By George Pence– Christmas is my favorite holiday, and when I was young that preference was broadly shared in American culture, but how about today? On the day before Christmas…
Posts published in December 2017
By Michael Patrick O’Brien– I truly do love Christmas. It is easy to love Christmas, I think, even for non-Christians. The simple tale of a baby born in humble settings,…
By Michael Patrick O’Brien– Whether you celebrate it as a Christian holiday or not, I think the true meaning of Christmas is that some 2,000 years ago, a force for…
By Jean Welch Hill– Where is my mind this Advent? Is it focused on preparing for Jesus, or preparing for the family celebration? The two are related, but preparing to…
By Gary Topping– I’m not a winter person. “So why did you stay in Utah?” one of my friends asks, knowing that I’m not a Utah native. Well, I said,…
By George Pence– (Editorial note: This week The Boy Monk’s regular contributors all address the theme of Advent, a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to welcoming…
By Michael Patrick O’Brien– (Editorial note: This week The Boy Monk’s regular contributors all address the theme of Advent, a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to…
By George Pence– There is no town more perfectly named than Echo, Utah. A century ago it had a population numbered in hundreds. Now its residual population is perhaps twenty…
By Michael Patrick O’Brien– Pope Francis’s speech to Congress two years ago discussed four persons “who shaped fundamental values which will endure forever in the spirit of the American people.”…
By Jean Welch Hill– As a Catholic social justice advocate, fellow Catholics sometimes express concerns about the church’s involvement in what are seen as political actions. While Catholic doctrine overflows…