var the_date is of type: string
[1] the_date contains NO quotation marks
[2] the_date contains NO quotation marks
var_export of revised the_date: 'Sunday, January 21, 2024'
date_bits: Array ( [0] => Sunday [1] => January 21 [2] => 2024 )
the_date: Sunday, January 21, 2024
strtotime(the_date): 1705795200
hide_day_titles is set to true for this post/event
Array
(
[post_id] => 322136
[status_only] =>
[position] => above
[media_type] => unknown
[url] =>
[called_by] =>
[do_ts] =>
)
[sdg-gmp] featured_AV: Array
(
[0] => video
)
[sdg-gmp] media_format: Array ( [0] => youtube )
[sdg-gmp] Multimedia FALSE
[sdg-gmp] player_position: 'above' / position: 'above'
[sdg-gmp] media_type REVISED: 'video'
[sdg-gmp] video_id: '_-LkdW2IrPc'; video_file src: ''
[sdg-gmp] media_format REVISED: 'youtube'
[sdg-gmp] webcast_status: 'on_demand'; webcast_url: ''
[sdg-gmp] src: 'https://www.youtube.com/embed/_-LkdW2IrPc?enablejsapi=1&playlist=_-LkdW2IrPc&autoplay=0&loop=1&mute=0&controls=1'
[sdg-gmp] player_status: ready
+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+
Our Theologian in Residence, the Rev. Dr. Luigi Gioia, continues a year-long course to dive into all the main areas of theology: Faith, Scripture, Tradition, God, Christ, Salvation, the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, and the Church – always with an eye to their relevance for spirituality and for everyday life.
When we receive communion we are offered not only the Body of Christ to eat but also the blood of Christ to drink. We might have become so accustomed to this practice that we do not realize how shocking it is. We should balk at the idea of being offered a person’s blood to drink. Unless we become aware of the deep symbolism attached to blood in most religions and especially in Judaism. The blood in Scripture is synonymous with ‘life’. Thus, when we are offered the blood of Christ we should hear “The life of Christ”. Animal blood sacrifices were prescribed in the Old Testament but abolished in the New Testament. Why then does the reference to blood remain so pervasive in Christianity? We shall discover that this apparent archaism taps into a symbolism deeply embedded in our human psyche and that keeping it alive is part of the strategy of the spiritualization of religion which is at the heart of Jesus’ message.
The Adult Education program at Saint Thomas Church offers sound Christian teaching presented with intellectual vigor, teaching that is grounded in Holy Scripture, mediated by the catholic tradition that is the inheritance of Anglicanism and set forth in the Book of Common Prayer. For more information about our theology program and to receive links for weekly Sunday Theology Talks, please contact Fr. Gioia.
Register for Sunday Theology Talks
More “Sharp Faith” Theology Talks
Array
(
[post_id] => 322136
[status_only] =>
[position] => below
[media_type] => unknown
[url] =>
[called_by] =>
[do_ts] =>
)
[sdg-gmp] featured_AV: Array
(
[0] => video
)
[sdg-gmp] media_format: Array ( [0] => youtube )
[sdg-gmp] Multimedia FALSE
[sdg-gmp] player_position: 'above' / position: 'below'
[sdg-gmp] player_status: N/A for this position
+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+
