Today Bishop Boyea's Year of the Bible reaches Chapter 17 of the Book of Revelation where we meet the Whore of Babylon riding on a beast of evil.
Babylon was a great enemy of the Jews in the past, and by New Testament times is a name for God’s enemies. It can mean the Roman Empire, the unfaithful of Jerusalem, or more generally, those working against God. Babylon is presented as a regal queen. She rides a beast. She drinks in sin. She is a prostitute. She is drunk on the blood of martyrs.
So what does all this mean to us? To answer that, he's a great video by Deacon Jim Kasprzak of Saint Thomas Aquinas and Saint John Church & Student Center in East Lansing. Deacon Kasprzak is also Director of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Lansing. Enjoy!