For many families, the four weeks leading up to Christmas can be a time of great stress, unrealized dreams, a commercial blur, and a financial burden. Susan Hines-Brigger, the mother of four children, knows well that the days counting down to Christmas can easily become for parents and grandparents a nightmare of whiny behavior, crowded to-do lists, and a less-than-spiritual experience. That’s why this mother who has seen and heard it all in her own home during Advent created this resource with prayers and activities: She wants to put Christ back into the family holiday celebration and help families--even hers--become holier. Using A Catholic Family Advent on a daily basis will give Catholic families time together to pray, reflect on Scripture, and do a simple activity together. This daily source of inspiration can be used in the family setting as prayer before or after meals, as morning and evening prayer, or as family time in front of the Advent wreath or Christmas crèche.

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How might a house look for Christmas based on what each Gospel says about it? In Christmas in the Four Gospel Homes, beautiful illustrations from architect Kevin Burns reimagine each of the four Gospels as a house, which the church visits at Christmas. In each section, Cynthia M. Campbell reflects on the distinctive perspective of the birth of Jesus or the incarnation offered by each Gospel. Suitable for individual or group study, Christmas in the Four Gospel Homes creatively reimagines the season and inspires new and exciting reflection for Advent.

"This is an illustrated book full of wonderful activities for children and families to help them better understand and celebrate the Advent, Christmas and Epiphany seasons. Family activities include making an advent wreath, a Jesse Tree with all its symbols, cloth Nativity figures, words for singing 21 Advent and Christmas songs, recipes for special cakes and breads and more. Also included are stories of special saints for the season with activities and prayers" -- Back cover.

What does the Bible really say about the birth of Jesus? How did the celebration of Christmas become associated with things like Santa Claus and decorated trees? In The True Meaning of Christmas: The Birth of Jesus and the Origins of the Season, biblical scholar Michael Patrick Barber offers an inspiring look at the Bible's accounts of Jesus' birth and the development of the Christmas season. Along the way, he answers numerous questions, including: How is the Christmas story related to ancient Jewish expectations?Why is Jesus said to be laid in a "manger"?Who are the Magi?What is the mysterious Christmas star?How did December 25th become the date of Christmas?How did Saint Nicholas become "Santa Claus"? As Dr. Barber will show, to find our way "home" at Christmas, we need to first return to Christmas's home in the story of the Bible. Only by carefully reflecting on the stories of Jesus' birth can we hope to celebrate Christmas in the way it is meant to be celebrated and discover the real joy it promises!

This exclusive English-language translation of the Manual on Indulgences explains what indulgences are and provides the many devotional prayers associated with them.

In this joyful and charming book, Maria von Trapp (from The Sound of Music) unveils for you the year-round Christian traditions she loved – traditions that created for her large family a warm and inviting Catholic home and will do the same for yours. Here are the songs they sang for feasts and holidays, as well as Maria’s personal recipes for traditional holiday foods. Here are stories and games to delight your children, and countless other ways to turn events such as anniversaries, baptisms, graduations, birthdays, wedding receptions, and even funerals into feasts celebrated in the Lord. Most people only know the young Maria from The Sound of Music; few realize that in subsequent years, as a pious wife and a seasoned Catholic mother, Maria gave herself unreservedly to keeping her family Catholic by observing in her home the many feasts of the Church’s liturgical year, with poems and prayers, food and fun, and so much more! With the help of Maria von Trapp, you, too, can provide Christian structure and vibrancy to your home. Soon your home will be a warm and loving place, an earthly reflection of our eternal home.