In this 4th Sunday of Advent we hear Matthew's account of the announcement of the birth of Jesus, which focuses on the perspective of Joseph. St. Joseph's anguish over what to do in light of Mary's unexpected pregnancy is pretty clear. There is a deep suffering there. What we may forget is what he will need to sacrifice in taking Mary into his home: He tacitly acknowledges that the child is his, and he sacrifices his good reputation. But Joseph is unwavering in his obedience to God, and he receives in return his bride and child.

In today's Gospel, the disciples of John the Baptist, who is in prison, deliver a surprising message to Jesus: "Are you the one who is to come or should we look for another?"

All of the saints carried the Cross of Jesus, as he promised they would. St. John the Baptist's was not only suffering imprisonment and martyrdom but also the painful experience of the darkness of doubt.

John shows us what we must do when our soul is suffering: Bring it to Jesus. He will illuminate the darkness, as he does today for John.

On the 2nd Sunday of Advent we are reintroduced to the strange and wonderful figure of St. John the Baptist. The Gospel tells us that people left the Holy City and traveled into the desert wilderness to be baptized by John. Inspired by this pilgrimage to the Jordan River, we reflect on three practical ways we can prepare our hearts to be ready for God.

Our Gospel reading for this 1st Sunday of Advent focuses us on Jesus's Second Coming, and he compares it to the flood of Genesis. He says that people were going about their business, doing their normal tasks, and suddenly they were swept away. This is the mean of when Jesus gives us the image of the two men in the field and the two women grinding at the mill. One is taken and the other is left. There is no external difference between the one taken and the one left. The difference is internal: One was ready for the Lord; one was not. Which one will I be when He comes for me?!

It's interesting for us as Americans to celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King because our very identity as Americans is based on the rejection of kingship. If the experience of our forefathers told them that submission to a king limited their freedom, then wouldn't we ourselves be suspicious of any outside claim on our autonomy and freedom? But indeed, this is what the Church teaches we owe Christ our King: Our time, our money, our freedom and relationships; in a word, we owe Him everything. The good news is that Christ does not operate in the same way that earthly kings operate. He does not "need" anything from us to increase his power. But the more that we hand everything over to our king, the more power and freedom and fulfillment he gives us!

Today we have the unique opportunity of celebrating the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, the Cathedral of Rome. Our readings today zoom in on the Temple, and in our first reading we are privileged to hear the vision of the prophet Ezekiel of the healing waters flowing from the side of the New Temple. In John's Gospel, Jesus is revealed to be the New Temple, and at the end of John's Gospel, water in addition to blood flows from the open side of the Savior, making clear who Jesus is: The True Temple from whose Heart flows the healing water that is our medicine and salvation.

On this All Souls' Day the Church invites us once again to pray for all of the Faithful Departed, which is a reminder for us that death does not end our connection to one another. While purgatory seems to be a "bad word" to some Catholics, and many seem to have rejected this teaching all together, if we understood what purgatory actually is we would be grateful for it and want to go there!

The parable we hear today, in which an arrogant judge gives justice to a widow only because he gets sick of her asking him, is similar to another parable in Luke's Gospel. There, a man refuses to get out of bed to assist his neighbor in the middle of the night. Jesus simply concludes, "If the man doesn't get up to help his neighbor because of their friendship, he will because of his persistence." I.e. He will get tired of the knocking! The point is similar for both parables: If arrogant or lazy people will do good because of the persistence of the one asking them, how much more will our perfectly good Father in heaven do good to those who ask Him with persistence?!?

Today's first reading gives us the last part of the great story of the healing of Naaman the Syrian. The important military commander, seeking a cure for his leprosy, consistently humbles himself ... and finally receives that for which he had been searching. May we who also need healing imitate him in his humility!

In today's Gospel, Jesus says to us, "If you had faith the size of a mustard tree, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and cast into the sea' and it would happen." While this is impossible for man, nothing is impossible for God. What is the impossible thing -- the miracle -- that you desire of God? May our faith be strengthened so that we will believe that God can do even this!

Today's fascinating Gospel is full of symbolism and vivid details that stick with us as we grapple with the meaning of Jesus' story and reflect on its implications for our lives... A rich man lives in lavish luxury, and he does nothing to help the impoverished man who is, literally, lying in his doorway. The rich man did not share with the poor man, and he was judged accordingly. Who is the needy person whom God has put in front of me?!?