From Season to Season

For me, Advent has always been a season of taking stock, looking back, and anticipating what lies ahead. Perhaps this is because the season usually begins so close to Thanksgiving and leads up to Christmas and the beginning of a new year. But, there is also something else about this season: the longer, colder nights, the lights of Advent wreaths and holiday decorations, and the reverie that goes along with familiar holiday movies, songs, and even a favorite Christmas ornament or family photo. Advent, however, is also a season of gratitude. As we look back in prayer and Scripture to the prophecies of Old Testament and the revelation of who Jesus was and is (which we hear in these early Advent days) and to the fulfillment of time when we will celebrate the second Advent of Christ, these days invite us to reflect on the gifts we been given. And, for me, an important part of that is considering how I have--or have not--passed those gifts on to others... "paying it forward," a...

Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you; consider how their lives ended, and imitate their faith. —Hebrews 13:7 The past several years have seen a decline in the number of priests and, sadly, the actions of some priests have eroded the reputations and respect of priests everywhere. However, the priesthood—and religious life—remain great gifts for the Church, and there have been countless priests and religious who have courageously and faithfully offered their lives in prayer and service. The recent “Year of the Priest” (2009) and the current “ Year for Consecrated Life ” have provided us with opportunities to pray for and celebrate faithful priests and religious and to also pray for and promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life. The Church’s calendar of saints also provides us with frequent opportunities to offer prayers of thanks for the witness of so many holy priests, deacons, and religious from past generations. Included alongside the saints...

Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” —John 10:11 This Sunday, which is also World Day of Prayer for Vocations, is a time set aside each year to pray, in a special way, for an increase in vocations to the priesthood, permanent diaconate, and consecrated life. The Church needs ministers who are willing to give their lives in service and prayer for the sake of the Gospel.   The Good Shepherd from the Catacomb of Priscilla in Rome (250-300) Today, as I offer my own prayers for those who are discerning God’s call, I was especially struck by the first line of the Gospel of this Sunday’s Mass (quoted above). This sentiment is echoed in Pope Francis’ Message for the 52nd World Day of Prayer for Vocations : “To offer one’s life in mission is possible only if we are able to leave ourselves behind… At the root of every Christian vocation we find this basic movement, which is part of the experience of faith. Belief means t...