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Equations of Christmas: What Does “X” Really Mean?
by Dr. Gary L. Welton
The term Xmas is an indirect reference to Christ.
Archive for December, 2013
Poem: “Veiled Love”
by Stacy Peterson
Veiled Love Love mysteriously veiled draws the lover into his mystery. In search of beauty hidden, she pursues him. Yet he nurtures romance, revealing only wisps of golden hair Blowing seductively, luring her with his scent. Fleeting romance, blushing faces, love unknown Remains mysterious, as the bud unfolds. Pricking her finger she recoils… Lover. Lover? […]
Three Ways to Cut Consumerism Out of Christmas
by Sr. Theresa Aletheia Noble
God’s love came to us in circumstances of radical poverty. The Creator of the universe was born in a stable, poor and homeless. How then has the preparation for the celebration of this miracle come to include Black Friday brawls and countless tips to reduce holiday induced stress? We blame stores for advertising Christmas in […]
A Mother Expecting: Parallel to Advent
by Denise Bossert
My due date was the 26th of December, but by Christmas Eve 1985, I was ready to be done with it. I stretched out on the bed and reluctantly prepared for another night of leg cramps and propped pillows. The Christmas presents were wrapped and ready. The Christmas cookies decorated. The overnight hospital bag was […]
The Advent of Virtue: Week Four
by Fathers for Good
This is it — we’ve reached the Fourth Week of Advent and the fourth virtue for this series. We will conclude with a final summary next week, but for now, please take the time to revisit the past three weeks here and enjoy this last reflection. WEEK FOUR (December 22-24): JUSTICE “Justice … consists in […]
Outraged, Anyone?
by David Monahan
Outrage is one of the more useless categories of contemporary discourse. In fact it is anti-discourse, but no one seems to mind. The media dutifully report that “Victims’ Groups are Outraged” whenever the sub-secretary to the Council of Victims of Bad Things logs onto his twitter account and proclaims his fury at highschool reading lists, […]
Long Lines and Other Christmas Hardships: Gifts from Above?
by Michele Marie
On a recent Saturday I went to the grocery store and took a number at the deli. They were on number 49. My number was 62. It was quite a crowd. Some people came in pairs, browsing in front of the glass displays as they waited for their turn, making it hard for me to […]
US Official Claims “Collective Understanding” of Pro-Abortion Language at UN
by Wendy Wright
A recent statement by a US Ambassador demonstrates the wide gulf that exists at the UN on the question of abortion. Ambassador Elizabeth Cousens told the executive board of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) that a series of recent meetings have “helped strengthen our collective understanding of reproductive rights.” It would likely surprise people on […]
The Memoirs of the Apostles: The Epistles of Saints James, Peter, John and Jude
by Rev. Tucker Cordani
The seven Catholic Epistles written by Saints James, Peter, John, and Jude form a small but integral portion of the New Testament. These letters have always interested me, ever since I learned about the epistolary genre of Scripture when I was a boy at Catholic school. I wonder how much attention these writings receive, written […]
The Christmas Story’s Best Supporting Actor
by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D.
by Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D. on Dec 21, 2013 in Catechesis, Columnists, Featured, Sunday Reflections 
In the drama of the incarnation, Jesus is, of course, the star. That’s the way it is at every birth. All eyes are on the baby. The co-star, though, is definitely mom. Without her love and labor, the event could not have happened. In this case, without mom’s faith it couldn’t have happened either. According […]
The Link Between Catechesis and Liturgy
by Kevin M. Tierney
From time to time in various debates about the liturgy, the principle of lex orandi lex credendi surfaces. While the Latin might be a little off putting, the Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the concept as follows: When the Church celebrates the sacraments, she confesses the faith received from the apostles – whence the ancient […]
Do We Want More Affordable Health Care? Then We Need To Leave Health Care To The Free Market
by Dr. Tracy C. Miller
by Dr. Tracy C. Miller on Dec 20, 2013 in Featured, Government & Politics, Law & Justice, The Economy
ACA only increases the problems.
Poem: “The Song of the Wolf”
by Katie Furman
The Song of the Wolf The old wolf saw the shining star That twinkled in the sky, He followed in it’s silver trail That led him by and by. To a poor and rustic stable Beyond the town’s far rim, Where something stirred His proud wild heart And seemed to beckon him. But when he […]
‘Miracle’ Healing of Unborn Baby Moves Pope Paul VI Closer to Sainthood
by Peter Baklinski
The extraordinary healing of a baby inside his mother’s womb has been declared medically “unexplainable” by top Vatican doctors, putting Pope Paul VI one step closer to being declared a saint by the Catholic Church. Seventeen years ago, doctors in California offered a woman abortion as the only possible solution for the abnormality detected in […]
Raising the Bar in Every Area of Life
by Trent Beattie
As a two-time NCAA Division I All-American and National Champion high jumper, Bill Thierfelder had long been accustomed to raising the bar in a literal sense. Now, he does so in a metaphorical way by promoting excellence and virtue in every aspect of life. In fact, each light post at Belmont Abbey College is adorned with a […]
Abortion: What if We Started to Listen?
by Beatrice Fedor
I came out of the abortion closet in 2008 and I sometimes deal with religious Pro-Lifers who consider that I have committed the unforgivable sin and who lecture me about the past (you were selfish, you should have kept your legs closed etc…). I also deal with secular Pro-Choicers telling me I’m Pro-Life because I’m […]
The Wise Virgin
by Genevieve Kineke
Who is she that comes forth like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in battle array? (Song of Solomon 6:10) Does that Scripture really refer to the sweet mother in our crèche? The adoring mother, demurely gazing at the Babe, surrounded by inquisitive shepherds and under […]
Spice Up Your Advent with “Driveway Dating”
by Christi
It’s that time of year again. It always seems to creep up on me, no matter how much I think I’m prepared. We had a peaceful start: we set up the Advent tree and wreath, and have even managed to start most mornings off with prayer and lighting the wreath. But I know that even […]
Judge’s Ruling Puts Polygamy on the Way to Legal Recognition
by Ben Johnson
A federal judge may have put polygamy on its first step to legal recognition, striking down part of a Utah law that criminalized plural marriage. The lawsuit was brought by Kody Brown, star of the TLC reality series Sister Wives. Brown lives with Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn, and their brood of 17 children. However, […]
The Elderly Who Are Isolated and Abandoned
by Terry McDermott
As I walked through the lobby of the assisted living facility, I saw him again – the elderly gentleman whom I had greeted three hours earlier. Had he been there all morning? I wondered. I was on patient rounds in the building that day, visiting the residents that staff had identified as needing to be […]
Republicans v. Conservatives
by Ken Connor
Given the magnitude of the Obamacare debacle, it’s hard to imagine how Republicans could manage to one-up the dysfunction and dissolution of the Democrat party. Much to the delight of the media, however, the GOP has managed to redirect the spotlight away from the train wreck of the Affordable Care Act in exchange for its […]
Heroes in the Season of Hope
by Fr. Shenan J. Boquet
by Fr. Shenan J. Boquet on Dec 18, 2013 in Contraception & Abortion, Featured, The Homosexual Agenda
This Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, we light the third candle of the Advent wreath. The rose-colored candle and the priests’ rose vestments mark a change in the tenor of this penitential season. For those who have been using Advent as a time to prepare heart and home for the celebration of Christ’s birth, it is a […]
