Am I Ready?
The start of Advent and the Mass readings during Advent grabbed my attention this year. They are on the virtue of “readiness.” As I age,
The start of Advent and the Mass readings during Advent grabbed my attention this year. They are on the virtue of “readiness.” As I age,
Many families have been executing traditional practices during this Advent season to create memories and help form the faith of parents and kids alike. These
This year, the Ember Days fall later in Advent than usual. They always follow the feast of St. Lucy on December 13th, and so are
During Advent last year (2022) Catholic Nuns surprised holiday shoppers in Downtown Boston on Thursday December 8. They stood outside in the cold singing Christmas
The eve of Advent may seem to be one of the least propitious junctures at which to raise the likely all-time least-favorite theological issue of
Many Catholics love the Advent season for its twofold purpose. One purpose of the season is to prepare for celebrating the anniversary of when Christ
With Christmas only a month away, I think we need to start making preparations for this special day. How do we make preparations? We could
The first Sunday of Advent this year (and of the new liturgical year) is December 3. It’s not a bad idea to start getting ready
In the season of Advent we hear a lot about the power of “yes,” in particular in the “Magnificat,” the beautiful Song of Mary. But
Two figures, a man and a woman in their 19th-century work clothes, stand in a farm field. Their heads are bent in prayer; their farm
Each year in September, at the start of Faith Formation classes, I begin the very first class by asking the students, “Why do we exist?
The recent midterm elections served notice that the pro-life movement has a long way to go. The 2022 elections focus seems to have been mainly
I don’t mean to be a curmudgeon, but oftentimes, I don’t feel like rejoicing when I enter the House of the Lord. God knows we
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
Thanksgiving is coming up quickly, with Advent and Christmas following close behind. With snow in the forecast and decorations in all the stores, it’s time
Now that November is here, time is short before the end of the year. Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas, and New Years’ will come and go in
As all Catholics should know, Advent is the beginning of our church year. It’s a time when we remember the world waiting for the coming
Light is the Father, Light the Son, Light the Holy Ghost; Wisdom the Father, Wisdom the Son, Wisdom the Holy Ghost;… And so, let the
A mental exercise that I have tried to apply over the years is to look at seemingly unrelated events to try to find parallels. The
Here we are with Advent well under way. It’s better than even odds that you’re facing some obstacles to having the holy, reverent, peaceful, contemplative
Fifteen times it is that I have had the privilege – the blessing – of having a child in my womb for the past almost
In much of the West, the winter winds have begun to draw in and lead us, often wistfully, down nostalgic roads of a sort of