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 […]
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.
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 […]
Haussner’s Memories (25 Years Later) October 13, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window There were those sweet little chocolate chip muffins that came in the breadbasket. Then there were the decadent platters of food that came steaming out of the kitchen. But what I remember best about Haussner’s Restaurant was gazing up at the artwork that covered every inch of the walls. We didn’t eat out much as […]
God comes to us October 13, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window I love a celestial phenomenon, but I never thought I would see the Northern Lights. I certainly didn’t imagine I would see them from my front porch, not far outside Baltimore, in a neighborhood full of light pollution. But then Thursday night happened. A colleague sent a message and encouraged us to look outside. There […]
Thinking of Eric today October 10, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window It has been seven years since my brother-in-law Eric died. It doesn’t feel that long, and yet it also feels like longer. Time can be so odd. Today, as we are missing him, I am thinking of how we never really lose the people we love. But I also know that there is an Eric-shaped […]
