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Daily Readings from the USCCB“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Luke 1:42–43Elizabeth expressed a beautiful humility in this statement. The Blessed Virgin Mary had just made a long journey to be with Elizabeth in her final months of pregnancy. As soon as our Blessed Mother greeted Elizabeth, Elizabeth’s child, Saint John the Baptist, leaped for joy in her womb. Elizabeth acknowledges this and then humbly expresses the fact that she is exceptionally blessed to have Mary,...

By Dr. John BergsmaThe Fourth Sunday of Advent marks a switch in focus from John the Baptist (on the previous two Sundays) to the events immediately leading up to the birth of Christ. The Readings for this Sunday focus on Jesus’ royalty: his descent from the line of Davidic kings. As we will see, this royal status also accrued to his mother Mary, and this is the basis for the practice of Marian veneration in the Catholic Church. In fact, the first instance of Marian veneration by another human being takes place in this Sunday’s Gospel. 1. Our First Reading...

Daily Readings from the USCCBMary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. Luke 1:39–40We are presented today with the glorious story of the Visitation. When Mary was about two months pregnant, she traveled to be with her cousin Elizabeth who was to give birth within a month. Though much could be said about this as an act of familial love given from Mary to Elizabeth, the central focus immediately becomes the precious Child within the womb of Mary. Imagine...

Daily Readings from the USCCBAnd the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” Luke 1:35Try to set aside all that you know about Jesus and simply ponder these words of the Archangel Gabriel as if you were to hear them as our Blessed Mother did for the very first time. She was told she would have a child, even though she had not had relations with a man. She was...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“I am Gabriel, who stand before God. I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. But now you will be speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.” Luke 1:19–20Imagine if the Archangel Gabriel appeared to you. What would that have been like? This particular Archangel stands before the incomprehensible beauty and splendor of the Most Holy Trinity and brings forth messages of the greatest importance. Gabriel is God’s most...

Daily Readings from the USCCBThis is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Matthew 1:18–19Mary’s pregnancy was truly mysterious. In fact, it was so mysterious that even Saint Joseph initially couldn’t accept it. But, to Joseph's defense, who could accept such a thing? He was faced with what was a most confusing situation. The woman to...

Failed presidential candidate and current Vice President Kamala Harris called for an “assault weapons” ban Monday night, hours after a 15-year-old allegedly killed two people with a handgun. Breitbart News noted the shooting occurred at Madison, Wisconsin’s, Abundant Life Christian School (ALCS), where a 15-year-old girl allegedly opened fire just before 11:00 a.m., killing a teacher and another student. The 15-year-old then apparently took her own life. Harris responded to the incident by posting a statement to X from herself and her husband, which said, in part, “Congress and state legislatures must make background checks universal, pass red flag and...

Daily Readings from the USCCB...Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Matthew 1:15–16The last line of the Gospel passage above offers much for us to meditate upon this day and throughout the week ahead. “Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.” What an amazing reality we celebrate! God Himself took on our human life, experienced conception, birth, infancy, childhood, etc. As a human, He also experienced hatred, abuse, persecution, and murder. Again, what an...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“Where was John’s baptism from? Was it of heavenly or of human origin?” They discussed this among themselves and said, “If we say ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we fear the crowd, for they all regard John as a prophet.” So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” Matthew 21:25–27This is a perfect example of how not to live your life. But, sadly, this is too often an illustration of the way many in authority do...

Daily Readings from the USCCBThe crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?” Luke 3:10Among those within the crowds who were asking Saint John the Baptist this question were tax collectors, soldiers and ordinary people. John gave an answer to them all, first telling them to turn away from the sins that they struggled with the most. Sin takes on many forms and often is closely associated with our daily duties in life. Some sins are sins of commission, meaning sins we commit by an intentional act. Some sins are those of omission, meaning a lack of certain virtues...

By Dr. John BergsmaThis Sunday is “Gaudete” Sunday, from the Latin gaudete, “Rejoice!” which traditionally begins the introit for this Mass, taken from Philippians 4:4. Many parishes will mark this Sunday with rose-colored vestments (not “pink”—“pink” is not a liturgical color!), and the theme of joy runs through the readings and the liturgy. Gaudete Sunday marks the half-way point of Advent, and the Church rejoices because Jesus’ coming is near. Actually, in most years, as in this, it marks much more than half-way. In our case, Christmas is only ten days from this Sunday! 1. Our First Reading is Zephaniah...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. Matthew 17:12–13The last of the Old Testament Prophets was Malachi. He concluded his ministry about 400 years prior to the coming of Christ. Malachi prophesied that a “messenger” would come before the Messiah so as to prepare the way before Him. Malachi goes on further to say that “Elijah the...

Daily Readings from the USCCBJesus said to the crowds: “To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’” Matthew 11:16–17What does Jesus mean when He says “We played the flute for you…” and “we sang a dirge…?” The Church Fathers clearly identify this “flute” and “dirge” as the word of God that has been preached by the prophets of old. So many came before Jesus to prepare the way,...

World Man identifying himself as American Travis Timmerman found in Syria after being freed from prison By Haley Ott Updated on: December 12, 2024 / 9:31 AM EST / CBS News A man identifying himself as an American from Missouri, Travis Timmerman, was found Thursday in Syria after he said he was freed from a prison earlier in the week, when longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad was forced from power by a shock rebel offensive. Timmerman told CBS News senior foreign correspondent Elizabeth Palmer that he had been trying to make his own way out of the country after walking out...

Daily Readings from the USCCBThen the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.” Luke 1:30–31Today we celebrate five successive apparitions of our Blessed Mother to Juan Diego, who was an Indian convert to the faith. Early in the morning of December 9, 1531, Juan was traveling to the town of Tlatelolco where he intended to attend a catechism class and the holy Mass. However, on his way, as he passed by the Tepeyac Hill,...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28One of the most delightful and healthy activities in life is sleep. This is especially the case when one is able to enter into a deep and refreshing sleep. Upon awakening, the person who has slept deeply feels refreshed and ready for a new day. Of course, the opposite is also true. When sleep is difficult and restless, the person can suffer numerous ill effects, especially when a lack of healthy sleep becomes the norm. The same is true...

Christians in Syria confront an uncertain and perilous future under the control of Islamist-led rebel forces, a human rights group has warned. The city’s minority Christian population, significantly diminished by years of civil war, now grapples with fears of escalating threats and restrictions. Islamist rebel forces, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and U.K., captured Aleppo about a week ago, followed by Homs and Damascus late Saturday night in a sweeping offensive that toppled Syrian government forces. Bashar al-Assad resigned and left the country on a flight to Russia on Saturday...

Daily Readings from the USCCB“Jesus said to his disciples: “What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?” Matthew 18:12This Gospel passage goes on to say that the man who finds that one stray sheep “rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.” At first, this might seem unfair. Why not primarily rejoice over the ninety-nine who did not stray? Saint Hillary, in commenting on this passage, interprets the man who sought...

Platani is a beautiful village on the Greek island of Kos in the Dodecanese complex, where Christians and Muslims coexist in harmony. The village has remained untouched through the years and continues to attract visitors with its diversity. A Jewish cemetery and a Muslim one, a Christian church, a Mosque and the residents’ houses, make the picturesque scenery of the village Platani. The village is located next to the town of Kos, right before the archaeological site of Asclepeion. In this village live most of the 1,500 Muslims of the island. A mosaic of diversity and harmonious coexistence of civilizations,...

The Burma Army has a well-established record of targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, such as schools, clinics and churches, with both air and ground attacks. Recently, in one three-week period, Burma Army air attacks destroyed three churches and killed and wounded multiple civilians, including seven children, in northern Shan State and Kachin State. On 27 October, at 2145 hrs, the Burma Army dropped bombs at Hsenwi (Sinli) Kachin Baptist Church in northern Shan State, which was reportedly damaged as preparations were being made to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the church’s founding in December. On 15 November at 1550 hrs,...