Written by Father Don FarnanDecember 22, 2025 Dark Christmas Wanda Bencke wrote the poem, “My First Christmas in Heaven,” after her child died on Christmas Day, 1997. It has helped millions of people who have lost loved ones during the holiday season to deal...
Written by Father Don FarnanDecember 13, 2025 My Cousin Jimmy When growing up, I had lots of cousins. There were about fifty of us on my father’s side of the family. Jimmy was five or six years older than me; I was close with his sister, Jeanne, who was more...
Written by Father Don FarnanDecember 9, 2025 Our Lady of the Americas Advent is a time to believe in impossible things. Prophetic writers foretell of a virgin birth, and scriptural passages that dominate our liturgical gatherings this month offer scenes in which wolf...
Advent means the Coming or Arrival. Each year Christians join in a four-week, end of calendar, spiritual journey. But it is a little difficult for us to comprehend exactly what is coming, whether it comes now, or only at the journey’s end. I’ll start with the coming...
A sanctuary is a protected place where birds, animals, or people can gather to find refuge and safety from dangerous conditions. It’s original meaning has biblical roots and refers to an enshrined haven or holy place set apart because God’s presence is made manifest...
In Bob Dylan’s pensive ballad, “Not Dark Yet,” he reflects upon a once great relationship that is not quite over and, at the same time, muses about the end of life or our relationship with human existence. He suggests that, even at the tail end or waning moments, we...
