Christmas

The annual Box of Joy program “is an opportunity to consciously take time out of the busy holiday season to focus on serving others and sharing the joy of Jesus’ birth.”

These two books have some limitations but are beautifully published volumes that have the challenge of sharing the traditions of the Catholic faith and why some other practices have emerged and continuted.

Managua Auxiliary Bishop Silvio Jose Baez reiterated his calls for dialogue and respecting human dignity in Nicaragua, where the president has crushed protests, closed critical media outlets and persecuted anyone — including priests — publicly opposing his administration.

Perhaps it’s the compressed calendar, or the external decor that grabs our attention with “Celebrate the season!” Or, maybe it’s the emphasis on reunions — bringing loved ones dear to us near to us for joy-filled sharing.

Christmas is a major feast day, yet it is based upon small passages in two Gospels. These are the Nativity accounts in the first two chapters of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.

Parties, cookie exchanges, family get-togethers and that bowl of Christmas candy on your co-worker’s desk can all weigh heavily on the scale at this time of year.

the Christmas message prompts Jesus’ followers to learn to recognize his presence in others.

Msgr. Philip Whitmore, rector of the Venerable English College in Rome, reads the Christmas story from St. Luke’s Gospel.