(RNS) But the language of 'F*** This S***: An Advent Devotional' isn’t all that different from the harsh words of the prophets, according to the Lutheran pastors behind it. (RNS) For many Christians ...

For many people who observe Christian traditions, Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical year and serves as a period of anticipation and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus ...

During Advent, in the Scripture readings used at Mass, Catholics hear a lot from the Prophet Isaiah. He speaks of hope. Deserts will bloom; refugees will return to Jerusalem; peace and justice will ...

“How do we really enter into a season like Advent when the world around us is already celebrating Christmas?” This is the question host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., sets before his guests, Scripture ...

Every year, the Church reserves the Second and Third Sundays of Advent to introduce us to the person and preaching of St. John the Baptist. The Second Sunday usually presents his figure, while the ...

Whenever I attend Catholic mass during Advent, as I did last weekend, I’m always struck by how it is simply assumed—how it’s a liturgical . . . no, an ontological given—that Christmas is nowhere yet ...

“The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah” (Jer 33:14). I wonder if there is anyone in the world who has not been affected by the ...

"To you, O Lord, I lift my soul." On this First Sunday of Advent, Catholics throughout the world are invited to sing this same psalm refrain. Do we mean it? As we prepare to celebrate the Incarnation, ...

Sitting in the dark helps us truly appreciate the light. As a child growing up in the Reformed Episcopal Church, the first day of Advent was lovely yet a little strange. At the evening church service, ...

The readings for the beginning and end of the Church year refer to the one article in the Creed still in the future tense: “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.” Today’s ...

With the current war in Israel resulting in the cancellation of many planned tours and pilgrimages to the Holy Land, the Magdala Tourist Center in the biblical town of Magdala is offering a "virtual ...