That First Communion Joy February 10, 2025By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Our twin nephews made their First Communion this weekend, and I was so excited for them.
Lunar New Year: This Year Takes the Snake (Cake) February 3, 2025By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window, Uncategorized The timing of the holiday is always just what I need—a festival that arrives in between the gap of the rejoicing of Christmas and the warmth and light of springtime. Here we are in the in-between times, celebrating with food and loved ones and fun.
Cherish the Time January 25, 2025By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window “But I remember those wonderful days with my boys in the house,” she said. “Cherish that time.”
Ask for What You Need January 19, 2025By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Whatever is on your heart today, whether it seems insurmountable or insignificant, whether it’s for you or for someone you love, you can bring it to Jesus — directly or through his mother.
Best By Today January 13, 2025By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window This weekend we started going through our pantry. The plan was to find the items we weren’t eating and donate them to the food pantry at church. What we discovered is that we have plenty of soy sauce, Greek dressing, and granola. We also have an astonishing amount of expired food. Some packages expired not […]
5 Reasons to Love St. Elizabeth Ann Seton January 3, 2025By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window As a child growing up in Baltimore, I remember learning about Mother Seton. We were especially proud of this new saint, who had a connection to our hometown. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was not only the first American-born saint, but she had spent so much of her life in Maryland. Sometimes on a warm summer […]
New Year, Sorta New Goal January 3, 2025By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Commentary, Open Window Now 2025 begins. I’m always a little sad to close the book on the past year, but I love the idea of a new beginning. What will this new year bring? What will we bring to this new year?
A Tale of Two Gifts December 27, 2024By Rita Buettner Catholic Review Filed Under: Blog, Christmas, Commentary, Open Window The true gift of Christmas is always the same—love come down from heaven to earth, love that changes everything, the Son of God made man, come to show us how to live and how to love.
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 […]
