The Consummation of Advent: Rediscovering Christmas Eve
Deep in the heart of winter near the longest night of the year, as a child my heart was graced annually by one of the great traditions of Christendom. It was ultimately an experience which kept me deeply tied to my Catholic roots even during later years spent in temporary disbelief, and it imbued in…
Merry Christmas!
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6 From all of us at OnePeterFive, we wish you a Merry, blessed, and grace-filled Christmas and God’s abundant blessings in the…
Christians, Take Heart! The Christ-Child is With Us
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ, greetings in the Holy and Undivided Trinity, in He Who is One God and Three Divine and Distinct Persons. May you be forever blessed in He Who Was, and IS and Is to Come. Amen. Our One, Holy and Indefectible Mother Church, the Beloved Virgin Bride of Our Lord…
Let Our Homes Open and Bud Forth the Savior
Advent in the domestic church is a mystery lying somewhere under our wet-boot-stained carpet, the cookie crumbs, and the fir needles. Here, the coming of Christ is hiding somewhere between the packages outside our door, the voice of Bing Crosby crooning away in our kitchen, and our family Nativity scene donkey that only has one…
And Thy Word Broke Their Swords: The Empowering Depth and Dimension of Christmas
There is more to Christmas than just Christ’s birth. It serves as the beginning of an epic, and Advent is the prologue whereby we prepare for the first spellbinding chapter. There’s a thread running through Christmas that ties into so many other Christological elements, including Christ as Divine Lover, in concert with the poetry of…
Merry Christmas From OnePeterFive!
As we look back over 2015 — good, bad, and ugly — there’s no question that it’s been quite a year. It’s time for us to withdraw into the peace and joy of the coming of the Christ child, to spend time with friends and family, to feast, to drink good wine, and to play…
Finding Tradition in the Transcendent: Christmas in the Church
It’s that time of year again, when the word “tradition” is heard more often than at a “Fiddler on the Roof” audition. Whether it’s in the music we are subjected to in the mall or choose to listen to on our radio, or the food and treats we make, or the decorations in and around…
Dear Retailers: You’re Making Me Hate Christmas. Stop.
Halloween snuck up on my family again this year. A new baby, a child entering college, a late start to homeschool, and the ever-present demands of work and family just about pushed the whole thing out of our minds. We were going to do a family theme: the Skojecs as the Avengers for Halloween. It was perfect.…
Less Stuff, More Riches: Freeing the Family From Consumerism
Thanksgiving has been one of my favorite holidays since I was a child, and it hasn’t changed much over the years. It may seem like the focus is on food more than thankfulness, but as a parent you don’t have to fight terribly hard to help your children remember what it’s all about. Cut out…
