The Catholic Faith is amazingly rich and full, a virtual bottomless treasure chest of spiritual wealth. For converts and “cradle” Catholics alike, there is always something new to learn and explore, something to deepen our Faith and Charity. Oftentimes this includes rediscovering age-old customs and practices. If Embertide is a bit of an enigma for you, as it was for me, Ember Days Are Here Again on Vultus Christi shares the rich history of this ancient observance.
The weeks of Advent are a flurry of preparation in most Catholic homes: cleaning, baking, preparing to travel or host travelers, making and purchasing gifts, and most importantly, prayer and spiritual growth. Grow in Virtue recently posted a timely article titled Combating Stress - 2 Ways to do it! True to form, Alan Scott offers simple and practical advice: “But what is important to learn is how to rid ourselves of stress…I work hard to get out of it quickly and with the least amount of damage to myself and to others as possible…And this is only achievable because of two things: trust in God and gratitude.”
This will be the final Restoration Reader of 2016. We will be taking a brief break and will resume posting on January 17, 2017. For this reason, I would like to share some useful Christmastide information from Catholic Harbor of Faith and Morals. Christmas Prayers and Devotions will be particularly edifying and beneficial for those who will not have access to Mass on this all-important feast day, as will Christmas Day Sermons 1. Lastly, Christmas Carols can be enjoyed throughout the Christmas season!
May your Advent be truly blessed and fruitful, and the coming Christmas season filled with joy!