Advent is profoundly eschatological, a reality that grows more apparent as the season reaches its climax. In these days, Holy Mother Church considers Jesus Christ as the Approaching One, who brings into the middle of time not only the … [Read more...]
A Spirituality of Advent
November 30, 2018 by David Vincent Meconi
Advent is a time of preparation. It has many parallels to Lent: we don the purple, we suppress the Gloria (awaiting the angels to sing it again for the first time at Midnight Mass), and we are given weeks to allow the Holy Spirit to prepare … [Read more...]
An Advent Examination
November 30, 2018 by Fr. Kenneth G. Davis, OFM Conv.
Advent is not a season of penance, but of preparation. Advent prepares us for the two comings of Christ, that is, the Incarnation and the Eschaton. However, amid the garlands and the gifts, we all know how easy it is to become wrapped up in … [Read more...]
Total Consecration to the Virgin Mary
December 12, 2017 by Jonathan Fleischmann
Introduction When we think of Jesus Christ, what do we think of first? Do we think of an ideal of unselfishness: “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31)? Do we think of an institution divinely inspired: “You are Peter, a … [Read more...]
The Stillness of Waiting and the Beauty of Birth
December 1, 2016 by Carolyn Humphreys, OCDS
How does a Christian keep an Advent orientation amid society’s pre-Christmas, frenzied rush? The key is to focus on the right things. The first Sunday in Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical year, and the season in which we prepare t … [Read more...]
George Herbert as Advent Exemplar
December 1, 2016 by Richard J. Janet, PhD
As both a liturgical season and a spiritual practice, Advent invites us to consider serious questions about our Christian beliefs, and our fundamental being. Advent teaches us how to ready ourselves for whatever lies ahead in our lives; for … [Read more...]
The Synod’s End and an Advent Prayer Time for the Church
November 16, 2015 by David Vincent Meconi
Pope Francis During Extraordinary Synod of Bishops; Advent wreath. The Synod on the Family, called by Pope Francis to address: “The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and the contemporary world,” has come to a close. There ha … [Read more...]
Advent Preparation through the Daily Office of Readings
November 16, 2015 by Deacon Robert F. Gorman, PhD
Introduction One of the great treasures of the Church is its Morning Office of Readings, which throughout the liturgical year offers both scriptural readings and meditations from the fathers and doctors of the Church, along with the … [Read more...]
An Advent Reflection: Redemptor Hominis, Redeemer of Man
December 2, 2014 by Austin P. Kirwan
Introduction The encyclical, Redemptor Hominis, has a specific place in the ministry of Pope St. John Paul II. It was proclaimed the first Sunday of Lent, 1979, the first encyclical of the new pontificate, hence the link to Advent—it m … [Read more...]
Reflections on God’s Providence
Pope Francis and the Synod on the Family
November 14, 2014 by David Vincent Meconi
November always begins with our remembering what true life in Christ looks like—All Saints—and ends with our anticipation of a new chance at that same rejuvenation—Advent. In the Christian calendar, November is the month of transition: the l … [Read more...]
Jesus’ Infancy through the Eyes of Benedict XVI
December 11, 2013 by Dr. Matthew J. Ramage, PhD
As Benedict’s entire Jesus of Nazareth trilogy masterfully illustrates, the answer lies in carefully balanced exegesis that takes the historicity of the Gospels seriously, while also attending to the particularities of their unique literary … [Read more...]
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