Savers and Discarders*: Not till I was taking down our first Christmas tree did I become keenly aware of an important difference between my new husband and me. Phil watched as I tenderly wrapped the special ornaments from family and friends, then with equal care, packed the cheap Wal-Mart ones back into their original packages. More »

As we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, we read in the Gospel that Joseph had just been told in a dream to go to Egypt with his family because the life of the baby Jesus was in danger. More »

Christmas trees go up the day after Thanksgiving and go out the day after Christmas, just before the ritual of returning and exchanging gifts. The time in between is a flurry of parties, shopping, and school events. More »

When the street corner Santa asked Richard and Bernie what they wanted for Christmas, the four-year-old identical twins had their answers ready: “Some Lincoln Logs and a doctor kit and a Lionel Train that makes real smoke.” And there was something else. More »

My parents had a rule about December twenty-fifth: No one could so much as touch one present until after we had attended Christmas morning Mass together. More »

For many Catholic families, the Advent wreath is a treasured tradition. In the darkest days of winter, as we gather around the dinner table, the candles remind us of the light of Christ. This is the perfect time for family prayer. More »

A few years ago, my whole family witnessed a terrible accident involving eight cars. Shattered glass was everywhere. More »

When I was nine years old, I asked my older sisters if we could start a Nancy Drew detective agency. I had it all planned out. The tree house our dad had built in the maple would be our base of operations. More »