Papal Wisdom

It looks like… White blankets of snow, sparkling Christmas lights on the front porch, and a tall, fully decorated tree; It smells like… Fresh pine needles, vanilla candles, and the aroma of homemade Christmas cookies; It sounds like… Christmas CDs, family music concerts, boisterous laughter, and the crinkle of wrapping paper;

As I clasp my hands together and pray, / I closed my eyes and wish that today, / Will bring forth good memories. / From Christmas days I've celebrated / Not so long ago–as a child.

In my experience, no one makes comparisons more than homeschoolers. We say things like: “Mrs. Jones is better than I am at teaching math,” or “Why can’t we get our kids to do their violin practice as well as Mrs. Smith’s children?” or “That family doesn’t let their kids watch television—they’re better than we are.”

Christmas is a time of traditions – unique to each family. Many years ago Katie's grandmother started a Christmas Village under the tree; this village grew over the years as Katie's mother added her magical touch. She passed along pieces of the village to her children hoping they would continue the tradition.

It is possible to take many things too seriously. Coaches and athletes can take winning too seriously (It’s only a game). The avaricious and the miserly who worship gold take money too seriously (It’s only metal or paper). Politicians can take elections and political power too seriously (They are not the salvation of the world). Scholars can take learning too seriously and presume that man is god and that human knowledge supersedes divine wisdom (“Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out,” Solomon states in Ecclesiastes).

The Domangues From our homeschool room to yours: May the blessings of the coming of the Christ child fill your home with joy, your heart with love, and your life ...

Psst! Are you one of those people who slowly become unraveled and unglued when you get behind on your housecleaning? If you are, pour yourself a cup of tea and sit down. I want to talk to you. If dust bunnies don’t bother you, sit with me anyway.

In Polish culture, Christmas Eve is the highlight of Christmas, and is celebrated with prescribed traditions and dishes of Wigilia, the Christmas Eve vigil supper in Poland. “Wigilia” comes from the Latin verb vigilare, “to watch”, and literally means “eve”.

In the “Armor of God,” with which we are all called to equip ourselves (Ephesians 6:10-18), the Word of God is the “sword of the Spirit.” Daily, reverent reading of Sacred Scripture can help us to immerse ourselves in the mind of Christ and cultivate our personal relationship with Him. It can also help us to develop a living, breathing, personal relationship with the Holy Spirit, the Author of Sacred Scripture.

My family loves the British Christmas tradition of miniature mince pies, which consist of tiny butter pie crusts filled with mincemeat, a combination of dried fruit, candied peel, spices, and brandy.

As soon as my baby girl turned seven months old, I started feeling ill. And it wasn't the typical "I'm coming down with a cold" kind of ill. I was having a very difficult time breathing. As a busy mom, I dismissed it as the usual effects of sleep deprivation. I went to the hospital just to be sure, but they sent me home after all the test results came out normal.

Sometimes it seems like the work for Mom is never ending in our large Catholic families. By Thanksgiving, the first quarter assignments have been completed and the homeschooling is clipping along nicely. Then Bang! Along comes the Christmas season, doubling the work load but halving the class time! It’s more than a little discouraging!

Download this 'First Christmas' Word Puzzle! A fun activity to for all ages! Search for these words: Stephen, Conception, Original, Advent, Diego, manger, Wise, Bethlehem, Shepherds, Herod, John, pink, Innocents, Guadalupe...

Someone mentioned to my wife lately that she doesn’t usually read my fatherhood/homeschooling columns because I use too many sports analogies. For instance, over the years, I have written that baseball is like “raspberry sorbet for the mind;” I have said that life is about “how many shots you take, rather than how many baskets you make;” and I recently wrote that being a good father was like being a “hockey goalie,” and so forth.

Members of a family know each other too well to be fooled by brother’s daydream to be a millionaire, sister’s fantasy to be a great actress, or grandson’s ambition to be a professional athlete. The family teaches humility, self-knowledge, the art of the possible, and the way things are.

I am convinced – utterly convinced – that if we all got together more often in order to celebrate the simple occasions in life, we would be a happier people. Each generation seems to be growing more and more isolated than the generation that preceded it. American society is fast becoming an isolated society.

There is currently a program on network television called Undercover Boss.  If you haven’t seen it, the premise is that the CEO (or another high muckety-muck) of some large company ...

A rather staid church found itself actively confronting a world which they had tended to ignore, even to shun. Pink Mohawks and chain-bedecked leathers began to be seen at Sunday worship services. A new energy and purpose steadily grew among the congregation; they were forced out of their insular attitudes and petty prejudices in order to confront the vast question, “What does it mean to preach to the whole world?”

As we move toward December, we all think about Christmas. It’s a busy time, and it’s easy to put off schoolwork. However, students in high school don’t have as much leeway as elementary students.

Kevin Clark shares 6 home-based and parish focused ideas for celebrating the Feast of St. Nicholas with children.