Restoration
Column: Advent and Christmas
This column contains articles related to the Catholic Church's observance of Advent and celebration of Christmas.
Christmas in Krasnoyarsk — by Marie Javora. Last year, three staff celebrated the first Christmas of Madonna House in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. When Katia (Catherine Lesage) and I returned home after a Twelve Step seminar, there wasn’t too much time for Christmas preparations.... (December 26, 2007)
Spinning a Cradle of Silence — by Catherine Doherty. My Russian shrine stands peaceful and quiet. Its roof is covered with snow. The Virgin of Kiev is reflected in the vigil light that always burns before her face. It looks especially beautiful in the dark of... (December 24, 2007)
An Advent Amethyst — by Fr. Eddie Doherty. Dear God, Loving Father of us all, The snow falls softly today. The flakes dance and whirl. They flutter and hesitate as they near the earth, trying to pick out a likely place to land. Then... (December 21, 2007)
A Child at the Manger — by Anne Marie Murphy. Have you ever spent time with a small child at a manger scene? A few months ago as I was working at St. Raphael’s, our handicraft center, a couple and their four-year-old daughter came through on... (December 19, 2007)
Celebrating the Darker Meaning of Christmas — by Wilfred McClay. A number of years ago, a friend of mine made an observation about his experiences of successive Christmases, one that has stuck in my mind as equally true for me and perhaps for many of us. He... (December 17, 2007)
Advent: A Road into Infinity — by Catherine Doherty. Advent is a short season, yet it covers a long distance. It is the road of a soul from Nazareth to Bethlehem. It seems such a short distance, as we are accustomed to thinking of distances. Yet... (December 14, 2007)
Faith: A Subjunctive Mood — by Fr. Pat McNulty. It was about 3 a.m. when I pulled my car into the checkpoint at Canadian Customs and Immigration. Though there were trucks in their own lane, mine was the only car around. The middle-aged man in... (December 12, 2007)
Becoming Small Enough to Think Big — by Fr. David May. If someone asked you what is the most important thing you do to prepare for Christmas, what would you say? Decorate? Advent wreath? Finish shopping by mid-December? Daily Mass? Rosary? Cook for the feast? Get a... (December 10, 2007)
The God Who Comes Now — by Pope Benedict XVI. "Proclaim to the peoples: God our Savior is coming!" With this, the first antiphon of First Vespers for the First Sunday of Advent, the Church begins the season of Advent and the new liturgical year. Thus... (December 03, 2007)
First Christmas in Combermere — by Catherine Doherty.The first Christmas of Madonna House Combermere, in 1947, Lady Poverty dwelt with us in her all-shining reality. Madonna House then was just a six-room house with no outbuildings, except for an outdoor toilet. It stood rather lonely,... (December 22, 2006)
Invited to Joy — by Pope Benedict XVI. The angel went to Mary and said, "Rejoice, so highly favored one! The Lord is with you." Often the word of the angel is translated as "Hail, Mary," but the Greek word, the word the angel... (December 20, 2006)
Gingerbread Bishops — by Paulette Curran. Here in Madonna House, in numerous ways, we immerse ourselves in the seasons of Advent and Christmas. One way is by celebrating the feasts in Advent. One of the more festive of these is the feast of... (December 06, 2006)
Christmas — by Catherine Doherty. Christmas. The familiar story—a stable, a manger, a Baby, a virgin mother, shepherds, carols, presents, Christmas trees, good will to all men. Do we ever stop to consider the utter desolation of that birth? The loneliness of... (December 23, 2005)
No Room at the Inn? — by Fr. Bob Yori, associate priest of MH. At Christmas 1967, I was at a language school in Latin America where I had been sent to study Spanish. About twelve or fourteen of us lived in a very nice house,... (December 21, 2005)
God Keeps His Promises — by Pope John Paul II. Know that the kingdom of God is at hand. Be sure that he will not delay (from the liturgy of December 17th). The annual evocation of the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem renews in... (December 19, 2005)
The Cry of a Prophet — by Catherine Doherty. Chapter forty of the book of the prophet Isaiah contains some of the most beautiful passages in scripture. And these prophecies are eternal. They were not just meant for the time of Jerusalem. They are meant for... (December 02, 2005)
