"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."

On the carefully programmed Advent journey to Christmas, Dec. 18, 2011, the Fourth Sunday belongs to Mary.
This is so because Christmas, which celebrates the birth of Jesus,
necessarily involves the motherhood of Mary. Our Discussion Questions
will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.

Also on this last Sunday of Advent we begin more intensively to prepare

"Make straight the way of the Lord"

We have in Sunday’s Gospel - Dec. 11, 2011, the 3rd Sunday in Advent - an interesting interrogation. The priests and Levites came out from
Jerusalem to find out who this John the Baptist was, and whether he was
the Messiah. Our Discussion Questions will guide your Sunday Bible Study with family, friends and church groups.

Gaudete. Rejoice.

The
third Sunday of Advent is often called "Gaudate

"Be watchful! Be alert!"

Because it is Thanksgiving weekend, I'm busy preparing Thanksgiving
dinner for my family while multi-tasking this week's homiletics email
for you. So we hope you understand why you're receiving a truncated
version of your Catholic Living Today.

This Sunday we celebrate the First Sunday in Advent.
This marks the beginning of a new church year: the liturgical
actualization for us of

“What did you go out to the desert to see?"

This Sunday - the Third Sunday in Advent - is known as Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is the Latin word for rejoice. And it takes it's name from the opening antiphon: 'Rejoice in the Lord, again I say rejoice, the Lord is near.'Our Discussion Questions will guide your Online Sunday Bible Study sessions with your family, friends and church groups.By a nice coincidence, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

"Prepare the way of the Lord"

“Stay awake,” we heard last week. “Prepare,” we hear this week. Stay awake for the opportunities to serve the Lord. Prepare to find Him. The words of John the Baptist in this Sunday's Readings warn us against sleeping our lives away, against spiritual laziness. Our Discussion Questions for Dec. 5, 2010 - Second Sunday of Advent - will guide your Online Sunday Bible Study sessions with your family

"Therefore, stay awake!"

The readings for this First Sunday of Advent, the first Sunday of the liturgical year don’t sound very different in tone from the last Sunday of the outgoing year, not counting the special readings for the Feast of Christ the King. At first sight that might seem a bit surprising —but, of course, in the Church this sort of thing happens all the time and when you take a closer look you usually find

"Prepare the way of the Lord"

CATHOLIC LIVING TODAYSecond Sunday of Advent (2AdvC), December 6, 2009BURNING QUESTION: Did John the baptist go to heaven right after death?FEATURED BLOG: Faithful in Living ThingsPASTORAL HISPANA: Preparen los caminos del Señor Dear Friends,It's the Second Sunday of Advent and the Sunday Readings tell the story of John the Baptist calling the people to repentance to prepare for the coming of the

"My kingdom does not belong to this world"

CATHOLIC LIVING TODAYSolemnity of Christ the King (34B), November 22, 2009BURNING QUESTION: What Commandments require restitution?FEATURED BLOG: 100 Catholic Ways to PrayPRIESTS STORIES: Think you might have a religious vocation?PASTORAL HISPANA: Cristo es el Rey que está al servicio de la verdadDear Friends,This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, the conclusion of the

"Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them"

CATHOLIC LIVING TODAY with ParishWorld.netIssue Date: April 19, 2009Second Sunday of Easter (Easter2B)BURNING QUESTION: What is Conscience? FEATURED BLOG: Why not just get rid of the Old Testament? RECONCILIATION NEWS: "I don't want to revenge!" PASTORAL HISPANA: Jesús nos revela su divina misericordiaDear Friends, The Catholic Church celebrates Divine Mercy Sunday this weekend. And it couldn't

"This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many."

CATHOLIC LIVING TODAY with ParishWorld.netIssue Date: April 5, 2009Palm Sunday (LPalmB)BURNING QUESTION: What sacraments were instituted by Jesus on Holy Thursday?FEATURED BLOG: Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Jerusalem!VOCATION NEWS: El Grano Que MuerePASTORAL HISPANA: Pontiff: God Never Ceases to Call VocationsDear Friends:The Sunday before Easter is observed by virtually all Christians -- Protestant,

"Repent, and believe in the gospel"

CATHOLIC LIVING TODAY with ParishWorld.netIssue Date: January 25, 2009Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (3B)BURNING QUESTION: Is it better to be a lukewarm Catholic or an on-fire Protestant?FEATURED BLOG: Priests Are Not Theological Vending MachinesRECONCILIATION: Obama proclaims 'National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation'PASTORAL HISPANA: Conversion de San Pablo Dear Friends, We start our journey

“We have found the Messiah”

CATHOLIC LIVING TODAY with ParishWorld.net“We have found the Messiah”Issue Date: January 18, 2009Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (2B)BURNING QUESTION: What is Holiness? FEATURED BLOG: 10 rules for handling disagreement like a ChristianVOCATION NEWS: A father and son swim the Tiber -- and become priestsPASTORAL HISPANA: Queremos conocer a Jesús Dear Friends, We start our journey this week with

You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased"

CATHOLIC LIVING TODAY with ParishWorld.net"Issue Date: January 11, 2009Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (B) BURNING QUESTION: Why do Catholic parents baptize their babies? FEATURED BLOG: Great Priests Have Helped Me Throughout My LifeVOCATION NEWS: Why does a young man consider the priesthood?PASTORAL HISPANA: El bautismo de Cristo, un nuevo nacimientoDear Friends,We start our journey this week

“The child grew and became strong"

CATHOLIC LIVING TODAY with ParishWorld.net“The child grew and became strong"Issue Date: December 28, 2008Feast of the Holy Family (B)BURNING QUESTION: How does Matthew explain the infant Jesus is "Special?" FEATURED BLOG: Lessons in Manliness from It’s a Wonderful LifeRECONCILIATION: A Baghdad Community Lives in Peace, for Now Dear Friends, You are receiving a condensed version of this weeks's

“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son"

CATHOLIC LIVING TODAY with ParishWorld.netIssue Date: December 21, 2008 (4AdvB)BURNING QUESTION: Should Catholics be offended by the term "Xmas?"FEATURED BLOG: The Virgin Mary: Model of Faith and First BelieverRECONCILIATION: ‘Tis the Season for ReconciliationPASTORAL HISPANA: El sí de María nos trajo la salvaciónDear Friends,On the carefully programmed Advent journey to Christmas, the Fourth

"Make straight the way of the Lord"

CATHOLIC LIVING TODAY with ParishWorld.netIssue Date: December 14, 2008 (3AdvB)BURNING QUESTION: "Life & Family" or "Peace and Justice?" FEATURED BLOG: Do you remember your last confession? RECONCILIATION: 100 Projects for PeacePASTORAL HISPANA: El secreto del adviento: estar alegresDear Friends,We start our journey this week with Discussion Questions on the Sunday Readings for use by prayer