Christmas Tree Blessing Explained | A Catholic Advent Tradition for Families | Catechism for Kids A Christmas Tree Blessing is a beautiful Catholic tradition that helps families prepare their hearts for Christmas during the season of Advent. More than decorations and lights, the Christmas tree becomes a reminder of Jesus Christ, who came into the world to bring hope, light, and new life. In this child-friendly explanation, we discover why Catholics bless the Christmas tree and what it truly represents. The evergreen tree reminds us of God’s everlasting life, while the lights point to Christ as the Light of the World. By blessing the tree, families invite God into their homes and focus on the real meaning of Christmas — the birth of our Saviour. Children will learn: Why Catholics bless the Christmas tree How Advent helps us prepare for Jesus What the tree, lights, and decorations symbolise How simple family prayers can bring us closer to God Why Christmas is about hope …More
CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE : AN HISTORICAL, DOCTRINAL,MORAL, AND LITURGICAL EXPOSITION OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION. Translated from the French of Abbe Gaume by REV. F. B. JAMISON - COURSE FIRST- CHAPTER 8 - Knowledge of God - God considered in his works - End of the fourth day of the Creation.....to download, to print !
In December, the Family Pastoral Service of the Diocese of Chiavari, Italy, published a booklet titled Non c’è un amore più grande (“There Is No Greater Love”). The diocese is run by Bishop Giampio Devasini. The publication presents a collection of autobiographical “Christian testimonies” of homosexuals and adulterers. Among the homosexuals are Marco and Michele: "We have been together since 2001." The two homosexuals are increasingly integrated into parish life, including participation in the parish choir and diocesan pastoral activities: "What was previously set aside because it was uncomfortable and difficult to testify to has now become a reason for commitment, to bring our experiences to others." They blame their lifestyle on God: "I believe that the ultimate goal of our work is to break down those walls of division that have always hindered the active participation of people belonging to the broad sphere of homoaffectivity in the life of the Church, under the love of the one …More
Fr. Fessio Explains Why We Call the Mass, “The Mass” We all call the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the “Mass” but many of us don’t know why. . . . So Fr. Fessio explains this term and the other terms used to identify this sacrament. The Ignatius Press Podcast
On 12 December, MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow — a lesbian and a prominent progressive American voice — announced that she considers herself to have returned to the Catholic Church. She lives with an artist named Susan Mikula in a same-sex "marriage". According to TheLettersFromLeo.com, Maddow made these remarks during a question-and-answer session at a local event in Chicago. An audience member asked for her thoughts on the election of Pope Leo XIV. In her response, Maddow praised both Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV. The Church had just said goodbye to Pope Francis, when along came Pope Leo XIV, who shares Francis's passion for illegal immigrants. She said the timing was so perfect that it was "like it was just grown in a lab" against "cruelty to immigrants". Maddow was raised in a conservative Catholic family, but left the Church around 30 years ago for her homosexual lifestyle. Referring to her current outlook, she told the audience, "I do consider myself to be back in the faith". She …More
While more than 10 million pilgrims filled the streets of Tepeyac for the 12 December celebrations honouring Our Lady of Guadalupe, a serious internal crisis has been unfolding at the Basilica in Mexico City. According to InfoVaticana (15 December), the rector, Canon Efraín Hernández Díaz, has been removed from office and placed under a canonical investigation ordered by the Archdiocese of Mexico. The move followed an unprecedented formal complaint by the Guadalupe chapter to Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes. The canons accuse the rector of opaque financial administration, lack of transparency and accountability, and of bypassing them. The chapter shares legal responsibility for overseeing the sanctuary. According to the canons, these practices endangered both the material assets and the spiritual mission of Mexico’s most important Marian shrine. In response, Cardinal Aguiar removed the rector on 20 September and ordered a preliminary canonical investigation, opened on 3 October. The …More
Experience the inspiring and heartwarming story of faith and determination in "Come to the Stable" (1949), starring Loretta Young and Celeste Holm. This beloved classic follows two devoted nuns who arrive in a small New England town with the dream of building a children's hospital. Despite facing obstacles and skepticism, their unwavering faith and kindness touch the hearts of the entire community. Filled with humor, drama, and a powerful message of hope, this film remains a timeless favorite. Nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, this unforgettable film is a must-watch for fans of classic Hollywood dramas. Come to the Stable (1949) Film Comedy, Drama I always believe it was these Nuns who actually founded St. Jude's hospital. And I always though Danny Thomas was jewish. But this is not what this article is saying from the National Shrine of St. Jude. St. Jude and Danny Thomas | The National Shrine …
Three Hong Kong judges found Jimmy Lai, 78, guilty under the National Security Law. Hong Kong media tycoon and Catholic convert Jimmy Lai, 78, was found guilty on Monday of two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of sedition under a Beijing-imposed national security law. The founder of the now-defunct newspaper Apple Daily, had pleaded not guilty to all charges. The offences carry a potential life sentence, with sentencing expected at a later date. Lai has been in custody since 2020. The trial was heard by a panel of three judges without a jury, as permitted under the national security law, and has attracted worldwide attention. Critics argue that the case exemplifies the erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong. The United Kingdom has strongly criticised the verdict. In a statement posted on X, Britain’s Foreign Office described the prosecution as politically motivated and said that Lai had been targeted for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression. …More
West Papua: Indonesian military bombards Gearek & Wosak with helicopters. Civilians flee to forests, facing trauma and ongoing human rights violations.
"19. There is not and there will never be, either in God's creation or in his mind, a creature in whom he is so honoured as in the most Blessed Virgin Mary, not excepting even the saints, the cherubim or the highest seraphim in heaven. Mary is God's garden of Paradise, his own unspeakable world, into which his Son entered to do wonderful things, to tend it and to take his delight in it. He created a world for the wayfarer, that is, the one we are living in. He created a second world - Paradise - for the Blessed. He created a third for himself, which he named Mary. She is a world unknown to most mortals here on earth. Even the angels and saints in heaven find her incomprehensible, and are lost in admiration of a God who is so exalted and so far above them, so distant from them, and so enclosed in Mary, his chosen world, that they exclaim: “Holy, holy, holy” unceasingly."
[Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort; XVII-XVIII Century AD; Montfort-sur-Meu, France/Saint-Laurent-sur-Sevre, France; (aged 43); Founder; Spiritual Writer] “II - To find the grace of God, we must discover Mary 17. Mary is the great mould of God, fashioned by the Holy Spirit to give human nature to a Man who is God by the hypostatic union, and to fashion through grace men who are like to God. No godly feature is missing from this mould. Everyone who casts himself into it and allows himself to be moulded will acquire every feature of Jesus Christ, true God, with little pain or effort, as befits his weak human condition. He will take on a faithful likeness to Jesus with no possibility of distortion, for the devil has never had and never will have any access to Mary, the holy and immaculate Virgin, in whom there is not the least suspicion of a stain of sin. 18. Dear friend, what a difference there is between a soul brought up in the ordinary way to resemble Jesus Christ by people who,…More
Fugitive Caught Hiding in Nativity Scene: In the southern Italian town of Galatone, a wanted man tried to evade arrest by blending into the town’s Nativity scene. Early on Saturday morning, Mayor Falvio Filoni noticed what he thought was a new life-size figure among the statues — until it started moving and speaking. The man, a 38-year-old from Ghana, had been hiding there for weeks. Police later identified him as a fugitive wanted for resisting law enforcement and aggravated assault. He has now been arrested and is serving his sentence in Lecce.
Un latitante si nasconde nel presepe vivente di Galatone