The Book of Isaiah 58:7–10 (NABRE) encourages God’s people to care for the needs of those who have no one to care for them. In verse 8, we encounter one of the key concepts in the Scriptures in the section translated as “Your vindication shall go before you.” While vindication …
The Acts of the Apostles 10:34–38 (NABRE), included in liturgical celebrations of the Baptism of the Lord, shows us that God is concerned about Jews and Greeks alike. In the Acts of the Apostles 10:34 (NABRE), Peter says: “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.” The Greek word …
In the Letter to the Galatians 3:26 (NABRE) Paul writes: “For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.” This idea is central to Christianity, and much has been made of it over the centuries. A clear understanding of the meaning of faith as a theological virtue …
In the Bread of Life discourse recorded in the sixth chapter of the Gospel According to John (NABRE), we encounter a shocking statement made by Jesus and often overlooked in translation. In the Gospel According to John 6:53 (NABRE), Jesus teaches: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat …
The Old Testament uses a variety of different words to refer to God. Some of them are fairly similar to words used to describe other deities, while some clearly set God apart as unique. We can find many different words to describe God in one passage in the book of …
The mission of the Baptist often is described as heralding or proclaiming the coming of Jesus. It’s worth exploring this idea in greater detail as it gives insight into John and his relationship with Jesus. The Greek verb προκηρύσσω (proskerusso) comes from the word κῆρυξ (kerux), which means herald. A …
One of the central elements of the practice of the Church is the liturgy, or as it’s commonly understood, the celebration of the sacraments and the Liturgy of the Hours. Liturgy is at the very heart of Christian life, and as such it is helpful for us to have an understanding of what …
Pentecost comes at the end of the Easter season. In the Old Testament, Pentecost was a celebration that occurred 50 days after the Passover and commemorated the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. For Christians, it falls 50 days after Easter and commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit …
Two related but different concepts that come up when we talk about our faith are apostasy and heresy. In recent years, we tend to hear much more about heresy in Catholic circles, but it may be more appropriate for us to be talking about apostasy. Let’s look at the roots …
We now have entered the Easter season. The word Easter comes from Middle English and has no significant value to Christianity. The season itself, however, has roots in our Jewish past and should be celebrated in that context. The Jewish feast forever transformed by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is …