Mary's words at the wedding feast at Cana - "Do whatever he tells you" - offers two examples of prompt obedience and Christian discipleship. May Mary's words encourage us to show our trust in Jesus by promptly obeying him in all things, filling our "jars to the brim" in whatever he may ask of us.

On this first Sunday of Ordinary Time, we recall the Baptism of the Lord. But, in addition to remembering this historical event, we also are asked to call to mind our own baptism. Why? Because our baptism isn't just an event from the past, but a present reality that impacts every aspect of our lives.

On this day we encounter the Magi coming from the East to worship the baby Jesus. What were the Magi? And why did they travel so far to find the Child King? What did these "foreigners" see that eluded the leaders and people of Israel?

It's tempting to think that the Blessed Virgin was somehow different from the rest of us—that she knew exactly what would happen in her life and never had to work through difficult periods. Yet, she did. And in her, we see how certain trials in our lives fit perfectly within the bigger picture of God's work - and the graces that we obtained through them.

Many Catholics are familiar with the story of "the Visitation," when Mary and Elizabeth met. But many don't know why the scene of two expectant mothers greeting each other is so important. Apart from affirming Mary's miraculous pregnancy, the scene also shows Mary's service and humility as she travelled a long distance to assist her older relative Elizabeth. We should ask if we're willing to go the extra mile – or several – to serve others.

The Third Sunday of Advent is traditionally called Gaudete, or Rejoice, Sunday—and all of the readings for this week invite us to do just that. This first reading from the prophet Zephaniah opens with a threefold call to joy, "Shout for joy… sing joyfully…. Be glad and exult with all your heart" (Zephaniah 3:14). Israel rejoiced in the presence of her saving God, but this joy can only be made complete in the coming of the Messiah.

Any experienced driver knows that a road that zig-zags takes longer than a straight path to get to a destination. The same is true spiritually, as we see in today's reading. But the question is: why were the roads to God crooked in the first place?

If the first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of a new liturgical year, why does the Gospel focus on endings as it talks about the sun and moon darkening and the stars falling from the sky? We're supposed to be preparing to celebrate Jesus' birth as the Messiah, not hear about the end of the world. What's going on here?

This Sunday brings the liturgical year of the Church to its culmination. At the close of the year, the Church draws our attention to Jesus's Kingship and the coming of his Kingdom through this Sunday's readings.

In our readings for this Sunday, the Church invites us to relfect on this call to approach each day as our last, to strive continually to hold absolutely nothing back from the Lord because we assume we'll have another chance tomorrow. We only have the present moment to give ourselves completely to God, because he has only given us each moment.