Tis the season we all come together around a beautifully lit tree to pray before a nativity scene. Some of us even have a family Advent wreath, sing Christmas carols and more. But it is our unique family traditions that truly imprint the magic and beauty of the sesaon on our hearts. Our instructors share some of their treasures: live nativities, ornament exchanges, old fashiioned pictures, Jesus'stocking, Christmas book a day, and more. All of these make their Christmas season a time apart from time, a moment that will remain with them forever. They invite you to start your own traditions too!
Not the Destination...
Marriage is a journey, not a destination...
“In light of heaven, the worst suffering on earth will be seen as no more serious than one night in an inconvenient hotel.” ~St. Teresa of Avila.
Whenever I hear or read this quote, I am reminded of one of the most “inconvenient” nights of suffering I had in a hotel many years ago. My husband and I were living in Italy at the time, and we were driving home from a vacation to the north of Italy. We decided to stop for the night at a place that sounded nice: “The Romantic Hotel.” The night was anything but romantic. The Italians didn’t put screens on their windows, there was no air conditioning, it was summertime, and the mosquitoes were hungry. It was a night from hell. But we were tired, so we took refuge under the sheets and tried to sleep.
When you’re looking for ways to spice up your love life, you probably don’t think of consulting the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You might be surprised.
Science and faith aren’t incompatible, as popular opinion would have us believe. Faith and science both search for the truth about humanity and the world around us. When we have problems reconciling the two, it’s likely because our search for the truth has been infected by politics. By politics, I mean a political agenda that has already decided the answer, and is now looking for evidence to support it.
It is striking that non-Western – and often non-Christian – people seem to be able to teach us essential lessons about life. Lately, two encounters with non-European women have made me question our individualistic lifestyles in a particular way.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20
There’s a lot of eating going on in the Scriptures. Every important event seems to involve a meal. When Moses is finally allowed by Pharaoh to take the Israelites out of Egypt, they celebrate with the Passover meal, which is the same meal Jesus celebrated with his disciples the night before he died, and which Jesus commanded us to eat:“Take and eat; this is my body.” Matthew 26:26
“Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.” Acts 9:6.
Archbishop Chaput asked three things from the Community: do something for families, share the beauty of the liturgy and teach on the Jewish roots of our faith.
Christian and I took the first one to heart: do something for families.
