There are holiday gatherings, and then there are holiday gatherings with wonderful punny themes.

My sister Treasa is helping my dreams of a Christmas-carol-themed potluck come true, serving “Jingle Balls” meatballs, “Frosty the Salmon” salad, “We Three Wings,” and asking me to bring “Feliz Navi-dip.”

Call me old-fashioned, but I’m one of those people who still relies on a paper planner to keep my life balanced and bound together.

As we look at the New Year ahead of us, it’s impossible to know what opportunities and challenges we will encounter during the next 365 days. We have no choice but to say yes to all of it, even the unknowns.

At Christmas we get to celebrate God made man in the fullness of time. May we one day be able to celebrate the God who lives in us and through us all the time. 

Can you imagine your life without Christ? Without Jesus? How different everything – everything! – indeed would be.

Before I was a mother, I thought Christmas countdowns were cute and decorative and fun. Now I think they exist so parents can direct their children to the nearest countdown feature.

Archbishop William E. Lori recalled that midnight Mass was the highlight of the family Christmas celebrations. The parish where he grew up had a particularly beautiful choir that helped make the Mass a memorable event, even as a kid.

This week we are lighting the pink candle on our Advent wreath as we say, “Gaudete!”

In this time of Advent, we are not just waiting for the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but preparing for our role as a member of His Kingdom.