Advent

The word Advent means “to arrive” or “to come.” We all know how hard it can be to wait for the arrival of something good. And of course, during Advent we are waiting for the best thing of all: the birth of Jesus into our world and our…

We could say that the first word of the New Testament is “be joyful,” “be happy,” in other words, “joy.” This is the true meaning of Christmas: God is near us, so near that he became a child. — Pope Benedict XVI  That quote, printed in red…

Did you know about these Christmas traditions?

The Nativity scene is a simple reminder of how God became human to reveal the greatness of his love "by smiling and opening his arms to all," Pope Francis said in a letter on the meaning and importance of setting up Christmas cribs.…

The people we love the most are the ones who know us the best. They know our flaws just as well as they know our strengths. They’ve seen us at our worst and they’ve forgiven us for it. Yet the holidays together can still be a time of…

In an age of multitasking, many of us are trying to do more and be more—whether as spouses, parents, friends, volunteers, or co-workers. We’re overworked, overwhelmed, and over-leveraged. We might fool ourselves into thinking that if we…

Advent is about watching and preparing. The Mass readings for the First Sunday of Advent reveal this fact to us. Of course, we are watching and preparing for the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, at Christmas, but the readings remind us…

Sunday of the Holy Forefathers and Feast of the Holy Fathers (Dec.16, 23 this year) If you ever wondered whether the holy men and women of the Old Testament are considered saints by the Church, December has your answer. It contains the…

The traditional icon of the Nativity is very different from what you usually find on Christmas cards, with Mary, baby Jesus, and St. Joseph clustered together in a barn over the manger.  From ancient times, the Nativity icon has been an…

It’s not too late to take a tip on Christmas gift giving from two doctors of the Church: St. Alphonsus Liguori and St. Teresa of Ávila. You can help a soul in purgatory reach heaven on Dec. 25. And — marking the eight days of the Octave of…