In Mary’s Child, the promises, hopes, and expectations of God’s Chosen People were finally being fulfilled

We rejoice because God has kept his promises through the ages and has given us love, mercy, and truth in Jesus

It is only by entering into Advent stillness and quiet that we can discern the distant voice of the Coming One who brings the mercy and peace

We spend these days looking toward the future, to the second Advent of Christ, when he will return in glory

We have been claimed by and for Christ in baptism and our true home is in the Reign of Christ

As Christians, we are called to live for the future.

Jesus celebrates the poor widow is giving over all her entire life and livelihood for the service of God

When we open ourselves to God’s grace, we can be healed of that blindness of spirit that sometimes prevents us from following Jesus with freedom and joy

“Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all”

The Wisdom of God—Christ—is worth more than any sort of riches or possessions

Mary stands before us as an icon of discipleship and a model of the Church at prayer

It is when we allow ourselves to be little, the Lord comes close: “He gives us peace; he makes us grow.”

Our faithfulness isn’t expressed in token gestures or in rigid orthodoxy, but in living according to the mission and values of Jesus

To believe that Jesus is calling us to a life of discipleship means that we must be willing to place ourselves at the service of others

Faithful discipleship demands that we sacrifice for the good of others, promote peace and justice, letting go of our vision of how the world should be and seeking God’s will in whatever comes our way

Rules and traditions—however important and venerable they may be—can never be an end in themselves.

Choosing to follow Jesus and to live according to his teachings means opening up our hearts to something new.

As we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, we renew our communion with him and with Christians of every time and place.

Faith expands our vision. It is faith that allows us to look beyond the ink on the pages of Scripture to discern how God’s Word is living and active today

To receive the Eucharist, is not to receiving something but to encounter Someone, because in the Eucharist we enter into a communion with Christ himself