The reading from the Book of Psalms often gets overlooked in Mass. As a former music minister, I struggled with the fact that there’s not a perfect melody for every psalm each Sunday, but there’s only so […]
Category: Advent
Welcome to Advent 2015
I just finished reading West Virginian writer Ann Pancake’s 2007 novel Strange as This Weather Has Been. I cannot recommend it enough—especially for the season of Advent. The novel tells the story of a modern-day […]
10 Ways Jesus Might Celebrate #MerryChristmasStarbucks
10. By buying bagels and oatmeal from Starbucks and giving it to the hungry 9. By getting coffee and tea for the thirsty at the homeless shelter 8. By giving blankets, hats, gloves, jackets, and […]
Waiting Together and Waiting Alone
For the last 15 months, my wife and I have been waiting. Waiting, specifically, to adopt a child from the foster system in the State of Indiana. It should not have taken this long, but […]
Theotokos: The Christ Taking Birth Forever
Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared at our blog partner, HopeSingsSoBeautiful.org, and is written by Christopher Pramuk, Associate Professor of Theology at Xavier University and author of the book, Hope Sings, So Beautiful. Like Mary, […]
Jesus is Outside
He was scandalously conceived outside of a proper marriage, born outside of his society’s attention, and immediately a refugee outside his homeland as he fled brutal political power. He brought contempt and rejection upon himself […]
The Fourth Sunday of Advent: What Are We Really Waiting For?
The fourth and final candle is lit. The stockings are hung. The trees are up. The planes have landed. In the words of Joni Mitchell: It’s coming on Christmas. They’re cutting down the trees. They’re […]
Third Sunday of Advent: Joy and the Baptist
“Who are you? Why are you doing these things?” The Gospel for “Gaudete Sunday”[1] seems intentionally set to contrast with the opening of Mark’s Gospel heard last Sunday. The fourth evangelist introduces the Baptist starkly, […]
The Second Sunday of Advent: To Breathe in a New Heaven and a New Earth
Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an end, her guilt is expiated; indeed, she has received from the hand […]
The First Sunday in Advent: A Spirituality of the Liturgical Year
You may have noticed a change in the décor around church this Sunday: perhaps there were some new missalettes in the pews or maybe your priest greeted you in his homily with a hearty “Happy […]
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