23 experts give advice on living the New Year of Mercy

Kathryn Jean Lopez | Catholic PulseLOPEZ: For an early Christmas present, friends gave me a calendar book with quotes from the Pope Francis' opener to the Jubilee of Mercy. The journal started on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, when the year dedicated to mercy did. And so I've been going through The Face of Mercy one sentence at a time, and not necessarily in order, making it a different kind of meditation than sitting with the document, focusing on paragraphs or sections, with the ability/temptation to skip or rush through.

When someone is wrong on the Internet

When someone is wrong on the Internet | Aleteia.orgFISHER: Sometimes, I behave badly online.

No, really! Still, I am better than I used to be; and, as I always tell my kids, you can’t ask for more than progress. Here are a few things that help me from behaving too shamefully when discussing important topics (especially religious ones) online:

Remember there’s a person on the other end. When things get intense, I sometimes mention something personal to bring the conversation back to a human level: Instead of “I’ve wasted enough time with you, thickhead,” try “Gotta go throw that meatloaf in the oven now.” Someone else is likely to say, “Hey, we’re having meatloaf, too!” and everyone suddenly remembers that, if we were sitting around the kitchen and smelling meatloaf cooking, we wouldn’t be talking to each other so nastily (even if the other person really is a thickhead).

3 questions for a merciful New Year's resolution

3 Questions for a Merciful New Year’s Resolution | Aleteia.orgNOBLE: I recently came across an ugly blog post about something I wrote.

The blogger quoted one of my articles, accused me of “papolatry” and paired it with a video of the Barney theme song.

Now, I don’t mind being accused of excessive love for the pope (there are worse things one can be accused of), but I did find the distasteful pairing of my writing with a soggy, nausea-inducing song that has grated on adult nerves for more than a generation to be pretty much unforgivable.

One of the Gospel readings for Christmas Day tells us

Inside Antarctica's Catholic ice chapel, the world's southernmost church

Inside Antarctica's Catholic Ice Chapel, the World's Southernmost Church | ChurchPOPMILLEGAN: Antarctica is an amazing giant continent at the south pole of our globe. Braving winter temperatures of over a hundred degrees Fahrenheit below zero, a few thousand people live there at any given time. And because, like normal people, they have spiritual needs, there are a number of chapels at the various bases.

It just so happens that the southernmost chapel (of any religion) is a Catholic chapel at the Argentinian Belgrano II Base (still over 800 miles from the south pole). And it has a unique attribute: it is carved out of pure ice.

‘Brain dead’ son enjoys Christmas after dad, armed with gun, refuses to let doctors end his life

‘Brain dead’ son enjoys Xmas after dad armed with gun refuses to let medics end his life — RT USA: The Pickering family from Texas is celebrating a miracle this Christmas, which so nearly did not happen. With doctors about to turn off a life support machine keeping George Pickering’s son alive, a desperate and armed George intervened, determined his son would live.
This year has been an eventful one for George Pickering II and his son George Pickering III. George Jr. has made a full recovery after being in a coma. With doctors set to turn off his life support machine, his savior proved to be his own father.

Give it away, but give it some thought

Give It Away, But Give It Some Thought |Blogs | NCRegister.comFISHER: Do we give until it hurts, or do we just shuck off our extras? Are we thinking of the poor as a bin to receive our useless items, or are we thinking about what the poor might really want as people? But the question Jane is asking is really about the receiver's needs and desires: Do poor people really need useful items, which keep them alive, or do they need extras, which comfort them and remind them of their humanity?

These are both reasonable questions. The only answer I can give is that the Lord loves a cheerful giver; and there are all kinds of need in the world.

The so-called Wise Men are my heroes

The So-Called Wise Men |Blogs | NCRegister.comMATTARCHBOLD: So my neighbor has these three plastic wise men on his lawn and every day he moves them a little closer to the stable. They are forced to navigate their way through Snoopy, Frosty, and reindeer on their way to Christ.

Not much is known about these so-called wise men but I've got questions. Firstly, how do we know they were wise? These guys picked up and left everything they knew because they saw something shiny. This doesn't seem very wise to me. They turned out to be right on this one but it makes me wonder how many poorly conceived adventures these guys had gone on before stumbling into finding the Son of God.

Is ‘Star Wars’ Gnostic? If so, how Gnostic is it?

Is ‘Star Wars’ Gnostic? | Daily News | NCRegister.comGREYDANUS: Just before Christmas, an article appeared in The Washington Post comparing the Star Wars prequel trilogy to the “Gnostic gospels,” such as the “Gospel of Thomas” and the “Gospel of Judas”: “Like the gnostic Gospels, the prequels aren’t true. Or to put it another way, they aren’t the same story as the originals.” While the Gnostic gospels “have garnered headlines, they’ve never been embraced by the faithful. That’s in part because they’re terrible, filled with stilted dialogue and bizarre plot twists.” That’s an accurate characterization both of the Gnostic gospels and the Star Wars prequels. On the same day, though, Damon Linker in The Week disparaged the whole Star Wars phenomenon — even the universally loved original film and its even more revered sequel, The Empire Strikes Back...

The world's largest crucifix is in a small town in Michigan

The World's Largest Crucifix Is In a Small Town in Michigan | ChurchPOPMILLEGAN: The state of Michigan in the United States is known for bordering the Great Lakes, its great hunting and outdoors recreation, and for being home to the big three U.S. automakers.

It also has another claim to fame that isn’t as well known: it is home to the largest crucifix in the world. Indian River, Michigan has a population of less than 2,000 people, but it has an amazing shrine called the Cross in the Woods. Open 365 days a year, with mass (nearly) every day, it has a giant crucifix measuring 31 ft high, making it the largest in the world.

The 007 Club: Why James Bond is a fitting mascot for the new religion

The James Bond Cult - Crisis MagazineTURLEY: A British newspaper recently ran an article asking if the cult of James Bond is a new religion? It came to the conclusion that it is. I wasn’t surprised at the question posed. In fact, I was relieved that, at last, it was being asked.

Only this year, that cult has grown still greater with the phenomenal success of the latest instalment of the spy’s adventures. Spectre is a box office smash across the globe, so much so, that it has become one of the most financially successful films not just of the year, but ever. Coming from one of the most successful movie franchise ever, that’s saying something.

The Sistine Chapel: A liturgical classroom for the ages

The Sistine Chapel: A Liturgical Classroom for the Ages – Seasons of GraceSCHIFFER: On October 31, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI observed the 500th anniversary of the Sistine Chapel by offering a prayer—celebrating Vespers beneath Michelangelo’s famed frescoes of biblical stories including, most famously, the Creation of Adam.

The Holy Father called the chapel a “liturgical classroom,” explaining that “It is as if during the liturgical action, the entire symphony of figures comes alive, certainly in the spiritual sense, but also…in the aesthetic sense. The Sistine Chapel, encompassed in prayer, is even more beautiful, more authentic; it reveals all of its treasures.”�

Pope's Wednesday Audience: “Learn about the Baby Jesus by watching what children do”

Pope Francis: Last General Audience of 2015 (full text): With the faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square for the last General Audience of 2015, Pope Francis spoke about Christmas and addressed a special thought to the victims of the recent natural disasters that struck the Americas and Great Britain.

God too “was a child”. With the Christmas reflection the Holy Father offered on Wednesday, 30 December, he invited the faithful to “look to the lives of children” in order to learn to welcome and love Jesus. The following is a translation of the Pope’s address, which he delivered in Italian.

A “wake up call” for liturgical narcissism: Priest apologizes for riding hoverboard at Mass

Catholic Priest Apologizes For Riding 'Hoverboard' During Church Service : The Two-Way : NPR: A Catholic priest who rode a "hoverboard" scooter during Christmas Eve Mass in the Philippines has fallen afoul of his diocese, which suspended Father Albert San Jose for attempting "to get the attention of the people" in a personal manner. The priest has apologized for the incident, which was recorded.

San Jose became something of a viral hit after video was posted online of him riding a self-balancing flat scooter through the aisles, singing "May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You" to the congregation, which applauded his performance at the church in Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Parish in Biñan, south of Manila.

Hanno, the pope’s “white elephant” gift

Hanno, The Pope’s “White Elephant” – Seasons of GraceSCHIFFER: Did you ever receive a “white elephant” as a gift? Maybe it was a lamp or bric-a-brac given by a beloved aunt. You would never intentionally hurt her feelings, but what in the world, you wonder, will you do with this?

Perhaps Pope Leo X felt the same way when he received a gift of a white elephant—a REAL white elephant!—from King Manuel of Portugal. Pope Leo was a popular leader who had helped to keep peace between European rivals, held Islam at bay, and encouraged Portugal in its explorations and discoveries in the Americas.

Imagine the context in which the elephant arrived in medieval Rome: In 1514, there were no National Geographic magazines or television documentaries. The camera was not invented until 1839, so there were no nature photographs. Paintings and sculptures were expensive, and few artists would have themselves traveled to Asia or Africa, where they might actually see a real, live elephant.

ACLU sues Catholic hospital for being Catholic

ACLU Sues Catholic Hospital for Being Catholic – Seasons of GraceSCHIFFER: Actually, I had thought this whole story was over. Back in August 2015, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that a Catholic hospital had “backed down,” relinquishing its right to observe the teachings of the Catholic Church, and had agreed to provide tubal ligations in order to avoid a lawsuit.

Mercy Medical Center, which is owned and operated by Dignity Health of San Francisco, abided by Catholic hospitals’ Ethical and Religious Directives against sterilization, and thus had refused to authorize a tubal ligation for a pregnant attorney named Rachel Miller. However, according to SFGate‘s report, the hospital “backed down” after the American Civil Liberties Union threatened to sue to force the hospital to provide what they called “pregnancy-related services.”

There is a clear connection between the martyrdoms of Becket and Romero

Archbishop Martyrs: Becket and RomeroLONGENECKER: Last summer during our pilgrimage to England we visited Canterbury. Saying Mass in the crypt of the cathedral was an amazing experience, then spending time in prayer at the site of the martyrdom of St Thomas a Becket (memorial today) was very moving.
What made the visit to Canterbury even more astounding was our visit to the little Catholic Church of St Thomas of Canterbury. There they have retained a few of the remaining relics of St Thomas a Becket and in a side chapel they have a collection of second class relics of a modern bishop martyr, Abp Oscar Romero of El Salvador.

How 15 minutes of prayer can change your life forever

How 15 Minutes of Prayer Can Change Your Life Forever | Philip KosloskiKOSLOSKI: I will be honest and say that setting aside time every day for a full hour of prayer is difficult. During seminary it was easy and a basic fact of life. Even a few years ago I didn’t have a problem finding an hour of quiet prayer. However, when multiple children are thrown into the mix an hour is hard to grasp.

18 magical photos of France's breathtaking Mont Saint-Michel

18 Magical Photos of France's Breathtaking Mont Saint-Michel | ChurchPOPMILLEGAN: Mont Saint-Michel has to be one of the most beautiful places in the whole world.

Located on the coast of Normandy, France, it is an island commune that has been home to a monastery since the 8th century. One unique thing about it is that it is only accessible by land at low tide, but is surrounded by water at high tide.

Below are 18 magically beautiful photos of the sacred wonder. You can click on any image to view it full size.

The Infant of Prague is a warrior for our times

The Infant of Prague – Warrior for Our TimesLONGENECKER: I have to admit that the Infant of Prague was one of those Catholic devotions that was not immediately accessible to me as a convert.
“Help me out here. What’s with Jesus dressed up as a baby doll?”
But some time ago I had an experience that made me realize that the Infant Jesus–and especially the Infant of Prague image is not just a baby doll, but the image of a Knight in White Armor–the Infant who is also a Warrior King.

The world's 20 most impressive bridges

The World's 20 Most Impressive Bridges: Moving bridges, stone bridges, new bridges, historic bridges, bridges that are global icons, bridges you've probably never heard of—they're all here. We even have one that floats on water and another that carries water. Here are our choices for the 20 most impressive spans around the world.

“Debate or Else”

"Debate or Else" | Catholic AnswersKEATING: In Randall Jarrell’s Pictures From an Institution, one of the characters says there are thirty hours in every day, “if only you know where to look for them.” Lucky man. I guess I don’t know where to look. I’ve never found more than about eighteen useful hours and normally far fewer than that.

What I find myself forced to do—what you undoubtedly find yourself forced to do—is to undertake some things and let others slide. We aren’t clever enough to find those thirty hours, and we aren’t saints who can bilocate, thus being in two places at once and getting twice the work done.

Worse, when it comes to choosing which tasks we will tackle, the choosing often is done for us. Our own preferences are subordinated to the demands of family or school or workplace.

All that is visible and invisible (spoiler alert)

All That is Visible and Invisible | Word On FireBARRON: Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See, which won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize and has spent over 80 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list, is one of the most beautiful and finely-crafted novels I have ever read. His language is spell-binding, even incantatory, and the intertwined narratives that he composes are deeply involving. Doerr delicately weaves together the stories of Marie-Laure LeBlanc, a blind French girl, and Werner Pfennig an albino German boy, which unfold during the awful years of the Second World War.�

Ultra-feminist founder of Femen Brazil declares herself pro-life, apologizes to Christians

Ultra-feminist founder of Femen Brazil declares herself pro-life, apologizes to Christians | News | LifeSite: Sara Fernanda Giromin first made herself known to Brazil and to the world under the alias “Sara Winter” in 2012, when she became the founding member of Femen Brazil, and led a trio of girls in a number of topless protests that garnered much media attention. However, only three years later, the young activist has done an about-face and has declared war on feminism and abortion, and is apologizing to Christians for her offensive behavior. She has also published a short book detailing the abuse and disappointment she suffered at the hands of fellow feminists.

“Same-sex marriage” proponents are trying to stifle democratic debate

Stifling Democratic Debate over Same-Sex "Marriage" - Crisis MagazineESOLEN: When I was a junior in college and looking for a summer job to defray the next year’s tuition, I answered an ambiguous ad in a newspaper and found myself selling high-quality pots and pans, china, and cutlery to unmarried working girls. It actually was a good job for a good company. I ended up selling $20,000 of merchandise in eleven weeks. My sales put me at number six among the college kids selling kitchenware up and down the eastern seaboard. My bonus was an all-expense-paid trip to Bermuda, with the company executives and about ninety of the other young peddlers.

The countdown is on for Pope Francis’ big decision on the family

The countdown is on for Pope Francis’ big decision on the family | CruxALLEN: Pope Francis celebrated a Mass for the Holy Family on Sunday, designed as a reminder of the spiritual and pastoral importance of the family in the context of his Holy Year of Mercy. Plans called for similar Masses to be held around the world in basilicas where there’s a holy door for the jubilee year.

“Let us not lose confidence in the family!” Francis said, telling families gathered with him in St. Peter’s Basilica that the world and the Church need them “now more than ever.”

In terms of Church politics, however, Sunday’s Mass was also a reminder that we’re on a countdown to perhaps the biggest decision of Francis’ papacy, on a question that arises directly from his two recent Synods of Bishops on the family.

From Aspergillum to Zucchetto: A glossary of 13 obscure Catholic words

From Aspergillum to Zucchetto: A Glossary of 13 Obscure Catholic Words |Blogs | NCRegister.comSCHIFFER: If you've attended the Easter Vigil, you remember that the priest walked down the aisle, sprinkling everyone with holy water. He held a type of sprinkler, probably a metallic rod with a round tip, waving it over the heads of worshippers and spraying water. That, my friends, was an aspergillum. The same vessel is used other times, as well: to bless the palm fronds on Palm Sunday, and to bless candles on Candlemas. The priest may also use an aspergillum at a baptism or for other ceremonial purposes, such as blessing the entrance of a house during a house blessing.

The earthquake that brought an empire to its knees

The Earthquake That Brought an Empire to Its Knees - The Daily Beast: It was a calamity of Biblical proportions, akin to Sodom and Gomorrah or Egypt in Exodus.


In 1755, Lisbon, the capital of the extensive Portuguese empire and the third-busiest port in the world, was in the midst of its second golden age. The seemingly endless supply of gold from Brazil had catapulted the tiny nation back into the high echelons it had occupied two centuries before with its colonies in Africa and Asia.�

On All Saints Day of that year, all of this came to a calamitous halt when an earthquake, a tsunami, and a fire destroyed Lisbon and relegated the Portuguese empire, more often than not, to the status of a mere footnote in history.

We are Herod: The Slaughter of the Innocents today

The Slaughter of the Innocents TodayLONGENECKER: Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents and it is one of the most heart wrenchingly relevant of all of the church’s feasts.
With great and terrible irony we see in the slaughter of the Holy Innocents the wrath of the world against the gift of God.
God gives the gift of his Son–an innocent infant. Herod–the King of this world slaughters the infants. God gives us the gift of the Holy Family. The powers of this world attack and destroy the Holy Family.

16 stunningly gorgeous church ceilings from across the globe

16 Stunningly Gorgeous Church Ceilings from Across the Globe | ChurchPOP: Traditionally, church ceilings have not just functional, they have also been places of great art and beauty. Here are 14 of the most beautiful church ceilings in the whole world.

You can click on any image to view it full size. Enjoy!

The best way to observe the Year of Mercy is to bring lapsed Catholics back to the Church

The Manifold Works of Mercy - The Catholic ThingMCCLOSKEY: On December 8, the fiftieth anniversary of the end of the second Vatican Council as well as the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Francis inaugurated a special Year of Mercy.

There are many ways in which we can celebrate this holy moment in the history of the Church. In particular, we can undertake more fervent practice of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. In our time, much attention is paid to the corporal works of mercy, such as feeding the hungry and visiting the sick and imprisoned. These hold a special place in the Holy Father’s heart, and it is always a good idea to extend your practice of these works.

But the spiritual works of mercy are relatively neglected these days, even though they also offer very fruitful ground for celebrating this Year of Mercy. These are: to admonish the sinner; to instruct the ignorant; to counsel the doubtful; to comfort the sorrowful; to bear wrongs patiently; to forgive all injuries; and to pray for the living and the dead.

9,500-year-old tree found in Sweden is the world's oldest tree

9,500-Year-Old Tree Found in Sweden Is The World’s Oldest Tree | Bored Panda: The world’s oldest tree, a 9,500-year-old Norwegian Spruce named “Old Tjikko,” after Professor Leif Kullman’s Siberian husky, continues to grow in Sweden. Discovered in 2004 by Kullman, professor of Physical Geography at Umeå University, the age of the tree was determined using carbon-14 dating.
“During the ice age sea level was 120 meters lower than today and much of what is now the North Sea in the waters between England and Norway was at that time forest,” Professor Kullman told Aftonbladet. Winds and low temperatures made Old Tjikko “like a bonsai tree…Big trees cannot get as old as this.”

What's in store for Pope Francis and Communications in 2016

MondayVatican – Vatican � Pope Francis and Communications: Next Year’s Challenges | MondayVaticanGAGLIARDUCCI: Reforms will be accomplished. Pope Francis reiterated this point once again while meeting the members of the Roman Curia for Christmas greetings. The meeting was noteworthy because several “curiali” were absent, so many that Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals, had to acknowledge the fact publicly. Is this a signal that the Curia is opposing Pope Francis? Not really. Instead, the absences signal that many would like the reforms to be given a clear direction. And they also signal that in the midst of scandals, not all the members of the Curia wanted to be battered, since last year the Pope listed 15 curial maladies.

One year later, Pope Francis balanced his judgement. In his speech, he acknowledged the efficiency, fidelity and attention to work of the employees and members of the Curia. He thanked the “hidden Vatican” (this is not a Papal phrase) that is composed of people quietly working within the Vatican and for the Vatican. They do not grab headlines, but they carry on the Curia machine. Pope Francis also thanked Vatican employees.

What do saints fear? The answer might surprise you...

What Do Saints Fear? - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: The average person may worry about any number of things: finances; security; strife in the family, community, nation, or world; health; the status of a relationship; how he is perceived by others. These tend to be the sorts of things that cause concern.

What do saints worry about? To provide an answer, let’s consider the words of one of our canonized saints. First, here is the context within which the saint spoke.

How you can easily read the entire Bible in 2016

How to Easily Read the Whole Bible in 2016 | Brandon Vogt�|�Brandon VogtVOGT: As you prepare for the new year, why not commit to reading the entire Bible in 2016? It’s not as hard as you might think.
The Bible contains around 775,000 words. The average adult reads 250 words per minute. That means if you read the Bible for just 10 minutes per day, you’ll get through the whole thing in a year!
Everyone can find 10 minutes in their day, whether early in the morning, during a lunch break, or before going to bed.
But after committing to reading the whole Bible, most people have two questions: which translation should I use, and how should I do it?

New York City to fine business owners $250,000 for 'misgendering' transsexuals

NYC Will Fine You $250,000 For 'Misgendering' A Transsexual - Breitbart: Did you call a transsexual person “he” or “she” when they preferred to be called “zhe?” According to a newly updated anti-discrimination law in New York City, you could be fined an eye-watering $250,000.

In the latest, astonishing act of draconian political correctness, the NYC Commission on Human Rights have updated a law on “Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Expression” to threaten staggering financial penalties against property owners who “misgender” employees or tenants.

Incidents that are deemed “wilful and malicious” will see property owners face up to $250,000 in fines, while standard violations of the law will result in a $125,000 fine. For small business owners, these sums are crippling.

What those laundry care symbols on your clothes mean

What Those Laundry Care Symbols on Your Clothes Mean | Mental Floss: Ever paused for several minutes in front of a washing machine because the care symbols on a new garment were impossible to decipher?

Pope calls for rapid response to ‘drama’ of US-bound Cuban migrants

Pope calls for rapid response to ‘drama’ of US-bound Cuban migrants | CruxALLEN: Pope Francis used his last Sunday Angelus address of 2015 to issue a call for a rapid response to the “humanitarian drama” facing US-bound Cuban migrants in Central America, calling on all the countries of the region to act.

“My thoughts go in this moment to the numerous Cuban migrants who find themselves in difficulty in Central America, many of whom are victims of human trafficking,” the pope said on Sunday.

“I invite all the countries of the region to renew, with generosity, all the efforts needed to find a rapid solution to this humanitarian drama,” he said.

The humility of Christ's birth doesn’t diminish its power; it IS its power

Keeping Carnality in Christmas | Aleteia.orgBECKLO: After spending, singing and celebrating for a month and a half, all of us neck-deep in “Jingle Bells,” parodies of “Jingle Bells,” radio jingles with bells and plain old jingling bells until we’re all so cock-eyed and half-crazy we can barely stand the sight of a wreath, let alone a crèche — the twelve days of Christmas are finally here.

But who may abide the day of its coming?

Christmas has an infinitely rich backstory

Jesus’ Birth: Christmas Has a BackstoryFRANKOVICH: Christmas music annoys me. For a month, beginning in November, the playlist at Starbucks consists of about eight songs — “Holly Jolly Christmas,” “Winter Wonderland,” and a few others, including your favorite, “Jingle Bell Rock” — that you can’t escape if you spend much time in stores or restaurants. They could double the size of their selections, and thereby halve the amount of time we have to hear “Here Comes Santa Claus,” if they mixed in some traditional hymns, but they won’t. They won’t play “Silent Night” because it’s Christian, but if only they would — or, even better, if only they learned from it and created their own silent night.

Pick up your weapon and join the battle

Pick Up Your Weapon and Join the Battle |Blogs | NCRegister.comPRONECHEN: This is the season of peace, but peace is under attack around the globe. There are wars against peoples, Christians, family, the pre-born, marriage, the elderly.

We can’t forget we’re the Church Militant. It’s time to pick up our weapons to fight back. The weapon? Padre Pio told us “her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today.”

Two great campaigns have just launched, urging us to pick up our rosaries and join the battle with the only sure weapon that will conquer evil and bring victory and peace — the Rosary.

An unbeliever on his visit to Rome: “It is easy to scoff at the Church until you stand inside one”

Norm Pattis: God, it seems, is everywhere: It is the day before Christmas, and I should be scurrying around, doing my last minute shopping, and letting the holiday spirit overcome me all at once. I fight it, you see, feeling somehow that a day celebrating the birth of the Son of God by a virgin is just too much to take.

But I yield in the end, not so much to the theology, but to the chance to draw close to those I love, and to shut out the world for a few days.

Christmas is like that, you see. If you let it, the holiday will transform you. Ebenezer Scrooge wasn’t the only one undone by love.

But you won’t see me shopping this year, at least not close to home. I am writing this from Florence, Italy, just after having spent a week in Rome.

Pope's Sunday Angelus: “The Holy Family is a true school of the Gospel”

VATICAN The family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, "an authentic school of the Gospel" - Asia News: "The family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is for every believer, and especially for families, a true school of the Gospel. Here we admire the fulfillment of God's plan to make the family a special community of life and love. Here we learn that every Christian family is called to be a 'domestic church', to spread the light of the evangelical virtues and become a leaven for good in society".

This was Pope Francis’ reflection on the value of family and the Christian family in a time when it "is subject to misunderstandings and difficulties of various kinds that weaken it" ahead of praying the Angelus today.

Earlier this morning, the pontiff had presided at Mass in St Peter's Basilica, celebrating the Jubilee of Families, on the day when the Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth.

God has given us a plan for the family...

God’s Plan for Marriage and Family – A Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: Here in the middle of the Christmas Octave, the Church bids us to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. On the old calendar, the feast of the Holy Family fell on the Sunday after Epiphany, which makes some sense. For it is a bit odd with the new calendar to read a gospel portraying Jesus at twelve years of age when we celebrated His birth just a few days ago. And then next week, on the Feast of Epiphany, we revert back to a gospel in which He is an infant.

Nevertheless, here we are. Perhaps it is a good time to reflect on family life. For at Christmas time, immediate and extended family often gather together. On this feast of the Holy Family, let us consider three things: the structure of the family, the struggles of the family, and our strategy for the family.

10 quotes on the Holy Family from Pope St. John Paul II

10 Quotes on the Holy Family from Pope St. John Paul II | TOM PERNAPERNA: Today, in the Latin lung of the Catholic Church, we celebrate the feast of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. This most blessed family serves as a model for all families for all time. Although the hidden of life Christ is not fully revealed to us in the Scriptures, these years of Jesus with Mary and Joseph do show us the importance of His daily life in the ordinary time of family life. It is in Nazareth where the school of the Gospel begins. It is here that three important lessons are provided – the lesson of silence, the lesson of family life, and the lesson of work.

In his Christmas message, the Pope urges peace and denounces ‘brutal acts of terror’

In his Christmas message, the pope urges peace and denounces ‘brutal acts of terror’ | CruxALLEN: Pope Francis on Christmas Day called for peace in a series of global hotspots, including Syria and Iraq, Libya, Ukraine, and Israel and the Palestinian Territories, and also denounced “brutal acts of terrorism” in 2015, including the November Paris attacks.

Popes traditionally use their Christmas Day Urbi et Orbi address, “to the city and the world,” to offer a 360-degree review of the world situation, and Francis held to form, ticking off a series of challenges to peace and stability. His preoccupation seemed clear from a plea that God liberate humanity from various forms of evil, “at times monstrous.”

He addressed the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square — marked by heavy security — from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica where he and previous popes emerge after being elected by their fellow cardinals.

No one goes away from Jesus unchanged (as seen in a Christmas commercial)

No One Goes Away from Jesus Unchanged - As Seen in a Christmas Commercial - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: In the background of the commercial an old Elvis song plays: “Wise men say only fools rush in. But I can’t help falling in love with you. Shall I stay, would it be a sin? If I can’t help falling in love with you.”

Of course the love that is symbolized by the star is not the romantic love of the song but the brotherly and agape love that Christ gives. Like the Magi who found Christ by the star, no one sees the star of Jesus and encounters Him and then goes away unchanged. Indeed, if we authentically encounter Christ, we are equipped to love, just as the people in this commercial are. We are equipped to forgive, to bring healing, to help others find strength and glory in the truth, and to come to full maturity in Christ. A person who knows Jesus and has encountered Him cannot help loving others, not in some merely sentimental way, but with a strong and vigorous love rooted in the truth. This is the same love that Jesus has for us all.

Anglican priest smears the Blessed Virgin Mary (warning: disturbing language)

Anglican Priest Smears the Virgin MaryLONGENECKER: Just when you thought the Anglicans couldn’t stoop much lower, in a disgusting article published, predictably, on Christmas Eve, Anglican priest-journalist Giles Fraser not only publicly denies the Virgin Birth, but he ridicules the idea, proposes that the Blessed Virgin Mary was just another teen fornicator and that it’s probably a good thing that Jesus was a bastard conceived when Mary had a romp with a Roman soldier.
I’m surprised that he didn’t title his article, “That’s Why Our Lady is a Tramp”
The crass arrogance of Fraser’s article in London’s The Guardian is only superseded by its ignorance.

Let God's forgiveness heal your heart, Pope Francis says after Christmas

Let God's forgiveness heal your heart, Pope Francis says after Christmas :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): For Pope Francis, the path forward from Christmas can be found in the martyrdom of St. Stephen, especially in his transforming forgiveness of his persecutors.

“If we want to move forward in faith, first of all we must receive the forgiveness of God. We must meet the Father, who is ready to forgive everything and always,” Pope Francis told a crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square before the Angelus prayers Saturday.

Forgiveness “heals the heart and revives love,” he added. “We must never tire of asking God’s forgiveness, because only when we are forgiven--when we feel forgiven--we learn to forgive.”

‘Concussion’ doctor’s Catholic faith gave him courage to tackle the NFL

‘Concussion’ doctor’s Catholic faith gave him courage to tackle the NFL - The Washington Post: The doctor at the center of the new movie “Concussion” says his Catholic faith gave him the courage to pursue the truth about concussions in U.S. professional football.

“What is there to be afraid of?” Dr. Bennet Omalu, a Nigerian-American forensic pathologist, said in an interview with RNS. “If I profess to be a Christian seeking the truth, why would I stop?”

Omalu, 47, is played by actor Will Smith in the film that opens in theaters across the country on Christmas Day. The story follows how he challenged the National Football League over the destructive nature of concussions after performing the autopsy of Hall of Famer “Iron Mike” Webster. Webster was a Pittsburgh Steeler who ended up homeless from the condition Omalu dubbed “chronic traumatic encephalopathy.”

The 'mercy' entrée: My 5 secrets to an amazing Christmas

The 'Mercy' Entr�e: My 5 Secrets to an Amazing Christmas�CLARK: This year at dinner, some people will want to tell all about their successes throughout the year: a job promotion, a new car, or a lovely skiing vacation they just took.
But very likely, there will be other people around the table whose year was not so good: they lost their job, their used car needs a new oil pump that they can’t afford, and the closest they came to a recreational “vacation” was a trip to the bowling alley.
Often—very often—these misfortunes happen through no one’s fault. They just happen. And if they did happen through the fault of others, admit it: you’ve made your own mistakes, too.
Sometimes, hearing about another’s achievements—especially the material ones—is just a reminder of one’s own failings. Try to be sensitive to that fact at dinner tonight.

Holy Ghosts and the Spirit of Christmas: "A Christmas Carol"

Holy Ghosts & the Spirit of Christmas: "A Christmas Carol" - The Imaginative ConservativePEARCE: It could be argued and has been argued that, after Shakespeare, Charles Dickens is the finest writer in the English language. His works have forged their way into the canon to such a degree that it is much more difficult to know which of his novels to leave off the recommended reading list than it is to choose which to include. Each of us has our favourites and each invariably begs to differ with his neighbour’s choice. True, in terms of pure brute statistics, we would be forced to concede that A Tale of Two Cities is most people’s favourite because it is usually listed as the bestselling novel of all time, with sales exceeding 200 million (though Don Quixote, which is excluded from official statistics and has never been out of print since its first publication four hundred years ago, has probably sold more copies).

Top 10 religion stories for 2015: How would Pope Francis have voted?

Top 10 religion stories for 2015: How would Pope Francis have voted? — GetReligionMATTINGLY: No doubt about it, journalists really love Pope Francis. In many cases, they love the version of this pope that they have created through misquotes, partial quotes and by ignoring much of what he has to say. Hey, but who am I to judge?

Pope Francis had a lot to say during 2015 and, frankly, I thought that most of it was somewhat predictable, in terms of what we already knew about him. His sermons and addresses during the visit to Acela land in the media-rich American Northeast had lots of substance, but very few surprises.

So here is my question: Would Pope Francis think that he was the world's most important news story in 2015? I think not.

Thor, St. Boniface, and the origin of the Christmas tree

Thor, St. Boniface, and the Origin of the Christmas Tree | ChurchPOPSEWELL: When the average person thinks of a Catholic saint, I’d venture to guess that it’s not a fearless, axe-wielding, hammer-breaking, oak-crushing, converter of heathens that comes to mind. And yet, that’s exactly the kind of guy St. Boniface was.

Born around 680 in England, Boniface entered a Benedictine monastery before being commissioned by the pope to evangelize modern-day Germany, first as a priest, and eventually as a bishop. Under the protection of Charles Martel, Boniface traveled through all of Germany, restrengthening regions that had already been introduced to Christianity and bringing the light of Christ to those that hadn’t. Boniface, “with his tireless activity, his gift for organization, and his adaptable, friendly, yet firm character,” found a great amount of success in his travels, said Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.

The arms of Christ are stretched out to you this Christmas

Beginning to Pray: The Arms of Christ Outstretched this ChristmasLILLES: Mary sees in the face of her child the tears of God and the joy of humanity. Hungrily having clung with unquenchable thirst to her breast in our cold darkness, in every challenge she sees Him ready to teach us how to cling to Him in faith. He at once envelops us in the abyss of his love when we see how He allowed her to wrap Him in swaddling clothes. At home with the poor and all those for whom there is no room in society, she ponders how He leads us to our true home in the bosom of the Trinity. �She has always welcomed these unfamiliar gifts with awe, adoration, and selfless acts of mercy. Her example lights the way for us to discover how to rejoice in these troubled times.�

Only God can overcome 'monstrous' evil in the world, Pope says on Christmas

Only God can overcome 'monstrous' evil in the world, Pope says on Christmas :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): In his annual Christmas “Urbi et Orbi” blessing Pope Francis prayed for all those affected by violence, conflict and poverty throughout the world, asking that they rejoice in salvation offered by the birth of Christ.

“Only God’s mercy can free humanity from the many forms of evil, at times monstrous evil, which selfishness spawns in our midst. The grace of God can convert hearts and offer mankind a way out of humanly insoluble situations,” the Pope said on Christmas Day, Dec. 25.

The untold story of the pope behind the famous 1914 Christmas truce

The Untold Story of the Pope Behind the Famous Christmas Truce of 1914 | ChurchPOPMILLEGAN: It’s a story of hope for modern man; a glimmer of light in the midst of the darkness of the 20th century that suggests perhaps we won’t end up destroying ourselves after all.

I’m talking about the famous Christmas Truce of 1914. You (hopefully) know the basic story: in the midst of World War I, German and British soldiers throughout Europe called unofficial cease-fires on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, ventured into “no-man’s land” between the sides, and enjoyed conversation, caroling, and even games of football.

But did you know about the part the pope played in it?

What did Mary know and when did she know it?

What did Mary know and when did she know it? |Blogs | NCRegister.comGREYDANUS: It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

‘Tis the season of social media memes of Saint Nicholas punching Arius in the face, outrage over the latest corporate disses to the season, and another round of controversy over the lyrics of “Mary, Did You Know?”

I kid, I kid. I shared a Saint Nicholas punching Arius meme myself this year (although the zeal some seem to have for theological punching does give me pause). As for “Mary, Did You Know?”, I have no brief one way or the other. I’m not a fan or a non-fan; I can’t even say I’ve so much as heard the song one time.

Out of curiosity, I did Google the lyrics. I understand the controversy. The song is typically Protestant in sensibility, without the Marian piety of Catholic hymnody and spirituality, emphasizing Mary’s ordinariness rather than her extraordinariness.

The real story behind the 1914 Christmas truce in World War I

The Real Story Behind�the 1914 Christmas�Truce in World War I: It was 101 years ago this very night that something miraculous happened along the Western Front. After months of bitter fighting, soldiers on both sides gathered in no-man’s-land in a spontaneous show of peace and goodwill. Here’s what happened on that historic day — and why it marked the end of an era.

In December 1914, the war was entering into a new phase: an extended siege fought along static trenches stretching along a 750 km (466 mile) front. During the previous four months, soldiers were killed at a horrendous pace, and with no end of the war in sight. But during Christmas, things suddenly became quiet — at least for a little while.

Think about it: The King of the Universe came to earth as a weak human child...

The Little Way and Christmas | Philip KosloskiKOSLOSKI: Instead of choosing the learned, perfect and proud figures of our time to bring about the greatest good; God chooses the small, imperfect and weak souls. It is in the weakness of these souls that God is able to work the most beautiful of miracles. This is the reason why He chose people like Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and (Saint) Teresa of Calcutta to be His instruments of love in the world and why God came into the world as a baby.

10 reasons why atheists should celebrate Christmas

Ten Reasons Why Atheists Should Celebrate ChristmasLONGENECKER: Sometimes I hear Christians grumbling about atheists celebrating Christmas. So they’re hypocrites. Big deal. Aren’t you?
In thinking it through, there are good reasons why Christmas matters for atheists and for everyone.
If they don’t realize why it matters, maybe the prominence of the season will �make some of them stop and think twice and realize that Jesus Christ is real, and that his birth is something to celebrate.
Jesus matters and therefore his birth matters and everyone who cares about life, love and all things “illimitably yes” should celebrate Christmas for some good, solid reasons. Even if they don’t believe the Christian truths, the beliefs of Christianity compel all men and women to think again about their true values and what really matters to all of us as human beings.

Art and the embodiment of the Incarnate Word

Art and the Embodiment of the Incarnate Word - Crisis MagazineSTAUDT: Our celebration of the great feast days should instantiate in our lives the realities they communicate. For Christmas, the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, our actions, such as gift giving, caroling, the symbols of green life in winter, should make present the gift of the new life of Christ coming into the world. Like the angels, we sing our joy at the arrival of our Savior.

Music provides one of our most common experiences of Christmas and this is fitting. Even in the midst of the secularization of the feast, the most profound and cherished musical pieces still reflect the sacred mystery we celebrate. Nonetheless, it can be difficult to see the realities of Christmas. We take them for granted. They have become hackneyed, plastered on Hallmark cards and shaped into plastic ornaments. Christmas can become marked by kitsch and confined to the sentimental.

‘We will not give in to injustice’: Iraqi, Syrian prelates issue Christmas letters

‘We will not give in to injustice’: Iraqi, Syrian prelates issue Christmas letters : News Headlines | Catholic Culture: The head of the Chaldean Catholic Church and the Melkite Greek Catholic archbishop of Syria’s largest city have issued Christmas letters.

“The feast of the birth of Christ is one of the greatest feasts celebrated by millions of Christians around the world and particularly in Iraq,” said Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako. “But this year Iraqi Christians will celebrate Christmas in deplorable circumstances, one the one hand because of the deteriorating condition of the situation of our country at all levels, and, on the other hand, because of what they have gone through as Christians, victims of segregation and exclusion.”

We still have much to learn from Ebenezer Scrooge

We Still Have Much to Learn From Ebenezer Scrooge |Blogs | NCRegister.comMCCUSKER: On December 19th, 1843, a “ghostly little book” appeared in England in the form of A Christmas Carol In Prose: Being A Ghost Story of Christmas by Charles Dickens. It took the country by storm immediately and has since become part of the Christmas traditions of the Western world, if not through the original book but through its representations in film. Equal to the story itself is its main character: Ebenezer Scrooge, that “squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner.” He is so ingrained in our consciousness that we refer to any hard-hearted miser as Scrooge. And I wondered, as reading the story again this year, if Scrooge can teach us anything after 172 years.

Cardinal Müller: Pope's words on intercommunion were misunderstood

Cardinal M�ller: Pope's Words on Intercommunion Misunderstood |Blogs | NCRegister.comPENTIN: Cardinal Gerhard Müller has said Pope Francis’ visit to a Lutheran church in Rome last month was a “sign of hope” for full visible unity, but that his comments were misunderstood as giving the green light to intercommunion because of a failure to take account of the differences between Catholics and Protestants.

In Dec. 22 comments to the Register, the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said "misunderstandings come up again and again because of a failure to take account of the fact that, unfortunately, there is actually a different understanding of the Church between Catholics and Protestants."�

These differences, he said, "are not only theological-conceptual, but of a confessional nature." He added that�the Church continues in its ecumenical goal to reach “visible and institutional unity” with the Pope as head of the Church.

Most popular clever uses and MacGyver tips of 2015

Most Popular Clever Uses and MacGyver Tips of 2015: If you’re clever enough, anything can be a tool. This year we saw a ton of clever tips and tricks than any “MacGyver wannabe” would be proud of, but only a select few stood out as the best.

Vatican returns Sandro Magister's press credentials

Vatican Returns Sandro Magister's Press Credentials |Blogs | NCRegister.comPENTIN: In a letter stamped with the official Jubilee of Mercy theme “Misericordes sicut Pater” [Merciful Like the Father], the Holy See has returned veteran Vaticanist Sandro Magister’s press credentials after they were suspended in July.

In a short message dated Dec. 9, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi wrote: “I am pleased to inform you that from today the period of suspension of your accreditation at our Press Office is considered concluded, so it will be possible to resume benefiting from our services.”

Father Lombardi added that “together with my colleagues, I warmly wish you good work and all the best in this time of waiting for Christmas.” Magister published the letter on his Settimo Cielo blog Dec. 21.

The Christian secret behind why people love ‘Star Wars’ so much

The Christian Secret Behind Why People Love "Star Wars" So Much | ChurchPOP: Star Wars Episode VII is the movie that I’ve been waiting for since roughly 1997, or whenever it was that I saw Return of the Jedi for the first time and wondered when the next installment would arrive.

Star Wars completely enthralled me from the very first moment that I saw that epic narrative text scroll up the screen against the backdrop of the stars of a galaxy far, far away. I would go so far as to say that these films gave form to my imagination and were therefore a significant influence on the person that I have become. They filled me with such a wonder and excitement that has never truly left me and I think still serves as one of the inspirations for my better instincts and thoughts.

Who will endure the day of His coming? A meditation on the closing words of Advent...

Who Will Endure the Day of His Coming? A Meditation on the Closing Words of Advent - Community in Mission : Community in MissionPOPE: How does the Old Testament close in your bible? Some older Catholic bibles placed 1 and 2 Maccabees as the last two books of the Old Testament. But in many bibles today, the two books of Maccabees are among the historical books rather than appended to the section of the prophets.

If Malachi is the final book listed in your Catholic bible, then it provides a kind of dramatic close to the Old Testament prophets. The curtain closes on the message of the prophets with a solemn warning to be prepared for the coming of the Lord and a promise by God to send us “Elijah” in order to prepare us. And, as the curtain reopens in the New Testament, St. John the Baptist is hard at work in the spirit and power of Elijah.

Pope Francis faces a real dilemma in ‘Vatileaks 2.0’

Pope Francis faces a real dilemma in ‘Vatileaks 2.0’ | CruxALLEN: In a Christmas audience with Vatican employees and their families on Monday, Pope Francis issued an unusually blunt mea culpa: “I want to apologize for the scandals that there were in the Vatican,” he said, referring to 2015.

He didn’t say which scandals he meant, and people from the United States or other parts of the world might wonder, since there have been more than a few: A former Vatican official who came out as openly gay, a former papal envoy accused of sex abuse who died under what some see as mysterious circumstances before he could be put on trial, and so on.

In Italy, however, no one is asking that question, because virtually everyone here assumes they know exactly what Francis had in mind: “Vatileaks 2.0.”

Thanks to my cancer, this may be one of our best Christmases ever

Thanks to My Cancer, This May Be One of Our Best Christmases Ever |Blogs | NCRegister.comHAMILTON: The House district that I represented for 18 years is more than a bit incomprehensible to outsiders. And by outsiders, I mean anyone and everyone who didn’t spawn in that pond of which both I and the people I represented are from.

I remember trying to explain to another legislator why my constituents reacted to issues as they did. His constituents were constantly in a kerfuffle over whatever hot-button issue du jour was rocking the world at the time. My constituents were steady on about these things. They just trusted my judgment and let me have at it in those areas.

In its heyday, the KKK was more like Amway than Al-Qaeda

When the KKK Was a Pyramid Scheme: Today, the Ku Klux Klan is one of the most extreme and reviled symbols of American racism. But there was once a time when the fringe hate group verged on “mainstream.” In the 1920s, its members numbered in the millions and made up a significant percentage of the US population. This is the KKK that claimed to control elections and counted U.S. presidents among its members. And it’s the predecessor to the group that, in fiction, threatened Atticus Finch in front of the steps of the Maycomb County courthouse for defending a black man.

When (righteous) anger is justified

When (Righteous) Anger is Justified - Crisis Magazine: In one of my favorite Flannery O’Connor stories, Revelation, Mrs. Turpin—a very large, very cheerful, and heartily judgmental soul—amuses herself by mentally sorting people into their respective categories. She places all the people she looks down upon beneath herself and her husband, and only those who have more of what she and her husband have go on the top of the list. When I was a kid listening to my Dad read Flannery O’Connor out loud, Revelation merely made me laugh. Now I read it and wonder “Oh Lord. Have I become Mrs. Turpin?”

My Christmas gift to Jesus

My Christmas Gift to JesusLONGENECKER: Every year my Baptist neighbor puts a sign in his front yard, “Keep Christ in Christmas” and I’m tempted to get a sign for my front yard which says, “Keep Mass in Christmas”.
Despite the un-ecumenical impulse, I agree with my neighbor’s yearly cliche. Furthermore, this Christmas I’m feeling that keeping Christ in Christmas isn’t really enough.
I look around at our society and see the Jesus Christ is absent everywhere. Forgive me for feeling grumpy, but America in 2015 seems just about as far from Jesus as you can get.
The obvious culprits are the atheists, secularist progressives who not only want to be non-religious, but are increasingly attacking Christianity and, by extension, Jesus Christ.

A 9-tip survival guide for returning to Mass when you haven't been in awhile

9 Tips on How to Go To Mass: This article is for you, especially for you, if you have been thinking about going back to Mass this Christmas season. On the part of all of us at Catholic-Link, let me personally invite you back to mass (we even wrote a letter for you!): We want you back! Maybe it has been a little while since you last went to Mass, or maybe it has been a very long time. Either way, Advent is a time set aside for preparation, not just the preparation for Christmas, but the necessary preparation for meeting Jesus Christ in our hearts. If ‘going back to Mass’ has been in the back of your mind for some time, if you can feel a little pull on your heart that wants to go back but you’re worried or anxious or just a little unsure about it, this is for you.

Landmark conviction of Philadelphia monsignor reversed for 2nd time

Landmark conviction of Philadelphia monsignor reversed for 2nd time : News Headlines | Catholic Culture: For the 2nd time, an appeals court has reversed the conviction of a former official of the Philadelphia archdiocese who was found guilty in 2012 of failure to protect children from sexual abuse.

Pennsylvania’s Superior Court has ordered a new trial for Msgr. William Lynn, finding that the judge at his trial erred by allowing a large number of sex-abuse victims to testify about their complaints.

The conviction of Msgr. Lynn had been overturned by another appeals court in 2013, on the grounds that at the time when he was serving as vicar for clergy in the Philadelphia archdiocese, state law did not provide for prosecution of an official who failed to take action on abuse complaints. The state’s Supreme Court reversed that ruling in April 2015, saying that the existing law provided adequate grounds for prosecution.

How the Bible almost got "A Charlie Brown Christmas" canceled

How the Bible Almost Got "A Charlie Brown Christmas" Canceled | ChurchPOPMILLEGAN: “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” an exasperated Charlie Brown exclaims. “Sure, Charlie Brown,” Linus reassures him, “I can tell you what Christmas is all about.” And then Linus famously recites Luke 2.8-14, part of the biblical Christmas story.

It’s just seven verses. Read by the innocent voice of real child (rather than an adult voice actor), it’s the highlight of the show for many people.

And yet those seven verses almost got the whole thing canceled.

Have yourself a broken little Christmas

Have Yourself a Broken Little Christmas | Aleteia.orgNOBLE: I feel like I have to write a Christmas column.

It will be Christmas in three days, after all.

The other day I was sitting in chapel and thinking about how busy life has been lately in the convent. We held our annual Daughters of St. Paul Choir Christmas concert recently, which is an amazing event, and such a beautiful evangelizing opportunity, but it is also a lot of work for the community.

The nuns were baking cookies and preparing for weeks ahead of time. I helped Sr. Marlyn Evangelina, our kitchen guru, bake the thumbprint cookies. They were delicious, despite my assistance. While helping, I managed to get hit in the head with a heavy, greasy fryer while I was trying to move the cookie pans. My head, and my poor veil, is still recovering. (And since I started reading “The Rite” before I go to bed, it made me wonder if we should have the kitchen exorcised. But then I realized that unless cooking pans start levitating, it’s probably just that I’m a klutz.)

Under-the-radar signs of progress in Vatican reforms

Under-the-radar signs of progress in Vatican reforms | Catholic CultureLAWLER: Have you noticed that as Christmas approaches, you spend less time reading news headlines? There are two reasons for that phenomenon. First, you have other things on your mind; you’re busy with your last-minute preparations for the great feast. Second, the people who usually make the news—the politicians and entertainers and corporate executives and religious leaders—all know that you’re busy. So they save their big splashy announcements for a time when they can command more attention.

By the same logic, these last few days before Christmas are an ideal time for under-the-radar announcements. If you need to make a statement, but you really don’t want people to pay attention, this is a good week for it.

Monsters and monks in Star Wars

Monsters and Monks in Star WarsLONGENECKER: One of the riveting themes within the Star Wars saga is the existence of monasticism.
The Jedi Knights are also monks. Connecting with the warrior monks of Eastern religions, they also connect with the religious orders of knights in medieval Christendom.
The Jedi clearly �remind of the spiritual truths of the New Testament where St Paul says “We wrestle not agents flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Throughout the Star Wars saga it is made clear that beneath all the swordplay and swooping starships a spiritual struggle is taking place. The “dark side” and the “light side” of the force are in conflict.

The temptations of the first Christmas

The Temptations of the First Christmas | Parishable ItemsFELTES: If I were a demon prowling about the world for the discouragement, confusion, and ruin of souls, how might I have tried to tempt God’s beloved ones in the year leading up to the first Christmas?

If I were a demon, I would say to St. Elizabeth, “Did people imagine that Zechariah had a vision while he was serving in the temple? He simply had a stroke, and he will likely never speak again. You’re feeling sick every day and your abdomen is expanding. You clearly have a cancer, and you will soon be dead. There is no hope.”

If I were a demon, I would say to St. Mary, “You think you saw an angel? That’s crazy! You’re imagining things. Who are you to be the mother of God’s son? Who do you think you are! Don’t even bother going to visit Elizabeth. You’ll feel foolish when you arrive and see that nothing has changed. None of your family, friends, or neighbors will believe you. Joseph will divorce you, and you will be all alone.”

One key word missing in Detroit News sermon on behalf of gay Catholic pair

One key word missing in Detroit News sermon on behalf of gay Catholic couple — GetReligionMATTINGLY: You pretty much know, when you read a headline that says "How a married gay Catholic couple lives their faith," that the story under that statement is going to be a sermon on behalf of progressive Catholics who want to modernize the teachings of their ancient church.

So the contents of this Detroit Free Press story didn't surprise me, especially since the Religion News Service picked it up, as well. So bah, humbug, to all of you pro-Catechism Catholics out there.

A Catholic school vs. a gay cafeteria manager: Why media are siding with him

A Catholic school vs. a gay cafeteria manager: Why media are siding with him — GetReligionDUIN: Here we are again with a story line that seems to repeat itself at least once a month these days: Catholic school takes a firm stand on gay employees and decides to (1) tighten up their code of conduct or (2) actually ask certain employees to leave or (3) refuse to hire publicly homosexual employees.

The staff or students then decide to (1) sign petitions or stage demonstrations or (2) go to the media or maybe the local bishop and (3) file a lawsuit.

Reporters cover the would-be, present or former employees as sacrificial lambs ready to be roasted by the Inquisition. They (1) mostly quote one side, usually the more telegenic one that says they are being discriminated against and (2) fail to look up the school’s employee manual and any agreements employees voluntarily agreed to adhere to when they signed on and (3) insist that if Pope Francis was around, he would embrace everyone and (4) run a disapproving editorial on said college or school.

Of the Advent swell and the pregnant pause

Of the Advent Swell and the Pregnant Pause |Blogs | NCRegister.comBECKER: In the photo above, do you see the woman second in from the left? See the swell at her belly? See how she’s framing it with her arms?

The photo itself is a famous one. Taken by Robert Lax in 1956, it features Catholic Worker founder Dorothy Day and others flouting a mandatory air raid drill in Washington Square – a protest meant to highlight the irrational promise of surviving nuclear war. “Refusing to take shelter was not only to practice civil disobedience to a law which was unreasonable,” Dorothy explained, “but also to do penance for our having been the first to drop the atom bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” She elaborated further: “Our demonstration was to show our willingness to go to jail, to be deprived of our freedom, to suffer disgrace in the eyes of those who cannot understand our position.”

Grace, nature, and what Advent is finally about

Grace, Nature, and What Advent Is Finally About | Word On FireBARRON: The readings for the third Sunday of Advent put me in mind of one of the most significant themes in Catholic theology, namely, the play between nature and grace. St. Luke tells us that people came to John the Baptist, asking what they should do to reform their lives. John responds with good and very pointed moral advice. To the tax collectors he says, “Don’t take more money than you ought” and to the soldiers he urges, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone; be content with your pay.” In so saying, he was addressing very common practices of that time and place. Tax collectors regularly demanded more money than was just and skimmed the surplus for themselves—which helps to explain why they were so unpopular. And soldiers—young men with weapons and too much time on their hands—predictably acted as bully-boys, extorting money through threats of violence.

Tiny houses and Charles Dickens at Christmas

Tiny Houses and Charles Dickens at Christmas |Blogs | NCRegister.comMCDONALD: In my living room, I have a Charles Dickens-themed Christmas village made up of little ceramic houses that my parents collected for years. My father would bring them down from the attic each winter and set them up, and now my daughter and I continue the tradition.

Although I love all things Dickens, my interest in little ceramic houses was minimal. But we've come to look forward to arranging the village into some semblance of a Victorian Christmas, albeit without the open sewage trenches, pockmarked doxies, and choking miasma of industrial smog.

'Ad Orientem': The cardinal virtues of worship

'Ad Orientem': the Cardinal Virtues of Worship | Daily News | NCRegister.comBEATTIE: Father Gerald Gawronski, pastor of St. Patrick’s Church in Ann Arbor, conducts Masses in the ordinary form — that of Pope Paul VI — in a way most Catholics are unfamiliar with. While he does face the congregation during homilies and other times he addresses them, he does not do so at specific instances when the majority of priests today do — most notably at the offertory, consecration and elevation.

This traditional direction of liturgical prayer, referred to as ad orientem (facing east), had been nearly ubiquitous before the Second Vatican Council, yet almost vanished after it. This left most Catholics feeling the Council called for the priest to face the congregation, yet this was just that — a feeling — rather than a correct perception. None of the 16 conciliar documents contains an endorsement, let alone a mention, of the practice of the priest facing the congregation (versus populum) during the prayers of the Mass.

How to get smart in our fight against ISIS

Doing Something About ISIS (Or Not) | arcoftheuniverse.info: A well-known Pew study estimates that over three quarters of the world’s population live in places where restrictions on religious freedom (perpetrated or tolerated by the government) are high or very high. Of course, this terrible state of affairs has been severely exacerbated by the rise of ISIS, which is unrivaled in its barbarism. It is hard to find the words to describe it, but we need to avoid looking away. At a minimum, even if we cannot do anything, we must at least keep informed of what is happening. One day when we look back and wonder why more was not done, at least none of us should dare to say, “Well, I didn’t know.” In addition to the sheer brutality of ISIS, we must appreciate the historical catastrophe that this destruction also represents. First, there is the destruction of ancient statues and temples, historical treasures gone forever. Second, and more importantly, there is the destruction of living communities of ancient pedigree, Christian, Yazidi, and other communities that persisted in Iraq for centuries or millennia before being wiped off the map by ISIS. These historical (and historic) losses do not compare to the enormous human tragedy brought about by ISIS’s rapacious and murderous advance, but neither must they be overlooked.

What went ye out to see?

What went ye out to see? | Aleteia.orgFISHER: “What went ye out to see?” asks Jesus of the crowds who came to see John the Baptist. Here’s a painting of John by Matt Clark, one of my favorite living Christian artists. (You can find my short interview with Clark here, and here is his blog, his Instagram page, his Pinterest page)

I hadn’t been planning to start running Christmas art until Thursday, but I got this one this morning, and I had to show you. It’s so simple, so lucid, so urgent and direct. (And I have never seen a scroll wrapped around a prophet’s beard before, but now that I’ve seen it, I don’t know why I haven’t seen it before.)

Jesus asks a good question — really the only good question — as we hurry through the final days before Christmas. Why are we doing this? What are we hoping for? And what have we done to prepare?

‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel': For 2015, a muted Christmas in the Holy Land

NCRegister | ‘Come, O Come, Emmanuel': Muted Christmas in the Holy LandCHABIN: Despite the ever-present threat of violence simmering just below the surface in a land brimming with cultural and religious significance, the mood was nevertheless upbeat in the town of Jesus Christ’s birth.

Vendors at the annual Christmas Market in Manger Square, held across the street from the Church of the Nativity, faced a steady stream of shoppers, mostly Christians, who spent a long time mingling with family and friends in the winter sun. Nearly two dozen booths sold a wide assortment of gifts, from hand-embroidered purses to Christmas decorations.

There was no Ur-Gospel

There Was No Ur-Gospel | Catholic AnswersKEATING: Some years ago the mail brought me the latest issues of World, an Evangelical biweekly, and the Christian Research Institute’s Journal, a bimonthly from the ministry that airs “The Bible Answer Man” radio program.

I had to laugh as I placed the magazines side by side on my desk. It was a case of an editor’s worst nightmare: the covers were nearly identical, each touting a breakthrough story on the “Pensacola outpouring,” an emotion-laden and, apparently, lucrative mega-revival at an Assemblies of God Church in Florida.

Not only were the main stories the same, but the cover photographs were of the same preacher—and the photograph on the cover of the Journal appeared also on the lead page of the story inside World.

Catholic thoughts on “A Christmas Carol”

Catholic Thoughts on A Christmas Carol - Crisis MagazineGRONDELSKI: Charles Dickens’s 1843 Christmas Carol was the beginning of a series of annual “Christmas books” that were very popular gifts in the Victorian era. But while many today treat A Christmas Carol as a child’s holiday story, it is anything but … and it makes many Catholic points.

Some might disagree. Jesus is only obliquely mentioned (e.g., Marley laments why he failed to follow the “blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode”) and religion is worn lightly (e.g., a Christmas service is only mentioned as the place from which Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim return while, otherwise, there’s a whole lot of eating going on). Perhaps, on a superficial level, the explicitly religious is practically absent, but that’s not to say there are not religious lessons to be learned from the Carol. Here are four.

Priest who died on the Titanic could be on path to sainthood

Priest who died on the Titanic could be on path to sainthood :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): When the Titanic began to sink on April 15, 1912, Father Thomas Byles had two opportunities to board a lifeboat.

But he forewent those opportunities, according to passengers aboard the sinking ocean liner, in order to hear confessions and offer consolation and prayers with those who were trapped aboard. �

Now, a priest at the former church of Fr. Byles in England is asking that his beatification cause be opened.

Christmas rereads: My yearly literary wellness check

Christmas Rereads: My Yearly Literary Wellness Check | One Thousand Words a WeekBECKER: As we drove home last evening, my daughter laid down a challenge of Copernican proportions: “Can we watch ‘White Christmas’ before New Year’s Eve this year?” Cecilia was planning an overnight with her friends to watch the ball drop, but she didn’t want to miss out on our family’s quirky annual cinematic mismatch.

“But it’s tradition,” I argued – case closed. For reasons that are clouded by decades of obscure family lore reaching back to my Boulder, Colorado (read: quirky) childhood, we’ve always reserved the Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye spectacular for December 31st.

No doubt you have your own movie rituals this time of year: “Home Alone” and “Christmas Story,” “Wonderful Life”and “34th Street,” and apparently the first “Die Hard” for some (though not for us – not yet anyway.)

Even Catholics are tempted by fake Syrian passports

Even Catholics Are Tempted by Fake Syrian Passports |Blogs | NCRegister.comGAETAN: I learned the step-by-step of buying a fake Syrian passport from my burly and bearded taxi driver, George, while jammed in Beirut traffic on Thanksgiving.

George, age 26, is from Lebanon’s agricultural heartland, the Beqaa Valley, the only boy of six children. He’s no refugee; he’s never left his homeland.

But the Beqaa Valley, bordering Syria, has taken a heavy economic hit from Lebanon’s generosity: Over 1.5 million “visitors” are stuffed into a country half the size of New Jersey.

To make more money, George decided to take the trip north to Turkey, cross the Aegean Sea to Greece, and get to Germany—as a Syrian refugee.

Greg Burke's appointment signals beginning of Vatican communications reform

Greg Burke's Appointment Signals Beginning of Communications Reform |Blogs | NCRegister.comPENTIN: After an eighteen-month study and seeking the advice of media experts on reforming the Vatican’s media operation, three Vatican appointments over the past couple of days have signaled the beginning of those reforms.

The Holy See announced today that St. Louis native and former Register and Fox News correspondent Greg Burke is to become the new vice director of the Holy See Press Office, replacing San Marino Passionist Father Ciro Benedettini who has served in the role for 20 years.

Pope Emeritus Benedict makes rare public appearance to thank visiting Bavarians

Pope Emeritus Makes Rare Appearance to Thank Visiting Bavarians |Blogs | NCRegister.comPENTIN: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has made a rare public appearance to thank civil and ecclesiastical authorities from Bavaria for donating this year’s Vatican Christmas tree.

Speaking to the dignitaries outside his Mater Ecclesiae residence in the Vatican on Friday (see video here), Benedict said the lighting of the 82 foot spruce represents the light of God’s friendship to mankind which, he stressed, was especially important at this time.

The doors are open to refugees and reverts. Cue the serpents and doves...

The doors are open to refugees and reverts. Cue the serpents and doves. | Aleteia.orgFISHER: Here’s a fascinating story from the NYT: Norway offers migrants a lesson in how to treat women. It’s not about filtering out terrorists or screening for infiltrators; this is an article about modifying the behavior of people who are who they say they are, and who, because of the accident of birth, behave like aliens because they are aliens. These men have to be taught, very explicitly, that they’re expected to treat women well, and not like objects.

Christmas enables us to “see” our salvation

Father James V. Schall, S.J. | Catholic PulseSCHALL: The question often comes up: "But what then is Christmas?" In a multicultural, hypersensitive, relativistic society, the question itself is obnoxious to many people. There is no "joy to the world" for them. Not only do they not want to know what Christmas is, but they also do not want to be reminded that Christmas is, in fact, something fundamental to each human person, regardless of whether that person knows it or likes it.

Christmas commemorates a birthday. A birthday is the day on which a living child is born and continues life outside the mother's womb. Once breathing on his or her own, this same child can expect to develop to full manhood or womanhood in twenty or thirty years. This full life will continue with its own drama unto death, which can happen at any point along the way but sometimes lasts into the traditional "four score years and ten" or beyond. It is during this span of life that each person decides what he or she will be — forever.

It's true. All of it. The Dark Side. The Church. They're real...

Use the Force: A Catholic Strategy for Star WarsFITZPATRICK: You probably have if you live with young people. Having gained control over the galactic Star Wars empire for 4.5 billion dollars from George Lucas, Disney has launched the eagerly awaited seventh episode of the generation-spanning franchise. No need to have a bad feeling about this article just yet. (If you have one, I find your lack of faith disturbing.) This piece will not push a pious Catholic interpretation on a swashbuckling space opera. Nor will it moralize the saga’s pseudo-mythical themes so that movie-goers may be edified by the random laser-blasts of pop culture. Move along. This is not the article you’re looking for. Instead, it looks to often overlooked opportunities that modern manias like Star Wars afford when it comes to winning the hearts of our children. Anyone who has contact with and concern for youngsters itching to experience the new installment of Star Wars should not miss the chance to share this popcorn experience, and use it to build up a rapport that can introduce and influence important experiences.

Never forget that God Himself chose “to be born for to die”

The Crib and the Cross | Word On FireGRUNOW: A friend of mine gathered her family together to trim the tree, and to accompany the festive occasion, she asked her husband to put on some Christmas music. He did, but mistakenly entered “holiday” when selecting an iTunes radio station, and soon the family was decking the halls to the sound of Madonna’s “Holiday”- definitely not the Christmas song that my friend had in mind. This story led our team to speculate as to the differences in Christmas songs, noting the distinction of a Christmas hymn (written specifically for a liturgical setting), a Christmas Carol (a folksong that expresses the revelation of Christ’s birth) and a holiday song (the example being Mariah Carey warbling that all she wants for Christmas is “you”). When asked if I had a favorite “song of the season,” I cited the haunting Appalachian carol, I Wonder as I Wander...

Are you a turtle or a chameleon?

Christmas: Witnessing to ChristLOPEZ: That’s the question that came to mind as Hugh Hewitt announced during Tuesday night’s Republican debate that families and friends might be sitting around on Christmas Day talking about that gathering of the GOP candidates for president. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, and it might even be useful in terms of political analysis and civic engagement — if it weren’t cause for indigestion. But the prospect brought to mind what we might not be talking about at tables around the country — whom we might not have in our prayers. That includes “the reason for the season” — as many a button and bumper sticker puts it — and those who today die in His name, simply because they believe in Him and know nothing more valuable than living for Him and following His lead.

3 simple ways to sanctify Christmas day

3 Simple Ways to Sanctify Christmas Day | Philip KosloskiKOSLOSKI: Oddly enough I have discovered that one of the hardest days of the year to keep holy is Christmas day. While it is a joyous day to spend with family, it is very difficult to maintain a spirit of prayer. It is too easy to get caught-up in all the excitement over presents and entirely miss the “reason for the season.” To combat that distraction, I have found 3 simple ways to sanctify Christmas day and keep my soul focused on the “Christ” in Christmas.

See how old every building in the Big Apple is with this interactive map

Pure Information: Data via PLUTO and OpenStreetMap. Made using TileMill by MapBox. Inspired by Justin Palmer's Portland map and BKLYNR's Brooklyn map.
Some dates are estimates...

The Comedy of Christmas brings laughter, even in this vale of tears and its veil of fears

The Comedy of Christmas - The Imaginative ConservativePEARCE: This past semester at Aquinas College in Nashville, I have had the joy of teaching a whole course on the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. A few weeks ago we were discussing the moral dilemma faced by Frodo and Sam when, on separate occasions, in order to avoid the accursed Ring being captured by the Enemy, they choose to put it on, a thing to be avoided at (almost) all costs. I tell my students that this choice presents us with a moral dilemma because it seems that the hobbits are putting on the Ring (an evil act) to prevent the Ring from being taken by the Enemy (an evil consequence that will follow if the evil act is not committed). What, I asked my students, should we do if we find ourselves facing a choice between two evils? In answer, one of my students quipped that Americans face such a choice every four years. The class laughed heartily, as did I.

3 ways Evangelical Protestants turn Catholic every Christmas

3 Ways Evangelical Protestants Curiously Turn Catholic Every Christmas | ChurchPOPMILLEGAN: For some Protestants, these points won’t apply because they share these devotional practices with Catholics all year round.

But for other Protestants, mostly evangelicals and fundamentalists, who are normally very critical of Catholic devotional practices, here is some friendly food for thought.

Here are three ways they seem to curiously “turn Catholic” every Christmas...

8 really big stories from “Seasons of Grace” in 2015

LOOKING BACK: Eight Really Big Stories from “Seasons of Grace”SCHIFFER: What do readers want in a good Catholic blog? As the year draws to a close, I’ve taken a few minutes this week to look back at what on this blog, exactly, elicited the most interest from my readers.
Can you equate pageviews with quality? I don’t think so.
Is the most popular article also the most important? Not necessarily.
But looking back at the top stories of the last year (or the last five years) can be a great parlor game, a fun-packed trip down Memory Lane. It’s with that carefree attitude that I pulled up some stories that drew a lot of attention when they were first published. From the 3 1/2 million pageviews I’ve earned since my blog migrated to Patheos in 2012, here’s my list of if-not-great-then-at-least-interesting posts from the first half of the decade

Some perspective from a Boston Catholic who still loves and serves the Church

Perspective from a Boston Catholic who still loves and serves the Church — Finding Christ[in]a StoryKLEEHAMMER: If you happened to drive down Route 9 in Wellesley, Massachusetts any time back in the 90's, it would have been hard to miss St. James the Great Catholic Church at 900 Worcester St. However, if you drove by there today, you would definitely miss it. Sold to the city by the Archdiocese of Boston, the parish buildings were torn down earlier this year. The lot stands vacant, waiting to be turned into a park, maybe a skating rink, some kind of recreational facility for the Greater Boston community.

11 magically beautiful European Christmas markets

11 Magically Beautiful European Christmas Markets | ChurchPOP: Few things can bring that nostalgic Christmas feeling like a good old fashioned Christmas market!

In no particular order, here are 11 of the most magically beautiful Christmas markets from around Europe.

The myth of the pagan origins of Christmas

The Myth of the Pagan Origins of Christmas | Intellectual Takeout: It’s generally accepted that early Christians adopted December 25th as the day of Christ’s birth to co-opt the pagan celebration of the winter solstice. Some believe this fact undermines Christianity.

But according to Professor William Tighe, this “fact” may actually be a myth.

Based on his extensive research, Tighe argues that the December 25th date “arose entirely from the efforts of early Latin Christians to determine the historical date of Christ’s death.” He also goes so far as to claim that the December 25th pagan feast of the “'Birth of the Unconquered Sun'… was almost certainly an attempt to create a pagan alternative to a date that was already of some significance of Roman Christians.”

Pope Francis taps an American as spokesman in communications shakeup

Pope Francis taps an American as spokesman in communications shakeup | CruxALLEN: In moves that clearly seem to afford English-speaking communications officials in the Vatican greater influence and visibility, Pope Francis has named two key aides to new roles, including putting the first American in line eventually to serve as his personal spokesman.

On Monday, the Vatican announced that Greg Burke, a former Time magazine and Fox News correspondent in Rome who has served as senior communications adviser to the Secretariat of State since 2012, has been named the new vice director of the Holy See Press Office.

Although the announcement did not say so explicitly, it’s believed that the appointment sets Burke up as heir apparent to the Rev. Federico Lombardi, the 73-year-old Jesuit who’s headed the press office and acted as spokesman for both Popes Benedict XVI and Francis since 2006.

What's the one big thing keeping you from being closer to God?

What’s the One Big Thing Keeping You From Being Closer to God? |Blogs | NCRegister.comGRESS: As Christmas is rapidly approaching, many of us get swept away in the rush and flurry of preparations. Advent, however, offers us a unique opportunity to find silence and look carefully at our own spiritual lives. The short days, the crisp air and a heavy sense of waiting can prod us into finding a quiet space—even just for a half hour—to look at our faith and ask a few simple questions: Is our relationship with Christ as deep or as I would like? Do I connect with him on a daily, hourly, even on a minute-by- minute basis? Do I feel his presence in my life? Do I yearn to be closer to him?

The only real use for money is to help get you to Heaven

The Only Real Use for Money is to Help Get You to Heaven |Blogs | NCRegister.comSHEA: It is a well-known fact that people start to tense up when the Church begins teaching about that most sacred thing we keep in our pants.� I speak, of course, of our wallets.

And not, by the way, just us laypeople.� Almost every priest I have ever known absolutely dreads having to discuss money.� And that makes their job pretty rough since Jesus speaks more about money than about any other subject.� He not only has plenty to say about the rich and the poor, but he constantly uses money to illustrate his parables.� They are chock full of people being paid, or owing debts, or being forgiven debts, or investing, or blowing, or hiding money.� He himself has no money as a rule (which is why he has to borrow a coin to talk about rendering to Caesar) and he radiates a distrust and disapproval of having to touch the stuff more than you might have to handle uranium 235, except for the same purpose: to get rid of it for some useful purpose while always being conscious that it might blow up in your face if you start to worship it.� Mammon is, emphatically for Jesus, a rival god.� Almost his whole counsel regarding money is “Be as generous as you can be with it, since the only real use for it is helping you get to heaven.”

The story of the first Christmas carol in North America and the saint who wrote it

The Story of the First Christmas Carol in North America and the Saint Who Wrote It |Blogs | NCRegister.comMATTARCHBOLD: Saint Jean de Brebeuf was born in France in 1593 and became a Jesuit missionary who arrived in North America in 1625 on a mission to evangelize Native Americans.

Amazingly, he lived among the Huron people for over 15 years. In order to help the Huron understand Christmas, he wrote a verse in the language of the Huron and coupled it with a traditional French tune. This was the first Christmas Carol of North America and it has become known as "The Huron Carol."

Pope's annual message to Roman Curia: “We are servants, not messiahs”

Whispers in the Loggia: "We Are Servants, Not Messiahs" – At Curial Christmas, Pope's Call To Action... and the "Pharmacy"PALMO: Always one of the most anticipated speeches of the Vatican calendar – at least, over the last two pontificates – after delivering a searing diagnosis of "15 diseases" to the superiors of the Roman Curia at last year's traditional Christmas "greeting," this time around the Pope (while battling a flu that kept him seated) chose to focus on "antibiotics" to fight the illnesses which, he said, remained "evident" in the ranks through 2015.

Amid the ongoing specter of "Vatileaks II" – and, indeed, a course of remaking the church's central government which has proceeded much more slowly than expected – Francis pledged to his principal collaborators that "the reform will move forward with determination, clarity, and firm resolve." The heart of the address, however, was – in an return of the format he employed in closing October's Synod – an acrostic "catalogue" of 24 necessary virtues for effective service in the church, a slate shaped from the word "Misericordia": in English, "mercy," a nod to the Extraordinary Jubilee Year now underway across the global church.

The myth and magic of ‘Star Wars’: Is it over?

The myth and magic of ‘Star Wars’: Is it over? | CruxGREYDANUS: If the “Star Wars” juggernaut survived the widely disappointing prequel trilogy — not to mention controversy over the sometimes unpopular “Special Edition” revisions, most notoriously the “Han shot first” debate — can anything kill it?

By the most empirical of measures, it doesn’t look like it. From another angle, one could equally ask: At this late date, can anything revive “Star Wars”?

Yes, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” directed by J. J. Abrams, will be a monster hit; not only will it break box office records, it will break records for breaking records.

Fans, including critics of the prequels, will be generally be deliriously happy. In the company of old friends — Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo — not seen in more than 30 years, they will find balm for their wounds.

In India and across Asia, Christians are targeted for their faith

In India and across Asia, Christians are targeted for their faith | CruxALLEN: To this day, Kanaka Rekha Nayak still cannot describe what happened to her husband, Parikhit, seven years ago without tears.

An orgy of violence had swept the eastern Indian district of Kandhamal in August 2008 after the slaying of a local Hindu leader was erroneously blamed on the Christian minority, and Nayak’s family of four was caught in it.

They fled to a forest near their village of Tiangia Budedipade and hid for two days, but were found by one of the mobs of Hindu radicals rampaging the countryside. Learning the Nayaks were Baptist Christians, the assailants threw a bicycle chain around Parikhit’s neck and dragged him more than a mile back to town.

Pope Francis: Let us feel the wonder of meeting Jesus Christ, 'the great gift of God'

Pope Francis: let's feel the wonder of meeting Jesus Christ, 'the great gift of God' :: Catholic News Agency (CNA): Ahead of Christmas, Pope Francis spoke on the surprise of God and his great gift in sending Jesus Christ to save mankind.

“God gives us all of Himself by giving His one and only Son, who is all his joy – and only with the heart of Mary, the humble and poor daughter of Zion, become the Mother of the Son of the Most High, that we can rejoice and be glad for the great gift of God and for His unpredictable surprise.”

The Pope prayed that the Virgin Mary may help us to “perceive the wonder.”

“So let it be with the birth of Jesus – the gift of gifts – the undeserved gift that brings us salvation, that it might also make us feel this wonder in meeting Jesus,” the pontiff said Dec. 20.