“The daughter of Sudan, sold into slavery as a living piece of property, is free, free with the freedom of the saints.”

Grace and life are offered to us, we are called to express our gratitude in and through our love and service of those around us.

The light of grace lead Cornelius along a new path.

we are invited to share in Jesus’ prophetic mission, naming blessings where they can be found and calling for justice where it is absent.

Saint Angela saw that, in order to fulfill her vocation, she had to set out on new paths.

If we take to heart the Christmas and Epiphany revelations that Chris is truly present among us, then we also have to recognize that “ordinariness” is no longer a possibility for us.

Each of us is called to do our part to help make the message of God’s love known in our small corner of the world.

Now is the time to act, to accept the Lord’s invitation to “come.”

We have been united with Christ and have been lifted up above our broken human nature, become sharers in God’s divine nature.

We are called to carry that light into the dark places of the world in our prayer, words, and acts of charity

The mystery of the Incarnation continues to reveal itself in the hearts of believers and in the world.

In the story of the Holy Innocents, devoid of the holiday cheer that we associate with these holy days, the light of promise continues to shine.

This feast also invites us to reflect how the vocation of the Apostles—to tell the story of Jesus—witnesses to the great truth of Christmas.

Today’s feast calls to mind the reality of the Cross in the life of the Savior and in the lives of those who follow Christ.

Christmas means saying “Yes” to something beyond emotions and feelings. It is saying “Yes” to hope and the knowledge that salvation is God’s work.

We are being asked to trust that God has kept—and continues to keep—the promises made to our spiritual ancestors so many centuries ago.

We rejoice because God has kept his promises and has given us love and truth in Jesus.

God comes to us in the people and simple things of our lives, and this is all part of the recreation of the world that is an essential part of the promise of Advent.

As we continue our Advent watching, pray for the gifts of courage and perseverance.

“Am I not your mother? Are you not under the protection of my mantle?”