Seasons of Grace
What if Mary and Joseph lived today? Wouldn’t the Nativity story look something like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d9PBJVJGnU Read more
What if Mary and Joseph lived today? Wouldn’t the Nativity story look something like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d9PBJVJGnU Read more
This year, I’ve been shopping for a Nativity Set. I intended to give it as a gift to someone who doesn’t have one. I didn’t need a handmade ceramic one, or a signed Fontanini original—in fact, an inexpensive but unique crèche would just fit the bill. But this is what I’ve found: At Hallmark Cards, you can buy penguins and a coffee mug or a time capsule—but you can’t find Baby Jesus in the manger. At Target, you can top... Read more
December 14 is the birthday of an important woman in American politics, a United States Senator from Maine. Not Olympia Snowe, not Susan Collins—No, it’s the birthday of Senator Margaret Chase Smith. Born in Skowhegan, Maine, on December 14, 1897, Margaret Chase grew to be a talented young woman. She taught school in a one-room schoolhouse, worked as a telephone operator, and served as circulation manager for the Skowhegan newspaper, the Independent Reporter. She was an office worker in a... Read more
“I want to believe,” says Fox News’ John Stossel. “I see the peace and purpose it gives most of you who believe—and I tried. I just can’t.” Born of Jewish parents, then raised Protestant, Stossel is not steeled against religion—he just hasn’t experienced the spark of faith in his own life. By his own admission, he’s gone to churches and temples; but he just hasn’t been convinced that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. In the video... Read more
The babe in the manger is a girl named Hope. Joseph (er, “Jose”) is an illegal immigrant looking for a job in the U.S. Mary (“Maura”) is a teenage runaway who fled her Connecticut home after her parents became upset upon discovering her pregnancy. The Angel Gabriel, nicknamed “Gabe,” is a homeless black man. The reinterpreted Nativity, its characters hewn by chainsaw artist Michael Higgins, stands in Tiverton Four Corners, Rhode Island. The unconventional display was conceived by Bill Sterritt,... Read more
“The fruit of silence is prayer; the fruit of prayer is faith; the fruit of faith is love; the fruit of love is service; the fruit of service is peace.” –Mother Teresa, founder of the Missionaries of Charity When I was invited to review a book on “Catholic Spiritual Practices” for the Patheos Book Club, how could I say no? It was an opportunity, I realized, to grow in intimacy with God during this Advent season: to deepen my faith... Read more
UPDATE: Tom Loewe, co-host of the wonderful “Notes From Above” show on Ave Maria Radio, offered some great insights into the life of Dave Brubeck. If you’re a jazz fan, you won’t want to miss Tom’s tribute show this week! Details below about Brubeck’s life and music from Tom himself. Brubeck was, and will always be, one of the great icons of Jazz. He was the first Jazz artist to sell a million records with “Take Five” back in 1959... Read more
Sometimes for a woman, the Urgent is the enemy of the Important. Amid the cacophony of family life—the homework, the laundry, the dishes, the after-school football practice—it’s a temptation for a mother to simply overlook the really important part of her day, her relationship with Christ. For the 75 percent of American women who also work outside the home, the challenge is compounded by the distraction of daily job pressures. Whatever a woman’s station in life—single, married with children, or... Read more
Today, December 6, is the birthday of Joyce Kilmer. Alfred Joyce Kilmer (December 6, 1886 – July 30, 1918) was an American journalist, poet, literary critic, and editor. He was considered the leading Catholic poet and lecturer of his generation, and was compared to G.K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc. He died too young, at age 31, leaving his fans to wonder what else he might have accomplished had he lived. A sergeant in the 165th U.S. Infantry Regiment during World War I,... Read more
Last month in Orlando, eight-year-old Jillian Thomas was bit by a dolphin, suffering three dime-sized puncture wounds to the wrist. Jillian’s father was filming her as she fed fish to the dolphins at Sea World’s Dolphin Cove. He was still filming as the dolphin leaped out of the water toward the plate of fish she held in the air, and chomped firmly on her arm. That video has played again and again on television news shows and on the Internet... Read more
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