On the Second Sunday of Advent, the Prophet Isaiah reminds us that the church is ordained to be Christ’s hands extended to the poor, the neglected, the excluded.

It is okay to be sad. Rather than loathe, we lament, because we know of a better land.

Jesus did not come in power. He became the Christ, the anointed one, because he surrendered what little he had into the hands of the Father.

One of Francis’ strengths is his willingness to surprise, to take the unexpected path.

We are the ones who have been left behind. We suffer a loss; our loved ones do not.

The notion that our prayers can aid the dead as well as the living has always been a part of the Christian faith.