Ascension Day: Why It Matters
Ascension Day is an often overlooked day in the Christian calendar, but it wasn’t always so. It always occurs 40 days after Easter, the Feast of the Resurrection, so it will always be on a Thursday. It commemorates Jesus’ Ascension into heaven as it is told in three places in the New Testament. Mark 16:19-20 […]
Happy Mother’s Day!
In the United States, today is Mother’s Day when we celebrate our mothers. It is a difficult time for those who have lost their mothers. It is also a difficult time for those whose mothers may have been abusive so that they do not have a good idea of the nurturing nature of a mother […]
Holy Week Day by Day
The end of Lent approaches with the culmination of Jesus’ life that started in Advent with the Annunciation of his Birth. It moved through the celebration of his Birth at Christmas. The arrival of the Three Magi signaled Jesus’ revelation to the Gentile World. Lent foreshadowed Jesus’ death. This is culminating in the events of […]
Lenten Meditation – With Your Christmas Creche
We are currently in the Christian season of Lent. So what is Lent? Lent is a season of 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The season does not have the same date every year because it is based on the date of Easter. Easter’s date is calculated as the first Sunday following the first […]
Best Christmas Nativity Movies: 5 Films
When you think of Christmas Creches, your mind flows to the Nativity scenes that you set up in December in preparation for Christmas. This is the set with Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus, perhaps the shepherds and angels, some animals, and the three Wise Men. I broaden this description to include all media with […]
When to Take Down Your Christmas Manger Scene
So Christmas has been over since January 5th, when do I take down my Christmas manger scene? Traditionally, you leave your Christmas manger scene up until Candlemas on February 2nd. No, it’s not just Groundhog Day! Why Candlemas? And what is Candlemas? Candlemas is a significant feast day within the Christian Church and is observed […]
Epiphany Activities for Children: With Your Christmas Nativity Scene?
Welcome to the Feast of the Epiphany which is celebrated on January 6th. Twelfth Night is the evening of January 5th (gee, that sounds like the title of a Shakespearean play – oh wait, it is!). It also leads into the season of the Epiphany which views the life of Jesus in several important areas. […]
Christmas is Over! No, It’s Not!!
Many people think that as soon as December 25th is past that Christmas is over. I want to let you know that it is not! Christmas is a party that lasts 12 days! 12 Days of Christmas Just like the Christmas song that everyone loves to hate, Christmas is 12 days long. Why 12 days? […]
Las Posadas: Activities Surrounding a Living Nativity
In Mexico and other Latin American countries, indeed in other countries in the Spanish-speaking world, there is a tradition of Las Posadas, a nine-day observance of the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The basic observance is the focus on re-enacting this piece of the story. Las Posadas is the plural form […]