The readings for this homily: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122325.cfm Christmas does not begin when the stores say it does. It begins with prayer. As Fr. Chris Alar, MIC explains, the Church enters Christmas at Vespers on Christmas Eve, because the mystery we celebrate is not sentimentality but the Incarnation itself — God entering history to heal what humanity could never repair on its own.

Happy Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes! We continue our virtual Marian pilgrimage through France with Fr. Joseph Roesch, MIC. Father Joseph shares how Mary always leads us to Jesus whenever she has an apparition.

Father Joe discusses the wonderful prayer given to the Fatima children by an angel in preparation for Our Lady's apparitions. We need to know God and believe in Him, so that we can adore Him and love Him. That's the whole purpose of our lives.