Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) Jan. 18 (1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19; Psalm 40; 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20; John 1:35-42)

How many of us are called upon by God without realizing it? Divine addresses are seldom of the dramatic type portrayed in Hollywood biblical epics. They usually lack the beams of light and angelic choirs. God’s call is often innocuous enough to be overlooked or mistaken for something else. Only its persistence sets it apart.

NEW YORK - Positive values permeate the inspirational fact-based drama "Unbroken" (Universal). Despite its admirable qualities, however, the film also represents something of a missed opportunity.

VATICAN CITY - God is knocking to come into people's lives, so be attentive, humble and courageous to let him in, Pope Francis said.

A new Advent web app is keeping busy families focused on Christ this holiday season.

MISSISSAUGA, ONT. - "Our Father" still has a place at Mississauga city council.

On Dec. 17, council voted to keep the tradition of reciting the Lord's Prayer to open council meetings.

They came by the thousands. Young and old, men and women, Francophone and English, the able-bodied and the infirm, they came despite the driving, biting snow and blustery wind to a church in Montreal in mid-December to bid farewell to hockey legend Jean Beliveau.

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis decried the "inhuman terrorist acts" that killed scores of people the previous day in Australia, Pakistan and Yemen.

BEIT JALLA, West Bank - Bethlehem might have the Church of the Nativity, but residents of this largely Christian town adjacent to Bethlehem say they have St. Nicholas.

VATICAN CITY - No saint was ever known for having a "funeral face," Pope Francis said; the joy of knowing one is loved by God and saved by Christ must be seen at least in a sense of peace, if not a smile.

Celebrating the third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, Dec. 14, Pope Francis paid an evening visit to Rome's St. Joseph parish, meeting with the sick, with a group of Gypsies, with a First Communion class and with dozens of couples whose newborn babies were baptized in the past year.

VATICAN CITY - Peace does not come from wiping out enemies, it comes from destroying all hatred with prayer, dialogue and friendship, including in the Church and within the Roman Curia, said the preacher of the papal household.

The London Diocese is taking advantage of the overwhelming popularity of Pope Francis to spread a prayerful message.

OTTAWA - As Pope Francis inaugurated the Year of Consecrated Life Nov. 30, Canada’s Apostolic Nuncio exhorted Canadian religious to build a culture of vocations.

Soul of Christ: Meditations on a Timeless Prayer, Sr. Marie Paul Curley (Pauline Books & Media, 161 pages, $17.50). 

Your relationship with Christ is not just for Sunday, says Sr. Marie Paul Curley.

Part of the mandate of Catholic schools is to ensure that students develop an appreciation and understanding of the role of prayer. 

VATICAN CITY - Gathered with Pope Francis, members of the Synod of Bishops on the family issued a message of solidarity, support and prayers for all families suffering the impact of war and violence, especially in Iraq and Syria.