Father Mike Schmitz

But right before that, right before that, we have Catechism 101, because that's how numbers work.

And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.

And I wept much that no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.

Then one of the elders said to me, Weep not.

Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.

In fact, the quote is indeed the words of God expressed in the words of men are in every way like human language, just as the word of the eternal father, when he took on himself, the flesh of human weakness became like men.

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a lamb standing as though it had been slain with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

One of the, one of the things that means is that, um,

The Lord God used the human authors of sacred scripture as true authors, making use of their time, their place, making use of their minds and their ways of seeing things in order to communicate the truth that he wanted to communicate.

and he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne and when he had taken the scroll the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the lamb each holding a harp and with golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints and they sang a new song saying worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals

And so one of the things we have to understand is when it comes to

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made them into a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on earth.

listening to the word of God or reading the word of God is that this is going to be the word of God, God's words, um, through the words of human beings.

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voices of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.

And we, when we realize that we can understand how we're going to continue to read, which means, um, the interpretation of scripture.

How do we enter this number two, to have a grasp on interpreting scripture.

So the Catechism, again, so good, gives us the fact that the Holy Spirit is the interpreter of Scripture.

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all therein saying, To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever.

But there are four kind of ways in which to interpret Scripture correctly.

We have to be attentive to these four things.