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Adoration of the Shepherds  [London] Rembrandt [ Web Gallery of Art ] The shepherds went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger  (Luke 2:16). Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: (England & Wales, Scotland, India)    Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 2:16-21   (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: The shepherds went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he wa...

  "God can make possible to me which seems impossible to me by nature."  Boy did Thomas á Kempis say that well!  Have you ever wanted to be more patient, kind, generous, prayerful, self-less, accepting, tolerant or less judgmental but felt that it is simply not in your nature? If we open ourselves up to God and become less attached to our own ways, we can be transformed by God's love and grace and counter those things that frustrate us about ourselves. When our focus is on Jesus, change becomes a possibility. We can become less prideful and more humble. We can learn to put others before ourselves. Possessions can take a back seat to sharing love with others. During this holy Christmas season, may the birth of Christ make a difference in your life. Janet Cassidy Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com janetcassidy.com https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/ https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy        

Chorus of mice, part of this household's Advent scene. (December 20, 2025) This is a very 'Catholic' household. But everything we do isn't uniquely 'Catholic', or something Catholics must always do. Take those mice, for example. My wife made them from bits of felt and cloth some years back, and they've been part of our Advent/Christmas displays ever since. But having a chorus of felt mice isn't an essential part of being Catholic. Although there's 11 of them, one short of the 12 days of Christmas, there's no profound symbolism involved. Aside from maybe representing the festive songs of this season.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Drummers, pipers, variable birds and The Twelve Days of Christmas. The Apostles Creed as a 12 point list. Human nature, Christmas.)

      I clicked on a tutorial to try to solve a computer audio problem, but I couldn't understand what the guy was talking about. In the first half of the video he gave a technical explanation to help me understand what was causing the problem, and, I guess, in the second half he was going to explain how to solve it. I wouldn't know, because I gave up on him before he finished his technical explanation; I attempted to solve it on my own. According to Father Mike Schmitz, reflecting on "The Imitation of Christ", it isn't the greatest approach to say, "I can only accept this when I understand it."   If I had said that, I would have completely given up. I had to keep digging on my own, trying this way and that, even though I didn't really know what I was doing.  It's sort of like that when it comes to faith. There are those people who say "I don't get it" and give up, and there are those that keep searching and asking que...

Flight into Egypt Blessed Fra Angelico [ Web Gallery of Art ]   Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: (England & Wales, Scotland, India)   Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23   (English Standard Version, Anglicised) When the Magi had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’ But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the la...

A bit over six and a half years ago, astronaut Nick Hague recorded a video on the International Space Station. Nothing special there, but this one shows 30 minutes of Earth's clouds passing by in about 60 seconds. Just shy of a century back, someone named Coffin took an old Latin song, translated it, and added a couple verses. Including this one.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Current events change. Human nature has not changed. Neither has why we celebrate the birth of Jesus, Messiah and Lord. Sharing the best news ever.)

Adoration of the Shepherds Murillo, painted 1646-50 [ Web Gallery of Art ] And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger  (Luke 2:12; Gospel). The Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord  has four different Mass formularies, each with its own prayers and readings. Any of the four fulfils our obligation to attend Mass. These are: Vigil Mass , celebrated 'either before or after First Vespers (Evening Prayer) of the Nativity'; that means starting between 5pm and 7pm. Mass During the Night , known before as 'Midnight Mass'. Mass at Dawn . Mass During the Day . The readings from the Jerusalem Bible and from the English Standard Version for the four Masses are all on one page but with links to each individual Mass. When you click on 'Readings' below from the New American Bible you will find links to the readings for each of the four Masses. Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings ...

Adoration of the Shepherds Murillo, painted 1646-50 [ Web Gallery of Art ] And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger  (Luke 2:12; Gospel). The Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord  has four different Mass formularies, each with its own prayers and readings. Any of the four fulfils our obligation to attend Mass. These are: Vigil Mass , celebrated 'either before or after First Vespers (Evening Prayer) of the Nativity'; that means starting between 5pm and 7pm. Mass During the Night , known before as 'Midnight Mass'. Mass at Dawn . Mass During the Day. The readings from the Jerusalem Bible and from the English Standard Version for the four Masses are all on one page but with links to each individual Mass. When you click on 'Readings' below from the New American Bible you will find links to the readings for each of the four Masses. Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings ...

One way or another, families have been in the news this week. That is not a good thing. Families gathering on a beach planned on celebrating the first day of Hanukkah last Sunday. Then a father-son duo killed 15 of them and wounded dozens more. That father's dead now, too. News media covering the break in finals week routines at Brown University cycled through to discussions of the dead students' family connections. Rob Reiner and his wife abruptly stopped living last weekend. Police arrested Reiner's youngest son, charging him with killing the couple. 1 That left me feeling even less happy than usual about what's in my news feed: which, together with a quote I saw in an Advent calendar, got me started thinking.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Mass murder at a Hanukkah celebration, campus killings, and family murders in Brentwood started me thinking. Life, families: and a few good ideas.)

The Dream of St Joseph Georges de La Tour [ Web Gallery of Art ] An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife ’   (Matthew 1:24). Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: (England & Wales, Scotland, India) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Matthew 1:18-24   (English Standard Version, Anglicised) Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.   And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.   But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as yo...

We got a new pope this year, Leo XIV. Now we've got a new archbishop for the Archdiocese of New York. Already I'm seeing the all-too-predictable headlines. I also noticed this excerpt from a transcript of a five-minute interview, complete with an embedded audio recording of the interview.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Link to an excerpt from and audio recording of a five minute interview with the new Archbishop of New York. Also links to my take related topics.)

                                     Fr. Z's blog   One of the great benefits of being Catholic is the gift of having all seven sacraments, which includes the Sacrament of Reconciliation (often referred to as the Sacrament of Penance or Confession).  This particular sacrament may be a difficult one for many people to understand--sometimes even Catholics. The key to appreciating this sacrament is humility, along with trust in the Sacrament. The humility element comes from "giving up" your pride and pouring out everything that needs forgiveness. This can feel embarrassing. Revealing your innermost sins can involve hidden "secrets" that you may have been carrying with you for a long time. They may be things you have never told anyone else in your entire life. As I have told people over the years, those are exactly the sins you need to confess. Don't hold anything back. The seco...