By Pat Haggerty

Some people are wonderful planners! They are fastidious about preparations, especially when it deals with a trip or vacation. They map things out, make travel arrangements in plenty of time and do all the necessary prerequisite activities to ensure a smooth trip.  I am not one of those people! Fortunately, I am married to one. My husband has folders within folders when planning a trip. I merely serve as his secretary---making a call here and there, paying bills and keeping track of his folders!

I propose that we look toward Lent as a trip in itself. It is in some regards, a forty-day journey of great importance. It leads to the greatest moment in our lives as Christians. It leads to the moment that is our redemption and our salvation. We need to travel this journey carefully, so that it will bring us to where we want to be. We must walk the walk of sacrifice, follow the map of penance and stay the course of prayer.

Do we ever pay attention to the Entrance Antiphon at Mass? In many ways, it is like the prologue in a novel or the welcome note in a playbill. It says a lot in a very short and simple manner.

In reviewing some of the readings for the Mass, I discovered that the Entrance Antiphons for the Second Sunday and the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time both relate to singing. The Second Sunday Antiphon reads: “All the earth shall bow down before you, O God, and shall sing to you, shall sing to your name, O Most High!”  Similarly, the Third Sunday Antiphon is as follows: “O sing a new song to the Lord; sing to the Lord, all the earth. In his presence are majesty and splendor, strength and honor in his holy place.”

By Pat Haggerty

Just as everyone has their Christmas traditions, so too, do we have our post-Christmas traditions or rituals. Some people like to take the tree down the day after the holy day. When it’s over, it’s over! Others, like me, prefer to languish in the beauty of the season and keep the tree and decorations up at least until the Epiphany. I hate to lose sight of that beautiful, glistening tree bedecked with ornaments that have meaning. Many hold a story and one can reminisce quite easily on the angel from Hawaii, the ceramic penguin given by a student, the red ball that has lost its luster after over 50 years.

Star Of Bethlehem

By Pat Haggerty

Christmas is so intrinsically tied to gifts and gift-giving.  As young children we make lists and we send them to Santa.  Now, the children are even watched by the “Elf on the Shelf” to make sure they are good!  The adults make lists too---but, of those gifts they need to buy.  We spend hours either shopping in malls or shopping on line looking for just the right things!  It becomes an obsession.