In our meditation of the week for the First Week of Advent, Msgr. Fred Dolan invites us to use this season as a time of true preparation, not just for Christmas but for our eventual encounter with Jesus Christ.

Advent is a call to conversion, urging us to go beyond small, surface-level changes and instead embrace the profound transformation that the Holy Spirit desires to work within us, reshaping us entirely to reflect Christ.

With the help of Our Lady, we can grow in a contemplative spirit, learning to freely and lovingly seek God in all things and to see our lives through his eyes.


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In our meditation of the week: Msgr. Fred Dolan invites us to reflect on the Solemnity of Christ the King as a call to embrace our shared kingship with Christ. Drawing inspiration from St. Josemaria, Fr. Fred encourages us to rise above a limited "small-town outlook" and instead adopt a universal heart open to all. Furthermore, he emphasizes the importance of self-dominion, spiritual renewal, and preparing ourselves to enter the new liturgical year with a sense of purpose and readiness to grow in Christ’s image.

As we approach Advent, we’re reminded that true kingship, modeled by Christ, is rooted in self-mastery and service. Through prayer, reflection, and a willingness to let go of rigid habits, we can embody this royal calling and approach each liturgical season with a fresh spirit and openness to God’s transformative grace.

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Are you seeking to draw near to Our Lord more each day?

In our meditation of the week, Fr. Eric Nicolai reflects on the inspiring figure of Zacchaeus from the Gospel of St. Luke—a tax collector with a tarnished reputation among his Jewish peers, yet driven by a sincere desire to encounter Jesus. Despite his shame, Zacchaeus took bold steps to draw near to the Lord as he passed by.

Fr. Eric highlights Zacchaeus’ promptness and initiative, which opened him to the transformative grace of conversion—a grace he received through his own generosity of heart. Fr. Eric challenges us to adopt this same initiative in our interior life, emphasizing the importance of humble self-examination and a willingness to begin again.

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Do you live each day with the urgency and desire to bring the gospel message into your work, family, and social relations?

In our meditation of the week, Fr. Peter Armenio shares a reflection on the value of living an ordinary Christian life in the middle of the world. He prompts us to reflect on the fading Catholic identity in the world today and challenges us to bear witness to the light of Christ in our everyday life.

Fr. Peter explains that: “Catholics, laity especially, have to give people an experience of Christianity, of Catholicism. The Church has to be brought to the workplace and to the family, to the party and to the sports field” because “the ordinary Christian in the middle of the world is, in fact, the true hope of the Church.”

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Is the Communion of Saints just a comforting idea, or a true and deeply consoling reality?

In our meditation of the week: as we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints (Nov. 1) and the Commemoration of All Souls (Nov. 2), Fr. Donncha Ó hAodha reflects on the importance of community in our life of faith as we pursue the goal of eternal life with Christ in Heaven.

Through the sacrament of baptism, we are welcomed in to communion with the Church and united to one another through the mystical body of Christ. We are never alone. Fr. Donncha explains: “The saints are cheering us on. They bear witness to the fact that holiness is indeed possible and that we too are called to that holiness, and that they help us by praying and interceding for us.”

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In our meditation of the week: Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on the spirituality of St. John Paul II, whose feast day is celebrated October 22nd. St. John Paul II rooted his papacy in the Eucharist and devotion to Mary, inspiring holiness in people of all backgrounds from across the globe. There are many aspects we can learn from the papacy of St. John Paul II, but most importantly he taught us: how to pray, how to love, and how to serve.

As Pope Benedict XVI wrote: “Everyone knows John Paul II: his face, his characteristic way of moving and speaking; his immersion in prayer and his spontaneous cheerfulness. Many of his words have become indelibly engraved in our memories, starting with the passionate cry with which he introduced himself to the people at the beginning of his pontificate: ‘Open wide the doors to Christ, and be not afraid of him!’ An entire pontificate is condensed in words like these. It is as though he would like to open the doors for Christ everywhere and wishes to open up to people the gate that leads to true life, to true love.”

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In our meditation of the week: Fr. Javier del Castillo shares insight into the life of St. Teresa of Avila and reflects on an important lesson we can learn from her: the necessity of prayer.

St. Teresa understood that people are not born saints but can achieve sainthood through cooperation in God’s divine plan. Her time of prayer was most frequently spent in quiet contemplation upon the suffering of Christ, which allowed her to become more aware of her own sinfulness and to rely more fully on God.

St. Teresa of Avila, whose feast day is celebrated October 15, is a Doctor of the Church known for her renewal of the spiritual and monastic life of Spain during the Counter-Reformation. Her written works are highly regarded among mystical literature in the Catholic Church and continue to inspire readers today.

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In our meditation of the week: as we celebrate the month of the Holy Rosary, Fr. Leo Austin shares a reflection on deepening our devotion to Our Lady through the Rosary, in which we discover our role in God’s plan of salvation. Reflecting on the Annunciation, Fr. Leo reminds us that Mary’s fiat, her openness to the will of God, is a pivotal moment for humankind. As she freely accepts the will of God, Mary embraces her role as our spiritual mother and demonstrates for us the power in redeeming the ordinary moments of everyday life.

St. Josemaria wrote: “Develop a lively devotion for Our Mother. She knows how to respond in a most sensitive way to the present we give her. What is more, if you say the Holy Rosary every day, with a spirit of faith and love, Our Lady will make sure she leads you very far along her Son’s path” (Furrow, no. 691).

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In our meditation of the week: Fr. Peter Armenio reflects on how St. Josemaria Escriva was inspired by the light of God with the mission to bring Christ into the heart of the entire world in a way that he had never been before, especially into a world gripped by a culture of death and in need of healing through God’s mercy.

St. Josemaria wrote: “God is the same as always. It is men of faith that are needed: and then, there will be a renewal of the wonders we read of in the Gospel” (The Way, no. 586). Therefore, as Fr. Peter explains, St. Josemaria understood that all of God’s children are needed and called to participate in this beautiful mission! And our mission is to replicate both the joy and the affection of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, which can be cultivated through a well-formed interior life of prayer. It is our prayer life that exudes the joy and light of Christ in the world.

“[God] wants you to become a living force for all mankind, lights shining in the world” (St. Gregory Nazianzen; Oration, no. 39). We are called to be light, but this is no ordinary light; it is a light in which we are bathed in the glory of God. Our Blessed Mother, Mary, helps us to enter into the light, the light of her son, which is nothing more and nothing less than the mercy of God.

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In our meditation of the week: Fr. Leo Austin reflects on how Our Lady opens our hearts to giving ourselves as a ransom for many, as we say in the Mass when we receive the Eucharist. To be a ransom for many, as she teaches us, means desiring to make ourselves humble instruments of God.

Drawing on the scene of the ten lepers in St. Luke's Gospel, Fr. Leo reminds us that when we are confronted with the healing power of God's grace, whether we feel worthy or not, all of us have the possibility of giving ourselves to make an encounter between people and God possible. Our Lord takes everything we offer him and exchanges our life and our pain for the needs and sufferings of others. And only in Heaven we will see the results of our actions and prayers.

Through entrusting our prayer, our sacrifices, and the desires of our heart to Our Lady, we can be sure of them having a positive impact on those around us and create a beautiful crown of the Church adorned with our prayers and sacrifices. 

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