Living with Hope (and Butter on the Counter) December 26, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window I love making cookies, especially at Christmastime. But I can’t always find the time to bake. Sometimes in the morning as I look ahead at the day, I think maybe, just maybe, I’ll have time to make cookies today. So, I pull some butter out of the fridge and leave it to soften on the […]
Up on the Housetop December 18, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Advent, Blog, Commentary, Open Window I must have been about 5 or 6 that Christmas Eve. My grandmother was spending the night so she could wake up with all of us on Christmas morning. To make sure that Grandma had a bed, my oldest sister Maureen and I slept on the third floor of our Rodgers Forge townhouse. We were […]
Spending Advent with St. Joseph December 14, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Advent, Blog, Commentary, Open Window As a woman and mother, I sometimes feel like I should feel close to Mary during Advent. And I do. But I often find myself looking more to St. Joseph. In so many ways, his story is similar to our stories. He’s thrust into a situation he couldn’t have anticipated. He considers backing out and […]
An Advent Invitation December 4, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Sometimes we choose our journeys, and sometimes they choose us. Sometimes you know the destination but you’re not quite sure how you’ll get there. Sometimes you blink and suddenly discover you’re almost at your destination. Sometimes journeys are smooth, and sometimes they’re painful. But they all lead somewhere—and often to exactly where we ought to […]
Picture Perfect December 4, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Advent, Christmas, Commentary, The Domestic Church As we walk toward Christmas, may we try to view this season as one of opportunity rather than obligation, being open to the journey and to the ways we can give and receive.
Gift ideas: Shopping for a six-foot stuffed goose? November 29, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Advent, Blog, Commentary, Open Window Christmas is coming, and ads are everywhere. My social media feed is full of gift suggestions that make me wonder who they think I’m buying gifts for this year.
The cranberry sauce November 26, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Commentary, The Domestic Church I like to think that God is waiting, trusting, walking with us, even when we feel we aren’t doing anything significant for the world.
Preparing for Change November 22, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Advent, Blog, Commentary, Open Window As we look ahead to Advent, it almost feels as if nature is paving the way to that time, calling us to let the fading vibrancy of autumn go, and be open to the journey ahead. Change can be wonderful, but it can also be hard.
What little we have to give November 14, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window The other day I was in a meeting at work. We were introducing ourselves to a group of people visiting from outside our organization. When it was time for one of my coworkers to introduce himself, he mentioned he had just started working there recently. The person leading the meeting laughed. He dismissed my new […]
The loss of a pet and a visit with Padre Pio November 8, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Padre Pio was such a holy man with a deep devotion to the Eucharist. He lived a life full of miracles. I really wanted to visit his relics while they were in Baltimore.
Everyday Memories of Those Who’ve Gone Before October 30, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window You never know what will make you remember the people you miss. Rainbows make me think of our late neighbors, John and Loretta. We shared such a beautiful rainbow with them one summer afternoon. Reaching up to close a window takes my mind to our friend Father Tom. He once told me how he felt […]
100 Masses in a Year October 23, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Back in December, my husband told me about a friend who set a goal to spend 100 hours on his boat during 2023. I found myself wondering what I could do 100 times in a year. I told our oldest son that maybe I would try to go to 100 Masses. “You probably already go […]
