I had to shovel snow the other day, and I'm still mad about it.  I mean to say, I'm still reaping the benefits!

I have this theory, see.  Everyone knows that shoveling is a wonderful, aerobic workout; but my theory is that shoveling is also the most complete and rigorous spiritual exercise you can perform.  There is no lesson about life, no revelation about the soul that cannot be gained through shoveling.  It's practically designed to fight each one of the deadly sins in turn.  For instance:

SLOTH

Obviously.  There are few mistakes for which you will be so thoroughly and incontestably repaid than shoveling slothfully.  It may seem perfectly reasonable to skip clearing that last...READ MORE

One thing I never get tired of wondering about is the dual nature of Christ, as true God and true man.  It's good to know that it's a mystery, which doesn't mean that it's vague and weird idea that won't stand up to reason -- but that it's so profoundly meaningful that you won't get to the end of understanding it, ever.

The author April Armstrong recorded that she actually asked the child Jesus whether, when he was little, he actually knew he was God.  And the answer was, "Yes . . . and no!"  Which makes more sense than anything else I've heard; and it might shed some light on one of the more baffling passages of the Gospel:  the finding in the Temple.

We can all agree that Mary and...READ MORE

The Sunday before Christmas, we were treated to one of the most moving passages in the Gospels:

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was...READ MORE

Hey, everybody.  Isn't there a tradition of indulging people on Christmas day?  Maybe you will indulge me for a minute while I share this picture my son made for me:

First of all, is that not the happiest Christ Child you have ever seen? 

Man, he came here to bring light to the world and to save your soul, and he is ready and raring to go.

Next, I'd like to draw your attention to Saint Joseph.  St. Joseph is often depicted on his knees, although it's usually in adoration of the Child.  But this Joseph

clearly suffered along with Mary as she labored, and he appears to have flung himself to his knees is sheer, gleeful, goofy gratitude that's it's finally over.   Whoopee! ...READ MORE

If you're reading this, I have good news and bad news.

The good news is that you're still alive.  The Mayans didn't come back to life and  devour everyone's brains, as was predicted on the calendar.  Or whatever it was.

The bad news is, you're still alive . . . and that means you're going to have to write a Christmas letter.

Listen, deadbeat.  It's too late to send out paper cards, which you've been "taking a year off" from doing since 1993.  In fact, failing to send out cards is the only Christmas tradition you've managed to keep faithfully, other than miraculously transforming, every Christmas Eve, from someone who owns six pairs of scissors and four rolls of tape into someone who...READ MORE

Imagine, if you will, that you are a pretty good ten-year-old boy.  You've been an altar server for a year or so, and you are a reasonably bright and alert kid.  And yet, as with so many ten-year-old boys, there is something of a gap between what you would be capable of if your life depended on it, and what you feel like you're capable of, when lots of people are always telling you what to do and you're trying pretty hard, but you're tired, and you haven't had anything to eat for over an hour, and besides, imagine if you had rocket feet.  Whoa, rocket feet.  Awesome.

And then imagine that, even though you more or less understand that it's a privilege to participate in any way in the...READ MORE

While many people think of donating to established charitable organizations around Christmastime (or around the end of the tax year), other people like to make it more personal.  But this is easier said than done.  We all know what we would like or need for Christmas, but what about an entirely different family in an entirely different situation?  Here are a few things to keep in mind, if your kind heart is leading you to help out a local family in need.

1.  Beggars can't be choosers -- and that stinks.   Gift cards or cash may seem like a dull and impersonal gift to you, but the gift of choice is a big deal to someone who rarely gets to shop for whatever they want.  If you really want...READ MORE

As some of you know, I got a little irritated at the news that Michael Voris and the mostly-reliable Fr. Z have chosen to launch a bizarre Lenten retreat Carribean cruise (I believe that's what's known as a "statistically improbable phrase").  I was planning to write a mildly snarky post called "Ten Ways to Spend a Thousand Dollars," listening nine ways you could spend your money well and wisely, and then also this dopey "retreat" -- which, yes, costs over a thousand dollars per person, and takes place on a luxury cruise ship which, like all cruise ships, offers those three pillars of the Lenten season:  cocktails, casinos and show girls.

So I started hunting for the names of worthy...READ MORE