Come and See: A Graduate Level Course in Theology

July 12, 2026

Pages 128 - 131

The Come and See class on Sunday June 14, 2026, follows the textbook Introduction to Catholicism, pp113-117. This was class 26; however, it is listed as class 25 in the podcast series. 

Discussion of Immaculate Conception and Mother of God (Theotokos) ensued. A question arose: Why does this matter? We must consider: everything that is (that has happened or that exists) is because God has allowed it and deigned for it to be. God is not trivial and neither are his actions. As Christian disciples, we do well to ponder the Mystery with great reverence and humility, recognizing that all that God Who is Love is for our benefit, even if at first glance it might seem unimportant. When it comes to the Blessed Virgin Mary and her Immaculate Conception, the question "Why does this matter?" must always refer back to the Lord and our relationship to the Lord. The Lord chose to enter the world through Mary as his Mother (Mother of God). This vessel of the Lord is a real person and just as we should desire to know our own mother and others we love, we should seek to know the Lord and his Mother better and better throughout our lives. If we patiently await the Lord's answer to our question "Why does this matter?" we will be struck with awe and wonder.

Sub Tuum Praesidium
We Fly to Thy Patronage

https://www.preces-latinae.org/thesaurus/BVM/SubTuum.html

Chant with versicle and collect is linked below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGke_ktg-58

Did Jesus have a Y chromosome?

https://www.magiscenter.com/blog/did-jesus-have-a-y-chromosome

St. Louis Director of Faith Formation Jamie Hickman discusses the term Abba (Father) as a central Mystery within the greatest Mystery (the Trinity) & Christ is key to knowing & loving the Father. The Greek letter μ (mu) is spoken with the mouth starting in a closed position and then gradually the lips open in order to let out the sound, which shows us the deep meaning of the word mystery: that which is hidden is intended to be revealed.

μυστήριον (mystērion, moos-tay'-ree-on) means mystery https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3466/rsv/mgnt/0-1/

Abba occurs 3 times in the RSV: https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=abba&t=RSV#s=s_primary_0_1

Ἀββᾶ (Chaldean / Aramaic: abba, ab-ah') means Father https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5/rsv/mgnt/0-1/

πατήρ (Greek: patēr, pat-ayr') means Father https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3962/rsv/mgnt/0-1/

Pater (Latin: patēr, pat-ayr') means Father

Church Teaching on Genesis 1-3 June 30, 1909 https://www.vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS-01-1909-ocr.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasimodo

The Come and See class occurred Sunday April 12, 2026 (Divine Mercy Sunday, aka Low Sunday or Sunday in the Octave of Easter or Domenica in Albis or Quasimodo Sunday). The Latin term Quasimodo comes from the Introit of the Mass for that day: "Quasi modo géniti infántes, allelúia, rationábile, sine dolo lac concupíscite, allelúia, allelúia, allelúia" ("As newborn babes, alleluia, desire the rational milk without guile, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia). This is the calling of all Christians: to be like or according to the mode of (quasimodo) newborn infants -- to be childlike (seek to know and love the Father). After the Last Supper, Christ tells his disciples incredibly an important message, which we hear or read in John 14:8 (the heart of the chapter), Jesus says: "Philip, he that seeth me seeth the Father also." The mysteries are meant to be seen, to be shared, to be lived. We can only love what and whom we know, so the Christian must seek to see the face of Christ in order to see the Father. When we see, we know, we "get" or "grasp" it -- we do not exhaust it, but we begin to understand. Over a lifetime and even into eternity, we shall understand better who the Father is by help Christ by becoming another Christ.