In this brand new talk on Mary, Fr. Chris Alar explains how she is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Foretold by the prophets, how do we show that Mary is the answer to the Biblical Promise of the Jews to the Christian reality of being the mother of Jesus, the Messiah. Watch this easy-to-understand presentation that shows many things you didn't know to understand who Mary was and her role in salvation history.

The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121825.cfm

Fr. Mark reminds us that Advent is not Christmas—it is a penitential season meant to awaken our souls, sharpen our spiritual vision, and prepare us to stand before the Lord. Across the 24 Churches that make up the Catholic Church, Advent (or its equivalent) is lived with deep seriousness: 40-day fasts, vegan disciplines, weeks of total abstinence, and long seasons of preparation. Their witness challenges us in the Roman Rite to rediscover what this season truly is: a call to repentance, renewal, and readiness.