There’s a 93-year old, 100-foot-tall Norway Spruce in St. Peter’s Square these days. It’s the Vatican’s Christmas tree for this year. The spruce, along with 50 other trees, have been donated by the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone. Speaking to a delegation from the diocese, the Pope says the tree is a significant symbol of the light ...read more

In the latest encounter of Nothing More Beautiful, Hamilton, Ontario’s Bishop Douglas Crosby, OMI, offers the catechesis talk.  He shares a story from a retreat he was directing for students and professors at a university in Eastern Canada.  The story begins: At noon we celebrated Mass in the boardroom. The room was packed, people standing ...read more

Whether we like it or not, gift-giving has become characteristic of how we celebrate Christmas. When someone asks us “are you ready for Christmas?”, we automatically translate this to “do you have all of your shopping done?” Somehow, the message behind giving a gift has been lost in the exchange; the language has been distorted ...read more

Salt + Light Television presents a series of blogs reflecting on Advent and Christmas by Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto, Bishop William McGrattan, and Salt + Light CEO Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB.  The series will look at Mary, Joseph, the Word Made Flesh, and the Magi, and will be spread over the next two weeks.  We ...read more

Rita Sawaya's - Advent 2010 on Maui - Hawai'i. ...read more

We all have dreams. We all have goals. But  how many of us would say we are on a mission? But, yes, ultimately, that’s what we’re doing here on earth: carrying on the mission of Christ.On this upcoming episode of Word for Word, we meet a couple who embraced mission work as part of their ...read more

There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ. There is nothing more beautiful than to know Him and to speak to others of our friendship with him. Those words are from Pope Benedict XVI’s homily at the Mass inaugurating his Pontificate It’s also the inspiration for ...read more

Yesterday morning, one of my colleagues came looking for advice from the S+L producers. As a parent facilitating a children’s catechism class, she wanted to know how to get kids excited about the spiritual meaning of Christmas. Soon, we were able to extract the root problem: she wasn’t feeling very enthusiastic about it herself. I ...read more

I remember as a kid watching Christmas music videos on December 25th.  Among those videos was one tune that I couldn’t believe was considered a Christmas song.  To me the singing was bizarre: a kind of slurred, harsh barking; contrasted by a more melodious female voice.  The content of the song, hardly struck me as ...read more

I know your works. You have the name of being alive, and you are dead. Awake, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep that, and repent. That is an ...read more