There’ll be scary ghost stories And tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago • It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year • • • As with other posts this Advent/Christmas season, we’re exploring some of the strange and interesting ways people celebrate the season. The way we as Americans celebrate Christmas hasn’t essentiallyContinue reading “The Haunting of Christmas”
Category Archives: Advent
Another Look: Why do we love this season?
Why do we love this season? I would suggest that aesthetics have much to do with the answer to that question. Advent and Christmas are made sensible to us by means of the things we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch at this time of year. Spiritual truth comes out of the closet of the abstract and makes itselfContinue reading “Another Look: Why do we love this season?”
Advent III: Bearing the fruits of mercy
Advent III Bearing the fruits of mercy I find today’s Gospel reading most interesting and instructive. 3:7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 3:8 Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to sayContinue reading “Advent III: Bearing the fruits of mercy”
Advent II: Mercy takes the risk of birth
Advent II Mercy takes the risk of birth. I thought of this poem last week, when each day seemed to bring more news of violence, death, and fear. It gave me words when I had none. It portrays the world in realistic terms and speaks of God’s response to the world at all times: overcomeContinue reading “Advent II: Mercy takes the risk of birth”
Putting a Krampus in your Christmas
In the benign stories of “Santa” most of us were told, the jolly old elf knew who was “naughty or nice.” He checked his list (twice) and gave gifts to the good children, and, tradition says, a lump of coal in the stockings of children who had been bad. Bummer on Christmas morning, but hey,Continue reading “Putting a Krampus in your Christmas”
For Advent — Fr. Thomas Hopko: 55 Maxims
Father Thomas Hopko (1939–2015) was a prominent teacher, speaker, and theologian in the Orthodox Church of America. Recently, I came across his list of “55 Maxims” and found them interesting and instructive. I think simple lists like this can be useful in penitential seasons like Advent. They help me focus and reflect on my life before God.Continue reading “For Advent — Fr. Thomas Hopko: 55 Maxims”
Advent I: A Holy Year of Mercy
Advent I A Holy Year of Mercy We will be moving “Sundays with Michael Spencer” to Mondays this year so that we may follow the liturgical calendar with our Sunday posts. On Sundays we will also emphasize “mercy,” following the lead of Pope Francis, who on December 8 will open the Holy Door at St.Continue reading “Advent I: A Holy Year of Mercy”
A Wake Up Call for Shepherds
This is the season when we remember heaven’s wake up call to the shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. The divine alarm sounded a brilliant “Gloria!” and the angel enlivened them with “good news for all people.” The shepherds were awakened with the gospel of the newborn Savior. PopeContinue reading “A Wake Up Call for Shepherds”
Advent with Christina Rossetti (4)
Christina Rossetti’s most familiar poem for this season of the year was penned in 1872. She called it simply, “A Christmas Carol,” and it was first published in Scribner’s Monthly Magazine. The poem weaves its wonder through the vivid use of contrast: overall, the hard, cold bleakness of winter vs. the warmth of a newbornContinue reading “Advent with Christina Rossetti (4)”
Lisa Dye: Parousia!
When my children were little, I diligently taught and enforced their close adherence to my side as we got in and out of the car, walked into stores, church or any other place. Looking back, I wasn’t strict or controlling in most respects. In fact, all my daughters voiced at one time or another thatContinue reading “Lisa Dye: Parousia!”
The Internet Monk Archives 