The Hidden Moment That Changed the World

The Homily centers on the Annunciation (Luke 1:26–38) as the hidden . . .

. . . yet decisive turning point of human history.

Though proclaimed quietly to a single listener . . . Mary . . . it is an announcement of universal significance: the Word takes flesh. The Homily emphasizes how God’s greatest act enters the world not through spectacle, but through humility, attentiveness, and consent.

An Event Hidden from the World Yet Thunderous with Eternity

Mary is portrayed as the one who is already listening when heaven speaks. Gabriel’s greeting . . . “Hail, full of grace” . . . reveals her true identity, known fully only by God. Troubled but attentive, Mary questions not from doubt but from reverent understanding. When she says, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord,” her obedience allows the ineffable, eternal Word to become incarnate within her.

The Homily also highlights the paradox of the Annunciation: an event hidden from the world yet thunderous with eternity, a public salvation accomplished in private obedience.

Mary becomes the living “book” in whom the unspeakable Word is written. The Church, contemplating this mystery especially in Advent as it prepares for Christmas, and asks for the grace to imitate her humility, attentiveness, and surrender to God’s will.

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The Hidden Moment That Changed the World

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A Quote from the Homily

As the angel completes his message to her, Our Lady says to the angel, behold. Note how remarkable this is!!!

Now this is Our Lady speaking to heaven . . . She says, behold and now Our Lady speaks her own truth, her understanding of the truth that heaven has given her.

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Art Work

The Annunciation.: Netherland Painter: Robert Campin: 1422

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Why was this image selected:

This work places the Annunciation within the texture of daily life, emphasizing the “fullness of time” arriving quietly in a domestic setting. It visually expresses the theological claim that God enters history not through power, but through grace-filled obedience.

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Gospel Reading: Luke 1: 26-38

First Reading: Isaiah 7: 10-14

Emmanuel: God With Us: Let the King of Glory Enter

Today’s Homily centers on the Advent call to welcome the King of Glory . . .

. . . Emmanuel, God with us . . . through obedience and trust, rather than self-reliance. Drawing from Matthew’s Gospel and the Psalm proclamation, the homily presents three figures as models of response to God’s invitation.

King Ahaz represents the human tendency to solve problems independently, refusing God’s offer of guidance and ultimately falling into bondage. Saint Paul embodies humble submission, identifying himself as a servant whose mission flows entirely from God’s grace. Saint Joseph stands as the ultimate model of obedient faith, listening to God’s word and allowing divine will to direct his life.

The Homily culminates in the affirmation that Emmanuel is not distant: Christ remains present among the faithful, especially in the poor, the suffering, and the gathered community. As Advent concludes, believers are invited to examine their attitude . . . self-sufficiency or obedient trust . . . and to welcome God who desires to dwell in their midst.

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Emmanuel: God With Us: Let the King of Glory Enter

The Adoration of the Shepherds: Italian Painter: Giorgione: 1510

Why was this image selected:

The intimate presence of God among ordinary people reflects Emmanuel’s nearness. The painting’s quiet reverence aligns with the homily’s emphasis on God dwelling with us in daily life.

Our Lady’s Promise: I Remain With You

This Homily weaves together . . .

. . . the Visitation (Luke 1:39–45), the mystery of Advent, and the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe, revealing a single, unifying truth: the Lord is always on the way to His people.

God does not arrive once and withdraw; He continually comes, drawing near in mercy, joy, and life. This dynamic is first revealed when Mary, bearing Christ within her, hastens to Elizabeth. Though unseen, Christ Himself arrives, and His presence awakens joy, life, and praise. The leap of John the Baptist becomes the first fruit of salvation’s nearness.

He Continually Comes

That same pattern unfolds across history, most vividly at Tepeyac in 1531, where Our Lady visits a wounded people and a struggling Church. Through Juan Diego, Mary brings Christ’s joy into barrenness, transforming despair into life. The miracles . . . healing, roses blooming from stone, and the enduring image on the tilma . . . unfold in sequence, culminating in a sign that abides, just as Mary remained with Elizabeth and Christ remains with His Church.

Throughout, Mary is revealed as the one through whom Christ comes, not only once, but always . . . into hearts, cultures, and history itself. Where He arrives, life stirs, joy breaks forth, and meaning is restored.

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Our Lady’s Promise: I Remain With You

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A Quote from the Homily

Imagine a greeting so powerful that its words don’t matter. . . The voice of the woman with the joy of salvation growing in her womb speaks in such a tonality that that joy penetrates the life of another.

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Art Work

The Virgin of Mercy or Madonna della Misericordia.: Italian Painter: Piero della Francesca: 1462

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Why was this image selected:

Mary stands sheltering the faithful beneath her mantle, a powerful visual expression of abiding presence. Like the tilma that endures and Mary’s three-month stay with Elizabeth, the painting reflects the promise: I am not going anywhere.

The Sign Humanity Could Not Ask For

Today’s Homily unpacks the Gospel’s declaration . . .

. . . that Christ’s birth fulfills ancient prophecy, urging believers to move beyond a narrow, sentimental view of the Nativity into its vast theological depth.

Isaiah’s prophecy to King Ahaz reveals humanity’s reluctance to hope when confronted with God’s generosity: though invited to ask for a sign, the faithless king refuses. God responds by giving the sign anyway . . . one beyond human imagination . . . the Virgin conceiving Emmanuel, “God with us.”

This Promise Fulfilled

St. Matthew presents this promise fulfilled not in royal splendor, but in the humble home of Joseph, a carpenter of David’s line. Faced with shattered expectations and personal disappointment, Joseph chooses mercy over judgment, becoming a living sign of God’s way. By welcoming Mary and the child, Joseph receives the divine sign that kings once rejected and becomes the first guardian of salvation’s mystery.

The meditation concludes by placing us within the drama of Advent: God still asks the same question . . . What do you hope for? The challenge is not merely to believe, but to hope boldly, trusting that God is present and invites us to ask for great things.

What does that really mean and what is God really asking? What do you hope for?

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The Sign Humanity Could Not Ask For

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Art Work

The Holy Family: Spanish Painter: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo: 1661

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Gospel Reading: Matthew 1: 18-25

First Reading: Jeremiah 23: 5-8

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Why was this image selected: Murillo’s intimate depiction of the Holy Family emphasizes domestic humility rather than grandeur. It visually reflects the Homily’s insight that the throne of David has become a carpenter’s house . . . and that this humble dwelling is where God chooses to be “with us.”

Preparing for the Coming Messiah in Advent: The Fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets

Today’s Gospel reveals that Elijah has already come in the person of John the Baptist, . . .

. . . though he was not recognized and was rejected, just as Jesus Himself will be.

John fulfills Elijah’s mission: preparing hearts for the coming of the Messiah through repentance and reconciliation. Advent, therefore, is not merely waiting, but an active turning of hearts . . . first toward God and then toward one another, especially within families where division and hurt often arise.

Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s plan revealed through the Law and the Prophets. Like St. Lucy, believers are called to make a decisive choice for God, rejecting spiritual complacency and committing fully to Christ as they prepare for His coming.

Listen to Elijah’s mission. Listen to

Preparing for the Coming Messiah in Advent: The Fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets

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Art Work

Transfiguration: Danish Painter: Carl Bloch:  1872

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Why was this image selected:

This masterpiece unites Moses and Elijah with Christ, visually proclaiming Jesus as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. It directly mirrors the Gospel context, which follows the Transfiguration and explains Elijah’s true role.

When the Storm Comes: The Revealing of the Heart

Today’s Advent readings warn against proud self-sufficiency and complacency . . .

. . . believing life is secure without ongoing conversion. The Prophet’s image of a proud city brought low echoes Jesus’ teaching that merely calling on the Lord isn’t enough; discipleship requires acting on Christ’s words.

Life’s Storms Reveal the True Foundation of Our Hearts

Jesus’ parable of houses built on rock versus sand shows that life’s storms reveal the true foundation of our hearts: hearing alone is insufficient . . . obedience matters. True spiritual stability comes from living God’s will, not self-reliance or superficial faith.

The life of St. John of Damascus illustrates this: in the greatest trial . . . false accusations, loss of reputation, and even loss of his hand . . . he remained faithful and his faith was vindicated. Ultimately, true discipleship, like Mary’s, means surrender to God’s will, building a life on the solid rock of obedience to Christ’s word.

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When the Storm Comes: The Revealing of the Heart

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Art Work

The Storm on the Sea of Galilee: Dutch Painter: Rembrandt: 1633

Uniquely, this painting was in a Boston Museum for almost 100 years, until 1990. It was stolen that year and remains missing.

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Gospel Reading: Matthew 7: 21, 24-27

First Reading: Isaiah 26: 1-6

Let it be Done For You According to Your Faith: Seeing Through the Light of Christ

Today’s Homily draws on the day’s readings . . . Isaiah’s prophecy, . . .

. . . the psalm “The Lord is my light and my salvation,” and Matthew’s account of Jesus healing two blind men . . . to explore the deep spiritual meaning of sight, hearing, and faith.

Physical blindness and deafness point to humanity’s deeper moral and spiritual inability to see and hear God. Isaiah shows that the coming of the Lord heals not only physical affliction, but the blindness and deafness of a world clouded by injustice, darkness, and moral confusion.

In the Gospel, the two blind men follow Jesus not by sight but by attentive listening. Jesus does not stop for them immediately; instead, they must follow Him into “the house,” symbolizing both the Church on earth and the Father’s house in heaven. Only there does Jesus question their faith and open their eyes. Why that way? Hear more within the Homily.

The Homily emphasizes that discipleship begins not with seeing but with hearing, and that true healing requires not only need, but faith in Christ’s goodness and power. Ultimately, in the Church . . . where Christ is present . . . we behold His face and receive the light that dispels our spiritual darkness.

Listen to:

Let it be Done For You According to Your Faith: Seeing Through the Light of Christ

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Art Work

The Healing of the Blind Man: French Painter: Nicolas Poussin: 1650

Another piece of art from this painter may be found on this website here and here.

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Why was this art work selected: The painting depicts Christ giving sight to the blind . . . a perfect visual parallel to the Gospel and the title’s focus on faith-enabled vision.

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Gospel Reading: Matthew 9: 27-31

First Reading: Isaiah 29: 17-24

Show Us Your Face, O Lord

Today’s Gospel and Homily reflect on Christ’s compassion and mission during Advent.

Jesus travels through villages teaching, proclaiming the Kingdom, and healing every disease. Seeing the crowds “like sheep without a shepherd,” He sends His disciples to proclaim the nearness of God’s Kingdom and to heal freely, just as they have freely received.

Lord, Show Us Your Face

The Homily then explores Advent’s longing: “Lord, show us your face and we shall be saved.” This desire runs through Scripture and finds its fulfillment in the nativity, when God literally shows His face in Christ.

Isaiah’s prophecies reveal the coming Savior as both shoot from the stump of Jesse and root of Jesse . . . the One who appears in time yet is the eternal source of all life. Only such a divine Savior can heal humanity’s deepest wound: separation from God.

Christ’s ministry continues this revelation . . . He shows God’s face through mercy, healing, and compassion. The disciples, having been generously formed and blessed, are sent to extend that same generosity to the world.

Advent, therefore, is not passive waiting but active mission: receiving Christ, becoming Christlike, and bringing His healing and hope to those who are lost.

Listen to:

Show Us Your Face, O Lord

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Art Work

Adoration of the Shepherds: Dutch Painter: Gerard van Honthorst: 1622

Notice the use of light in the painting. He was known as a painter that utilized light in his paintings. Another piece of art from this painter may be found on the QoAH website .

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Why was this art work selected: The newborn Christ’s face radiates light, echoing the longing to “see His face” and be saved.

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Gospel Reading: Matthew 9: 35–10: 1, 5-8

First Reading: Isaiah 30: 19-21, 23-26

Into the Inner Desert: Rediscovering Our Relationship with God During Advent

Today’s Gospel reading centers on John the Baptist’s call to repent and be fruitful.

John preaches in the desert . . . a place free of distractions . . . where people must face the fundamental question: What is my relationship with God? Advent invites all Christians into this same interior desert, prompting honest self-examination and the courage to change.

True repentance requires more than words or ritual; it demands inward transformation and the willingness to leave comfort zones. John challenges the Pharisees and Sadducees by insisting that repentance must bear fruit . . . justice, peace, patience, forgiveness, and compassion. Merely acknowledging sins is not enough; one must produce spiritual fruit that reflects a renewed relationship with God.

The Homily also encourages believers during Advent to make a sincere confession, focus on personal conversion rather than others’ faults, and open their hearts to God so they may live more lovingly and be prepared for Christ who is already in their midst.

The Kingdom of God is at Hand …

What does that really mean?

Listen to this Meditation Media.

Listen to …

Into the Inner Desert: Rediscovering Our Relationship with God During Advent

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Art Work

Christ (Fasting) in the Dessert: Russian Painter: Ivan Kramskoi: 1872

The painting is sometimes called, Christ in the Wilderness.

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Gospel Reading: Matthew 3: 1-12

First Reading: Isaiah 11: 1-10

Second Reading: Romans 15: 4-9

Reading the Signs of the Kingdom

Today's Gospel passage uses the fig tree’s budding branches . . .

. . . as a sign that summer is near, just as unfolding events reveal the nearness of God’s Kingdom. The reflection connects this to Daniel chapter 7, where turbulent waters . . . symbols of chaotic evil . . . give rise to four beasts representing earthly kingdoms that rise and fall.

In contrast, the “Ancient One” and the “Son of Man” receive everlasting dominion. The Homily challenges us to recognize which kingdom they give their loyalty to: the passing kingdoms of wealth, honor, or worldly power, or the eternal Kingdom of Christ.

Just as we discern signs in nature, we are called to discern the signs of the times, especially as Advent begins, focusing our lives on the coming reign of Christ. Mary is invoked to help us read these signs and remain faithful to the eternal Kingdom.

Hear more within this Meditation.

Reading the Signs of the Kingdom

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Art Work

The Angelus or The Praying Farmers: French Painter: Jean-François Millet: c. 1857

The painting depicts two farmers bowing in a field over a basket of potatoes to say a prayer, the Angelus.

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Why was this art work selected: A quiet moment of prayer in the fields suggests attentiveness to divine signs in daily life.

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Gospel Reading: Luke 21: 29-33

First Reading: Daniel 7: 2-14