Today, we begin the sacred season of Advent, a four-week period that leads to Christmas festivities. This season has a two-fold character: during the first two weeks, we direct our minds and hearts toward the second coming of Christ (also known as the Parousia) or the end of time, which we do not know the day or hour of. The last two weeks focus on Christ's first coming to humanity in the flesh, which we celebrate at Christmas. For this reason, Advent is a time of devotion and joyful expectation.

This year, on the feast of Christ the King, we hear in the Gospel one of the most moving stories we will ever hear. In a moment of great suffering, Jesus replied to one who had turned to Him and said, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." [Luke 23:43]. This gives us all great hope, but there's more to the story.

In the accounts of the Passion of Christ, the words convey the stark reality that Jesus suffered and died for us at the hands of evil men. But, true to the mission of transmitting the Christian faith, the evangelists were not primarily teaching what happened, rather they were teaching faith and encouragement lessons using stories about what happened [cf: CCC #425].

When I was a kid growing up in New England, I’d occasionally go on a whale watch. Once we went out with calm waters and clear skies. But on the way back in, the sea got rough. I was just a kid, and I remember thinking we should turn left or right toward the shoreline I could see. But the pilot of the boat kept going straight — right into the waves — focused on a small, discouragingly distant lighthouse. Even when it flickered in and out of sight, he stayed the course. He knew where he was going.

Esteemed brothers and sisters in Christ,

This Sunday, we celebrate the dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica, known as the Pope's church and the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, where the Bishop of Rome resides. The term "basilica" has its roots in ancient Roman history, referring to a large public building used for business, legal proceedings, and gatherings. These buildings typically featured a rectangular floor plan with a central nave, aisles on either side, and an apse (a semicircular area at one end).