Father Mike Schmitz

And before the throne there is, as it were, a sea of glass, like crystal.

And round the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind.

We've talked about this before in other contexts, but here's the story of like the 10 virgins, five wise virgins and five foolish virgins.

The first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle."

And in that scripture, what happens?

They all fall asleep.

And when the bridegroom is there, they wake up and the foolish ones have not enough oil in their lamps.

And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all round and within.

And so they ask the wise ones, give us some of your oil.

And day and night they never cease to sing, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.

And the wise ones say, no, get your own oil.

And if that were to be a universally applicable kind of a parable, you'd say, well, I guess we aren't supposed to share.

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever.

But that's not what that parable is about.

so we have a lot of different genres one of the first tips to hearing god's voice is know what you're reading pay attention to the genre um another thing to be able to do is recognize that when we're reading the bible we are reading the word of god expressed in the words of human beings this is very very important for us the catechism reveals this to us that um throughout all the words of sacred scripture god speaks only one single word his one utterance in whom he expresses himself completely that's a quote from script from a

They cast their crowns before the throne, singing,

Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.

And I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.

And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?

the Catechism, paragraph 102.