BLOG: Advent and Christmas,Family LIfe,
Read the message of His Holiness Pope Francis from Pontifical Council for Social Communications on the 49th World Communications Day: the importance of the family as ‘environment in which we learn to communicate’. Pontifical Council for Social Communications  49th World Communications Day 2015 Message of His Holiness Pope Francis The family is a subject of profound ...read more
Below is the prepared text of the homily Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley delivered at the March for Life Vigil Mass celebrated at the Basilica of the immaculate Conception in Washignton D.C. Jan. 21, 2015. There is a popular diner near the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. One of the items on the menu is called ...read more
Recently I heard a talk by Julie and Greg Alexander of The Alexander House which helps parishes strengthen their marriage ministry or to help build a foundation to create one. Greg says that the turning point for their marriage when it was in crisis was a priest who asked them to consider God’s plan for ...read more
In the past week, I’ve been trying to imagine what our world would be like had Jesus never been born. (Check out part 1 and part 2) It’s easy to say that The Church would not exist or that we would have no Pope. There would be no priests, deacons, religious sisters or brothers, nor ...read more
Last time, I was imagining a world without Christmas. That would mean no Christmas music and no Christmas movies.  But a world without Jesus would mean much more to our popular culture. After watching the screen adaptation of Les Miserables two years ago,  I couldn’t help but thinking that this novel would be very different had Jesus not ...read more
While I dislike having to listen to Christmas music as early as November 25th, I do like that once a year radio stations all over don’t seem to have a problem playing music that mentions the name of Jesus or that glorifies God. This year, listening to Christmas music early in December I found myself ...read more
In 2007 I was a fresh-faced reporter at a diocesan newspaper. My editor assigned me to write a piece on the history of the nativity scene. I tracked down a priest and professor of church history and set off interview him about the history of the nativity scene. I did not do a Google search ...read more
Pope Francis’ ‘Urbi et Orbi’ Address on Christmas Day 2014 Dear Brothers and Sisters, Happy Christmas! Jesus, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, is born for us, born in Bethlehem of a Virgin, fulfilling the ancient prophecies. The Virgin’s name is Mary, the wife of Joseph. Humble people, full of hope in ...read more
In the Jubilee Year of 2000, John Paul II made a very insightful statement.  He said: “Our Christian witness would be hopelessly inadequate if we ourselves had not first contemplated the face of the Lord.”  The same might be said of our fully entering into the Christmas season. Christmas is a time in which we ...read more