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...
I must admit, that patience is not a virtue that comes easily to me. Waiting for something, whether it's a package from Amazon or standing in line at the grocery store, tends to frustrate me. Even sitting in traffic on the highway can test my patience to its limits....
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...
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...
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...
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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...
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...
Take time this week to create a plan that will help you prepare the way for the birth of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Advent is a season for stepping back from the hectic pre-Christmas routine of the world and slowing down to contemplate the Mystery of the...
Looking for the best and most unique Catholic gifts this Christmas? We're beyond excited to present to you an amazing list of Catholic products that will definitely put a smile on the face of every recipient. We have searched the internet to find these incredible...
It is a tradition of the Catholic Church to observe a specific devotion during each month of the year. Here is the list of those devotions and a saint quote that will inspire you! 2022 Catholic Monthly Devotions January - The Holy Name of Jesus "The sweet name of...
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...
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...
Did you know that each month has a traditional Catholic devotion? This year, let’s focus on each devotion month-by-month to grow in our faith and traditions! Make yourself notes, write it on your calendar, and pray a specific prayer each day of the month to remember....
Are you ready for Advent? Before you know it, it will be here! This year, Advent begins on November 27 and will end Friday, December 24. Take the time now to prepare a plan that will help you prepare the way for the birth of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If...
What if? Every movie, book, or play sees its genesis when someone somewhere utters those two words: what if? What if a mammoth shark terrorizes a beach community? What if a boy befriends a stranded extraterrestrial and works to help the being return home? What...
When you rock climb, the routes or ways you get up the wall are called a problem. You spend time trying to solve the problem, figuring out where your hands and feet go to complete the route. When there is a hard problem to solve, I often watch others climb and try to...
God come to my assistance, Lord make haste to help me. As I enter into prayer today, I will take a moment to acknowledge where I am in my physical and emotional space. I offer any suffering to Jesus through Mary’s Immaculate Heart. Lord come into my heart and mind and...
God come to my assistance, Lord make haste to help me. As I enter into prayer today, I will take a moment to acknowledge where I am in my physical and emotional space. I offer any suffering to Jesus through Mary’s Immaculate Heart. Lord come into my heart and mind and...
The beauty of each narrative found in the Sacred Scriptures lies in the fact that there are always, in reality, two narratives unfolding. Thus, when we take the time to read and meditate on the Christmas narrative, we are invited to discover both...
Do you remember this past Lent, when we all had that “can-do” spirit to celebrate Holy Week and Easter in the best way possible given our lockdown reality? The bursts of creativity, the flurry of activity on social media, the daily Zoom lessons we learned. ...
Did you know that during Advent the Church encourages us to partake in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (much like Lent)? It is a time of preparation for Christmas, but also of Christ's Second Coming. Almsgiving helps the Church as a whole by financially supporting the...
