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Easter Sunday is a very big deal. It's "the greatest of all Sundays," since it's when we celebrate our Lord's resurrection. Begin celebrating, actually. The Easter season lasts until Pentecost Sunday: not quite two months from now. Maybe "our Lord's resurrection" sounds routine, familiar, two millennia after that post-Passover surprise. But let's remember that the 12 Apostles, make that 11 after Judas Iscariot killed himself, and everyone else close to Jesus expected him to stay dead. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

(From Casey and Corey Wright, via San Diego Union Tribune, used w/o permission.) As an American, my Christmas season starts on the fourth Thursday in November. That's when the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade arrives at Macy's Herald Square in New York City. Thereafter, front yards bask in the glow of neon reindeer and electric snowmen, while a spirit of unbridled consumerism sweeps the land.... ...As a Catholic, my Christmas season starts December 25. We keep celebrating until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. That's tomorrow.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

(From James Tissot, via Wikidata, used w/o permission.) (James Tissot's "Journey of the Magi." (1890s)) "We Three Kings of Orient are, Bearing gifts we traverse afar. Field and fountain, Moor and mountain, Following yonder Star...." (" We Three Kings ," John Henry Hopkins Jr. (1857)) As a child, "We Three Kings" was among my favorite Christmas songs. It still is. The song's gold, frankincense and myrrh are "Biblical," in the sense that they're mentioned in Matthew's Gospel. So is the star. As for the "Three Kings of Orient:" well, there were more than one of them, and Matthew says they were from the east. But he also called them magi.... More about Matthew's magi, Herod the Great, Bethlehem's dead boys, the Ark and more, at A Catholic Citizen in America .

(From James Tissot; via European Art Collection, Wikimedia Commons; used w/o permission.) ("Adoration of the Shepherds," James Tissot. (ca. 1890)) We're celebrating the birth of Jesus this weekend. Saturday night's Gospel reading starts with "...a decree went out from Caesar Augustus...." About halfway along, we hear that Joseph finally found a place to stay in Bethlehem: but not exactly five-star accommodations. When Jesus was born, Mary laid our Lord in a manger. Two millennia later, in my language, "manger" sounds a bit classy. But it's a feeding trough. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I'm working on a "Christmas" post that should be ready by tomorrow morning. But in case it's not, here's something seasonal and slightly silly. Pip's Christmas 'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the shop Nothing was stirring, you could hear a pin drop. The sleigh was not ready, the toys were not packed, Santa was fuming, quite lacking in tact.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

(From Thomas Cole, via Museum of Fine Arts, Boston & Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.) ("Expulsion from the Garden of Eden," Thomas Cole. (1828)) We celebrated the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary this Wednesday. It's a big deal — a Holy Day of Obligation — because Mary is our Lord's mother. And because Mary is the only one of us born without original sin. Original sin is not the notion that humans are utterly depraved, bad to the core. We're still "very good" and made "in the image of God." More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

It's that time of year. Daily reminders of how many shopping days remain before Christmas fill some with dread, others with relief. Folks enjoy, endure or try to ignore another season of "Jingle Bells," "Santa Baby" and "Frosty the Snowman." Some of my neighbors have deployed their Christmas displays. So have we, thanks to my son. It's part of our Advent preparations. We're getting ready for Christmas, looking back at the first time Jesus came; and ahead to when our Lord returns. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Patriotism comes in many flavors: cheesy, sour, salty: and that's enough 'flavor.' Maybe too much. My country's Independence Day celebration, our Fourth of July, started me thinking about patriotism. Also screwball notions, drought and Florida's pancaked condo. But mostly, the impending holiday is probably why part of an old song has been on my mind's playlist this week.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

I was a Christian long before I became a Catholic Christian , and that's another topic. Topics. The point is, I've been trying to follow Jesus ever since I was a child. Somewhere along the line, I started noticing a disconnect between what I occasionally saw in religious art and the Jesus I was reading about in the Bible. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

It's the start of Holy Week, almost the end of Lent.... ...Jesus was top of the charts, wildly popular. Grass roots opinion, apparently, was that they finally had their messianic king.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

March 17 is St. Patrick's Day. It's a public holiday in Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador. Chicago plumbers celebrate by turning the city's river green. It's a day when folks wear something green, and I've heard that some even drink green beer. Why anyone would think green beer is a good idea is beyond me, and that's another topic. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Today's Gospel, Mark 1:12 - 15 , is a sort of segue between our Lord's baptism and recruitment of brothers Simon and Andrew, then James son of Zebedee and John. All four were in the fishing industry, and that's another topic. Mark summarizes Jesus the Nazarene's 40-day fast in 33 words. That's 33 words in my native language, English. In a particular translation of Sacred Scripture. And that, finally, gets me to Matthew 6:9 - 13 , which was the Tuesday Gospel for February 20, 2018. And, more to the point, an example of the Lord's Prayer.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Today is Ash Wednesday. The COVID-19 pandemic is still in progress, so this one will be a bit different. I'll still get ash on my head. But instead of getting a thumb-drawn cross on my forehead, I'll get a sprinkling on my head. Seems that this offends and affronts some Catholics. Me? I'd prefer getting that cross on my forehead this year. But I'm okay with doing what I can and not fussing — to excess — at what I can't. And letting the Pope and bishops sort out policy during a pandemic.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

It's February 2nd, Groundhog day. It's a North American tradition, one of Punxsutawney's local events and — at least in my country — national news. Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow this year. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

(The great convergence, probably behind those clouds. (December 22, 2020)) I could have put either of these two photos in an earlier post. But I didn't. So here they are now.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Today is New Year's Eve. It's also Saint Sylvester's Day, the 420th anniversary of the British East India Company's charter and the 141st anniversary of Thomas Edison's incandescent light demo. But mainly, I figure, for most Americans, today is New Year's Eve.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

As the song says, "I'll be home for Christmas...." Here's a 74-second video I enjoyed this Sunday morning. Maybe you will, too..... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

This is a bad situation. But it could have been a lot worse.... ...I'd hoped that three non-life-threatening injuries was the extent of casualties. As of early evening of Christmas Day, that seems unlikely. "...Possible human remains..." does not sound hopeful. Motive is also an apparently-unknown part of the puzzle.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

(My corner of small town America around noon, Christmas Eve.) It's Christmas Eve afternoon here in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. Weather, Wind Chill, Memory and Deciding Wednesday's blizzard became a wind chill advisory, which has since retreated to lands north and west of my home. ...What we do each year, and how we do it, matters. But it's not nearly as important as why we get together and celebrate.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Advent started November 29, a couple Sundays back. It's my faith's Christmas warmup. I'll get back to that. My culture's Christmas begins after Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.... ...Today I'll be talking about Advent's serious side: a song that's been sung at funerals, a Nativity painting's crucifix, introspection and shortcomings. Also ♪ magi on Segways with Amazon cartons. ♪ (Try singing it to the tune of "My Favorite Things," from "Sound of Music:" The bit that goes "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens....") Anyway, these are today's headings: "Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel" — Plainsong, Burial Chant and Advent Hymn Heaven's Peace: a Work in Progress Advent: Ordinary Folks, Unique Events Something Odd O Hipster Night Illustrators and Illustrations Joy and Shadow Joseph's Options News: Not Entirely Bad; Unsettling; and Disbelieved Herod,