As in all too many Christmases past, sobriety blankets the city of Bethlehem, where Christ’s birth is jubilantly celebrated each year. The joyous preparations that typically mark the approach of […]
You may notice a curious phrase repeated multiple times in the readings at Christmas: “Do not be afraid!” We hear it proclaimed on Christmas Eve, as the angel comforts Joseph […]
Of all the things and people to be present at the birth of Jesus Christ, there were shepherds! I probably would have been more surprised if there were not shepherds. […]
If it seems like this is the shortest Advent ever, it’s not just you. It really is. In fact, the fourth and final week of Advent this year is smashed […]
Third Sunday of Advent This weekend, the Church celebrates Gaudete Sunday, the name coming from the opening word of the entrance antiphon. In Latin, gaudete means “to rejoice.” Rejoicing is not […]
Lately, I’m told by friends that it’s become difficult to get a “reaction” out of me, whether it’s about headlines or an encounter with beauty, and that I seem numb. […]
Oprah Winfrey looks regal in a purple pleated skirt and matching sweater, beaming on the cover of the magazine that delivers her much-anticipated Favorite Things – “112 crowd-pleasing gifts for […]
I often think of John the Baptist at one particularly dramatic moment during Mass. John is the forerunner, the one who gives testimony. “I am not the Messiah,” John says […]
As a product of the ’90s, there are certain songs that will come to my mind almost spontaneously. After reading the Gospel for Guadete Sunday about John the Baptist sending […]
Second Sunday of Advent The second part of the Book of Isaiah provides the first reading for this Second Sunday of Advent. When this book was written, God’s people were […]
For abortion’s opponents, it has been a frustrating year. When it came to the courts, the pro-life movement scored its most significant victory when the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 […]
Now that I’ve had a bit of time to readjust to my normal rhythm and to think through the rather extraordinary experience of the last month in Rome, I would […]
