by Judy Clark
The Situation
Tom and Maribeth are college sweethearts married 29 years. They feel they have a stable marriage that has involved raising four children. It has been a wild ride of parenthood with a few hair-raising experiences. Still, they both agree that all four have been successfully launched into adulthood. And now that their youngest has recently married, they are truly an “empty nest” marriage, not just the “shifting nest” of college years and a few years beyond.
Everything about the young girl named Bernadette Soubirous spoke of humility. If anyone had told her struggling parents how widely her name would become known, they never would have believed it. Yet it was this simple, virtually uneducated girl who had been chosen to receive the highest of privileges.
By Kathleen Beckman
Scripture reminds us, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). Christ chose the Twelve (Apostles) to do the same.
Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
In the past two weeks, the Catholic faithful have been handed a plate full of truly revolting fodder – a group of Catholic high schoolers were left undefended while being unjustly skewered by the press, and a so-called “Catholic” governor got away with a mere slap on the wrist for imposing a barbaric abortion law. Who wouldn’t be low on morale after being forced to swallow such disgusting fare?
By Ellen Mongan
Every Christian faith walk takes you on a journey; journeys where you are asked to take Jesus’s nail-scarred hand and trust Him to lead you. Jesus leads you to the very heart of our loving Heavenly Father.
The gentle bishop of Geneva, St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), whose feast day is today, taught the faithful many things about the interior life – not least of which is the need to learn how to be patient with ourselves.
Each year around this time, reality hits with a dull thud. Decorations have been taken down and stored away. Living rooms have that bare, denuded look that only the departure of a festive tree can create. Those much-anticipated gifts – the ones that haven’t been returned, that is – have already lost their luster.
Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
A new poll, which found that seven out of 10 young voters support restrictions on abortion, is giving pro-life women the perfect opportunity to use their feminine genius to open the eyes of young women to the truth about U.S. abortion law that is too often hidden behind “reproductive rights” misinformation.
The feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord, traditionally celebrated on January 6th, marks the closing out of the Twelve Days of Christmas. In centuries past, some European countries formulated an annual ritual performed on this day, to bless parishioners’ homes at the start of the New Year. While it is not widely practiced, the Blessing of Homes on Epiphany is still celebrated in many Christian traditions.
On this feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, let us be reminded that the “dawn from on high” that broke upon us nine days ago is still with us in this glorious Christmas season. Has He dawned in your heart yet?
