John the Baptist Fulfills His Evangelical Mission

Whoever said the Holy Mass doesn’t come straight from the Bible? Today’s Gospel from John includes five words right out of the mouth of John the Baptist, words that the faithful hear every time the Eucharist is celebrated: “Behold the Lamb of God.”

The Angels Wait for Our Answer to the Call to Faith

Liturgically, today offers us the “once every six years because of leap year” combination of the Fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve occurring on the same day. Today’s Gospel, St. Luke’s narrative on the Annunciation, finds its nine-months-later fulfillment in the proclamation of the Birth of Christ that we will hear in just a few hours.

The Presence of the Lord Among Us Is a Great Joy

Upon entering most of our Catholic schools and academies, a visitor will see a sign on the wall that reads, “Let it be known to all who enter here that Jesus Christ is the reason for this school, the unseen but ever present teacher in all its classes, the model of its faculty, and the inspiration for its students.”

Our Responsibility Is to Be Ready for Christ’s Return

Although our celebration of Advent follows a rather predictable course, the underlying significance of what we do is quite different. One of the best (and personally most quoted) similes for Advent comes from Alfred Hitchcock.