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

In the Benediction Hall on 22 December, 2022, Pope Francis exhorted the Roman Curia to practice “vigilance…in the service of the Holy See, at the heart of the Church.” Reflecting on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians, he told them that “kindliness, mercy and forgiveness are our medicine for building peace.”   Address of His Holiness Pope Francis ...read more

But it's hard to escape the baggage of Christmas. It’s usually about this time that I start thinking about all the people who get lonely at Christmas. It’s true. This holiday reminds us of family, of our childhood and many people don’t have that, or have issues to reconcile or a past that they would rather not remember. Secular Christmas brings all that to the forefront. ...read more

You’re a little late to the party, but by the time you arrive, you see the perfect gift wrapped and gingerly placed in front of you. The place is a bit of a mess, but no one cares, and the joy in the air is palpable. People are smiling, crying, and laughing, all because of ...read more

Last Sunday we celebrated the Feast of the Holy Family. Tomorrow we celebrate the Feast of Mary the Mother of God. Along with the Feast of the Nativity, also known as Christmas, we celebrate three feasts that remind us that God is a God of family. What do you imagine when you think of the ...read more

On Wednesday, December 25th Pope Francis gave his "Urbi et Orbi" Blessing for the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord at Central Loggia of the Vatican Basilica. Below is full text of his message:  ...read more

On Tuesday, December 24th, Pope Francis presided mass for the  Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord at the Vatican. Here is full text of his homily. ...read more

The Christmas story is a profound one. To the attentive reader there are countless insights about the nature of God and our own human nature that jump off the pages of Luke and Matthew’s infancy narratives. Perhaps the clearest insight is the fragility and powerlessness of the baby Jesus. It is one of the greatest ...read more

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but Advent is done. We celebrated Christmas two days ago, and that means there’s no way to have another “Thursday Thoughts for Advent.” As we continue to celebrate Christmas, however, I thought it might be nice to gather for one final Thursday this year and reflect together. You’ll notice ...read more

How long should we celebrate Christmas? 1 day? 8? 20? 40? Allyson Kenny explains how the Church observes Christmas and why in this interesting short video. ...read more