Pope Francis has declared as saints 16 Carmelite martyrs executed by guillotine during the French Revolution and confirmed the martyrdom and heroic virtues of five others in a series of decrees published Dec. 18.

A Reflection for Friday of the Third Week of Advent, by Joe Hoover, S.J.

In their “Faithful Citizenship” document, the bishops should recognize options like the American Solidarity Party and challenge the assumption that we must choose between Democrats and Republicans.

We are not only the family of God because of an act of love but, because he was born as one of us, we are now also biologically like God. We are genetically related to him because he became one of us.

Sotheby’s is facilitating the sale of what it says is an approximately 1,500-year-old tablet, which it describes as “the only complete tablet of the Ten Commandments still extant from this early era.”

A Reflection for Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent, by Grace Lenahan

Today in The New York Times, Pope Francis praised the value of joy, humor and laughter, and noted “jokes about and told by Jesuits are in a class of their own.” Here are 5 of my favorite.

Oscar Hijuelos's 'Mr. Ives' Christmas' doesn't start out as a cheery story—but in the end, this parable of good will lost and good will regained is a perfect Christmas tale.

A Reflection for Thursday of the Third Week of Advent, by Cecilia González-Andrieu

A Reflection for Saturday of the Third Week of Advent, by Eric Gregory