The Gospel According to Matthew 9:1–8 (NABRE) centers on the topic of forgiveness. Jesus equates forgiving a paralytic’s sins and healing his paralysis. The English language uses forgiveness in a few contexts. We can pardon or exonerate someone who has wronged us, or we can excuse a loan or a debt. …

Prophets and prophecy figure heavily in the Old Testament and play a serious role in our understanding of our Christian faith. Much has been made of the prophet as a religious figure, someone who possesses supernatural knowledge not available to the average person. What is it about prophecy that so …

What is justification by faith? Being “justified by faith” is found in Paul’s Letter to the Romans 5:1 (NABRE). The idea of justification is essential in Christian theology, but like many concepts that are important in Christianity, the meaning has been slightly distorted over time. Pause for a moment and …

The Gospel According to John 14:12 (NABRE) is set at a time just prior to Jesus’ Passion, and it centers on the idea of belief. The culmination of this theme is found in Jesus’ words: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that …

The Gospel According to Luke 24:33–34 (NABRE) records the experience of the two who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus: “So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying, “The Lord has truly been …

One of the major focuses of the season of Lent is our pursuit of holiness, which is related to the word consecration. Before engaging earnestly in our Lenten pursuits, it’s worth asking what holiness is so that we can better know how to attain it. In examining this concept, it …

The liturgical season of Advent takes its name from the Latin word adventus, derived from the verb advenio, which means “I come toward” or “I arrive.” Advent, then, in a general sense refers to any coming or arrival, though in the liturgical sense, of course, it refers to the coming …