THE ABRAHAM J. HESCHEL CENTER FOR CATHOLIC-JEWISH RELATIONS THE JOHN PAUL II CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF LUBLIN

The word “parable” comes from two Greek words. Para—as in parallel—means to put two things side by side; balo means to cast or throw. Thus, parables throw together two images. In exploring possible connections between the parable and our lives, we discover new things both about the Kingdom of… Read more… »

Without exaggeration, Shavuot is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Since Passover we’ve been counting, literally, to this moment. Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16 tell us when Shavuot is to take place. From the time of Passover, God says, “you shall count off seven weeks….You shall count until… Read more… »

The scene narrated in today’s Gospel takes place in Capernaum, where Jesus visits the home of Simon and Andrew. At the sight of crowds gathering, the concerned family tries to stop him, fearing that he has gone out of his mind (Mark 3:21). Perhaps they fear that Jesus is… Read more… »

For the feast of Corpus Christi or the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, the gospel reading of course is the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper.I guess my question is a really basic one: why specifically bread and wine? There’s a lot… Read more… »

"The expression Trinity does not appear literally in the Old Testament, but that does not mean there is no mention of God in the Trinity?," writes Fr. Pawel Rytel-Andrianik, biblical scholar and publicist, head of the Polish section of Vatican Radio and the Vatican News, in a commentary for the Heschel… Read more… »

The reading for Pentecost Sunday from Acts of the Apostles (2,2) In the Hebrew version reads: "On the day the seven weeks were completed, they were all together".Pentecost in Hebrew is Shavuot which literally means – "the Weeks" - the name of the holiday in which according to the… Read more… »

The beginning of the Book of Acts depicts Jesus ascension to heaven and the promise – by two angelic figures – that he will eventually return. This posits him as a redeemer of the type of the enigmatic son-of-man from Daniel chapter 7, who he is portrayed there as… Read more… »

In the pericope Jn 15:9-17, Jesus refers to two patterns of love. The first is the love of the Father for the Son, Jesus. The term for the relationship that occurs between the Father and the Son is most often referred to by the verb agapao or the corresponding… Read more… »

In this reading from the Gospel of John, Jesus presents the last of his seven “I am” statements. In this statement, the gospel writer mobilizes the image of the vine to help readers understand more about who Jesus is.Now the image of the vineyard doesn’t come out of nowhere.… Read more… »

I’m confident that everyone here is familiar – even VERY familiar – with the story of the Exodus from Egypt, with God’s deliverance of the Jewish people out of slavery and oppression and into freedom. So we don’t need to go over that.And I’m also sure you’re familiar with… Read more… »

Bedouins are nomadic Arab tribes still living in ancient Palestine's desert and mountainous areas. They are mainly engaged in sheep herding. Surprisingly, even a group of dozens of Bedouins can speak only a language they understand and cherish customs peculiar to them. Living far away from cities and larger… Read more… »

My initial plan for our commentary was to talk about how one of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24, both historically and grammatically, may have been a woman. But the first reading, Acts 3.13-15, 17-19, demands commentary. If left without commentary, the reading threatens… Read more… »

Run to the tombThe Gospel of John we read on the Resurrection Sunday tells of a special run to the tomb. It is started by Mary Magdalene, who sets out as the first one, at dawn. Darkness, which still reigns, symbolizes the disbelief and despair, in which the disciples… Read more… »

Palm Sunday is a prelude to the Holy Week of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ. For Christians, it is the most important time of the liturgical year. This year we read the Gospel of Mark which narrates Jesus' entry into Jerusalem.According to scholars, this is the first… Read more… »

Saved from exterminationPurim is the day where we celebrate being saved from extermination at the hands of the advisor to the Persian king as is told in the Book of Esther. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the story, but briefly, Haman was a royal official in the court… Read more… »

In the Gospel according to John (12, 28-30), we read: "Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it and will glorify it again…Jesus answered and said: “This voice did not come for my sake but for yours". A heavenly or prophetic voice is a well-known phenomenon which… Read more… »

Jesus expels merchants and money changers from the Temple. However, a crucial question arises: is this criticism a general indictment of all Jews in the time of Jesus, or is it specifically targeted at the temple's priests? - Orthodox Rabbi Guy Alaluf answers this question in a commentary for… Read more… »

In Judaism, fasting is a desire to purify and get closer to God. Its purpose is conversion. Fasting itself is useless if it does not lead to abandoning one's evil deeds," stressed Shlomo Libertovski in a commentary for the Heschel Center KUL on the Gospel of the First Sunday… Read more… »

Listening to the story of the healing of Simon Peter's mother-in-law, who rose from her her bed and “waited on” Jesus and his disciples, we can perceive it as a message to women to serve men always and everywhere, regardless of circumstances - about why this impression is misleading… Read more… »

In this Sunday's verses of the Gospel, Jesus strictly commands Satan to be silent when he calls Him "the Holy One of God." He said: "Quiet! Come out of him!" (Mk 1:25), literally: "Put a muzzle on." He had a reason to say so, says in his commentary for… Read more… »

The readings this Sunday focus on idea of the Kingdom of God and what it means to meet the presence of God in our lives. God can speak to us even through someone like a prostitute, even if we are great sinners. What matters is our response to His… Read more… »

In the Gospel scene, John the Baptist, in front of his disciples, bears witness to Jesus calling him "the Lamb of God." In light of the Hebrew Bible, this title had a profound meaning. What these words meant to the Jews of Jesus' time and Christ's first words in… Read more… »

On the fortieth day after the birth of a son, according to Jewish Law, three events took place: the "purification" of the child's mother, the "redemption" of the firstborn, and the "presentation" of the child. Luke does not mention the redemption of Jesus. He goes straight to the "presentation"… Read more… »

Christmas is the most joyous and extraordinary miracle in which we celebrate the Incarnation of the Son of God. In this celebration we can see both the continuity and novelty that Christ brings to the history of salvation recorded in the Old Testament. This is illustrated in the Gospel… Read more… »