The Liturgy Podcast from Spirit & Song

"They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother." Let us share the joy of the Magi! Jesus Christ is Savior of the world.

"The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace." Son of God and Son of Mary, the Prince of Peace calls us to make this New Year a year of peace.

"When the magi had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you.'" Just as the Lord gave direction to St. Joseph, so we wait on God's word and are obedient to follow.

"And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth." The Word through which all things were created humbled himself to share our humanity so that we may share his divinity.

"The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen." As we go forth from this morning liturgy to celebrate the day with our families, let us not forget to share with our loved ones the Good News that Jesus Christ is born!

"For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ the Lord." The Son of God comes not in divine majesty but simply, as one of us: poor, wandering, and unwelcome.

"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means 'God is with us.'" Perhaps the greatest title for Jesus, "Emmanuel" reminds us that our God loves us and has completely joined himself to us.

"When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home." Joseph's unwavering faith inspires our celebration of the coming of Emmanuel - God-with-Us!

"This is the one about whom it is written: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you." John the Baptist proclaimed that Jesus is coming in power to heal, to save, and to set free.

"Mary said, 'Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.'" On this joyful solemnity, we celebrate Mary's great Yes.

"John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!'" Advent helps us reflect on how we fall short of the glory to which we are called. We heed the words of St. John the Baptist and repent.

"Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come." The joyful season of Advent begins!

"I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way..." On this Thanksgiving Day, we offer thanks to the Father for every good that we have, especially for his Son, Jesus, and for giving us a share of his Holy Spirit.

"He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell." We profess our faith in the Lordship of Jesus Christ, through whom the Father is reconciling all things to himself.

"By your perseverance you will secure your lives." No matter what calamities and hardships come our way, Jesus is our hope and our strength.

"He is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive." As the liturgical year winds down, we ponder death and the final things. We are encouraged by our hope in the Lord's resurrection.

"'Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.' And he came down quickly and received him with joy." God sees us and invites us to friendship with him. When we accept God's friendship, we are filled with joy.

"See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God." In baptism, we became adopted daughters and sons of the Father and received the destiny of being Saints like those we celebrate today.

"Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted." Everything we have is a gift from God. We come before the Lord of Mercy to give thanks for his generosity, and to ask that our hearts be as merciful as God's.

"When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" Jesus teaches us to strengthen our faith by praying unceasingly!

"And one of [the lepers], realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him." Praise is our grateful response for the goodness of God.

"The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith.' The Lord replied, 'If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you." When we surrender ourselves to Christ, he meets every need and we are free to serve.

"When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham." Since the very origins of Christianity, the Gospel has uniquely found a home with the poor and the marginalized.

"You cannot serve both God and mammon." Today's readings challenge us to act more compassionately on behalf of the poor by placing God above the values of the world.

"Let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life again; he was lost and has been found." The father's mercy to his wayward son reveals the joy of God's love for us.