Christmas trees go up the day after Thanksgiving and go out the day after Christmas, just before the ritual of returning and exchanging gifts. The time in between is a flurry of parties, shopping, and school events. More »

Mary’s visit to Elizabeth shortly after the annunciation is usually understood as a mission to assist her elder relative in preparation for the birth of John the Baptist. More »

This past Sunday—Gaudete Sunday—we lit the pink candle on our Advent wreath and were called to rejoice because the Lord is near. Yet our rejoicing has been tempered with deep sadness over the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. More »

Have you ever noticed how we live by seasons? Our calendars may break life up into weeks and months and years, but it’s the seasons that really count for us. And nothing seems to get more attention than sports seasons. More »

Each of us bears the image of Christ. And each of us will make a choice—yes or no—to place our lives completely in the hands of God, to be molded into an expression of transcendent beauty. More »

“What can you do?” It is the age-old challenge of the gospel. One family in Houston, Texas, took the challenge to heart and found a unique way to answer it. More »

Sometimes simple obedience is all that stands between us and the awesome power of God. This truth is dramatically evident in the life of St. Juan Diego, the Aztec Indian whose faithfulness changed the course of history. More »

The angel Gabriel greeted Mary with these words: “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” Then, as if underlining the point, he told her, “You have found favor with God” (Luke 1:28-30). What is this “favor”? More »