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The Perfect Gift – A Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent Msgr. Charles Pope • December 10, 2016 • What is the perfect gift? We tend to answer this question more in terms of what we want, but today’s Gospel teaches us that the perfect gift is what God is offering. One of the goals of the spiritual journey is to come to value, more than our latest desire, more than our perceived need—more than all else—what God offers.In reviewing today’s Gospel, I am going to take a stance regarding St. John the Baptist that I realize is...

Archdiocese of Washington Five Steps to Better Mental Health – A Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent Msgr. Charles Pope • December 12, 2015 • In modern times, we tend to link our notions of happiness and inner well-being to external circumstances and happenstance. And so we think that happiness will be found when the things of this world are arranged in the way we like. If we can just get enough money and creature comforts, we think we'll be happy and have a better sense of mental well-being.Yet many people can endure difficult external circumstances while remaining inwardly...

Sweet, Beautiful, Soul-Saving Joy – A Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Advent By: Msgr. Charles PopeThis Sunday is traditionally called Gaudete Sunday based on the Introit for the day: Gaudete in Domino semper, iterum dico, Gaudete (from Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, Rejoice). This theme is developed most fully in today’s readings in 1 Thessalonians 5:16ff. It, too, begins with the salutation and imperative, “rejoice always!”Let’s take a closer look at that reading and what is meant by the admonition to “rejoice.”The text begins, Rejoice always. The Greek word properly translated here as “rejoice”...