Category: Christmas

  • The Wait is Almost Over!

    “I can’t take waiting any more!” My nine-year-old son emphatically announced. “I want to open my presents.” “But that is what Advent is for. It is a time of waiting,” I responded, attempting to reinforce a bit of religious instruction in the midst of the whining. “Advent is twenty-eight days of torture!” I don’t think […]

  • The Santa Club

    I know that some people don’t allow their children to believe in the Santa myth for a variety of reasons. My parents fell into this category. But, when my children were little, I decided to allow them to enjoy that magic while making sure that they were truly aware that the true reason for Christmas […]

  • The Gifts we Bring

    At Mass this Sunday, the Epiphany was reenacted. Three men from our parish community served as the three wise men; their children accompanying them, serving as pages. They laid their three gifts before the statue of the Christ child: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Those are unusual gifts for a baby. I’m sure many of you […]

  • It’s Hard to Be Patient

    The second reading for this week (James 5:7-10) exhorts us to be patient in waiting for the coming of the Lord. James urges us to look at the example of farmers who must wait for the fruit of the earth. This is a good example. Some things, such as the growing of food, or a […]

  • Book Review: “Shepherd’s Abiding”

    Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon New York: Penguin Group, 2003 I recently returned to the world of Mitford and indulged in Jan Karon’s “Shepherd’s Abiding,” a touching Christmas story featuring Episcopal priest Fr. Timothy Kavanaugh. I am a fan of the Mitford series and have read many of the books, however one could pick this […]

  • Who is Jesse and Why Should We Care About His Tree?

    The past few years, my children and I have put up a Jesse Tree to mark the days of Advent. Looking at our various Advent traditions and feeling a bit overwhelmed by them all, I thought I might skip it this year. My children had a different plan. In fact, in Church on the 1st […]

  • Book Review: Christmas is About Jesus

    Christmas is About Jesus: An Advent Devotional by Mukkove Johnson Tate Publishing, 2009 It might seem a bit early to be thinking about Christmas, but Advent will be here before we know it, along with all the hustle and bustle that goes along with that time of year. “Christmas is About Jesus” is a lovely […]

  • Merry Christmas

    Wishing you all a very blessed Christmas.

  • The Gift of the Tree

    An evergreen sapling stood in the crowded wood, a gentle layer of snow caressing its branches. It was much smaller than the tall stately firs that surrounded it and felt well-protected by their presence. It was safe there; it knew no harm would come to it. The small tree gladly welcomed the birds that would […]

  • Time to Get Excited!

    Christmas is right around the corner. While time is flying by too quickly as far as I am concerned, it is dragging painfully slowly for my children. My boys (ages 8 1/2 and 7) are literally bursting with excitement. Each day is one day closer to, as they put it, “The best day of the […]