Monthly Archives: December 2011

Media Resolutions for the New Year

Posted on by
1


Internet, television, radio ….

As the Grinch said of all the Who girls and boys in the cartoon version of the famous Dr. Seuss story, “All the noise, oh the noise, noise, noise, noise!”

This year is coming to a close in just a few short days. Think back on your media habits of 2011 and how regularly you used social networks like Facebook and Twitter, how many hours per week you spent watching television, DVDs and Netflix, and how often you had a constant noise in your home or car through the radio.

All these lovely distractions and forms of relaxation can make our lives feel more comfortable, but have you been too dependent on it all over the past year? Or past years?

Now is the time to consider even just one or two simple ways you can cut a bit of media out of your life for the new year. Something truly ironic to say on a media blog, but everything should be in moderation.

Spend some extra time in prayer and some simple time in silence.

And by the grace of God….

I’ll talk with you in 2012!

Related Links:

Pride Versus Vanity

Posted on by
Reply


“Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves; vanity to what we would have others think of us.” – Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 5

If someone would have asked me to define pride and vanity before reading this, I would have said that pride is thinking yourself better than others, and vanity is looking in the mirror excessively and trying to make every part of your physical appearance perfect.

But the definitions Jane Austen gives in her 1813 classic novel Pride and Prejudice provides a clear distinction between the two.

Pride is the inward vice of thinking too highly of ourselves. Vanity is the outward vice of wanting others to think too highly of us. It doesn’t just mean how many facelifts we’ve had or how slick our hair looks. It can be wanting a particular job for an impressive reputation or trying to appear wealthier than we are. Pride is thinking we’re a particular kind of great, vanity may be realizing we aren’t so great but wanting others to think we are.

Vanity seems to be the easier of the two to fight against. With pride, you think you are a certain way. You can be blinded to the sin itself. At least with vanity you can know you aren’t a certain way and can consciously struggle against false appearances.

But we’re supposed to do our best and use our talents, right? We’re not supposed to shrink away and settle for doing only the minimum so that others won’t think well of us. That would be a false fight against vanity. We do what we can, but know to Whom the glory is due. If it wasn’t for our gifts, health and life situations, we couldn’t be where we are. Without God, we wouldn’t even have life.

What advice would you give to combat pride and vanity?

Related Links:

What The Lord Has Made Known To Us

Posted on by
Reply


When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” (Luke 2:15)

Today we celebrate the Birth of Our Lord. Between the cooking, visiting, present-opening and cleaning, I hope you are able to meditate on this beautiful and amazing Mystery of our Faith.

As we read in St. Luke’s account of the Nativity, the shepherds heard the news of Christ’s birth from the angels. After this Good News was revealed to them, what did they do with it? Did they continue about their everyday work? Their hearts were stirred by these glad tidings, and they sought out the Child.

How do we respond to knowing Christ is in our midst? What is our reaction to the knowledge that God is among us? In addition to attending Holy Mass this Christmas Day, let us embrace the trials as well as the joys that we face, most especially those we encounter during this day of fellowship with family and friends.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Making the Most of Christmas

Posted on by
Reply


We all have our secular or familial Christmas time “obligations” – gift buying, card sending, cookie baking. It comes naturally, regardless of how much enthusiasm we put into these yearly tasks.

But how will you use Christmas this year to improve your spiritual life and grow closer to Our Lord?

Consider some of these for starters:

  • attend Mass daily, at least during Christmas week
  • read, pray and meditate on the Scripture passages pertaining to Jesus’ early years
  • consider your most common failings against your loved ones and focus on making the offenses less frequent
  • in honor of Our Lord becoming a baby, pray outside a local abortion clinic and/or donate to a local pregnancy care center

Give us, O God, the vision which can see Your love in the world in spite of human failure. Give us the faith to trust Your goodness in spite of our ignorance and weakness. Give us the knowledge that we may continue to pray with understanding hearts. And show us what each one of us can do to set forward the coming of the day of universal peace.

- Christmas Eve Prayer by Frank Borman, Apollo 8 space mission, 1968

Related Links:

Just Bring Your Carry-On

Posted on by
Reply


I flew to Minnesota this past weekend to visit some friends. We spent hours at the colossal Mall of America in Bloomington. As the largest mall in the United States by number of stores, MOA is home to more than 520 stores, as well as an amusement park (Nickelodeon Universe), an aquarium (Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium) and a Lego play area.

To throw that experience on top of the relentless societal advertising pile, I feel like I’ve reached the pinnacle of commercialism this holiday season!

Walking around the MOA created a sense of need (or at least strong desire) for all the shiny, cute, fancy you-name-its out there for display and purchase. Thankfully, I only brought carry-on luggage, so that helped keep my number of purchases low. Even though I’m not a big spender, I still felt the tug for the stuff I wouldn’t really use or need. When would I ever be going to all those fancy parties that require the attire the window mannequins love to model?

If you don’t see something frivolous, chances are you won’t miss it. But when it’s on display in the malls and TV commercials, you start to feel like you need it. Women are drawn to the mall atmosphere and the chipping away at the credit cards during a day of shopping. Men are seduced by fewer but more pricey purchases, courtesy of the Almighty Electronics: sound systems, large LCD HDTVs, and gaming systems.

So what are we supposed to do? Stay away from malls? Avoid people with the cool new gadgets? Only if you think it best. But another possible option is temperance. It’s self-control and going in with a plan you intend to stick to, should you find yourself able to master your desires. It’s the mental equivalent of bringing only your carry-on.

If you struggle with over-spending, remember this line from the Act of Contrition:

I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.

If you’re planning a trip to the mall, arrange your outing an hour or two before you have something else scheduled. Then you’ll know you don’t have a lot of time to linger. Or choose just one store to stop in per mall trip. It can help you from finding an infinite number of amazing items you didn’t realize you just couldn’t live without.

If your kryptonite is technology, keep a separate savings for the electronics. That way you won’t go into debt over the mega purchases. It’ll also give you something to work toward, and you’ll feel even better about your cool new thing.

Resolution time is coming up, right? Here’s one for your new year — self-discipline in materialism.

What helps you keep your spending in check?

Related Links:

TV Holiday Specials

Posted on by
1


There are two prominent types of holiday specials that come to mind when I think back on the television shows I used to watch.

Non-Christ Christmas Episodes: Full House (focusing on Santa, presents and the love of family), Family Matters (competing with other shoppers for the coveted Christmas toy of the year), Hey Arnold! (Secret Santa, gift giving).

Hanukkah Episodes: Rugrats and Even Stevens. Both series were respectful and educational in telling the story of Hanukkah.

It seems every theme for this time of year is included but the obvious. I can’t think of a single television show in the last two decades that focused on the true meaning of Christmas. I’m sure there’s got to be (hopefully) a few out there that have escaped my knowledge or memory. I think the closest I’ve seen is Christmas episodes where there is a play involved, with characters playing Biblical figures in the Nativity story (Gilmore Girls).

Why is Hanukkah explained but the story of Jesus’ birth is overlooked? While the Hanukkah focus can be placed rather neatly on the history and bravery of the Jews, it’s nearly impossible to get out of the pure religiosity of Christmas. Jesus’ birth is only significant because He is God made Man.

What has been your experience with television holiday specials?

Related Links:

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays – Or Does It Matter?

Posted on by
Reply


The controversy rages on, year after year, as to whether businesses and individuals should wish others a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. The American Family Association is a large proponent of “Merry Christmas,” as they have an entire campaign based on this greeting – complete with buttons and stickers to order. Their Naughty or Nice Christmas List 2011 is helpful, categorizing stores by their use of the word “Christmas” in advertising.

As the “greeter” is wishing wellness of some sort to the “greetee,” it isn’t sensible to take offense at the religious holiday referred to in the greeting. If a Jew wished me a Happy Hanukkah, I would appreciate it. If a Muslim wished me a wonderful Ramadan, that’s great too. It’s beautiful to see others express their religion.

In years past I’ve heard both Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from cashiers. This year, I haven’t heard either.

Even though I haven’t had the greeting drama in person yet this Christmas/holiday season, I’ve noticed radio Happy Holidays greetings. And on television the Hallmark Channel has a Countdown to Christmas: Holiday Movies and Specials All Season Long. ABC Family has a 25 Days of Christmas.

So where there seems to be a problem with Christmas on radio and in stores, the same does not seem to hold true for television stations.

The majority of those buying gifts at this time of year are in fact celebrating Christmas, so it makes sense that it should be prominent in marketing and on the street. But remember that even if you hear “holiday” used, it is still derived from “holy day.”

Related Links:

Flavors of Holiday Films

Posted on by
Reply


At this time of year, Christmas makes the dominant claim on holiday films.

In the latest Christmas movies you’ve watched or seen advertised, what do you find to be the most popular themes? Family, love, relationships, Santa Claus, magic. Rarely is Jesus mentioned. If these films did not sprinkle in a few traditional Christmas hymns, He would typically not be found at all.

There’s a sense of magic to Christmas time in many of the films. But the reason there is such an appreciation for something beyond our senses is because of the truth of God becoming Man!

It’s true that love and family are very important to life, but God offered us so much more for Christmas than these films reveal. Without taking that step further into the true meaning of Christmas, we are left with a watered-down celebration of nothing concrete for no particular reason.

Honestly, I really enjoy watching Christmas flicks. They seem to be some of the most morally clean films out there as a whole. But taking a step back from the simple enjoyment of it all, you realize that what’s been done to the celebration of Christ’s birth is a tragedy.

“The great majority of people will go on observing forms that cannot be explained; they will keep Christmas Day with Christmas gifts and Christmas benedictions; they will continue to do it; and some day suddenly wake up and discover why.” – G.K. Chesterton

What’s your reaction to some of the most recent Christmas films?

Related Links:

Christmas Traveling Chaos

Posted on by
Reply


Several years ago I was flying from Kansas City to Pittsburgh to visit my family for Christmas. There was terrible weather in my layover city of Chicago, so my flight was canceled, stranding me at O’Hare.

It was two days before Christmas Eve. I had to wait until early the following morning to arrange another flight. Stingy with my money and wanting to avoid going through security the following day, I slept in the airport. It was the first and only time I’ve ever done that.

I felt dirty and homeless that night and the next day. Early in the morning after my short night of sleep, I tried to get another flight, but I had to be put on stand-by. Now the day before Christmas Eve, flight after flight was booked.

I decided that if I couldn’t get out that day, I would go visit my best friend and her family for Christmas. They lived about 3 hours south of Chicago and graciously offered to pick me up.

Thankfully, I was able to make the second-to-last flight of the day. But this difficult experience taught me valuable lessons. It helped me reflect on the first Christmas and to better understand, just a little, what the Holy Family went through.

St. Joseph and Mother Mary had to walk 120 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Technology and transportation wasn’t what it is today. They were probably very dirty, tired and missing their home as well.

My overnight delay in Chicago was a temporary discomfort but its lessons are long lasting. I thank God for that hardship and the blessing of being able to fly home for Christmas.

What difficulty in your life has helped you better appreciate details of our Faith?

The Christmas Card

Posted on by
Reply


This 2006 Hallmark Channel original movie salutes family, love, the soldiers fighting for our nation, and the true meaning of Christmas. As part of her church’s initiative to send Christmas cards to the troops in Afghanistan, young spunky Faith sends a Christmas card to an unknown soldier. Not long after Cody, the card’s recipient, takes a military leave.

On leave, he visits the town where Faith lives. He runs into her a couple times around the small town. Attending the church Faith talked about in her card, Cody meets the rest of the family, who insists on him joining them for dinner (all the while not knowing he’s the one who received her card).

On the DVD there is a special feature encouraging all of us to write to a soldier. It emphasizes the impact it can have and how it can really help a soldier through difficult times. As character Cody says in the movie, “I got a card once. The words kept me going.” It’s not hard to imagine a real soldier relating similar sentiments.

In the United States, we can get wrapped up in a lot of artificial busyness, distractions and a sense of security. We may receive a nice card or letter that makes us smile, but imagine its impact on us if we were far from our loved ones in a threatening war zone. Any word of encouragement or sign of care from someone back home, whether we know them or not, would mean a lot more. It would be a tiny but strong light in the dark and dangerous world around us.

Do you have personal stories of how packages, cards or letters from the States have helped soldiers who are fighting overseas?

Related Links: