Among the traditions associated with the lead-up to Christmas is Advent. Advent wreaths: The wreaths are found at many Christian churches. They hold four candles – one for each week. Three of the ...

Advent is a season of hope and preparation, inviting us to reflect on Christ’s coming into the world. This special time begins four Sundays before Christmas and encourages us to prepare our hearts for ...

It's time to light the candles at church. Advent, the time to prepare for Christmas, begins this Sunday as Christians will enter a time of reflection and preparation. Here's what to know about Advent.

We often think of the journey to Bethlehem purely in terms of the images we see on Christmas cards, but the reality was probably more challenging. I often get to Christmas feeling as though I’ve ...

Advent began yesterday. "O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!" the prophet Isaiah told us at Mass yesterday. Jesus urged us to be wakeful in Matthew's Gospel: "So too, you ...

The image above is of the field behind my house. I bought this field a couple of years ago after about eighteen months of legal discussions. I am slowly converting back to a wild space with native ...

Just as we often clean our homes to prepare for visitors at Christmas, we should prepare our hearts for Christ to reside there. Our Savior deserves a holy, consecrated space. John the Baptist told ...

Christmas trees and other holiday decor sprouted up in some places this year even before Halloween. And while many people want to resist this early holiday creep, some churches take a different ...

Sunday, Nov. 27, is the First Sunday of Advent (Year A). Mass Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalms 122:1-9, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:37-44. The Gospel today is a shocker: Jesus is warning about the end ...

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Or, really, it’s been looking like Christmas in many stores since September. Houses are decorated. Some churches have been holding special Christmas ...

For many people, December is about preparing for Christmas: buying gifts, decorating trees and celebrating with family and friends. But the readings that begin Advent give us a different and more ...

After Halloween, everyone's attention quickly turns to Christmas. Among the traditions associated with the lead-up to Christmas is Advent. Whether you celebrate the season with calendars, candles or ...