A Reflection for the Third Thursday of Advent

As he enters his 84th year, Pope Francis continues to be an important source of hope and encouragement for countless people in a world where these are in short supply.

What does it mean to bear a son? What did it mean for her, and what does it mean for us?

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell talk about how the Vatican is weighing the pastoral needs of Iraq’s embattled Christian community and the health and safety concerns for Pope Francis and for the crowds who want to see him.

Why is it this way? It is the child’s most basic question, dealing with the most bewildering thing of all.

“What they did was portray an astronaut offering the moon to Jesus,” Angelo Bottone said. “To me, it’s an expression of profound worship.”