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Wednesday, September 17, 2025

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Holy Days

Advent

13 traditions for keeping an Advent attitude

Advent is the perfect time to make a retreat, and opportunities abound, whether it's overnight retreats, days of reflection, parish missions or evening events. Stepping away from the hustle and bustle is enticing, especially as we prepare our hearts for Christmas.
Advent

Four ways to follow St. Joseph this Advent

Socrates, in Plato's Apology, famously stated that "the unexamined life is not worth living." This axiom is certainly applicable to the spiritual life, and it is very relevant to one of our greatest patrons -- St. Joseph. It is worthwhile to examine the lessons St. Joseph has taught us and consider how we can carry these into the great season of Advent.
Advent

A hunger for God: Fasting in Advent

Once upon a time, fasting was an expectation.
Advent

Preparing your heart and home in Advent

"When we let the world know that there is more to the holiday than presents and decorations, we fulfill our mission as Christians to evangelize the world."
Advent

Holiday spending, Catholic style

As we move closer to winter, we anticipate the holidays and the fact that the New Year is just around the corner. When it comes to our responsibility as stewards of Providence during this special time, two important themes come to mind: preparing well for the coming of our Savior at Christmas and setting the stage for a financially successful year to come.
Holy Week/Easter

The definitive guide to Holy Week

What are you doing for Holy Week?
Featured

The Stations of the Cross help us make sense of suffering

Christians know the life of a disciple will not be easy. Christ did not mince words about this -- telling his disciples they must take on life's sufferings as in the form of capital punishment that would later be used to take his life: "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Lk 9:23).
Lent

Give alms and financially fast this Lent

In word and deed, Pope Francis continues to encourage Catholics to reach out to the poor and not succumb to a consumerist mentality where what we have is deemed more important than who we are. The season of Lent provides a special opportunity to take the Holy Father's words to heart and live them out more fully.
Christmas

A walk through the Christmas season

The Church's liturgical season of Christmas is one of its shortest, but also one of its most unique. Within it is the eight-day celebration of the Lord's Nativity -- known as the Christmas octave -- as well as other feasts pertaining to the manifestation that Jesus is Lord of the nations. And there are feasts of several saints, many of whose stories contain special significance to the season.
Christmas

Preventing the nightmare before Christmas

A friend -- we'll call her Barbara -- once confided to my husband and me: "I hate to admit this, but, deep in my gut, I'm dreading the holidays. Every year around this time my kids' behavior just disintegrates. Visiting with relatives is always the worst part. The kids are overstimulated at one house, then bored at another.
Christmas

Making spirits bright when you won’t be home for the holidays

It's no longer as simple as a sleigh ride through the woods to join the whole family at grandma's for Christmas Day. Nevertheless, many of us make a trek, sometimes several times annually, to celebrate our holidays together. These days, we battle traffic, hectic work schedules, kids' commitments, crowded airports and icy freeways to get there.
Advent

Sometimes called ‘little Lent,’ Advent zeros in on preparation, which can include penitence

For Kendra Tierney, a Catholic author and mother of 10, the Advent season leading up to Christmas is like preparing to give birth.
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