Merry Christmas!

During the twelve days of Christmas, I will be sharing some of my favorite Christmas songs, performed by various contemporary artists, here on the blog. I hope that you too will be willing to share links to some of your favorites in the comments.

To get us started, we have the classic Minuit, Chrétiens, performed by Tino Rossi. This French hymn was the inspiration for O Holy Night, the English version (with very different lyrics).

We usually attend the midnight Mass at our parish where in the French Canadian tradition, our pastor sings this beautiful hymn in both French and English. We’re traveling this year, so I will miss hearing this song in my home parish, but we can...READ MORE

I have always received the Eucharist on the tongue.

This is not something I usually get all political or righteous about. I understand that many devout people hold different opinions on this topic and that “good” Catholics are free to receive on the hand or on the tongue. For me, though, receiving on the tongue has always felt like the most appropriate way to recognize and respect Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist.

But now I’m not so sure anymore.

While I still very much prefer to receive on the tongue, I am afraid that option is becoming a less reasonable choice for me. And, ironically, it’s becoming a less respectful way to receive the Eucharist.

At the Masses I attend, more...READ MORE

Do you teach your kids that Santa is real? Or do you worry that such tales might interfere with their understanding of the real meaning of Christmas?

I see this typical topic of debate has been making the rounds online as usual among Catholics this Advent season.

It has been my experience that intelligent, well-intentioned people fall on both sides of the Santa debate and in many places in between. I think that ultimately, how you feel about Santa Claus is largely determined by how you were raised.

If you were raised believing in Santa and it was a beautiful, magical experience for you, you are going to want to share that with your own kids. If you were raised not believing in Santa (as...READ MORE

Becky Kelley is an up and coming Christian country artist with a great message for this Christmas season.

Her new release, Where’s the Line to See Jesus?, was inspired by her 4-year-old nephew Spencer who saw the lines to see Santa at the mall and asked an innocent question: “Where’s the line to see Jesus?”

This sweet observation inspired Becky’s father to write down the words to this song. Becky recorded it with a band and put it on YouTube last year just before Christmas where it became a hit. Click play on the video above to hear the song for yourself.

Becky writes on her website:

Out of the mouths of babes come profound truths that many adults can not understand. Hopefully...READ MORE

Whether you like her politics or not, whether you watch her show or not, you’ve got to hand it to Sarah Palin. The woman knows how to elicit a reaction. And she’s not afraid of getting a little blood on her hands in the process.

The video above shows a clip from “Sarah Palin’s Alaska,” her new reality TV show airing on TLC. In this episode, we see the former governor of Alaska and potential candidate for President shoot and kill a caribou while on a hunting trip with her dad.

Anticipating a storm of protest, Palin posted a preemptive strike on her Facebook page the day the episode was scheduled to air:

“Tonight’s hunting episode of Sarah Palin’s Alaska ‘controversial’? Really? Unless...READ MORE