Fourth Sunday of Advent, Dec. 19 (Year C) Micah 5:2-5a; Psalm 80; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45

The Scriptures describe the word of God as alive and active, always on the move and unceasing in activity.

How have you been preparing yourself to celebrate Christmas this year?

VATICAN CITY -- The representation of Peru's diverse Indigenous communities in this year's Nativity scene in St. Peter's Square embodies the joy and hope of their faith, said Peruvian Bishop Carlos Alberto Salcedo Ojeda of Huancavelica, Peru.

ROME -- An hour before sunrise, Pope Francis set a basket of white roses at the base of a statue of the Immaculate Conception in the center of Rome, praying Mary would help all who suffer.

ATHENS, Greece -- Like St. John Paul II before him, Pope Francis apologized to members of the Orthodox Church of Greece for the ways Catholics over the centuries had offended them, and he told Catholic leaders that they must embrace their minority status with humility.

Third Sunday of Advent, Dec. 12 (Year C) Zephaniah 3:14-18a; Psalm 12; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18

Joy is an essential and vital element in our religious faith and relationship with God. And yet it often seems to be lacking, for what is written on our faces sometimes belies the words that come from our mouths.

NICOSIA, Cyprus -- After Pope Francis denounced putting up "barbed wire" to keep out migrants and the practice of pushing boats back to countries where they face conditions similar to a "lager," the Vatican announced he would help move a dozen migrants from Cyprus to Italy before Christmas.

I remember once hearing a speaker marvelling at the “gentleness of God.” My reaction was incredulity. Gentleness? Many in that very room were experiencing great anguish, while around us swirled life’s turbulence and trouble. Of all things one could assert about God, this one seemed the most indefensible. What good could gentleness do, anyway, in a harsh and chaotic world? What is needed is strength and power to assist people whose lives and dilemmas are anything but gentle.

VATICAN CITY -- Concerned at the slow pace of adopting his reforms of the marriage annulment process, Pope Francis has established a Vatican commission to encourage and verify progress in the dioceses of Italy.

Second Sunday of Advent, Dec. 5 (Year C) Baruch 5:1-9; Psalm 126; Philippians 1:3-6, 8-11; Luke 3:1-6

The beautiful and soaring imagery of many prophecies usually collides with cold, hard reality. The utopian promises rarely seem to materialize, for our spiritual journey takes place on the earthly plane with its own laws and customs.