What do you call it?  The Nativity scene?  The manger? Or the crèche? Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration. No matter what you call it, you have to have one inside the house and outdoors on your front lawn to remind all passersby what Christmas is all about. When you go to […]Read more

How much stuff can you put in a Christmas stocking? Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration. We used to hang the red and white stockings above the chimney with care on Christmas Eve and on Christmas morning they were overflowing with treats! The amount of goodies you can put in a Christmas […]Read more

How do we know Jesus was born on December 25th? Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration. Everyone knows that Christ was born on Christmas Day, December 25th, but how do we know that? That’s an important and fascinating question, and I’ve spent the past twenty years searching for the answer, reading just […]Read more

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely are your branches! Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration. Everyone loves a Christmas tree, and no two trees are the same. Growing up in my family we would put up the tree around December 13, the Feast of Santa Lucia and the ancient festival […]Read more

Do you have a favorite Christmas carol? Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration. There must be hundreds of Christmas carols, from many countries and in many languages. St. Josemaría’s favorite is in Spanish, and it’s based on a beautiful medieval tradition of providing shelter for the homeless at Christmastime. It’s called “Madre […]Read more

Somebody asked me, “Father, what’s your favorite Christmas cookie?” Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration. Hmmm … what’s my favorite Christmas cookie? Now, that’s a hard one because there’s so many to choose from. And the very thought of it reminds me of the kitchen in the home I grew up in […]Read more

Jolly Old St. Nicholas, lean your ear this way! Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration. December 6th is the Feast of St. Nicholas. You know who he is, don’t you? That’s St. Nicholas of Bari, a small town on the Adriatic Coast of Italy. Some of his relics are in a Church […]Read more

What’s the best Christmas gift you ever got? Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration. I’m a very lucky guy, and I have received many wonderful Christmas gifts over the years, but the ones that brought me the most joy weren’t the ones I got, but the ones I gave.  I think you […]Read more

Send a Christmas card, get a Christmas card. Or is it the other way around? Get a Christmas card, send a Christmas card? Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration. Everyone loves to get a Christmas card, especially these days when so much communication is electronic. But a real card, in your own […]Read more

How many Christmas ornaments can you put on a tree? Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration. The number of Christmas ornaments you can put on a tree is directly proportional to the size of the tree, the number of the branches, the size of the ornaments, the time you have available, and […]Read more

 Have you noticed that the seasons of Advent and Lent have something in common? Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration. That’s right, Advent and Lent have something in common. Both are seasons of spiritual preparation for a big event: Advent prepares us for the birth of Christ on Christmas, and Lent […]Read more

How many candles are on an Advent Wreath?  Four. Hi, this is Fr. Rocky with another Advent Inspiration. There are four candles on an Advent Wreath, one for each Sunday in Advent.  Usually, three of the candles are purple and one is rose, and that’s the one for the Third Week of Advent, known as […]https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/134e18ca-7af8-403f-a7eb-ad7f01861f48/e76af78c-1f4a-40a6-ac6d-af49017135d6/125c9cd1-407a-4a64-a310-af55016c3599/audio.mp3Podcast: Play ... Read more