News - December 2019 RSS Feed

On December 1, 2019, Pope Francis issued an Apostolic Letter entitled Admirabile Signum (“Enchanting Image”) on the meaning and importance of the Nativity Scene. As you read this it is now four days after Christmas. Happily we are still within the Christmas season which will last until January 12 when we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. One of the scenes that Pope Francis recalls in his Apostolic Letter is the origin of the Christmas crèche and the role that St. Francis of Assisi had in its origins. Let’s listen to the Holy Father tell this story:

One of the songs of the Christmas season that I like is “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” which Andy Williams made popular a number of years ago now. One of the reasons that I think that it is the most wonderful time of the year is seeing the selfless generosity of so many people.

I want to make some more remarks in my column today about hospitality since we will have many more people attending Mass during the next couples of weekends to celebrate Christmas with us.

Today in my column I am presenting the last in the series of biographies of Saints canonized by Pope Francis on October 13, 2019. These were in the English edition of L’Osservatore Romano on October 18, 2019. This week we are looking at Saint John Henry Newman.