The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 309: Praying for the Dead (2023)

Episode Date: November 5, 2023

Fr. Mike breaks down the doctrine of purgatory as we read about Judas Maccabeus and his army praying for the dead in 2 Maccabees 12. We learn that purgatory is a process of purification that our hearts need in order to be ready to love God and to enter into his presence. In our reading of Wisdom today, Fr. Mike emphasizes the insanity of worshipping idols and how it's more tempting to make idols out of good things rather than evil things. Today's readings are 2 Maccabees 12, Wisdom 13-14, and Proverbs 25:11-14. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Bible in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of Scripture. The Bible in a Year podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using the Great Adventure Bible timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds. And how we fit into that story today, it is day 309. We're reading the second book of Maccabees, chapter 12, as well as Wisdom, chapter 13 and 14, and Proverbs, chapter 25, 11 through 14. As always, the Bible translation that

I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version, the second Catholic edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a Year. You can also subscribe to this podcast and receive daily episodes and daily updates, of course, unless you are listening on YouTube, in which case you probably already subscribed to Ascension Presents or on Halo, because that's a thing as well. It's day 309. We're reading 2 Maccabees chapter 12, Wisdom chapters 13 and 14, and Proverbs chapter 25, verses 11 through 14. The second book of the Maccabees, chapter 12, Incidents at Joppa and Jamnia. When this agreement had been reached, Lysaeus returned to the king and the Jews went

about their farming. But some of the governors in various places, Timothy and Apollonius, the son of Gnaeus, as well as Hieronymus and Demophon, and in addition to these, Nicanor, the governor of Cyprus, would not let them live quietly and in peace. And some of the men of Joppa did so ungodly a deed as this. They invited the Jews who lived among them to embark with their wives and children on boats which they had provided, as though there were no ill will to the Jews. And this was done by public vote of the city. And when they accepted, because they wished to live peaceably and suspected nothing, the men of Joppa took them out to sea and drowned them, not less than two

hundred. When Judas heard of the cruelty visited on his countrymen, he gave orders to his men in calling upon God the righteous judge attacked the murderers of his brethren. He set fire to the harbor by night and burned the boats and massacred those who had taken refuge there. Then, because the city's gates were closed, he withdrew, intending to come again and root out the whole community of Joppa. But learning that the men in Jamnia meant in the same way to wipe out the Jews who were living among them, he attacked the people of Jamnia by night and set fire to the harbor and the fleet, so that the glow of the light was seen in Jerusalem, 30 miles distant. The Campaign in Gilead

When they had gone more than a mile from there on their march against Timothy, not less than 5,000 Arabs with 500 horsemen attacked them. After a hard fight, Judas and his men won the victory by the help of God. The defeated nomads begged Judas to grant them pledges of friendship, promising to give him cattle and to help his people in all other ways. Judas, thinking that they might really be useful in many ways, agreed to make peace with them, and after receiving his pledges, they departed to their tents. He also attacked a certain city which was strongly fortified with earthworks and walls,

and inhabited by all sorts of Gentiles. Its name was Caspin. And those who were within, relying on the strength of the walls and on their supply of provisions, behaved most insolently towards Judas and his men, railing at them, and even blaspheming and saying unholy things. But Judas and his men, calling upon the great sovereign of the world, who without battering rams or engines of war overthrew Jericho in the days of Joshua, rushed furiously upon the walls. They took the city by the will of God and slaughtered untold numbers,

so that the adjoining lake a quarter of a mile wide appeared to be running over with blood. Judas defeats Timothy's army. When they had gone ninety-five miles from there, they came to Chirax, to the Jews who are called Tubiani. They did not find Timothy in that region, for he had by then departed from the region without accomplishing anything, though in one place he had left a very strong garrison. Docetius and Sosapater, who were captains under Maccabeus, marched out and destroyed those whom Timothy had left in the stronghold more than

ten thousand men. But Maccabeus arranged his army in divisions, set men in command of the divisions, and hastened after Timothy, who had with him 120,000 infantry and 2,500 cavalry. When Timothy learned of the approach of Judas, he sent off the women and the children and also the baggage to a place called Carnaim. For that place was hard to besiege and difficult to access because of the narrowness of all the approaches. But when Judas's first division appeared, terror and fear came over the enemy at the manifestation to them of him who sees all things. And they rushed off in flight and were swept on this way and that, so that often they were injured by their own men and pierced by the points of their swords. And Judas pressed the pursuit with the utmost vigor, putting the sinners to the sword and destroyed as many as thirty thousand men. Timothy himself fell into the hands of Desithias and

Susapater and their men. With great guile he begged them to let him go in safety, because he held the parents of most of them and the brothers of some and no consideration would be shown them. And when with many words he had confirmed his solemn promise to restore them unharmed, they let him go for the sake of saving their brethren. Judas wins other victories. Then Judas marched against Carnaim and the temple of Etargatis and slaughtered 25,000 people. After the rout and destruction of these, he marched also against Ephron, a fortified city where Lysaeus dwelt with multitudes of people of all nationalities.

Stalwart young men took their stand before the walls and made a vigorous defense, and great stores of war engines and missiles were there. But the Jews called upon the sovereign, who with power shatters the might of his enemies, and they got the city into their hands and killed as many as 25,000 of those who were within it. Setting out from there, they hastened to Sithopolis, which is seventy-five miles from Jerusalem. But when the Jews who dwelt there bore witness to the good will which the people of Scythopolis had shown them and their kind treatment of them in times of misfortune, they thanked them and exhorted them to be well disposed to their race in the future also.

Then they went up to Jerusalem, as the Feast of Weeks was close at hand. Then they went up to Jerusalem, as the Feast of Weeks was close at hand. Judas defeats Gorgias. After the feast called Pentecost, they hastened against Gorgias, the governor of Edomia. And he came out with 3,000 infantry and 400 cavalry. When they joined battle, it happened that a few of the Jews fell. But a certain Docithius, one of Bacchanor's men, who was on horseback and was a strong man, caught hold of Gorgias, and grasping his cloak, was dragging him off by main strength, wishing to take the accursed man alive, when one of the Thracian horsemen bore down upon him and

cut off his arm. So Gorgias escaped and reached Marissa. As Esdras and his men had been fighting for a long time and were weary, Judas called upon the Lord to show himself their ally and leader in the battle. In the language of their fathers, he raised the battle cry with hymns. Then he charged against Gorgias' men when they were not expecting it and put them to flight. Prayers for those killed in battle. Then Judas assembled his army and went to the city of Adulam. As the seventh day was coming on, they purified themselves according to the custom, and they kept the Sabbath there. On the next day, as by that time it had become necessary, Judas and his men went to take up the bodies of the fallen and to

bring them back to lie with their kinsmen in the sepulchers of their fathers. Then, under the tunic of every one of the dead, they found sacred tokens of the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear. And it became clear to all that this was why these men had fallen. So they all blessed the ways of the Lord, the righteous judge, who reveals the things that are hidden. And they turned to prayer, begging that the sin which had been committed might be wholly blotted out. And the noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen. He also took up a collection, man by man, to the amount of two thousand drachmas of silver and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. In doing this, he acted very well and

honorably, taking account of the resurrection. For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore, he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin. that they might be delivered from their sin. The Wisdom of Solomon, Chapter 13 The Foolishness of Idolatry For all men who were ignorant of God were foolish by nature,

and they were unable from the good things that are seen to know him who exists. Nor did they recognize the craftsman while paying heed to his works. But they supposed that either fire, or wind, or swift air, or the circle of the stars, or turbulent waters, or the luminaries of heaven were the gods that rule the world. If through delight in the beauty of these things men assumed them to be gods, let them know how much better than these is their Lord. For the author of beauty created them. And if men were amazed at their power and working, let them perceive from them how much more powerful is he who formed them. For from the greatness and beauty of created things

comes a corresponding perception of their creator. Yet these men are little to be blamed, for perhaps they go astray while seeking God and desiring to find him. For as they live among his works, they keep searching, and they trust in what they see, because the things that are seen are beautiful. Yet again, not even they are to be excused. For if they had the power to know so much that they could investigate the world, how did they fail to find sooner the Lord of these things? But miserable, with their hopes set on dead things, are the men who give the name gods

to the works of men's hands, gold and silver fashioned with skill and likenesses of animals, or a useless stone, the work of an ancient hand. A skilled woodcutter may saw down a tree easy to handle and skillfully strip off all its bark, and then with pleasing workmanship make a useful vessel that serves life's needs, and burn the cast-off pieces of his work to prepare his food and eat his fill. But a cast-off piece from among them, useful for nothing, a stick crooked and full of knots, he takes and carves with care in his leisure, and shapes it with skill gained in idleness. He forms it like the image of a man, or makes it like some worthless animal, giving it a coat of red paint and coloring

its surface red, and covering every blemish in it with paint. Then he makes for it a niche that befits it, and sets it in the wall and fastens it there with iron. So he takes thought for it, that it may not fall, because he knows that it cannot help itself, for it is only an image and has need of help. When he prays about possessions and his marriage and children, he is not ashamed to address a lifeless thing. For health, he appeals to a thing that is weak. For life, he prays to a thing that is dead. For aid, he entreats a thing that is utterly inexperienced.

For a prosperous journey, a thing that cannot take a step. For money-making and work and success with his hands, he asks strength of a thing whose hands have no strength. Chapter 14. Again, one preparing to sail and about to voyage over raging waves calls upon a piece of wood more fragile than the ship which carries him. For it was desire for gain that planned that vessel, and wisdom was the craftsman who built it. But it is your providence, O Father, that steers its course, because you have given it a path in the sea and a safe way through the waves, showing that you can save from every danger, so that even if a man lacks skill he may put to sea. It is your will that works of your wisdom should not be without effect. Therefore,

men trust their lives even to the smallest piece of wood, and passing through the billows on a raft they come safely to land. For even in the beginning, when arrogant giants were perishing, the hope of the world took refuge on a raft, and guided by your hand, left to the world the seed of a new generation. For blessed is the wood by which righteousness comes. But the idol made with hands is accursed, and so is he who made it, because he did the work, and the perishable thing was named a god. For equally hateful to God are the ungodly man and his ungodliness, for what was done will be punished together with him who did it.

Therefore there will be a visitation also upon the heathen idols because though part of what god created they became an abomination and became traps for the souls of men and a snare to the feet of the foolish for the idea of making idols was the beginning of fornication and the invention of them was the corruption of life for neither have they existed from the beginning, nor will they exist forever. For through the vanity of men they entered the world, and therefore their speedy end has been planned. For a father, consumed with grief at an untimely bereavement,

made an image of his child who had been suddenly taken from him, and he now honored as a god what was once a dead human being, and handed on to his dependents secret rites and initiations. Then the ungodly custom, grown strong with time, was kept as a law, and at the command of monarchs graven images were worshipped. When men could not honor monarchs in their presence, since they lived at a distance, they imagined their appearance far away, and made a visible image of the king whom they honored, so that by their zeal they might flatter the absent one as though present.

Then the ambition of the craftsmen impelled even those who did not know the king to intensify their worship. For he, perhaps wishing to please his ruler, skillfully forced the likeness to take more beautiful form, and the multitude, attracted by the charm of his work, now regarded as an object of worship, the one whom shortly before they had honored as a man. And this became a hidden trap for mankind, because men, in bondage to misfortune or to royal authority, bestowed on objects of stone or wood the name that ought not to be shared. Afterward, it was not enough for them to err about the knowledge of God, but they live in great strife due to ignorance, and they call such great evils peace.

For whether they kill children in their initiations, or celebrate secret mysteries, or hold frenzied revels with strange customs, they no longer keep either their lives or their marriages pure, but they either treacherously kill one another or grieve one another by adultery. but they either treacherously kill one another or grieve one another by adultery. And all is a raging riot of blood and murder, theft and deceit, corruption, faithlessness, tumult, perjury, confusion over what is good, forgetfulness of favors, pollution of souls, sex perversion, disorder in marriage, adultery, and debauchery. For the worship of idols not to be named is the beginning and cause and end of every evil. For their worshipers either rave in exaltation or prophesy lies, or live unrighteously, or readily commit perjury. For because they trust in lifeless idols,

they swear wicked oaths and expect to suffer no harm. But just penalties will overtake them on two counts, because they thought wickedly of God in devoting themselves to idols, and because in deceit they swore unrighteously through contempt for holiness. For it is not the power of the things by which men swear, but the just penalty for those who sin that always pursues the transgression of the unrighteous. The Book of Proverbs, chapter 25, verses 11 through 14. in the time of harvest, is a faithful messenger to those who send him. He refreshes the spirit of his masters. Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give. Father in heaven, we give you praise and thank you so much for this day. And thank you so much for bringing us to this new day, day 309. We thank you for keeping us faithful. You are faithful,

even when we are not. Even when we are fickle, you are faithful. Even when we're uncertain, you are the rock, the foundation. You are Jesus Christ, the cornerstone. And so in your name, we ask that you please help us in our weakness, help us in our unsteadiness, help us in every day to see you, the one true God, Jesus Christ, whom you sent, and the Holy Spirit to live by your power. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. You guys, wow. Okay, we have some wisdom in Solomon. That's for darn sure. And we not only have wisdom in Solomon, we have the wisdom of Solomon when it comes to idolatry. And I love how he just lays the smack down on

those who turn to idols, talking about how, yeah, you burn up a piece of wood and you have some scraps left over, but then you carve those scraps and make them into the shape of a human being or the shape of an animal. And then you make a little niche, right? A niche or whatever. I don't know how to say that. Make a little niche in the wall, niche in the wall, and you protect it and you pray to it all of a sudden. Now, all of a sudden, I love this. It says this. It says, he's not ashamed to address a lifeless thing.

This is chapter 13, verses 17 and following. For health, he appeals to a thing that is weak. For life, he prays to a thing that is dead. For aid, he entreats a thing that is utterly inexperienced. For a prosperous journey, a thing that cannot take a step. For money-making and work and success with his hands, he asks strength of a thing whose hands have no strength. And it's basically highlighting the insanity of turning to idols instead of turning to the living God. In fact,

one of the gifts that we hear in chapter 13 of the wisdom of Solomon is that looking around the universe, looking around at creation, you should be able to perceive from the beauty of creation, the reality of God. You should be able to perceive from the beauty of creation, the fact that here is God who exists and made all things. And if you think his works are beautiful, what would he look like? What would he be? If you think his works are wise and intelligent and powerful, what must the creator of them be like? And yet what happens? It says, you know, they worship the creation rather than the creator. And this is the temptation for almost every one of us, the temptation towards idolatry. We might not make a carving and put it

in a little special spot, but you know, it is interesting. And it's worth being reminded again and again, is that we rarely make idols out of bad things. We almost always make idols out of good things. Idolatry really isn't taking evil, evil things and making them into God. It's taking good things and making them absolute things. It's taking good things and treating them like their ultimate things. And in that sense, we have idolatrous hearts. And that's why we come to the Lord and ask for his mercy to deliver us, make us wise and not foolish, not willing to live for something that is not worth living for. Speaking of life, speaking of life, here's the segue. Speaking of 2 Maccabees chapter 12, we have a lot of destruction. We have a lot of death. We have a lot of war. We have a lot of

violence. We also have a really big section in 2 Maccabees chapter 12 when it comes to a really important Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, and Catholic doctrine. This was the doctrine of all Christians up to about the year 1500 plus, and it's the doctrine of praying for the dead. Now what we have here is, here's Judas, and they're having a battle. He went to the city of Abdullam, and they have a battle, and people die, and they keep the Sabbath. The next day, they go to collect the bodies of the dead, and they have a battle and people die and they keep the Sabbath. The next day, they go to collect the bodies of the dead and they find on the bodies of the dead, these amulets, right? It's basically to the gods or idols, tokens of the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids Jews to wear.

It was very obvious then, oh, this is why those people had died. That's the conclusion that they had made. So what does Judas Maccabeus do? He takes up a collection. He says, okay, we're going to pray for these men. And he takes up a collection to send back to Jerusalem, 2,000 drachmas of silver to provide for a sin offering. Now, he's praying for those who have already died.

And it goes on to say, in doing this, he acted very well and honorably, taking into account the resurrection. For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. Now, that's one of the things that we recognize is even in the early church, Christians were immediately offering up prayers for those who had died, even Christians who had died.

And it's interesting because we'd say, well, wait, if someone is in hell, if they're lost, right, then prayers aren't going to help them. If someone is already in heaven, well, they don't need any prayers. So that would be superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But from the beginnings of Christianity, there was this notion that, okay, if I die in friendship with God, and yet I'm not fully ready to enter God's presence because I'm attached to sin, because my heart hasn't been prepared. I mean, I can die in friendship with God and still not be ready at the depths of my heart

to enter into God's presence, that there's this process of purification that happens. Now, a lot of different Protestant denominations have that process of, or they have the doctrine that process of purification that happens. Now, a lot of different Protestant denominations have that process of, or they have the doctrine, that process of purification. It might be instant in some formulations of people, that formulations of different denominations, but the reality of it is necessary. In fact, C.S. Lewis talks about this a lot.

I'm talking about the doctrine of purgatory. I wanted to avoid the word because sometimes there's a lot of baggage with the word, but we recognize here in 2 Maccabees chapter 12, the word of God itself talks about praying for the dead, again, which would be superfluous if someone was in hell because it's useless. And it would be unnecessary if they were already in heaven because it's useless. But if there is a process of purification that happens, again, my buddy C.S. Lewis, he talks about this and says, of course, I believe in purgatory. He says, imagine you arrive at the gates of heaven. And even if the angels and saints said,

and the Lord and God himself said, come in, come in, come in and celebrate. But you realize I'm kind of dressed in filthy rags. I need to clean up. And they might even say, we don't care about that here. Just come in and experience joy. The person, the soul might say, that's wonderful. But even so, I would rather be cleaned up first. There is an element where we recognize, this is what the Catholic doctrine of purgatory is, that there are consequences to our sins, right? And those consequences aren't just, you know, if I hurt someone, they're hurt. If I lie or gossip, that relationship's broken. But some of the consequences of sin is that it hurts my heart. It shapes me.

And in some ways, I find myself unable to love God as he deserves. In fact, one of the things we realize is heaven is what? Heaven is God himself. Heaven isn't just, you know, I'm walking around playing golf. Heaven isn't just, I get my puppy back, you know, whatever. No, God blesses us. He loves us. And so sure, obviously all creation is going to be redeemed. And so maybe there are golf courses. I don't know. That's not, that's not what we're talking about now. But the reality is if someone says, well, will there be golf in heaven? And someone says, well, if you need golf in heaven to be happy, then, then there'll be golf in heaven. Or will my dog be in heaven? Well, if you need your dog in heaven to be happy, then your dog will be in heaven. But the reality, of course, is that for all those in heaven,

they won't need golf to be happy. They won't need their dog to be happy. Why? Because all those in heaven find their heart's rest, find their heart's desire in God himself because heaven is God himself. Yes, it's the communion of saints as well. Yes, it's all those others in heaven living in communion.

But ultimately, heaven is God himself. And I realize something about my heart. My heart is, I don't love God like that. Like, I'm not ready. I love God and, you know, I love God and the stuff of this world. I love God and, you know what, not only I love God and the stuff of this world, I love God and I love my sin. I mean, that's just the reality for all of us, right?

I don't want to love my sin. I don't like that. I'm not bragging about it. But I love God and I love my sin. I mean, that's just the reality for all of us, right? I don't want to love my sin. I don't like that. I'm not bragging about it. But I love God and I love my sin. I love God and I love other things. And God sometimes has rivals, just like the book of wisdom talks about, wisdom of Solomon talks about.

God has rivals for my heart. And so what I realize is my heart needs to be purified. My heart needs to be shaped in. My heart needs to have be shaped in such a way that I love God above everything else. And that's what the process of purification is all about. That's what purgatory is all about. It's a place, it's entryway into heaven. It's whatever this process is, right? This process by which my heart right now beating in my chest, my love for the Lord that's in this world is somehow by God's grace and mercy, is somehow purified by God's grace and mercy so that I can love him the way he deserves.

And that's, I don't think that's a contrary doctrine to anything, right? That's just, that just makes sense. If you and I look into our hearts, we would say, oh my gosh, I don't love God the way he deserves. Something needs to change between me now and me in heaven. And that change, that shift, that thing, we just call, we give it a name. We call it purgatory. We give it a name. It's called purification. Anyways, this is a long day. And so I wanted to highlight this doctrine that maybe you struggle with. Maybe you've never heard before. Maybe you didn't understand what it was before, but hopefully it makes sense now. And if not, I understand because we're all on our journey. We're all on the way. We're asking the Lord to purify our hearts. Long day. Wow. Long day today. You guys, I'm praying for you. Please pray for me.

My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.