rita buettner commentary CommentaryThe Domestic Church Gold pants Rita BuettnerJanuary 1, 20253 min read As we begin a new year and turn the page on the calendar, we may be wondering what lies ahead. We aren’t likely to discover – or need – a pair of gold pants, but maybe we will need something unusual for the journey before us. Whatever that might be, we can trust that God will prepare us – or has already. BlogChristmasCommentaryOpen Window A Tale of Two Gifts Rita BuettnerDecember 27, 20243 min read 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. BlogCommentaryOpen Window Living with Hope (and Butter on the Counter) Rita BuettnerDecember 26, 20243 min read 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 […] AdventBlogCommentaryOpen Window Up on the Housetop Rita BuettnerDecember 18, 20244 min read 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 […] AdventBlogCommentaryOpen Window Spending Advent with St. Joseph Rita BuettnerDecember 14, 20243 min read 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 […] BlogCommentaryOpen Window An Advent Invitation Rita BuettnerDecember 4, 20242 min read 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 […] AdventChristmasCommentaryThe Domestic Church Picture Perfect Rita BuettnerDecember 4, 20244 min read 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. AdventBlogCommentaryOpen Window Gift ideas: Shopping for a six-foot stuffed goose? Rita BuettnerNovember 29, 20243 min read 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. CommentaryThe Domestic Church The cranberry sauce Rita BuettnerNovember 26, 20243 min read 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. AdventBlogCommentaryOpen Window Preparing for Change Rita BuettnerNovember 22, 20243 min read 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. Previous 1 … 1 2 3 … 93 Next