#so many people on here want to present an authoritative version of jewish [whatever] and will not commit to learning

[saltcherry]

post going around like “worst Anglo/Latin bastardization of Hebrew/Jewish names” and it’s giving me the Well Actuallys in a bad way.

First of all your post uses English transliteration, not Hebrew letters so aren’t you already Latinizing it yourself? second of all the singling out of Anglo/Latin and the combining of them together is inarticulate. Say Christian if that’s what you mean, it’s okay. third of all some of these alterations originate in the septuagint which is in Greek, and then moved through different languages to end up in their English forms... all of which have perfectly explainable phonetic changes. (Which I will go through and that are not complicated). Fourth of all, the conflation of Jewish and Hebrew...I understand what you’re doing and it’s irritating. Fifth of all, what’s your point? Should language and names never be translated, localized, or changed? Historically in many nations Jews have had Hebrew names and names in a local language, or just Hebrew names, or just names in another language. Sixth of all, I know OP is basically trying to be snide at Christianity, but what’s the end goal? To get Christians to talk about Mary and Matthew with “miriam” and “mattisyahu”? Sounds annoying to experience from the outside, and it doesn’t make sense inside their own traditions, which rise out of Greek more than Hebrew.

Moshe -> Moses. Greek has no “sh” sound and in the Septuagint the Hebrew letters mem-shin-hay were written as Μωϋσῆς (this is a modern rendering, not sure if the Septuagint is exactly like this but the sh sound was dropped for a s sound and the s at the end is typical of Greek names that do not end in vowel sounds (Zeus, Patrocles, Achilles, etc.).

Miriam -> Mariam (Greek) -> Maria (Greek) (short form) -> Mary (English)

Chava -> Hava -> Eva -> Eve. the “ch” in Hebrew can shift to either a “h” or a “k” in languages that lack the sound. “H” is easily dropped. end sounds shift easily. English names often drop an ending “ah” such as Anna -> Anne, Maria -> Mary, usually by way of French (I think?).

Rivka -> Rebecca. come on now. raysh-bet/vet-kof-hay. RE-BE-KA is fine.

I’m too bored to do the rest but I literally figured out stuff about Greek, a language I know jack shit about, by just looking at trends and thinking about other Greek names.... anyway you may not like translation or localization but maybe you should educate yourself on how it actually happens. Because you’re beefing with the Greeks here anyway.

[romancatholicreflections]

5th August >> Fr. Martin’s Gospel Reflection on Matthew 14:1-12 for Saturday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time: ‘The head was brought in on a dish’.

Saturday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Gospel (Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Canada & Southern Africa) Matthew 14:1-12 Herod the tetrarch heard about the reputation of Jesus, and said to his court, ‘This is John the Baptist himself; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.’ Now it was Herod who had arrested John, chained him up and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. For John had told him, ‘It is against the Law for you to have her.’ He had wanted to kill him but was afraid of the people, who regarded John as a prophet. Then, during the celebrations for Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and so delighted Herod that he promised on oath to give her anything she asked. Prompted by her mother she said, ‘Give me John the Baptist’s head, here, on a dish.’ The king was distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he ordered it to be given her, and sent and had John beheaded in the prison. The head was brought in on a dish and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. John’s disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went off to tell Jesus. Gospel (USA) Matthew 14:1-12 Herod had John beheaded; John’s disciples came and told Jesus. Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.” Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, for John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet. But at a birthday celebration for Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests and delighted Herod so much that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present, he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. His disciples came and took away the corpse and buried him; and they went and told Jesus. Reflections (7) (i) Saturday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, had married the wife of his brother Philip. John the Baptist confronted Herod Antipas for marrying in contravention of the Jewish Law, much to the annoyance of Herod and to the even greater annoyance of his wife, Herodias. For his faithful proclamation of the Jewish Law, even to the mighty and powerful, John the Baptist was imprisoned and, eventually, beheaded on Herod’s orders, as we hear in today’s gospel reading. At the end of the gospel reading we are told that when the disciples of John the Baptist had buried their master, they went off to tell Jesus. When Jesus heard this news, he must have had a premonition of his own fate. Jesus proclaimed an even more radical version of God’s will than John the Baptist. He was already in the process of making enemies among the powerful in the land. As John the Baptist was executed in Galilee by a client king of Rome, Herod Antipas, Jesus would be executed in Jerusalem by the governor of Rome. The gospel story as a whole and today’s gospel reading especially indicates that the proclamation of God’s word is not always well received, especially when it challenges our self-centredness, our desire to protect ourselves and all we are attached to. It is in the nature of the Lord’s word that it will both comfort us and unsettle us. It will both build up and tear down. We need to keep holding ourselves open to both sides of the Lord’s word. And/Or (ii) Saturday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time We have a lovely mosaic in our church of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus. A few years after that event, both of them would end up being put to death by the power of Rome. Jesus was crucified at the orders of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor in Judea at the time, and John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod Antipas, a local ruler who ruled Galilee on behalf of Rome. Jesus more than likely saw his own destiny reflected in what happened to John. John was executed because he had challenged Herod for acting against the Jewish Law by marrying his brother Philip’s wife. John was a courageous witness to the values proclaimed by God’s word. In the story we have just heard, he stands out as a beacon of light compared to all the other characters, that peculiar unholy Trinity of Herod, Herodias, his wife, and her daughter. Between them they managed to eliminate what the gospel reading refers to as a ‘good and holy man’, just as Jesus, the ultimate ‘good and holy man’, would be eliminated by another coalition of darkness. It seems to be in the nature of light that it often finds itself shining in darkness. The light of the Lord’s presence shines in our own darkness, in the dark and difficulty experiences of life. John the Baptist is a great inspiration to us to allow the light of our faith shine, the light of the gospel, even when it is not popular or convenient to do so. We try to keep the light we have received in baptism shining brightly, regardless of the circumstances in which we might find ourselves. And/Or (iii) Saturday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time We have become increasingly aware in recent years of those who are being persecuted because of their faith, especially their faith in Jesus. Many have been forced to flee their homes simply because they have refused to deny their faith in Jesus. Many have been put to death because of their faith. There are as many, if not more, Christian martyrs today as there have ever been in human history. We consider Stephen to be the first Christian martyr. Strictly speaking, John the Baptist is not considered a Christian martyr because he was the one who came just before Jesus to prepare the way for him. Yet, he is a martyr for Jesus in everything but name. It was because of his prophetic work of proclaiming God’s will, as a preparation for Jesus, that he was put to death by Herod. He was totally dedicated to proclaiming and doing God’s will, even when that meant incurring the wrath of the powerful, like Herodias, Herod’s wife. He paid with his life for his integrity, his faithfulness to his prophetic calling. John the Baptist remains an inspiration for us today. He encourages us to be courageous in our witness to our faith. Jesus said of John the Baptist that he was not a ‘reed shaken by the wind’. He didn’t simply go in the direction of whatever wind was blowing the strongest. He was made of sterner stuff. We need some of that strength of spirit of John the Baptist today, because our witness to the values of Jesus and his gospel will often mean standing firm against the prevailing winds of the time. And/Or (iv) Saturday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time Two men and two women feature in this morning’s gospel reading, John the Baptist and Herod, and Herodias and her daughter. Of the two men, Herod was a man of power and authority, whereas John was powerless; Herod had the freedom of an autocrat to do whatever he liked, whereas John had no freedom, being locked up in prison. Yet, at another level, John the Baptist had an authority and freedom that Herod did not have. John had a moral authority that Herod lacked, and he had the freedom to speak out of his convictions, whereas Herod lacked the freedom of his convictions; he had John beheaded against his better judgement. You could say that John had the authority of the person who was completely open to God’s Spirit and that he had the spiritual freedom of the children of God. The gospels suggest that this is the only authority and the only freedom worth having, and very often it is to be found in people who might appear on the surface to have very little freedom or authority. The most authoritative and the freest person of all was Jesus, because he was full of the Spirit, and he was at his most authoritative and his freest at the very moment when he appeared to have no authority or freedom, as he hung from the cross. The more our lives are in tune with the movements of God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the more we will share in the Lord’s own authority and freedom, and the more we will begin to taste here and now that glorious freedom of the children of God that awaits us in the next life. And/Or (v) Saturday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time In this morning’s gospel reading we have an example of that abuse of power with which history is peppered. Herod Antipas was ruler in Galilee at the time of Jesus. He was ultimately subject to the Emperor in Rome and was Rome puppet’s king. He could use his power as he wished, provided it did not bring him into conflict with Rome. In today’s gospel reading he used his power to execute an innocent man. People who abuse their power in this way lose their authority. John the Baptist has no power in this scene; he is a prisoner of Herod Antipas. Yet, he has great authority, a moral authority that is rooted in his relationship with God. That gave him the freedom to confront a man of power like Herod for breaking the Jewish law. Because of that exercise of moral authority, he was put in prison and eventually executed. John the Baptist foreshadows Jesus. As Jesus hung from the cross he too had no power. As Paul says, ‘he was crucified in weakness’. Yet, at that moment he had great authority, the authority of a life of tremendous integrity and goodness, the authority, ultimately, of the faithful Son of God, as the centurion recognized. Even if we have little or no power, we can be people of authority in the gospel sense. Like John the Baptist we are called to be people of the word, who hear the word of the Lord and allow it to shape our values, our attitudes, our whole lives. And/Or (vi) Saturday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time We can all make rash promises, promises we have very little chance of ever fulfilling. In this morning’s gospel reading, Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, made a rash promise to his step daughter. ‘He promised on oath to give her anything she asked’. When, prompted by her mother, Herodias, she asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter, Herod could not go back on his promise without losing face. He was not prepared to lose face, even though that meant going against his better instincts. In some distress he ordered the guards to carry out the request of his step daughter. Herod comes across as a man who did not have the courage of his convictions, when his own honour in the eyes of others was at stake. In contrast, the man he had executed, John the Baptist, had the courage of his convictions. He challenged Herod’s marriage to the wife of his brother because it was against the Jewish Law. John the Baptist died for his convictions. He foreshadowed Jesus who also died for his convictions; he was put to death because he proclaimed God’s vision for humanity. Both John and Jesus inspire us to be courageous in the living of our faith, in our bearing witness to the values of the gospel. It can be tempting to live up to other people’s expectations, which is what Herod did. Yet, our calling is to live in accordance with God’s expectations, even when that means the way of the cross. Such a way is ultimately the way to true and lasting life. And/Or (vii) Saturday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time At the beginning of Matthew’s gospel, King Herod the Great is responsible for the murder of innocent children, in an effort to kill the infant king of the Jews, Jesus. In this morning’s gospel reading, Herod the Great’s son, Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, is responsible for the death of John the Baptist. Like Jesus, John the Baptist interpreted God’s will for people’s lives; he interpreted God’s Law for others, regardless of their background or state in life. God’s will had to be proclaimed to all, including the most powerful in the land, people like Herod Antipas and his wife Herodias. Proclaiming God’s will to the powerful was risky, if it conflicted with their own will. John the Baptist was imprisoned by Herod Antipas and eventually beheaded because John’s proclamation of God’s will challenged the lifestyle of Herod and his wife. Jesus would go on to make the same discovery. His fuller proclamation of God’s will for our lives was a challenge to the religious and political leaders of his time and, as a result, he was crucified. As well as being a consoling word, the gospel also has a sharp edge to it. It confronts us when we are not living as God intends us to live. When the gospel leaves us feeling uncomfortable, rather than rejecting it, as many of Jesus’ and John’s contemporaries did, we need to sit with it and allow it to speak to our heart. The path it puts before us may go against the grain at times, but, ultimately, it is the path that leads to life, both in this world and in the next. Fr. Martin Hogan, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin, D03 AO62, Ireland. Parish Website: www.stjohnsclontarf.ieJoinus via our webcam. Twitter: @SJtBClontarfRC. Facebook: St John the Baptist RC Parish, Clontarf. Tumblr: Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin.

[frmartinshomiliesandreflections]

5th August >> Fr. Martin's Gospel Reflection on Matthew 14:1-12 for Saturday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time: ‘The head was brought in on a dish’.

Saturday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel (Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Canada & Southern Africa)

Matthew 14:1-12

Herod the tetrarch heard about the reputation of Jesus, and said to his court, ‘This is John the Baptist himself; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.’

   Now it was Herod who had arrested John, chained him up and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. For John had told him, ‘It is against the Law for you to have her.’ He had wanted to kill him but was afraid of the people, who regarded John as a prophet. Then, during the celebrations for Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and so delighted Herod that he promised on oath to give her anything she asked. Prompted by her mother she said, ‘Give me John the Baptist’s head, here, on a dish.’ The king was distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he ordered it to be given her, and sent and had John beheaded in the prison. The head was brought in on a dish and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. John’s disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went off to tell Jesus.

Gospel (USA)

Matthew 14:1-12

Herod had John beheaded; John’s disciples came and told Jesus.

Herod the tetrarch heard of the reputation of Jesus and said to his servants, “This man is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers are at work in him.”

   Now Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, for John had said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for they regarded him as a prophet. But at a birthday celebration for Herod, the daughter of Herodias performed a dance before the guests and delighted Herod so much that he swore to give her whatever she might ask for. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present, he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. His disciples came and took away the corpse and buried him; and they went and told Jesus.

Reflections (7)

(i) Saturday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, had married the wife of his brother Philip. John the Baptist confronted Herod Antipas for marrying in contravention of the Jewish Law, much to the annoyance of Herod and to the even greater annoyance of his wife, Herodias. For his faithful proclamation of the Jewish Law, even to the mighty and powerful, John the Baptist was imprisoned and, eventually, beheaded on Herod’s orders, as we hear in today’s gospel reading. At the end of the gospel reading we are told that when the disciples of John the Baptist had buried their master, they went off to tell Jesus. When Jesus heard this news, he must have had a premonition of his own fate. Jesus proclaimed an even more radical version of God’s will than John the Baptist. He was already in the process of making enemies among the powerful in the land. As John the Baptist was executed in Galilee by a client king of Rome, Herod Antipas, Jesus would be executed in Jerusalem by the governor of Rome. The gospel story as a whole and today’s gospel reading especially indicates that the proclamation of God’s word is not always well received, especially when it challenges our self-centredness, our desire to protect ourselves and all we are attached to. It is in the nature of the Lord’s word that it will both comfort us and unsettle us. It will both build up and tear down. We need to keep holding ourselves open to both sides of the Lord’s word.

And/Or

(ii) Saturday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

We have a lovely mosaic in our church of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus. A few years after that event, both of them would end up being put to death by the power of Rome. Jesus was crucified at the orders of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor in Judea at the time, and John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod Antipas, a local ruler who ruled Galilee on behalf of Rome. Jesus more than likely saw his own destiny reflected in what happened to John. John was executed because he had challenged Herod for acting against the Jewish Law by marrying his brother Philip’s wife. John was a courageous witness to the values proclaimed by God’s word. In the story we have just heard, he stands out as a beacon of light compared to all the other characters, that peculiar unholy Trinity of Herod, Herodias, his wife, and her daughter. Between them they managed to eliminate what the gospel reading refers to as a ‘good and holy man’, just as Jesus, the ultimate ‘good and holy man’, would be eliminated by another coalition of darkness. It seems to be in the nature of light that it often finds itself shining in darkness. The light of the Lord’s presence shines in our own darkness, in the dark and difficulty experiences of life. John the Baptist is a great inspiration to us to allow the light of our faith shine, the light of the gospel, even when it is not popular or convenient to do so. We try to keep the light we have received in baptism shining brightly, regardless of the circumstances in which we might find ourselves.

And/Or

(iii) Saturday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

We have become increasingly aware in recent years of those who are being persecuted because of their faith, especially their faith in Jesus. Many have been forced to flee their homes simply because they have refused to deny their faith in Jesus. Many have been put to death because of their faith. There are as many, if not more, Christian martyrs today as there have ever been in human history. We consider Stephen to be the first Christian martyr. Strictly speaking, John the Baptist is not considered a Christian martyr because he was the one who came just before Jesus to prepare the way for him. Yet, he is a martyr for Jesus in everything but name. It was because of his prophetic work of proclaiming God’s will, as a preparation for Jesus, that he was put to death by Herod. He was totally dedicated to proclaiming and doing God’s will, even when that meant incurring the wrath of the powerful, like Herodias, Herod’s wife. He paid with his life for his integrity, his faithfulness to his prophetic calling. John the Baptist remains an inspiration for us today. He encourages us to be courageous in our witness to our faith. Jesus said of John the Baptist that he was not a ‘reed shaken by the wind’. He didn’t simply go in the direction of whatever wind was blowing the strongest. He was made of sterner stuff. We need some of that strength of spirit of John the Baptist today, because our witness to the values of Jesus and his gospel will often mean standing firm against the prevailing winds of the time.

And/Or

(iv) Saturday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

Two men and two women feature in this morning’s gospel reading, John the Baptist and Herod, and Herodias and her daughter. Of the two men, Herod was a man of power and authority, whereas John was powerless; Herod had the freedom of an autocrat to do whatever he liked, whereas John had no freedom, being locked up in prison. Yet, at another level, John the Baptist had an authority and freedom that Herod did not have. John had a moral authority that Herod lacked, and he had the freedom to speak out of his convictions, whereas Herod lacked the freedom of his convictions; he had John beheaded against his better judgement. You could say that John had the authority of the person who was completely open to God’s Spirit and that he had the spiritual freedom of the children of God. The gospels suggest that this is the only authority and the only freedom worth having, and very often it is to be found in people who might appear on the surface to have very little freedom or authority. The most authoritative and the freest person of all was Jesus, because he was full of the Spirit, and he was at his most authoritative and his freest at the very moment when he appeared to have no authority or freedom, as he hung from the cross. The more our lives are in tune with the movements of God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the more we will share in the Lord’s own authority and freedom, and the more we will begin to taste here and now that glorious freedom of the children of God that awaits us in the next life.

And/Or

(v) Saturday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

In this morning’s gospel reading we have an example of that abuse of power with which history is peppered. Herod Antipas was ruler in Galilee at the time of Jesus. He was ultimately subject to the Emperor in Rome and was Rome puppet’s king. He could use his power as he wished, provided it did not bring him into conflict with Rome. In today’s gospel reading he used his power to execute an innocent man. People who abuse their power in this way lose their authority. John the Baptist has no power in this scene; he is a prisoner of Herod Antipas. Yet, he has great authority, a moral authority that is rooted in his relationship with God. That gave him the freedom to confront a man of power like Herod for breaking the Jewish law. Because of that exercise of moral authority, he was put in prison and eventually executed. John the Baptist foreshadows Jesus. As Jesus hung from the cross he too had no power. As Paul says, ‘he was crucified in weakness’. Yet, at that moment he had great authority, the authority of a life of tremendous integrity and goodness, the authority, ultimately, of the faithful Son of God, as the centurion recognized. Even if we have little or no power, we can be people of authority in the gospel sense. Like John the Baptist we are called to be people of the word, who hear the word of the Lord and allow it to shape our values, our attitudes, our whole lives.

And/Or

(vi) Saturday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

We can all make rash promises, promises we have very little chance of ever fulfilling. In this morning’s gospel reading, Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, made a rash promise to his step daughter. ‘He promised on oath to give her anything she asked’. When, prompted by her mother, Herodias, she asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter, Herod could not go back on his promise without losing face. He was not prepared to lose face, even though that meant going against his better instincts. In some distress he ordered the guards to carry out the request of his step daughter. Herod comes across as a man who did not have the courage of his convictions, when his own honour in the eyes of others was at stake. In contrast, the man he had executed, John the Baptist, had the courage of his convictions. He challenged Herod’s marriage to the wife of his brother because it was against the Jewish Law. John the Baptist died for his convictions. He foreshadowed Jesus who also died for his convictions; he was put to death because he proclaimed God’s vision for humanity. Both John and Jesus inspire us to be courageous in the living of our faith, in our bearing witness to the values of the gospel. It can be tempting to live up to other people’s expectations, which is what Herod did. Yet, our calling is to live in accordance with God’s expectations, even when that means the way of the cross. Such a way is ultimately the way to true and lasting life.

And/Or

(vii) Saturday, Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time

At the beginning of Matthew’s gospel, King Herod the Great is responsible for the murder of innocent children, in an effort to kill the infant king of the Jews, Jesus. In this morning’s gospel reading, Herod the Great’s son, Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee, is responsible for the death of John the Baptist. Like Jesus, John the Baptist interpreted God’s will for people’s lives; he interpreted God’s Law for others, regardless of their background or state in life. God’s will had to be proclaimed to all, including the most powerful in the land, people like Herod Antipas and his wife Herodias. Proclaiming God’s will to the powerful was risky, if it conflicted with their own will. John the Baptist was imprisoned by Herod Antipas and eventually beheaded because John’s proclamation of God’s will challenged the lifestyle of Herod and his wife. Jesus would go on to make the same discovery. His fuller proclamation of God’s will for our lives was a challenge to the religious and political leaders of his time and, as a result, he was crucified. As well as being a consoling word, the gospel also has a sharp edge to it. It confronts us when we are not living as God intends us to live. When the gospel leaves us feeling uncomfortable, rather than rejecting it, as many of Jesus’ and John’s contemporaries did, we need to sit with it and allow it to speak to our heart. The path it puts before us may go against the grain at times, but, ultimately, it is the path that leads to life, both in this world and in the next.

Fr. Martin Hogan, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin, D03 AO62, Ireland.

Parish Website: www.stjohnsclontarf.ieJoinus via our webcam.

Twitter: @SJtBClontarfRC.

Facebook: St John the Baptist RC Parish, Clontarf.

Tumblr: Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin.