We know that children learn more with the eyes than with the ears. The Christian life of the parents is the best way to give catechesis to the children.

We know that children learn more with the eyes than with the ears. The Christian life of the parents is the best way to give catechesis to the children.
As we get set to usher in celebrations of the Nativity of Our Lord, Fr Fausto Gomez OP shares with us a few stories and significant quotes that tells us the amazing and awesome grace of Christmas.
What preparations were running in heaven for the first Christmas! The opera of the preparation for the birth of the Lord is a story of extraordinary joy.
“This year we are especially mindful of those who, in the midst of war, in the midst of illness, in the midst of unemployment, and in the midst of grief over the loss of a loved one, are unable to celebrate Christmas with their loved ones, but must do so nonetheless.”
The idea of perfection can appear to be beyond us. Too often we can think, “I’m only human.” But as a human who is called by God, we are invited to work toward the obtainable goal of greater holiness. Though we will always fall short, we must strive to become as holy as we can, holding nothing back.
What are apocryphal writings? When we read the Gospels, we notice that they hardly give detailed descriptions of anything, not even the most important events in the life of our Lord. So, what some devout and imaginative Christians did was to try to supply more detail. They invented legends around the real stories in order to arouse piety. Besides these, we will also have a look at chronicles of martyrs.
Some people think that such an accomplished person, with such a busy agenda, will not have time for an intense spiritual life – to the point that this relationship with God can be classified as heroic. The Church’s conclusion is that just the opposite happened: it was because he worked so hard that he became a saint.
With the Holy Family of Nazareth in the background, Fr Fausto Gomez reflects on the Christian Family and Human Life. Christian couples are asked to proclaim life by being aware of the true meaning of procreation, which reveals that human life is “a gift received in order to be given as a gift.”
John the Baptist not only prepares the way but also gives way to the Messiah. John is a blameless holy man and an appreciated prophet. People could have easily mistaken him for the Messiah, and some did indeed as we see in the gospel today. He could have taken advantage of that! But he gives way. Giving way is the noblest way.
The pain and shock caused by the terrorist attack that hit the Catholic community on December 3 in a predominantly Muslim province on the island of Mindanao will not impede the path of dialogue and the construction of peaceful coexistence in the south of the Philippines, say Catholic leaders in the region.