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The Lord’s coming is near. And though we have all been well taught that the word “Advent” means “coming”  there is the danger that we think we are only passively waiting for him to come.  It is not just that the Lord is coming to us, but we are also journeying to him. In fact, as the Advent prayers in the Roman Missal instruct, we ought to run (don’t walk) and hasten, to greet him as he draws near.The image of the Prodigal Son that comes to mind. His Father saw him and ran toward him, but he too was...

Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays — whichever you prefer. On this anniversary of the birth of our Lord, it may be time to retrench in the War on Christmas. You see, Christians have two complaints about how our culture approaches Christmas: (1) Calling it “Christmas” is becoming verboten; and (2) Christmas is becoming secularized, stripped of its true significance. Here’s the good news: Those two problems might solve one another. The “War on Christmas” is perennial cable news fodder, not only for conservative Christians in search of grievances, but just as much for liberals looking to mock conservative Christians. (More...

December 24, 2013 Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent    Reading 1 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 When King David was settled in his palace,and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side,he said to Nathan the prophet,“Here I am living in a house of cedar,while the ark of God dwells in a tent!” Nathan answered the king,“Go, do whatever you have in mind,for the LORD is with you.” But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:“Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD:Should you build me a house to dwell...

December 23, 2013 Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent    Reading 1 Mal 3:1-4, 23-24 Thus says the Lord GOD:Lo, I am sending my messengerto prepare the way before me;And suddenly there will come to the templethe LORD whom you seek,And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.Yes, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.But who will endure the day of his coming?And who can stand when he appears?For he is like the refiner’s fire,or like the fuller’s lye.He will sit refining and purifying silver,and he will purify the sons of Levi,Refining them like gold or like...

December 22, 2013 Fourth Sunday of Advent    Reading 1 Is 7:10-14 The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying: Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!But Ahaz answered,“I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!”Then Isaiah said:Listen, O house of David!Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God?Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel. Responsorial Psalm Ps 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 R. (7c and...

“Rejoicing in the God Who Has Taught Us” (Psalm 71:17-18)“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” These words from Philippians remind us that we have much to be joyful over. And indeed we do. Think of it: It’s Advent, almost Christmas, and so we rejoice over the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, first at Christmas, coming in the flesh to be born and live and die and rise again as our Savior, and coming again at the Last Day, a day we look forward to with great hope and anticipation, knowing that God will raise our...

December 21, 2013 Saturday of the Third Week of Advent    Reading 1 Sg 2:8-14 Hark! my lover–here he comesspringing across the mountains,leaping across the hills.My lover is like a gazelleor a young stag.Here he stands behind our wall,gazing through the windows,peering through the lattices.My lover speaks; he says to me,“Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one,and come!“For see, the winter is past,the rains are over and gone.The flowers appear on the earth,the time of pruning the vines has come,and the song of the dove is heard in our land.The fig tree puts forth its figs,and the vines, in...

December 20, 2013 Friday of Third Week of Advent    Reading 1 Is 7:10-14 The LORD spoke to Ahaz:Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!But Ahaz answered,“I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!” Then Isaiah said:Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary men,must you also weary my God? Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,and shall name him Emmanuel. Responsorial Psalm PS 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 R. (see 7c...

December 19, 2013 Thursday of Third Week of Advent    Reading 1 Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a There was a certain man from Zorah, of the clan of the Danites,whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren and had borne no children. An angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her,“Though you are barren and have had no children,yet you will conceive and bear a son. Now, then, be careful to take no wine or strong drinkand to eat nothing unclean.As for the son you will conceive and bear,no razor shall touch his head,for this boy is to...

December 18, 2013 Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent    Reading 1 Jer 23:5-8 Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD,when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David;As king he shall reign and govern wisely,he shall do what is just and right in the land.In his days Judah shall be saved,Israel shall dwell in security.This is the name they give him:“The LORD our justice.” Therefore, the days will come, says the LORD,when they shall no longer say, “As the LORD lives,who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt”;but rather, "As the LORD...

December 17, 2013 Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent    Reading 1 Gn 49:2, 8-10 Jacob called his sons and said to them:“Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob,listen to Israel, your father. “You, Judah, shall your brothers praise–your hand on the neck of your enemies;the sons of your father shall bow down to you.Judah, like a lion’s whelp,you have grown up on prey, my son.He crouches like a lion recumbent,the king of beasts–who would dare rouse him?The scepter shall never depart from Judah,or the mace from between his legs,While tribute is brought to him,and he receives the people’s homage.”...

December 16, 2013 Monday of the Third Week of Advent    Reading 1 Nm 24:2-7, 15-17a When Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel encamped, tribe by tribe,the spirit of God came upon him,and he gave voice to his oracle: The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor,the utterance of a man whose eye is true,The utterance of one who hears what God says,and knows what the Most High knows,Of one who sees what the Almighty sees,enraptured, and with eyes unveiled:How goodly are your tents, O Jacob;your encampments, O Israel!They are like gardens beside a stream,like the cedars planted by the...

December 15, 2013 Third Sunday of Advent    Reading 1 Is 35:1-6a, 10 The desert and the parched land will exult;the steppe will rejoice and bloom.They will bloom with abundant flowers,and rejoice with joyful song.The glory of Lebanon will be given to them,the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;they will see the glory of the LORD,the splendor of our God.Strengthen the hands that are feeble,make firm the knees that are weak,say to those whose hearts are frightened:Be strong, fear not!Here is your God,he comes with vindication;with divine recompensehe comes to save you.Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,the ears...

December 14, 2013 Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church    Reading 1 Sir 48:1-4, 9-11 In those days,like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijahwhose words were as a flaming furnace.Their staff of bread he shattered,in his zeal he reduced them to straits;By the Lord’s word he shut up the heavensand three times brought down fire.How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!Whose glory is equal to yours?You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire,in a chariot with fiery horses.You were destined, it is written, in time to cometo put an...

December 13, 2013 Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr   Reading 1 Is 48:17-19 Thus says the LORD, your redeemer,the Holy One of Israel:I, the LORD, your God,teach you what is for your good,and lead you on the way you should go.If you would hearken to my commandments,your prosperity would be like a river,and your vindication like the waves of the sea;Your descendants would be like the sand,and those born of your stock like its grains,Their name never cut offor blotted out from my presence. Responsorial Psalm PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6 R. (see John 8:12) Those who...

For as long as I can remember, my little hometown has celebrated Christmas by illuminating a huge star perched on the mountain above the downtown streets. The weeks leading up to Christmas are marked with the appearance of that star. Visible for miles, the star glows in the winter sky like a beacon signaling the season. Back in my college days, I’d come home for Christmas anticipating that star and it was always so comforting to see it there. In a way, it really made me feel like I was finally home. The star at that first Christmas must have...

“Hope of the Gentiles” (Romans 15:4-13)In the reading from Romans that we just heard, there are two words that jump out at me. One of those words is found in the first verse of our text, which reads: “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” And this same word that I’m thinking of occurs again--twice--in the last verse of our text, as follows: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power...

December 12, 2013 Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe    Reading 1 Zec 2:14-17 Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,and they shall be his people,and he will dwell among you,and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land,and he will again choose Jerusalem.Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD!For he stirs forth from his holy dwelling. Or Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab...

December 11, 2013 Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent    Reading 1 Is 40:25-31 To whom can you liken me as an equal?says the Holy One.Lift up your eyes on highand see who has created these things:He leads out their army and numbers them,calling them all by name.By his great might and the strength of his powernot one of them is missing!Why, O Jacob, do you say,and declare, O Israel,“My way is hidden from the LORD,and my right is disregarded by my God”? Do you not knowor have you not heard?The LORD is the eternal God,creator of the ends...

Plan for Joy in Advent by Caitlin Marchand on December 9, 2013 ·  I love Advent.  Love love love it! Possibly my favourite season of the year. On the first Sunday we unpack the wreath and candles and begin our Advent prayer ritual, Advent hymns, at least a decade of the rosary, especially the first two Joyful Mysteries, and some Christmas carol practice.  One lucky child per night lights the candle, opens the door on this year’s little paper calendar and holds it up to the flame to illuminate the little picture inside.  Then he chooses one paper bundle from...