(RNS) — The Scripture readings during Advent are a mix of comfort and challenge. On the one hand, the readings from Deutero-Isaiah (Isaiah 40-56) offer us comfort. The author was speaking to Jewish ...

“How do we really enter into a season like Advent when the world around us is already celebrating Christmas?” This is the question host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., sets before his guests, Scripture ...

For many people who observe Christian traditions, Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical year and serves as a period of anticipation and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus ...

Most of us have an intuitive understanding of Advent, based on experience, but what do the Church’s official documents actually say about Advent? Here are some of the basic questions and (official!) ...

Today is the Second Sunday of Advent. What’s the line that sticks with you? Is it “Prepare ye the way of the Lord!” or “Every valley shall be exalted”? That might be the test of whether you are more a ...

Advent is my favorite season of the liturgical year: amid shadows and waiting, we are promised that joy is coming to the world. But this year, I've had difficulty getting into the Advent spirit. It's ...

For many in North Jersey, the Christmas season will start in earnest soon. Advent, the month-long buildup to the holiday, arrives for most Christians on Sunday, Nov. 30 (though Eastern Orthodox ...