2023 saw a musical release of the Nativity Story, which I critiqued in a previous review. A different musical, Spirited, released on Apple+, and was enjoyed by audiences in 2022. I recently had the opportunity to reflect about the musical and enjoy it on a dark and...
As I walked from the campus library to my dorm with my roommate, we discussed our plans for the weekend. It was a temperate December day in Southwest Florida at Ave Maria University. “Don’t forget!'' My roommate reminded, “Advent begins this weekend. Let’s go to the...
Expectant waiting. This is a notion– when considered through the lens of modernity– that seems like a foreign concept from the days of yore. The world is available at the slight extension of the fingertips. Objects of both necessity and desire can be purchased with...
Advent: the season most Catholics would like to honor more appropriately but find it difficult to do so with the commercial Christmas creeping in all around. But when we do celebrate Advent it is totally worth it— both for the value in the season in and of itself, but...
You could listen to Michael Bublé and Mariah Carey to get you in the Christmas spirit. That might get you into a hot cocoa and snow angels mood, but “All I Want for Christmas is You” won’t prepare you for the coming of the Lord, during the Advent season. An...
This year, Advent begins on Sunday, December 3, 2023, and will end on Saturday, December 24, 2023. This means the fourth week of Advent will be just a day! Advent will go by even faster than usual so preparation is key to making the most of this time. Take some time...
An Advent pre-game is coming to theaters in November, helping Christians and moviegoers to reflect on the mystery of the incarnation before the Christmas season. Journey to Bethlehem is a unique musical reproduction of the Nativity story, which admits at the end that...
Gospel of Luke 2:15-20 hen the angels went away from them to heaven,the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go, then, to Bethlehemto see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the...
What parents don’t want to give their children the best gifts possible? But beyond traipsing through malls or scrolling online for the perfect present, time might be well spent this Advent season giving kids the Greatest Gift by helping them develop a deeper...
The Shepherds of Bethlehem are not really glamorous. They’re easy to take for granted. They’re not interesting exotic wizards from a distant land. They’re not powerful kings or tyrannical rulers. They’re just ordinary, working folks. Sure, they claimed to see a choir...
Gospel of Matthew 1:18-24 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,but before they lived together,she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,yet unwilling to...
Las Posadas is an Advent tradition begun by Hispanic Catholics in the 16th century. Las Posadas means “the Inns,” and like a typical novena lasting nine days, the celebration spans the nine days before Christmas. Though it does involve knocking on doors and...
“What’s the point of Christmas?” we ask our kids after their 82nd time watching Elf this week. “Jesus!” they shout. Whew! We drill that question into our children every few days during this season of Advent to help them remember the focal...
Hallmark, Great American Channel, Lifetime, Hulu, Netflix, and many other companies and networks compete in the Christmas movie market. Each year dozens upon dozens of new films are available for our viewing or streaming desire. The pattern of these movies...
Gospel of Matthew 9:35-10 Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,teaching in their synagogues,proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for thembecause they were...
Church bells will soon be summoning worshippers on Christmas Eve and Day. All types of believers will fill church pews for one of the holiest days of the Christian year. Some will be regulars, others occasional, and some will be those who attend only on...
In my book, Christmas Blossoms, an old Chinese craftsman has earned his living painting beautiful Christmas ornaments. His co-workers like to hear him explain what Christmas is about. He alone among them can tap into treasured Christmas memories, because he...
A cold coming we had of it,Just the worst time of the yearFor a journey, and such a long journey:The ways deep and the weather sharp,The very dead of winter.'And the camels galled, sorefooted, refractory,Lying down in the melting snow.There were times we regrettedThe...
THE LITANY OF THE HOLY FAMILY Lord, have mercy.Christ, have mercy.Lord, have mercy.Christ, hear us.Christ, graciously hear us.God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.Holy...
This Christmas, pray as the Saints did with these Christmas prayers! Let Your Goodness Appear To Us | St. Bernard of Clairvaux Let your goodness Lord, appear to us, that we, made in your image, may conform ourselves to it. In our own strength we cannot imagine your...
I’m somewhat ashamed to say, this story didn’t happen until I was about halfway through seminary: It was my first Christmas in Italy. After three years in the seminary in the United States, I had been sent to the North American College Seminary in Rome for the last...
Mass, reconciliation, prayer, and works of charity are undeniably the best means of preparing oneself for the great and solemn feast of Christmas, but if you’re like most people, music is also probably an important part of your Advent season leading up to the...
If you’ve even been in a relationship workshop, like Pre-Cana for engaged couples, you’d heard of the five love languages: physical touch, words of affirmation, acts of service, quality time, and gifts. In our consumerism culture, we tend to rely on gifts, especially...
Christmas is fast approaching. It will soon be time to light a fire, warm mugs of hot chocolate and settle in with good movies. 5 Movies To Get You In The Christmas Spirit But what to watch? No worries, we’ve got you covered with...
On a December afternoon I watched one-year-old grandson Ronan-the-Barbarian crawl around the Christmas tree. He would stop, reach out his arm and dip his fist into the water in the tree stand. And then he would bless himself, tap, tap, tap in his baby way. At his eye...
