That sense of joyful preparation combined with anticipation is the attitude we bring to Advent as we await the arrival of Christ the Lord.

The faithful will have an opportunity the weekend of Dec. 7-8 to support the more than 20,000 elderly religious sisters, brothers and religious order priests who have devoted their lives to service in the Catholic Church through an annual collection benefiting retired religious across the United States.

Established in 1997 as a private association of the faithful, the Dead Theologians Society (the name of which is a spin on the 1989 film “Dead Poets Society,” in which a teacher galvanizes his students through poetry) is open to teens in grades 9-12, as well as young adults age 18-24, with the two age groups meeting separately under adult leadership.

Mary’s Meals serves meals to 2,429,182 children every school day across 17 countries.

This fifth-generation parishioner and curator of the soil assembles the teachings of the church into a more sustainable, God-oriented way of farming.