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“See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the Lord shines, and over you appears his glory.”Isaiah 60:2Our faith tells us, and Isaiah does, too: No matter the circumstance of our lives, we are surrounded in God’s glory. May the light of the Lord shine upon you today on the feast of the Epiphany!Please accept my blessings for the New Year, one that we pray brings us deep spiritual renewal and strength for the journey.The new life we crave is born in our call to mission, a reaching out to the entire world in the name of Christ our Savior. The Magi were the first to recognize the Messiah with precious gifts—and signs of humility. Just imagine: three kings honoring an infant born in a stable! In our own way, we are called to acknowledge the blessing of salvation in the Christ Child, and make the Good News known to the ends of the earth.An epiphany, we know, is an insight into the essential meaning of something. An intuition that is undeniable. The Epiphany of Our Lord is all that and more. Today’s feast day acknowledges the divine nature of the Infant Jesus, a blessing from God that offers us the promise of salvation and eternal life.This is the light Isaiah speaks of that pierces through the darkness. Today, we recommit ourselves to delivering the message of Christmas with joy in our hearts. God’s love has been revealed. Sharing the love and building God’s kingdom on earth is how the Christmas spirit will live on all year long.The Epiphany reminds me how the light of Christ was offered to the world one day many years ago in another most remarkable way. On the feast of the Epiphany in 1912, three laywomen arrived at Maryknoll to found the Maryknoll Sisters. To this day, we call them the Three Wise Women! God called them to leadership and service, and they led by example. Their legacy of mission and healing continues to inspire women to Sisterhood all over the world. Friend, the past year has challenged us...

“Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another.”(Colossians 3:12)The celebrations that surround Christmas have been wonderful—liturgies, caroling, being with family and friends. But I still have to ask myself: What exactly changed? Am I a better person now? Has the Christ Child shown me something I didn’t know before?Today on the feast of the Holy Family we have a lot to contemplate about the role love plays within our families—and the role it plays beyond. We are called to witness God’s love in many spaces: communities, towns, our nation and the world. A single act of courage or kindness is never wasted. Neither is a single act of forgiveness. They can change someone’s life forever—including lives we may never know personally. The circle of love widens at each turn because that’s how love works. That’s how God works. Lessons of love start within our families. When Mary gave birth to the Christ Child, we saw the model of a loving family. Mary and Joseph welcomed Jesus completely even as events clouded their future together. Soon after the arrival of the Magi, they fled home, traveling to Egypt to protect their infant son from imminent danger. Mary and Joseph did everything they could to remain an intact family during and after their exile.The ripple effect of their love is the central theme of every Gospel story we read about today—and Christmas is where it all began. God’s love is inevitable. It strengthens and grows each time we become Christ-like, too, in our families, in our communities, in our world.Friend, to answer my own question: What has changed for me is the belief that Christmas is not just a celebration; it’s an obligation to nurture loving relationships in honor of the Holy Family. It’s an obligation to share God’s love at every turn within our nuclear families and beyond—even when things seem risky. With prayer, I know you and I will be up for the task. And with that… No more questions for 2020. May God...

“Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.”(Luke 1:38)Pausing at the words of Luke’s Gospel makes me ask the “What if” question of the day: What indeed if Mary had said “no”?

Jim Forest has spent a lifetime in the cause of peace and reconciliation. In this memoir he traces his story through his intimate encounters with some of the great peacemakers of our time, including Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, Daniel Berrigan, Henri Nouwen, and Thich Nhat Hanh. The son of ardent Communists, his remarkable journey led to his enlistment in the Navy, and then his discharge as a conscientious objector following his conversion to Catholicism.

“The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to announce a year of favor from the Lord.”(Isaiah 61:1-2)

“We await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you await these things, be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.”(2 Peter 3:14)There is a difference between waiting and being idle. One act can have purpose; the other doesn’t. That’s an important lesson to keep in mind during the weeks of Advent because our souls need attention, too—just as much as our social calendars. Right now we anticipate the arrival of the Christ Child, our Lord and Savior. Preparations abound in our homes but there are things we can do each day to make the waiting an act of spiritual fulfillment.As part of your Advent practice of “waiting with purpose,” think about the one thing you want to grow in—not just in the weeks before Christmas but all year long. Maybe it’s patience or forgiveness. Perhaps it’s seeing the good in someone or a circumstance before (or instead of) focusing on the negative. Advent is a good time to make purposeful waiting an act of spiritual growth, realizing that God is already here to help. Accepting the presence of God in our lives means we can never really fail. We just get better at reflecting the compassion of Our Lord. Pope Francis often reminds us that even before we seek Christ, he is present lifting us back up after we fall, and helping us grow stronger in faith. “Turn your heart to God,” is how our pontiff puts it, and be fulfilled. Friend, as you prepare for the Christ Child, know that in the second week of Advent the Lord is already here… never late… always on time… available to comfort and reassure anytime and every time you pray. Knowing that will make waiting for Christmas Day truly a season of joy and fulfillment.

Today begins the season of expectant, joyful waiting, the season we call Advent. As we do each year, we light the first of four candles this morning—one for each Sunday of Advent that will take us home on Christmas Day. We think of Advent as a time of anticipation—waiting for the Christ Child and preparing for his birth. But Advent is a time of discovery as well. Here’s what I mean…God is already present in our lives and in our relationships all of the time. Advent is an invitation to discover how and where to find the Lord. Important clues are embedded in the rituals we follow. We reach out to family… we give our children extra special attention… we decorate our homes to a fare-thee-well... and we outdo ourselves in creating memories that we hope will become part of our family histories. Why do we do all this? Because we’re never quite satisfied with earthly things. Enough is not enough. We long for more… for the eternal and the forever after. We don’t want the joy of this moment to end. As people of faith, we have the hope and expectation that God is working in us no matter the circumstance. God always has the last word, and as we have said all year long, that word is life—eternal life, which is the promise of the Christ Child.This has been a difficult year for all of us. But as you begin Advent, be hopeful: celebrate plenty not scarcity, celebrate the light not darkness. And celebrate the abundance of God’s love, which comes to us in the form of a child, born in a manger. Hope is how we discover God among us; it’s the gesture of welcome and the answer to our longing. Hope is God coming to our rescue when we most need the healing. Friend, during the four weeks of Advent, take a little extra time to reflect on the past year and tell God your hopes for the year ahead. However you pray, know that God is present all of the time, working through you to...

Simone Campbell, SSS, is the executive director of NETWORK, a nonprofit Catholic social justice lobby in Washington, DC. In 2012, Sister Simone organized NETWORK’s Nuns on the Bus campaign that has attracted an avalanche of media attention in the United States and other parts of the world. Sister Simone, a long-standing member of the Sisters of Social Service became an attorney in 1978 and founded a community law center that served the legal needs of the working poor.

“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”Matthew 25:40Yes, it has been a year of pain and sorrow. More than we imagined. But as people of faith we are schooled in gratitude. We give thanks for the gift of life and the gift of salvation. And we give thanks for each other. We mark Thanksgiving Day this week with gratitude for past gifts and for the blessings we know will follow. In acts of courage, we saw the beginning of new life over these past many months. In acts of generosity and selflessness, we saw examples of what it means to care for others who have so little—sometimes by people who have little themselves. Since March, I have received numerous messages from donors and prayer partners, reassuring me that they are OK but more concerned for our Fathers and Brothers in mission and expressing gratitude for their service. “How are they faring?” “Has the pandemic impacted their work?” I am so grateful for these messages. One in particular really touched me: A woman said that she was able to give thanks for someone she lost this year and now misses—more thanks for a life well lived than the actual missing itself. When we begin and end the day with gratitude, our blessings—however long or brief—become the focus of our lives.Matthew’s gospel reminds us that a blessing shared with someone in need is the same as honoring Jesus himself. I hope you will be able to share your blessings in some way with others this Thanksgiving. Volunteering your time may be complicated this year. But donations to a food pantry are always welcome. And so are the easiest thing to give away: a kind word or two.Friend, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving in the presence of the Lord, surrounded by family and friends. Share your blessings—and be blessed as well.

“But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief. For all of you are children of the light and children of the day.”1 Thessalonians 5:5Paul reassures us, over and again. We are children of the light, children of the day, walking with confidence and humility in the footsteps of Our Lord.The light Paul is talking about is the knowledge that we live each day in anticipation of eternal life with God our Father. Each time we embrace the Gospel message of self-giving and compassion, the light becomes brighter—and the desire to share the joy of our faith becomes stronger. That is the spirit of mission: always doing more to witness God’s love, always making the candle of salvation burn brighter for someone else to follow.As children of the light, we know we can still stumble at times. Our best intentions don’t always have the intended outcomes. When I need comfort, I often turn to the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary because they reveal who Jesus is and our path to salvation. Jesus understands that his public ministry is a mission of light, and that’s our calling, too. • The Baptism of Jesus calls us to be open to the work of the Holy Spirit.• The Wedding at Cana confirms that Mary is our intercessor before her Son.• Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom of God is a reminder that our journey on earth is intended to create a world illuminated by compassion and justice.• The Transfiguration announces Christ’s victory over death, light over darkness in an ultimate way that foretells our own salvation.• The Eucharist shows us the permanence of Christ’s love and prepares us, body and soul, to share his goodness with the world.Friend, don’t worry so much about the darkness. Just light one candle every day… and pray the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary with me. God has called you to light up the world. Be comforted knowing that you have the ability to share that light in ways that only you can.

“Stay awake and be ready! For you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”(Matthew 24:42)“When you least expect it…” Isn’t that what we’re often told? Just relax. When you least expect it, some great fortune will come your way. I look at this everyday wisdom a little differently: Blessings are gifts from God. But they don’t come when God is ready. They come when we’re ready to being transformed in God’s grace. You see, the divine is always present. It’s just that sometimes we have a problem seeing God, especially when that unexpected thing is unsettling—and not what we want at all.Many years ago at 23 years of age I was just starting out my missionary life in Peru. I was thrilled to be among the people. But I was also learning what it meant to accept a grace when disguised by tragedy. One day I was alone at the rectory when the doorbell rang. A young couple had arrived, carrying their infant baby. They pleaded with me to baptize the infant but I couldn’t. The baby had already died. I felt completely helpless and could only comfort them in their grief. I didn’t have the answers they wanted, but I overcame my fear and inadequacy by remaining as present to them as I could. As a result of that encounter, the couple and I formed a long-lasting friendship. I accompanied them for years in prayer and counseling. They considered me to be a member of their family. The grace we gave each other helped us grow into more compassionate people: me as a missioner and them as a couple. Through our friendship and trust in God we deepened each other’s faith.Friend, don’t be taken aback by Matthew’s scripture today. Be comforted instead knowing that when we realize God is always present—already here among us—we can grow in grace, and enrich each other’s lives no matter the circumstance. So are you ready? Today is a good day to say, “Yes, here I am, Lord—and I know you are here, too.”

This book, written prior to the pandemic, reflects on the role of “earthquakes”—literal and metaphorical: times like the present when history trembles beneath our feet. Such times may overturn empires, structures of power, and the stability of our personal lives. Yet, as Rabbi Waskow writes in a special preface, “this specific ‘earthquake’ among all the earthquakes in our lives . . . is ever-present, even if invisible and inaudible.”

If you think of yourself as one of “God’s children” as John tells it, then you can give yourself an important title, too, worthy of your devotion to the Gospel. That title is saint. Today on the feast of All Saints, we celebrate the union of lives well lived in the presence of Our Lord. We honor the giants from history who inspire us—I think of Elizabeth Ann Seton and Archbishop Oscar Romero as just two great saints of recent times. But I also remember the unsung saints who live among us in our families, our parishes, and beyond. Their lives are examples, too, of holiness and dedication to witnessing God’s saving grace. If you need a role model, there are many.What’s important to remember is that sainthood on earth is how we prepare ourselves for sainthood for all time. As with most things, the transformation we long for is in God’s hands. We can’t know exactly how we will be welcomed home by the saints of heaven. But we know that for God the last word is always life, not death. To quote a saint of some renown: “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard,and what has not entered the human heart,what God has prepared for those who love him,this God has revealed to us through the Spirit.”- 1 Corinthians 2:9 As you celebrate sainthood today—including yours—remember that life is renewed in the here and now. Each act of charity, every gesture of healing and compassion brings us closer to one another and the eternal life we so desire.Friend, I will pray for you today in thanksgiving for your sainthood. And I will remember your beloved deceased tomorrow on the feast of All Souls. I don’t have every detail, but I know that one day you will be reunited with them for all time and your faith will be richly rewarded.

Jesus has a way of making it simple for us. In today’s Gospel, he provides the only two instructions we will ever need to enter the kingdom of heaven: love God completely; and love one another as much as you love yourself. Easy enough to say. But not always easy to do, especially when we’re confronted with anything but love. Is Jesus asking too much of us? I don’t think so. As faithful Catholics, we know our role is to witness God’s love and saving grace. That is our calling as missioners who have received the promise of salvation in Christ. To reach our reward, Jesus is asking us to literally practice our faith. The more we pray… the more we read scripture… the more we celebrate the sacraments—the closer we come to knowing and loving God. Then, when we have the strength of God’s love in our hearts, witnessing that love becomes second nature even when we are being challenged.Today, Jesus is asking us to be our best in the world of faith—to love God with all our heart—and to do our best in the world of human relationships—by treating others the way we wish to be treated. Fulfilling the second part of Jesus’ instruction—often called the Golden Rule—defines us as disciples who practice what we preach. It means bringing the world of faith into the temporal world: being good neighbors, good colleagues, and good citizens, too. Apropos of Election Day coming up, be conscious of the role you will play in “rendering onto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.” Vote your personal good, but remember the common good that benefits us all. Friend, every saint, past and present, has shown us how to live the two Great Commandments: by worshipping God above all; and by being generous and compassionate disciples of the Lord in word and deed. So I invite you to witness God’s love and be at peace knowing that salvation is yours. That’s as simple as it gets.

“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all you lands. Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.”(Psalm 96:1-3)You can take center stage today. This is your moment to “sing a new song” by sharing God’s love with the world.World Mission Sunday is an affirmation that we are chosen not necessarily to do great things—although I’m sure you have—but to join God in doing what is already at work. Pope Francis calls this action of the spirit “the universal sacrament of God’s love for the world.” When we witness our faith, he says, God continues to manifest infinite love in ways that “transform hearts, minds, bodies, societies, and cultures in every place and time.” This is what we celebrate today on World Mission Sunday.Our celebration is tempered this year for all the reasons we know—but it’s also an invitation to renewal. Like the apostles caught in a storm and fearful for their lives, we realized that we can only deal with adversity when we care for one another. When we all pull together. In his address today, Our Holy Father Pope Francis acknowledges the immense suffering of people all over the world from the global pandemic. But in recognizing our human frailty, Francis says we are reminded of “our deep desire for life and liberation from evil.” In this context, the Pope says our call to mission is “an invitation to step out of ourselves for love of God and neighbor.” It’s an opportunity for sharing, service, and prayer. The mission that God is calling us to always leads away from fear to a new understanding of mercy and compassion. By giving ourselves over to others, we experience God’s merciful love. Yes, in mission we are “called, sent, and transformed.”Friend, when the prophet Isaiah heard the voice of God, he said, “Here I am Lord. Send me.” (Isaiah 6:8). He had complete faith that God would show the way. On World Mission Sunday, I invite you to trust in God, too, for you have all the tools and resources you need to...