GOING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

What We Learn About Family at Christmas

This will be a difficult Christmas for many who are separated from family by a tiny virus. The celebration of Jesus’ birth is something that usually draws families together. It may be the nostalgia of childhood Christmases or the smells of home cooking; whatever it is, thousands will hit pause on work and school and […]

Family Christmas

THE SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY

What Christmas Teaches Us About Generosity

I’ve almost completed my Christmas shopping two weeks before the big day. That’s a record. I credit the anxious push of the pandemic and my new Amazon Prime membership. Buying gifts has never been easier. Generosity has never been more accessible … and without excuse. What does the Christmas story teach us about generosity?   […]

Christmas Generosity

THE THREE WISE WOMEN

The Characters of Christmas

The Magi are well known and loved by all. They traveled from afar at great sacrifice to bring gifts to baby Jesus. They have much to teach us. However, what about the women of the Christmas story? There are three wise women who have a lot to teach us about the Christmas spirit.   The […]

three wise women

CHRISTMAS CHARACTERS

The Four Things the Angels Teach Us

There is quite a cast of characters in the Christmas story. The baby Jesus, although he never says a word, is always center stage while the cast of characters enter, play their role, and exit just as quickly as they entered. Each character adds something to the story. Each one teaches us an important lesson. […]

Nativity

GOING HOME AT CHRISTMAS

Three Things We Learn About Family at Christmas

Christmas is the time of year that many will travel far and wide to be with family. The celebration of Jesus’ birth is something that draws families together. It may be the nostalgia of childhood Christmases, or the smells of home cooking – whatever it is – thousands will hit pause on work and school […]

family

GENEROSITY AS VIRTUE

What We Learn About Giving at Christmas

There are certain values that the Christmas season brings to the surface of our consciousness every year. Generosity is one of them. Christmas is the time best known for the giving and receiving of gifts. What does the Christmas story teach us about generosity?   The Magi After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, […]

giving

THE INSPIRING STORY OF “O HOLY NIGHT”

With My Top Ten Favorite Performances

O Holy Night is one of the greatest and most popular songs ever written. It has been sung by countless singing artists over the years. But it was a song with an unlikely birth and a perilous journey toward maturity.   An Unlikely Beginning At the request of a French parish priest, the words were penned […]

Bethlehem Star

FOUR PRINCIPLES FOR OUTSIDERS

What To Do When You Don't Belong

It is significant that Jesus was first placed in a manger “because there was no room for him in the guest room.”  This is no way for a king to start life. The savior of the world is born and his first cradle is a feeding trough for goats and sheep. He is relegated to […]

Hard to Belong

FOUR CHRISTMAS MISCONCEPTIONS

Things About Christmas People Often Get Wrong

The Story of Jesus’ birth has developed as a synthesis of two separate accounts: One from the Gospel of Matthew and the other, the Gospel of Luke. Over the centuries misconceptions have developed about exactly what happened that first Christmas. Most of these misconceptions have come from assumptions, embellishments, or semantic errors made of the […]

The Adoration of the Shepherds