During Christmas time we have been attentive to the child born to fulfill the promises made long ago Today we focus on Mary the one from whose flesh the child was fashioned In all the Christmas stories she is silent explaining nothing when visitors come to see the marvels that have taken place

At Christmastide we hear sounds and voices that seem to be silent the rest of the year We hear lighthearted jingling bells that delight us We sing beloved carols that express messages simple enough for children to understand yet profound enough to challenge us for the rest of our lives We exchan

The Advent hymn ldquo O Come O Come Emmanuel rdquo is a song of longing and profound faith But who is Emmanuel Today rsquo s Gospel tells us that the word Emmanuel means ldquo with us is God rdquo and it implies that the child born of Mary is this Emmanuel But what of the child in the firs

In the middle of Advent we pause for a moment of rejoicing This is not a period of rest taken during a long journey It is more like a short stop at a scenic view where we stand in awe of the spectacular panorama before us Advent is a liturgical journey toward Christmas the feast that celebrate

For many people the feast of the Immaculate Conception is as confusing as is the familiar statue that honors Mary under that title One reason is that the Gospel reading recounts the conception of Jesus not that of Mary As for the statue today rsquo s passage from Genesis clearly states that it

quot The Peaceable Kingdom rdquo a print by the German-born illustrator Fritz Eichenberg is one of many artistic representations of the oft-quoted passage from Isaiah we hear today We see animals that are natural enemies sitting together peacefully under the widespread branches of a sheltering

When citizens of the United States hear the word pilgrim they immediately think of the Puritans who were among the earliest European settlers of this country This is particularly true around the time of Thanksgiving when the words pilgrim and Puritan are often used interchangeably However the

Probably the best known royal leader in the world today is Queen Elizabeth of England Although her leadership role is in many ways more ceremonial than administrative her official title is still quite impressive She is Queen Elizabeth II by the Grace of God Queen of this Realm and of Her Other R

There is always a great deal of emotion in anticipation of ldquo the day rdquo whether that be a wedding day the first day of vacation opening day at the ballpark or the day of discharge from the service mdash to name but a few important days in the lives of many of us In such cases not only

There is within every living being an innate tendency to cling to life and flourish It is no different with human beings In fact it is this passion for life that often causes us anxiety in the face of death The value that various peoples ascribe to the human spirit can be seen in the practices w