The term epiphany means a showing forth or manifestation In the context of the Christmas season it refers to the showing forth of the infant Jesus to a group known as the Magi The story of the Epiphany in Matthew 2 describes how these exotic visitors from far away come in search of the newborn ki

The Hebrew name Emmanuel which means God is with us combines the Hebrew expression for with us and one of the words for God El It refers to the presence of God among usthe great Advent hope Psalm 24 todays responsorial psalm was part of a liturgy carried out at the Jerusalem temple the mou

The adjective motley means variegated in color By extension it can refer to any grouping of diverse and often incongruent elements The expression motley crew describes a loosely organized group of very different persons joined together sometimes unconsciously to achieve a goal The Scripture rea

The second Sunday of Advent

The Scripture readings for Advent promote a promise-and-fulfillment approach to the Bible Most Christians view the Old Testament readings as divine promises that have been fulfilled in Jesus Almost every official Catholic document on biblical interpretation including the Second Vatican Councils D

The First Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of a period of preparation for the celebration of Christmas In contrast to the commercialized celebrations of the holidays it is meant to be a quiet and reflective time Todays readings suggest that Advent is a time to hope for lasting peace among nat