In this episode of the Catholic Link podcast. Fr. Rob and Fr. George to discuss reflection and contemplation upon God's work throughout the past day. In the Nativity story, we hear that Mary pondered the first Christmas in her heart. Fr. Rob and Fr. George call us to...
In this episode of the Catholic Link podcast. Fr. Rob and Fr. George to discuss some traditions one can incorporate this Advent to help prepare our hearts and homes for the coming of the Christ child at Christmas. Fr. Rob says we first need an Advent Wreath and we...
In this episode of the Catholic Link podcast. Fr. Rob and Fr. George to discuss The Three Comings of Christ to reflect on during Advent. The three comings of Christ are: 1) Christ's birth at Christmas, 2) Christ's coming into our hearts and souls every day, and 3)...
In this episode of the Catholic Link podcast, Fr. Rob and Fr. George Elliot discuss how the season of Advent is a preparation to celebrate the birth of Christ. One means of preparation for the Solemnity could be to practice fasting. Fr. Rob makes the distinction...
In this episode of the Catholic Link podcast, Fr. Rob and Fr. George Elliot discuss the purpose of the Second Coming of Christ and how Advent is a preparation for Christ's second coming. We do not know when Christ will come again and usher in a new creation, so it is...
The Catechism of the Catholic Church beautifully exclaims that “No one, whether shepherd or wise man, can approach God here below except by kneeling before the manger at Bethlehem and adoring him hidden in the weakness of a new-born child (CCC 563).” The manger at...
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...
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...
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...
It's no secret that I'm not a Pinterest kind of mom. Any craft or project I try usually ends up as a complete fail. Maybe I'm slightly bitter about my horrible creative skills and that's why I've never been able to fully get behind the "Elf on the Shelf" craze, but I...
If you were to walk through the narrative of the Nativity story, you’d know it pretty well, right? That’s not a trick question, because I agree, we all know it very well. But what if the reason why we know it so well isn’t just because we’ve heard it year in, year out...
Since the beginning, Christian artists tended to reflect the theological developments that were going on at the time. Before the Nativity theme, for example, it was the Adoration of the Magi that first appeared in the 3rd century. In the background, we find the...
During the holiday season, it’s so very easy to get caught up in the pretty packages, Christmas movies, hot cocoa, and the endless lists filled with names of all the people dear to us that it’s easy to forget what we are celebrating. While these things are wonderful,...
TXT Stories has created this cute video that imagines how things would have gone if the Angel Gabriel had communicated via text message. Of course, this isn't accurate, but it is funny, and it might be just the thing some of us need to take our minds off of Christmas...
Do you ever just skim through a Bible passage in order to get to the "good" part? Quickly scan the details to find the heart of the story? That's a habit that is necessary to break. Every word in the Bible carries significance and meaning, even those we just see as...
Relations between the sexes: Have they ever been worse? It's enough to tempt one to despair. Thankfully, the Church is a bulwark of sanity in every human realm, not least of all in matters of sex and sexuality, on the deepest, primordial realities of Male and Female....
Today, we resume our series on sacred art as an aid to praying the Holy Rosary. Sacred art makes sense, and it is just one more of the countless treasuries of our Catholic heritage. The Incarnation of the God-Man, Jesus Christ, would forever infuse humanity - human...
This short video from Speak Life shares a brief but beautiful insight into the life of a mother and her daughter Leeva, who has Down’s syndrome. Leeva is taking part in a Nativity play, and all her cast-mates also have Down’s syndrome. It is explained that the play...
Whether it be to bring a little joy to do your day or lighten up your talk about the Advent season, this delightful parody tells the Christmas story in a new and unique way. The video was produced by Puppetunes, a place for Biblical, downloadable song parodies. The...
"It gives me great joy to know that the custom of creating a crib scene has been preserved in your families. Yet it is not enough to repeat a traditional gesture, however important it may be. It is necessary to seek to live in the reality of daily life that the crib...
“Christ is born, glorify him. Christ from heaven, go out to meet him. Christ on earth; exalt him: “Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice !” (Ps 96:1.11), for him who is of heaven and now of earth. Christ has made his dwelling...
Important feasts such as Christmas require great preparation. Catholics throughout the ages have creatively come up with all sorts of ways to do so, many of which are symbolic. The tradition of the church incorporates material symbols because they help us get a better...
Today's video is another great one thanks to St. Paul Art's and Media. It gives us a backstage pass to the first scene of Christmas from Heaven's point of view. A Deeper Look At The Nativity The video's script has a basic structure: God states the problem; the angels...
At this time of year we are bombarded with so many commercials by those who want to sell us all the ingredients for a perfect Christmas – lots of food and a multitude of gifts. How many of these commercials have Christmas carols in the background? When we stop and...
This is a video released by St. Paul's Arts & Media (New Zealand). The video in itself is strikingly clever and the kid's acting couldn't be better. It's a run down of the history of our salvation that begins at the Garden of Eden and ends with the announcement of...