The many and varied reactions — both positive and negative — to the death of Fidel Castro rekindle memories of a trip I made to Cuba in 2000 with the Illinois Council of Churches, so it was legal then.

We give thanks to You, O God Almighty, for Your wondrous creation:

The gospel reading for the first Sunday of Advent in any of the three Cycles of Readings is always taken from the last discourse of Jesus in Matthew, or Mark, or Luke. The readings for the current liturgical year, YEAR A, are taken from the final sermon of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.