Tag Archives: holidays

Lenten Misery Misses the Point

It’s Lent and I’m a Catholic. So how come I’m not sitting in some dark corner, reflecting on doom, gloom, and how perfectly rotten I am? Or at least moaning and wringing my hands over the world’s dreadfully dire state: … Continue reading

Posted in Being Catholic | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Christmas: 12 Days, Songs, Lists, and Singing Mice

This is a very ‘Catholic’ household. But everything we do isn’t uniquely ‘Catholic’, or something Catholics must always do. Take those mice, for example. My wife made them from bits of felt and cloth some years back, and they’ve been … Continue reading

Posted in Being Catholic, Discursive Detours, Family Stories, Series | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Something Pleasant: Christmas Decorations From Minnesota

I ran across “So Minnesota: Department 56 is a Christmas tradition” on YouTube yesterday afternoon. I’ve seen these ceramic ‘Christmas village’ buildings and their many look-alikes, but hadn’t known their origin story. “Department 56, a Christmas tradition found in homes … Continue reading

Posted in Journal | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Christmas: Still Celebrating and Rejoicing

A bit over six and a half years ago, astronaut Nick Hague recorded a video on the International Space Station. Nothing special there, but this one shows 30 minutes of Earth’s clouds passing by in about 60 seconds. Just shy … Continue reading

Posted in Being Catholic, Discursive Detours | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Jesus Matters, Hope is an Option: Advent 2025

Today is the first day of Advent. Among many other things, this season is a good time for remembering that hope is always an option: no matter what’s going wrong at the moment. Celebrating the Moment When God Became One … Continue reading

Posted in Being Catholic | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments