? Do you ever get the feeling that you’re not in control of your life? So often we can try to take the driver’s seat, to be in charge of where we’re heading. We can be unsettled when something unexpected happens or disappointed when things don’t go our way. It’s a normal part of being ...read more

? Something we don’t often realize is how Advent coincides with the final weeks of Mary’s pregnancy. Perhaps you have personally experienced being pregnant. Maybe some important women in your life have been pregnant. Your mother certainly has been. Of course, pregnancy is a time filled with ups and downs, highs and lows. It can ...read more

Put yourself in the shoes – or sandals – of a Jewish person 2,000 years ago. Maybe you’re one of Mary’s cousins or one of Joseph’s siblings. Since you were little, your parents and relatives have told you about “the Messiah” – the Chosen one, the Anointed, the one who is to come. This Messiah ...read more

In today’s catechesis, Pope Francis reflects on the mystery of Christmas and the thoughts of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. Read the full text below: Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and again, Merry Christmas! The liturgical season invites us to pause and reflect on the mystery of Christmas. And ...read more

    Do good; Seek justice The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2023 by Nicholas Jesson   The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity originated in the 19th century from Evangelical, Anglican, and Roman Catholic initiatives. By 1908 it had become an eight-day mini-season of prayer, observed in various forms and at different times ...read more

I remember once, a Cuban friend who grew up in Cuba with no Christmas, telling me that she had never seen or heard of a Christmas tree before she left Cuba. But had Christ never been born, the implications would be much worse than not having Christmas trees. Just think of the music we’d be ...read more

Read the full text of Pope Francis' Christmas message "to the city and to the world" given on December 25, 2021, at the Vatican. ...read more

Imagine the scene. You’re exhausted after a long trip. Your wife is pregnant and due to give birth any time now. You’ve come back to your hometown, but you don’t have any relatives here anymore. You’re looking for a place to stay for the night, but everything is closed or fully booked. You keep looking ...read more

On Saturday, 24 December, Pope Francis gave the homily at Midnight Mass. He said that “the manger tells us of closeness, poverty, and concreteness.” Read the full text of his homily below:   Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis Midnight Mass St. Peter’s Basilica Saturday, 24 December 2022 What does this night still have to ...read more

Facing (controversial) issues In Part One, I raised the possibility that the Synod on Synodality is both a microcosm of the millennia-long process of Tradition and an active participant in that process. In Part Two, I explored what it might mean for lay people to take part in this encounter, to themselves be more active ...read more