The Gospel of Luke presents Mary, mother of Jesus, as the model of faith, showing us what faith must include to be authentic and effective. And imitating Mary's virtue is key to an authentic Marian devotion....
The Advent season is more about preparing for the second coming of Christ than for Christmas. To prepare for his final coming is more about action than end-times speculation....
This reflection on the meaning of the Season of Advent, the time of preparation for the Coming of Jesus Christ, is an excerpt of a Pastoral Letter written by St. Charles Borromeo, bishop of Milan, Italy, in the 16th Century....
St. Bernard of Clairvaux says there are three comings: Advent prepares not just for the first coming of Christ to Israel, or even the second at the end of time. There is a third coming between these two in which Jesus comes in spirit...
Advent's theme can be summed up in the word's of Isaiah 40: Prepare the way of the Lord! But what are the mountains that need to be leveled and the valleys that need to be filled in? Here's a road map through the desert of...
Christmas lights begin to appear in November, chasing away the increasing darkness. Is all this just commercialism and secularism, or do holiday lights somehow tie into the true meaning of the Advent and Christmas season?...
This excerpt from St. Augustine's Treatise on John's Gospel (Tract. 123, 5: CCL 36, 678-680) is read on the feast day of St. Nicholas, December 6. It focuses on the real meaning of the gift-giving for which St. Nicholas is famous--the self-giving love of a...
This short rite of blessing is one of the sacramentals, official liturgical prayer, though it may be led by lay people. It is perfect for the blessing of the Advent wreathe in a home. This brief service is a wonderful way to begin a family’s...
Christmas is a joyous celebration of the birth of Peace. So why does the Church precede the feast of December 25 with a somber season of fast and penance? A meditation for the Second Sunday of Advent, cycle A. ...