December 2024

Advent and our call to rejoice

The liturgy most of us celebrated this past Sunday was filled with expectation of the coming of the Lord and the rejoicing that we are called to. The context of the gospel according to Luke 3:10-18 is wondering if John the Baptist is the Christ/ Messiah. Many ask John, “What should we do?” He replies with positive things such as give your extra cloak and your extra food to those without. He also replies with negative things such as “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”And “Do not practice extortion ...”

Read MoreAdvent and our call to rejoice

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus

Editor’s note: In 1897, 8-year-old Virginia asked her father, Dr. Philip O’Hanlon, a coroner’s assistant on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, whether Santa Claus was real. O’Hanlon chose not to answer, but suggested Virginia pose the question to one of New York’s most prominent newspapers at the time, The Sun, assuring her that “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.”

Read MoreYes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus