In many churches, Christmas Eve is the first time we hear the Gloria since Advent began. We have been awaiting the coming of glory, and now here it is, the angels singing Gloria in excelsis: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace (Luke 2:14). Both the song and the occasion speak of a new . . . . Continue Reading »
Here’s some good news, for a change, about Christianity in the Middle East. This fall, workers began much-needed repairs to the roof Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem , the traditional site of the birth of Christ. The roof of the church has been in a terrible state for some time. . . . . Continue Reading »
When Francis of Assisi orchestrated the first crèche in Greccio on Christmas Eve in 1223 with its scene of infant child surrounded by living animals, the intention was to humanize the birth of the messiah and so remind medieval Christians how near this God was. As Francis states, “I wish . . . . Continue Reading »
Vito Rizzuto, who last year returned to Montreal from a U.S. prison and (by all appearances, several of them bloody) resumed his career as a major Mafia boss, is dead of natural causes. Will he be granted a Catholic funeral, as was his son three years ago? Nicolo, who was doing his best to . . . . Continue Reading »
When our kids sang that Santa’s getting thin for Christmas, I instantly understood it mocked this lean and cautious age we live in. Unintentionally, that is, which is less than good. To shape their minds with our preoccupations becomes our comeuppance: we adults binge on common sense, while . . . . Continue Reading »
[caption id=”” align=”alignnone” width=”464”] Photo from the BBC [/caption] This year has been a dreadful one for Mideast Christians. In Egypt, Islamists frustrated at the fall of the Morsi government have singled out Copts for vengeance. By some accounts, Copts . . . . Continue Reading »
big Christmas thoughts and the Blind Boys on Colbert . . . . Continue Reading »
I commend to you Ross Douthat’s latest column, Ideas From a Manger . The classic manger scene is “an entire worldview in a compact narrative,” he writes. It’s about the vertical link between God and man — the angels, the star, the creator stooping to enter his creation. . . . . Continue Reading »
While recent economic indicators have been positive, a significant percentage of those seeking work remain unable to find it. Analysts on both the left and the right have proposed solutions to the plight of those out of work six months or more, who face particular difficulty in . . . . Continue Reading »
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