The Book of Sirach 28:1 (NABRE) focuses on vengeful people and God’s vengeance. On the surface, this seems like a bit of an odd sentiment as we much prefer to see God as merciful rather than vengeful. The Book of Sirach is one of the Old Testament books originally written …

In the Gospel According to Matthew 18:18 (NABRE), Jesus says to his disciples “Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” A lot has been made of this important statement. As we …

The frequently quoted verse from the Book of Jeremiah 20:7—”You duped me, O LORD, and I let myself be duped”—is an interesting concept made even more complex because in this instance the liturgical reading disagrees with the text from the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE), which has “seduced” instead of …

In the Gospel According to Matthew 16:13–23 (NABRE), Simon proclaims Jesus the Son of God, and Jesus in turns renames Simon as Peter or rock. Typically in the Bible, a renaming is a deeply serious matter of profound significance regarding who that person is intended to become, and this particular …

In the Gospel According to Matthew 15:26 (NABRE), Jesus responds to a Canaanite woman’s request for assistance by saying: “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” Jesus’ response initially seems rather harsh. The Greek word translated here as “dogs,” κυνάριον (kunarion), …

The nineteenth chapter of the First Book of the Kings (NABRE) contains the fantastic reading that describes Elijah’s encounter with God on Mount Horeb. Prior to God passing by the prophet, a number of loud and violent natural disasters occur, but Elijah knows God is not present in those events. …

In his Letter to the Romans 8:29 (NABRE), Paul provides a powerful statement about God’s plan for humanity that he culminates with the familiar: “For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” This phrase speaks to the omnipotence of God’s plan, and …

In the Letter to the Romans 8:26 (NABRE), Paul describes the role of the Holy Spirit in prayer when he writes, “for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.” The phrase inexpressible groanings seems a bit odd and not …

The Letter to the Romans 8:20 (NABRE) contains an elegant description of the state of fallen humanity that characterizes creation as being made “subject to futility.” The word here translated as futility also sometimes is translated as vanity, and it carries significant shades of meaning. The Greek word ματαιότης (mataiotes) …

The Gospel According to Matthew 11:25–30 (NABRE) contains Jesus’ frequently quoted promise to give rest to humanity. Rest is an important concept in both the Old and New Testaments. When we think of rest, however, it can mean a number of things. What exactly is it that Jesus is promising …