Maybe in an effort to not be constantly reminded of weddings, George Winston created a piano variation of Bach’s Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring, simply named Joy. While I love’s Bach’s piece, Winston’s has become one of my Advent favorites. The way he weaves the familiar tune in and out of joyful variations moves my… Read More Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring

via BuzzFeed News: Pope Francis was instrumental in facilitating the normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba, a senior White House official said Wednesday. President Obama is expected to announce a deal with the Caribbean nation Wednesday afternoon that will pave the way for the first U.S. embassy on Cuban soil since the… Read More Pope Francis Sparks Major Shift in US-Cuba Relations

via BBC News: Militants from the Pakistani Taliban have attacked an army-run school in Peshawar, killing 141 people, 132 of them children, the military say. Officials say the attack in the north-western city is over, with all the attackers killed. Seven militants took part in all, according to the army. Scores of survivors are being… Read More Dozens Killed in Taliban attack on Peshawar School

Pope Francis won’t be earning any more fans among rigid legalists who equate faithfulness with caustically attacking those who fail to meet their standards of proper behavior. Francis linked rigidity to having a weak heart and contrasted it with one fixed on the rock, Jesus. He concluded his homily with a prayer, which included: “I… Read More Pope Francis: Reject Rigidity, Hypocrisy, and Condemning Others

Millennial’s Elizabeth Stoker Bruenig has a new interview at The Living Church. She discusses a number of topics, including libertarianism: It’s a problem for all Christians in my view. It’s especially troublesome for Roman Catholics, who have many decades of social teaching and centuries of tradition militating against a libertarian anthropology and a libertarian account… Read More Poor People Are Bruised Reeds

Millennial’s Mike Jordan Laskey has a new article in NCR. He writes: Joy and happiness seem different to me somehow. The great Henri Nouwen wrote about this difference and how joy can persist in even the saddest times. While happiness is dependent on external conditions, Nouwen writes that joy is something deeper. It is “the… Read More MJL: This Gaudete Sunday, rejoice despite the heartbreak all around us

Recently, my sister-in-law texted me a photo of my niece, who’s 18 months old, covering her gaping mouth in pure wonder at the sight of a chintzy Christmas-light display in a big-box store. It reminded me of the uniquely wonderful time of year this is for young kids. But you don’t have to watch TV… Read More Three Tips for Introducing Christmas to Kids: Story, Simplicity, Sharing