Learning to be Quick to Listen

The Epistle to the Hebrews is a powerful spiritual anchor, beautifully revealing Jesus Christ as our supreme and sympathetic High Priest who bridges heaven and earth. For us today, this sacred text invites us to step away from modern exhaustion and boldly approach the "throne of grace" in prayer whenever anxiety or daily trials arise, trusting that Christ understands our human weaknesses intimately. To live this out each day, we can embrace the practical call of Hebrews by holding fast to our hope amid cultural cynicism, actively encouraging those around us, and fixing our eyes on Jesus as we run our daily race with perseverance. By offering our routine labors and crosses to the Lord, we allow this timeless letter to transform our everyday lives into a steady, grace-filled pilgrimage toward eternal peace.

Pope Francis announced after his Sunday Angelus that he would hold a Consistory for the creation of new Cardinals on 8 December 2024, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception , in the Vatican. The Consistory, set to take place with representatives from all over the world, will fall before the opening of the 2025 Jubilee of Hope and after the conclusion of the Second Session of the Synod on Synodality in the Vatican. Pope Francis' most recent consistory to create new Cardinals had taken place ahead of the First Session of the Synod on Synodality on September 30, 2023.The Holy Father pointed out that the Cardinal-elects hail from around the world. "Their origins," he said, "expresses the universality of the Church, which continues to proclaim God's merciful love to all people on earth. Their inclusion in the Diocese of Rome also manifests the inseparable bond between the See of Peter and the particular Churches spread throughout the world." Moreover, he asked t...