WEEKDAYS, 5pm

Truth in the Heart

EWTN The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., teach children their catechism, starting with first grade on Mondays and advancing to fifth grade on Fridays.

MONDAY, Dec. 5, 1pm

Mega Structures: NORAD

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL This documentary visits the nuclear attack-proof command center of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which is inside the 9,000-foot Cheyenne Mountain near Colorado Springs, Colo., to uncover the secrets of its design and construction.

MONDAY-FRIDAY, Dec. 5-9, 6:30pm daily

Theology of the Table

EWTN In five 30-minute installments, EWTN’s Father Mark Mary and Daniel Rabourdin draw deeply upon the Last Supper as they discuss our spiritual food, holy Communion, in relation to our physical food, particularly the evening meal.

TUESDAY, Dec. 6, 10pm

Note by Note (The Making of Steinway L1037)

PBS This special charts every step in the painstaking, 12-month creation of a Steinway concert grand piano “from forest floor to concert hall.” After master craftsmen assemble 12,000 parts, famed performers try out the new piano. A re-airing from 2009.

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 7, 8pm

Pearl Harbor: 24 Hours After

HISTORY On the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, this new, two-hour special documents the actions of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, his aides, and the Secret Service after the news arrived.

THURSDAY, Dec. 8, 10am, live

Homage to the Immaculate

EWTN Pope Benedict XVI will visit Rome’s Plaza de Spagna, at the Spanish Steps, to celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Immaculate Conception in St. Anne’s womb.

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 14, 8pm

Live From Lincoln Center: George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker

PBS The New York City Ballet’s dancers and musicians perform George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker,” assisted by two alternating casts of 50 children from the School of American Ballet.

SATURDAY, Dec. 17, 7am

Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey

ABC FAMILY In this 1977 stop-motion special, everyone treats Holy Land donkey Nestor cruelly because he has abnormally long ears. Nestor’s mama gives her life for him, and later, cherub Tilly tells Nestor that his ears are good and useful. She guides him close to Bethlehem, where Mary and Joseph meet him. During a big sandstorm, Nestor, guided by his Mama’s voice, warms Mary with his big ears and leads the holy couple safely into town, where Baby Jesus is born.

Dan Engler writes from Santa Barbara, California.