Happy New Year Or is it The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas December 31 has readings from 1 John 2 18-21 and John 1 1-18 the first a little chilling the second very heart-warming nbsp Just like winter in the frozen north when you step into a warm house from the frigid outdoors nbsp

For my 50th birthday this past week I decided that nbsp it would be a lark nbsp to Tweet the 12 Things I Wish I Knew at 25 nbsp Or rather things that had I either known them or more accurately nbsp followed them would have made my life a lot easier and saved me a lot of heartache nbsp Some

I have usually entertained some ambiguity if not cynicism about New Year s resolutions.

We are pleased to feature this guest blog post from Sir Jeffery M Abood KHS Sir Abood is chair of the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation rsquo s International Speakers Bureau and Co-Chair of the Council on Global Solidarity Diocese of Cleveland The recent Middle East Synod has helped foc

Although I have been teaching college for ten years this term marked the first time that I taught an introductory course in practical theology to both undergraduates and graduate students in the same semester Many Catholics in the United States do not know about the field of practical theology

Glad to see Michael s post below about the laudable Cardinal O Malley because it may provide some balance for the following The National Catholic Reporter this week captures the awesome rhetorical flourishes of Belgium s Archbishop Andr eacute -Joseph L eacute onard In a nation still reeling after

The Washington Post has an interesting nbsp profile of Msgr Guido Marini the Vatican s Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations a nbsp Vatican nbsp post nbsp whose nbsp influence lies in among other things nbsp its capacity to influence liturgical practices worldwide given how closely papa

Several months ago America reported on the Gender Gap for Development Goals in Central and South America especially countries like Panama Venezuela Brazil and Mexico--where more than half of women who work in non-farm jobs have no benefits or security One reason for this of course is lack o

The mere mention of The Boston Globe causes terror and anxiety in some Catholic circles so it was a pleasant surprise to read not one but two uplifting stories in this past Sunday s edition Both focused on the ministry of Boston s leader Cardinal Sean O Malley The first appearing above the fol

Check out Chris Wallace s interview of Washington s Cardinal Donald Wuerl on Fox News Sunday Wuerl highlights his efforts at new evangelization and the need for respect in discourse as well as Don t Ask Don t Tell of which he says that there is no official Church stance Have a look below

Not long ago two young children helped me see the Nativity of Jesus in a new way Their presence in my life made the Christmas story an entirely new experience When I first started meditating on the Nativity passages as a Jesuit novice more than 20 years ago my prayer and reading focused largely

nbsp Here in the UK we have been treated to a wonderful four-part dramatization of the Nativity broadcast on BBC TV in prime time each evening this week The Nativity is writtten by Tony Jordan who is something like royalty in the world of soap scriptwriting It is co-produced by the BBC an

When I was 5 or 6 years old I convinced my mother that I should sleep under the Christmas tree so that I could wait for Santa and greet him when he arrived at our house I don rsquo t recall much of the rest of that night but I have always been a fitful sleeper and I rolled into the tree and crash

A perfect two-minute reflection on the true meaning of Christmas Enjoy and Merry Christmas

Pope Benedict XVI s historic three-minute BBC broadcast this morning nbsp -- see yesterday s post -- can be heard and read here nbsp It began with words of fond recollection of his UK visit in September and ended with warm assurances of his prayers for the English-speaking people of the world wi

Every one of the canonical Gospels insists on starting its story with the identification of Jesus as divine nbsp It is Matthew by linking Isaiah with the child conceived through the Holy Spirit who uses the word Immanuel of him nbsp imm with anu us el God nbsp As Matthew draws the r

Cambridge MA Taking a deep breath at semester rsquo s end mdash nbsp a semester that has in some ways seemed an eternity mdash nbsp I had the opportunity to look into Pope Benedict rsquo s Light of the World a series of conversations with journalist Peter Seewald that for various reasons has

Tomorrow morning London time 0745 Christmas Eve a little bit of history will be made It s not clear for whom it is more momentous the BBC or the papacy It may be just a one-off but it s still a milestone in church communications When Pope Benedict XVI tomorrow gives a three-minute 2 40 mi

The claim that Christians chose December 25th as Jesus' birthday because it coincided with pagan celebrations is probably incorrect.