Ever wondered, Which Bible translation do most Catholics have in their homes? The Bible is history’s biggest best seller, but the many translations and versions can be difficult to navigate. Whether you’re a new convert, a non-Catholic...
When approaching the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, the Catholic Church teaches that we must confess our mortal sins, and that we ought to confess our venial sins, in order to reconcile ourselves with God (see CCC 1455–58). We can better...
St. Augustine once said, “So for the time being treat the scripture of God as the face of God. Melt in front of it. … The end of all Scripture is love.” In all of history, there has never been another book like the Bible. “The word of...
Verbum Domini, the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Benedict XVI published in 2010, is one of the more significant magisterial documents in recent years relating to the interpretation of Scripture in the Catholic Church. As its title (“the Word of the...
At the conclusion of the third session of the Second Vatican Council, in November 1964, Pope Saint Paul VI gave an address in which he drew attention to the Blessed Virgin Mary’s spiritual motherhood for every Christian. In the course of the...
Relative to the Virgin Mary’s prominence in Catholic dogma and devotion, “the reader of the gospels is at first surprised to find so little about Mary,” or so says The Catholic Encyclopedia. This is admittedly the case. Yet relative to Scripture...
The Catholic Church teaches that “there are seven sacraments in the Church: Baptism, Confirmation or Chrismation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony” (CCC 1113). But what are these sacraments? Where did they...
Catholics love the Bible. From the Easter Sunday stroll on the road to Emmaus when the risen Jesus conducted the very first Christian Bible study—“he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45)—to today, Christians have always been...
There is a long tradition in the Church of praying Sacred Scripture—known as lectio divina (“divine reading” or “holy reading”)—as a privileged way of pondering God’s word in our hearts. In his excellent book, Hans Boersma...
As the season of Lent gets underway, many Catholics understandably look for a concrete plan for their prayer life to complement their disciplines of fasting and almsgiving. Some will work their way through one of the great spiritual classics, such...
This time of year, children ask, “Is Santa Claus real?” And my instinctive response is: Yes! He was a fourth-century bishop in modern Turkey. He goes by many names: Weihnachtsmann, Sinterklaas, Dun Che Lao Ren, among others. You may know...
Few individuals figure so prominently in the accounts of Jesus’s life in the Gospels as John the Baptist, the “friend of the bridegroom” (John 3:29), Teacher (Luke 3:12), and, more recently, JBap and “Creepy John.” Monikers aside, to this day John...
The onset of the Advent season finds many Catholics seeking more regular and intentional spiritual disciplines. Some will begin the new liturgical year by taking up the Liturgy of the Hours, others will commit to a holy hour in front of the Blessed...
Visitors to the minor basilica San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome are met with a somewhat puzzling sight when they come upon a famous sculpture of Michelangelo that adorns the tomb of Pope Julius II. The sculpture in question is of Moses, but what is...
This article will introduce the field of patristics and the figures commonly known as the Church Fathers by exploring a few key questions: What is patristics? When was the patristic period? Who are the Church Fathers? Are the Church Fathers still...
Persuaded by friends and teachers, I began to read St. Thomas Aquinas’s Bible commentaries alongside other modern commentaries whenever I studied Sacred Scripture. To my surprise, I found the Angelic Doctor underwhelming. Sure, there...
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is remembered as “the greatest mind to reach the papacy in a millennium.” His work on theology and biblical studies will shape the Church for centuries to come.
The word sanctorum can be the genitive plural of sancti (“saints,” that is to say, the faithful, as we find it used in St. Paul), and thus it describes the communion among the faithful. It can also be the genitive plural of sancta (“holy things”)...
Fr. Devin Roza and Fr. Andrew Dalton join us from Rome in a series of videos on how to use Verbum 10! Throughout the videos they show how to use the software to explore the topic of the Eucharist.
The new Verbum is here!
Every time I hear a story of how Verbum has helped priests and deacons in homily or bible study preparation I get so excited because that means I have freed up their time to be with their people and continue to serve the Church.
Join us in celebrating and praying for the recipients of the Catholic Biblical Association's annual Emerging Scholars Fellowship.
Por primera vez en la historia, Verbum ofrece su nueva biblioteca básica en español con acceso gratuito a partir de hoy. Presentando … ¡Verbum 9 Español Básico!
We learned this week of the death of Joseph Blenkinsopp, one of the towering figures of Catholic biblical scholarship.
Hans Urs von Balthasar is, by reputation, notoriously difficult and inaccessible. But the introduction to his magnum opus is lucid and readable:
What then, some one will say, is a Christian never allowed to desire a prominent position in society? The Christian is not forbidden to wish for anything that is good. He may desire to occupy even a high and distinguished office, if he feels himself...
For a Christian, the very consciousness that he begins to recover from spiritual sickness, already gives him both comfort and consolation, which, increasing from day to day, fill his soul with peace and joy.
I am a native New Yorker and have worked for the Catholic Church for more that 25 years. I am passionate about helping Pastors and Catholic parishes grow and thrive.
My college years were spent at Thomas Aquinas College, a small Catholic college located in Santa Paula, CA. It was here that my knowledge of the faith grew in leaps and bounds as I frequented the sacraments, read scripture, and studied the works of...
Yesterday was Sunday of the Word of God. When Pope Francis instituted the day he wrote, "It is fitting that the life of our people be constantly marked by this decisive relationship with the living word that the Lord never tires of speaking to his...