While some are rushing into Christmas as a joyful escape from a stressful year, there are still a few Catholics filling social media with Advent
Is Advent a penitential season? Yes, it is. No, it isn’t. Well, maybe it ought to be again. The answer you get depends, I suspect,
During this time of year, with all the holidays keeping me busy, I decided to stop and think about what being Catholic actually means. If
Once again, Advent has rushed to meet me much too soon. For months now we’ve all been saying you just can’t plan ahead for anything
The end of the year is coming quickly, and with it, the season of Advent. Advent begins on Sunday, November 29, just one week from
When I was a child, I thought everyone spent Christmas Eve around a long, dimly lit table with plates of pierogis and white wine. Despite
We can always benefit from exchanging bad habits for good habits, no matter when we begin. And any time in Advent is a great time to do
As we approach the octave before Christmas, there is a beautiful longstanding tradition in the Church of praying the “O Antiphons.” These short prayers help
My wife always frets during this time of year. The fretting begins about three weeks before Thanksgiving and doesn’t end until some time after Christmas.
Each year, as the Christmas season approaches, I find myself caught up in sweet surrender to the mystery of the incarnation. I am overwhelmed with
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as
The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test Jesus they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, “When it is
It is easy to be cheerful at Christmas. Even as Advent brought us ever closer to Christmas Day, we found ourselves giving money to the
Do the lyrics of the seasonal ditty “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” illustrate a date rape in progress? That’s the objection which led to Cleveland radio
Advent and Christmas offer a needed break from the noise of the current clerical abuse crisis, Church divisions, and secular obsessions with politics. It’s a
When I was a college student with budget issues, I was always looking for a more reasonable lease. Often I would sign a nine-month contract and
I do not usually associate Advent and suffering. I typically think of Advent as a time of joy, a celebration of Jesus coming to us
More than just preparing for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas, the Church reminds us that during Advent we are also to prepare for Christ’s
Looking for a good history book on an obscure topic in Church History? I can’t think of a better book to suit that bill than
Off the Shelf 102 – Father William P. Saunders We are in full Advent prep mode and I have a great book to share with
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the
For those with a special devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle provides the perfect opportunity to journey through the season with Our
