Because of the ancient custom of celebrating three distinct Christmas Masses the liturgy offers a treasury of readings that bring out different aspects of the celebration The first readings herald the messianic promises of Isaiah and the good news of salvation and the psalms echo Israel rsquo s r

Echoing through the readings today are messages of hopefor people almost three millennia ago for people at the beginning of the first millennium and for people today Amid the turmoil of internal injustice and invasion by the Assyrians Isaiah proclaims Be strong fear not Here is your God he c

Another year winds down the days grow ever shorter and this Advent seems especially gray a time When yellow leaves or none or few do hang Upon those boughs which shake against the cold Bare ruin 39 d choirs where late the sweet birds sang Shakespeare Sonnet 73 Despite exhortations and

Life today often seems like a brief interlude between rushing and waiting We rush to airports only to wait in line hurry off to Christmas sales or returns and again wait and even wait in long lines to receive the Eucharist Waiting involves a necessary slowing down as well as hope of fulfillmen

Ask a group of boomers who pops into their minds when they hear the word king Some candidates might be simply The King Elvis or the King of Pop or more soberly some might remember The Boss singing Poor man wanna be rich Rich man wanna be king And a king ain rsquo t satisfied Till he rules e

The readings today leave most Catholics ill at ease and puzzled and they often relegate their message to fundamentalist television evangelists shouting about the coming end of the world Malachi thought that the day of the Lord was coming and it did not come Jesus says that ldquo this generation