A Return to Collegiality Thank you for your strong endorsement of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (Current Comment, 12/8). It should be noted that in recent years the Vatican, operating on a narrower understanding of episcopal collegiality, has limited the authority of such conferences. At t

Shout for joy Sing joyfully Be glad and exult with all your heart On that day it shall be said Fear not be not discouraged The Lord your God is in your midst A mighty savior He will sing joyfully because of you And renew you in His love

Like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah You Elijah it is written are destined in the time to come to put an end to wrath before the judgment day of the Lord to turn back the heart of each person to every other person Blessed is he who shall have seen you Elijah before he dies

nbsp Cambridge MA My reflections last week made clear my hope that in this Advent season we can engage in interreligious intercultural learning by considering as an example the teaching on the birth of Lord Krishna in the world according to the Bhagavad Gita I continue now with verses I c

Thus says the Lord your Redeemer the Holy One I the Lord your God teach you what is for your own good and lead you on the way you should go If only you would pay attention to my commandments

I am the Lord your God Who grasp your right hand It is I who say to you Fear not I will help you The afflicted and needy seek water in vain their tongues are parched with thirst I the Lord will answer them I their God will not forsake them

The Lord is the eternal God Creator of the ends of the earth He does not faint nor grow weary and His knowledge is beyond our full grasp He gives strength to the fainting He makes the weak vigorous They who hope in the Lord will renew their strength they will soar as with eagles wings the

Just a reminder that we are posting weekly Advent reflections over at The Good Word and on our YouTube page nbsp Here is Associate Editor Matt Malone S J on a song that always reminds him of the Advent season

All the readings anticipate something present but not tangibly so--even something powerfully active though not sensed in the ordinary ways The Isaiah voice Mary in the canticle response Paul in the second reading and John the Baptist in the Gospel all address hearers their original partners and