In this Sunday’s reading from the book of Numbers 11:25–29 (NABRE), God comes down “in a cloud.” This is a rather common occurrence in the Torah, and a brief look at what’s going on with the language may help us understand why. The Hebrew word for cloud, עָנָן (anan), is related …

In the Letter of James 3:17 (NABRE) we see that “the wisdom from above is first of all pure.” This is an interesting verse that bears a bit more scrutiny. Ancient Greek has two words that can be translated as “pure.” The first is καθαρός (katharos), related to the English …

In eighth chapter in the Gospel According to Mark (NABRE), Peter has a big win when he correctly identifies who Jesus is, but this is followed almost immediately by a setback when Peter shows that he doesn’t really fully understand what that means at this point. It seems to be …

In the Gospel According to Mark 7:31–37 (NABRE), Jesus heals a man who is deaf and mute. One of the more interesting parts of this account is that it preserves in some detail how Jesus effects this healing. Mark tells us that Jesus said the word ephphatha, a Greek rendering of …

The Gospel According to Mark 7:2 (NABRE) describes Jesus being challenged because some of his followers are not following all the ritual cleanliness practices: “Some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.” There’s an interesting contrast taking place here that’s lost in the translation. The Greek …

Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians 5:22 (NABRE) has caused a considerable amount of concern and confusion: “Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.” Common misunderstanding about exactly what is being asked of spouses makes this passage seem far more controversial than the actual meaning. The Greek …

The similar liturgical celebrations of the Assumption and Ascension often cause confusion. The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary often is confused with the Ascension of Jesus. Looking at the two Latin concepts behind the two feasts provides clarity about the differences as well as insight into …

The sixth chapter in the Gospel According to John (NABRE) contains what sometimes is called the Bread of Life discourse. For centuries people have been debating what Jesus meant when he said to his followers: “Unless you eat my flesh ….” This passage contains an interesting tension on the topic …

In the Gospel According to John 6:35 (NABRE), Jesus says: “I AM the bread of life.” Jesus uses one of a number of powerful statements in the Fourth Gospel that begin with “I AM.” These statements have a somewhat odd or unnecessary construction. The Greek ἐγώ εἰμι (ego eimi) is …

In the Gospel According to John 6:1–15 (NABRE), Jesus multiplies some loaves and fish. The text presents this as a tremendous sign and provides a lot of detail around the setting, but it is rather more sparse when it comes to the details surrounding the working of the miracle itself. …