Spirituality
Readings of the holy Mass – Third Sunday of Advent
Read or listen to the readings before Mass with the resources below from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, using the New American Bible, Revised Edition.
Advent week three: Joy that shines in the darkness
As Christians light the third candle on their Advent wreath and sing "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" this Sunday, the call to "rejoice always" in the Lord rings out to a weary world.
Joy from the inside out, courtesy the readings for Mass
If the coming of Christmas feels for you like a photographer's insistence that you "smile" when you don't feel like it, take heart: the Scriptures are a gift from deep within, where Christ dwells and the Holy Spirit moves.
Advent meditation: Joy during life’s struggles and sorrows
We pray for the grace to encounter, as St. Paul did, a person -- the person of Christ who brings a peace that the world cannot give, a joy surpassing understanding. After such an encounter, life will never be the same.
Look to John the Baptist, a man born into a mission of joy
Writer Shemaiah Gonzalez no longer looks at the odd personal habits of the herald of the Messiah, but as one who saw the light breaking through the darkness. With him, she is ready to sing "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel."
God’s greatness can be found in the little things, pope says
God shows his greatness through his tenderness toward his children like a loving father, Pope Francis said.
Sunday has lost its sense as a day of rest, pope says
As a plant needs the sun to live, so Christians need the Eucharist every Sunday, Pope Francis said. "We don't go to Mass to give something to God, but to receive from him that which we truly need," the pope said.
Pope: Let go of grudges, stop whining, find joy with Jesus
Christians must be strong and let go of all the bitterness and negativity that prevent them from experiencing God's consolation and joy, Pope Francis said.
Call of Advent is to convert — now and every day
Msgr. Joseph Prior, commenting on the readings for the Second Sunday of Advent, sums up the call of St. John the Baptist and the prophets: holiness means more than piety and devotions; God's mercy must transform every aspect of our lives, continually.
Advent week two: Promises of comfort and joy
As Christians approach the Second Week of Advent beginning Dec. 10, we are reminded that God has not forgotten us even during bleak times, a promise even more significant than that of a couple in marriage.