This penitential season of Advent is a perfect opportunity to take stock of our lives.

Interest in lectio divina has surged in recent years. Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis both recommended it as a way for us to hear God, with Pope Benedict saying it was a way to respond to God “with openness of heart.”

While some might think Starbucks is to thank for the beloved spice combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, the origins of a favorite fall beverage are much older than that.

As the church in the United States looks for new ways to foster community, it is helpful to look to the past and understand the history that led to the current state of parish life. OSV News’ Charles Camosy recently dove into this history with Father Stephen M. Koeth, assistant professor of history at the University of Notre Dame and priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, in discussing his new book, “Crabgrass Catholicism: How Suburbanization Transformed Faith and Politics in Postwar America.”

The U.S. government released a multi-point “peace plan” that should cause anyone familiar with the history of the late 1930s to recoil in disgust and anger.

A Catholic who stubbornly refused to accept the church’s teaching in “Mater Populi Fidelis” and continued to refer to Mary as “co-redemptrix” out of a willful disregard for the pope’s authority likely would be sinning.

I had to trust there was more space than there seemed to be. There must be, since there was a smiling attendant waving us on.

This Advent, as we barrel toward Christmas, let’s make an early resolution to dial back the potty mouth.

True thanksgiving is not just a matter of words and warm sentiments. Gratitude for a gift means offering a gift in return.

To be clear, I wouldn’t describe myself as a rutabaga enthusiast. It’s just that you can’t have Thanksgiving without rutabaga.