Good St Nicholas, Help us prepare for the miracle of the coming of Jesus. Help us not to be blind to the gifts of getting ready. Help us be sincere in the greetings we send and receive, with love and prayer. Kind St. Nicholas, protect us from shoppers’ fatigue, stress, overspending, yet help us to be kind and generous of heart to all, especially those who are alone, poor and fearful. May our celebration of your feast lead others to... Read more
For some, it’s a gift of hope and an answered prayer. From the Reading Eagle in Pennsylvania: Sitting in Reading’s Inter-City Bus Terminal on Tuesday night, Thomas Coates Jr. was out of work and out of hope. Then, out of the blue, a stranger sat next to him and restored his faith in human kindness. Identifying himself only as Secret Santa, the stranger handed Coates two crisp $100 bills and wished him a Merry Christmas. Coates, 36, who lives in... Read more
This may be a first: A Red Bull Crashed Ice extreme sports event is going to be staged on the steps of the Cathedral of St. Paul come January. The event, which is referred to as a “downhill ice cross,” pits international competitors skating down a specially designed ice ramp. To see a video of the competition, visit RedBullCrashedIce.com Then imagine the picturesque view of the Cathedral of St. Paul behind the racers. Months of planning meetings with the City... Read more
She’s the widow of a classmate of mine, Jim Hynes, and her story begins this report in the Wall Street Journal about how spiritual care is increasingly a part of health care: Doctors and nurses were preparing Kathleen Hynes for a stem-cell transplant at Long Island’s North Shore University Hospital last June when she asked them to page another member of the medical team—hospital chaplain Kimberli Lile. Ms. Hynes, a 53-year old cancer patient, wanted the chaplain to bless the... Read more
For those who may have missed it, the great Fr. Greg Boyle (shown above) is about to become the first religious figure inducted in the California Hall of Fame — alongside such luminaries as The Beach Boys, Buzz Aldrin and Magic Johnson. On top of that, Fr. Greg is also a finalist for the Opus Prize: The Opus Prize is given annually to recognize unsung heroes of any faith tradition, anywhere in the world. This $1 million faith-based humanitarian award and... Read more
His faith has played a prominent role in his candidacy — and could be part of his growing appeal among religious conservatives. Huffington Post takes a closer look: As former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich’s starcontinues to rise ahead of GOP Republican primaries, he has had less time for what in recent years has become a calming, soothing Sunday tradition: sitting in the pews at the cavernous National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, praying to Jesus and... Read more
Once again, they’ve erected a stunning nativity scene in Graz, Austria, sculpted from ice: The life-size sculptures of Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the three kings have been handmade by Gert J. Hoedl and his international team, using 54 tons of ice. The scene shows the Virgin Mary cradling baby Jesus, while Joseph looks on. The three kings are seen bearing gifts, while the scene is adorned with angels and stars. The clear sculptures are lit up with coloured lights to... Read more
A few of them are savvy about digital media and aren’t shy about using it. From AFP: As the Vatican’s top culture man, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi breaks off from his rounds at least once a day to shoot off a tweet to his followers, either snappy quotes from the Bible, famous philosophers and dons, or details about art festivals, all designed to keep religion relevant for a younger generation. “The concise and pithy language of Twitter can teach religious communication... Read more
It seems some of us are just hard-wired to be more contrite, according to one study: A new study suggests that specific personality traits offer clues about whether a person is likely to offer a mea culpa. Psychologist Andrew Howell and his colleagues at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton devised a questionnaire to measure a person’s willingness to beg someone’s pardon. They asked participants to indicate their level of agreement with a series of statements, such as “My continued anger... Read more
Well, here’s an answered prayer. After weeks of waiting and wondering, I’m delighted to report that the folks behind the excellent Liturgy of the Hours app, Divine Office, have just released a version for the Kindle Fire. It’s been available for iPad and Android phones for a while; I have it on my EVO smartphone, and it’s superb: clear, hassle-free, easy to navigate and read. Now, in the larger form for a Kindle Fire, it’s more breviary-sized and reader-friendly. It ... Read more
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