israelites into the Promised Land.
Learn to see the Face of Jesus in the Old Testament.

Catholic Foundation Library #5

In paragraph 117, the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that the anagogical sense allows us to " view realities and events in terms of their eternal significance, leading us toward our true homeland: thus the Church on earth is a sign of the heavenly Jerusalem." The anagogical sense then allows us to understand what Scripture has to say about the Church (and Our Lady) and about the end times.

The moral sense, adds the Catechism in the same paragraph, allows us to understand that "the events reported in Scripture ought to lead us to act justly. As St. Paul says, they were written 'for our instruction'".

This lecture focuses principally on the anagogical sense; the moral sense being familiar to most of us.

Highlights

Why was Eve created out of Adam's rib? Find out.
What does it mean for a wife to submit to her husband?
Find out what the anagogical sense has to say about contraception.
What does it mean to speak in tongues?

Catholic Foundation Library #6

In this lecture, we explain what a covenant is and what it is not. In particular, we explain the difference between a Covenant and a contract and then we study the first three Covenants with Adam, Noah, and Abraham. The anagogical sense of Scripture shows us how each: Adam, Noah, and Abraham is a type of Christ and of God. The anagogical sense shows us that Eve, Noah's wife, and Abraham's tribe are a type of the Church.

Highlights

What is the difference between a Covenant and a contract?
Will I go to hell if I pronounce the name of Jesus in vain? Find out.
Should I swear to God? Why and why not?