In its present form the custom of displaying figures depicting the birth of Jesus Christ owes its origin to St. Francis of Assisi, who made the Christmas crèche or manger for Christmas Eve of 1223.
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Whenever our Lady appears on earth it is to remind us of something that we are neglecting. She never comes to reveal something new, but to express in a new and forceful way what we should already know.
Is it an impossible ideal to imitate the Immaculate Virgin as St Josemaria would have us do?
The use of the Christmas tree is relatively modern. Its origins are found in the medieval mystery plays that depicted the tree of paradise and the Christmas light or candle that symbolized Christ, the Light of the world.
The use of the Advent Wreath is a traditional practice which has found its place in the Church as well as in the home. The blessing of an Advent Wreath takes place on the First Sunday of Advent.
“Advent is here!” And the St. Josemaria Institute invites you to join us this season as we prepare our hearts and homes for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus Christ.
In this interview, the St. Josemaria Institute speaks with Gina Fensterer of Someday Saints about encountering God in the midst of everyday life, pursuing holiness as a family, and practical tips for a fruitful Advent season.
Advent is a time of joyful anticipation. It is during this season that the Church invites us to look inward and renew our spiritual life as we prepare to welcome the Lord into our heart and home.
God is getting awfully close. And the closer He gets the more He takes the controls out of our hands. It’s hard to miss that in these concluding days of Advent, as we review the events leading up to our Lord’s birth.
Nothing is more bitter than getting what you want and then finding out it wasn’t what you really needed. Dissatisfied with ourselves, our lives, we might search long and hard for a missing piece and discover, in the end, that it was never really the main thing.
It might come as a shock to find out that Advent is more about preparing for the second coming of Christ than for the first. Or better: Advent teaches us that the same attitude we have toward the first coming is the same we will have toward the second.
God’s nearness is one of the most startling realizations for those who have begun living the spiritual life in earnest. That God sees and hears me, that He is both working through and loving me in all circumstances is a revelation that immediately inspires wonder.
The Advent season provides an opportunity to pause and reflect on the central moment in history when God took on our flesh and began to walk among us.
The liturgical year is beginning, and the introit of the Mass invites us to consider something closely related to the beginning of our christian life: the vocation we have all received. “Make me to know your ways, o Lord; teach me your paths.” We ask the Lord to guide us, to show us his footprints, […]
We have very sadly gotten almost accustomed to saying God’s name in vain or hearing others do so. There is little reverence in the way people dress and behave at church. There is a loss of the sense of the sacred and of the reverence due to God. During the Season of Advent, Blessed John […]
in Advent
For us Christians the fleetingness of our journey through life should be a spur to help us make better use of our time. It should never be a motive for fearing Our Lord, and much less for looking upon death as a disastrous and final end. Cf. Friends of God, no. 39 The Gospel for […]