For its liturgy, the Catholic Church follows a set schedule of readings called a lectionary. Daily readings are on a two-year cycle alternating between years 1 and 2, while Sunday readings are on a three-year cycle alternating between years A, B, and C. Over a period of three years, those attending daily Mass will …
The New Testament offers many references to salvation, which is one of the central concepts of Christianity. Christians often refer to salvation as being “saved.” In the Gospel According to Luke 13:23 (NABRE), Jesus is asked: “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” The Greek root of the word translated as …
The Letter to the Hebrews 11:1 (NABRE) teaches: “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” Although often quoted as a definition of faith, this verse seems to be more about the relationship between faith and hope than it is a definition of …
In the Gospel According to Luke 10:1–20 (NABRE), Jesus sends 72 of his followers out ahead of him to announce that the kingdom of God is at hand. This sending out marks the beginning of Jesus sending his followers to prepare his way. After Jesus’ Resurrection, his followers continue to see their …
In the Letter to the Galatians 5:1 (NABRE), Paul emphasizes the freedom granted in Christianity: “For freedom Christ set us free.” This statement is typical of Paul’s writing and can be a bit tricky to unravel. Clearly, the key word in this case is the word freedom. The Greek word …
A recurring theme in the Old and New Testaments is that of being anointed. In the Second Book of Samuel 12:7 (NABRE), the prophet Nathan speaks for God: “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel.” Throughout Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, he refers to …
In his Letter to the Galatians 1:15 (NABRE), Paul describes his call to ministry: “But when [God], who from my mother’s womb had set me apart and called me through his grace….” From this passage, it is clear that Paul views himself as having a special mission from God. It’s …
Exegesis and eisegesis are two words that come up fairly regularly in conversations about scriptural interpretation. The general view is that of the two, exegesis is preferred, and eisegesis is best avoided. What are these two concepts? How do they differ? Does this distinction have any bearing on how we should …
Most of the book of Genesis is concerned with telling the history of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. A number of important events surrounding their lives laid the foundation of the people of Israel and shaped the history of the world. Although there are more biblical figures in the …
What is a Gentile? During the Easter season, readings from Acts of the Apostles focus on spreading the good news to all peoples. One of the central questions faced by the early Church was how to handle Gentiles or non-Jews. The word Gentile comes from Latin gentilis, an adjective meaning “belonging to the …