The Third Sunday of Advent. 
Have you faced moments in your spiritual life when the pendulum swings and you feel distant from God instead of close? John the Baptist, who heralded the arrival of Jesus, had doubts of his own. If someone like John wrestled with doubt, maybe there's something we can learn from addressing our own.

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The Second Sunday of Advent. 
Old Testament prophets like Elijah and Malachi emphasized the need to repent because God would come one day. When John the Baptist arrived on the scene, he proclaimed that God was already here! What does the message of this fiery prophet teach us about God's embrace of us and the relationship that follows?

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The First Sunday of Advent. 
Advent begins with a reading that some believe signals a rapture event where certain people will be taken up to heaven and others are left behind. This fearful vision implies that salvation is not for all and our world will end in destruction. The Bible, however, paints a very different picture.

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The Last Sunday after Pentecost: Christ the King. 
The knowledge that we'll die someday is something we all think about at some point. The Bible doesn't shy away from this topic, but it also reminds us of the paradise that awaits. From Adam and Eve to St. Paul to the thief on the cross, we're told a complicated tale of paradise that we are invited into as Christ's companions.

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The Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost. 
People throughout history have tried to predict how and when the world will end. Even some of the dire predictions Jesus made can be found in the pages of today's Wall Street Journal. While many see these as a cause for panic, Jesus offers an alternative response.

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All Saints' Day. 
Dorothy Day once remarked that she didn't want to be a saint who was put on a pedestal. Instead, she reminded everyone that each of us, flaws and all,  possess the qualities of a saint. Occasions like baptism remind us that our path asks us to continually turn toward God's light and, when we ultimately turn away, return to that same light.

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The Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost. 
Beneath all the noise around us, is there a part of you that is longing for something? As we move away from the noise, away from any limitations placed on us, we discover a God who longs for us just as we long for God. When we manage to listen for that still, small voice, we meet a God who wants us just as we are.

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The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost. 
The parable of the Pharisee and the publican serves as an important reminder of how our prayers can become toxic. Do we come to God in humility or do we think of ourselves as better than others? Maybe we're being called, like Jesus, to go down to the places where others have been cast aside.

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The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost. 
Like a persistent child, one of Jesus' parables seems to say that we should pray without ceasing until God responds, but is that really what God expects of us? How are we to understand God's justice, even when it isn't evident?

The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost.
One popular hashtag going around is #BeBetter. Some people use it to encourage while others use it to complain. God's grace, however, is a reminder that we aren't brought into a relationship with God because of what we do but simply because we are loved. It's a grace that puts even the most beloved and most despised figures on an even playing field. What would it mean to see everyone as forgiven sinners?

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