By Rob Sexton, Catholic Exchange – We speak often of Mary’s Fiat, and rightly so. Her yes stands at the center of salvation history. But Scripture gives us another yes, one that is quieter and almost hidden in the background. It is the yes of a man who receives no annunciation from an angel in broad daylight, who hears God not through a message addressed to him by name but through a dream. Joseph wakes from that dream and obeys.
By Gayle Somers, Catholic Exchange – As our time of preparation and waiting in Advent draws to a close, we find ourselves listening to St. Matthew’s account of how Joseph became an important part of the first Advent. In some ways, the example of Joseph is the perfect pivot point as we move from anticipation to reality in the Incarnation, celebrated all through the liturgical season of Christmas. How?
By Virginia Allen, The Daily Signal – ICE agents are “maxed out,” a senior Trump administration official told The Daily Signal, and yet there is “frustration” within the administration that deportation numbers aren’t higher… “I think it is just an enormous challenge to get 20 million people out of this country,” the official said, referring to an estimation of the number of illegal aliens living in the U.S. …
NEWS
Three House Dems Help Cancel Rogue Republicans, Pass Bill Protecting Kids from Transgender Procedures, by Craig Bannister
By Craig Bannister, CNS News – Three House Democrats voted Wednesday to protect children from transgender procedures, passing a bill that would otherwise have failed because four Republicans voted against it… The “Protect Children’s Innocence Act” (H.R. 3492) passed 216-to-211. Without the help of the three Democrats, the bill would’ve failed, 214-213… Two of the three Democrats voting for the “Protect Children’s Innocence Act” represent districts in Texas ….
Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations: Many Will Rejoice at His Birth
Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 1:5-25 – 5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
Killing Of Nigerian Christians Underscores Islam Is Incompatible With Safety And Freedom, by Stella Morabito
By Stella Morabito, The Federalist – We’ve heard endless claims by the propaganda press and campus “protesters” that Islamic terrorists are oppressed, and “white” Christians are the oppressors. For example, recall how New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani famously suggested that the real victims of 9/11 are New York City’s Muslims because his “Auntie” felt like people looked at her funny while she wore her hijab on the train.
Abortions Increase as Abortion Pills Flourish, Democrat States Fund Killing Babies, by Michael New Ph.D.
By Michael New Ph.D., LifeNews – Last week the Society of Family Planning released updated abortion data through its #WeCount project. The latest update contains both state and national abortion data through the first six months of 2025. Unfortunately, the news is not good for pro-lifers… According to the WeCount data, over 591,000 abortions were performed in the first six months of 2025. This represents a 1.1 percent increase when compared to the first six months of 2024… The WeCount data provides some important information on how policy changes impact the incidence of abortion.
What Chesterton Wrote to His Wife When She Entered the Church, by Dr. Jeff Mirus
By Dr. Jeff Mirus, Catholic Culture – In 1901, Gilbert Keith Chesterton married Frances Alice Blogg. As the Catholic world knows now, Chesterton was a prolific thinker and writer who operated through genius more than well-organized habits, and Frances (who was also a writer) often served as his secretary and kept him on track. By all accounts, including their own, they were deeply in love, and it was a sadness that they were unable to have children. But some of Chesterton’s literary energy was directed toward his wife, to whom he wrote many poems.
Hearse Arrives at Illinois Planned Parenthood to ‘Pick Someone Up’, by Nancy Flanders
By Nancy Flanders, Live Action News – Coalition Life, a hearse arrived at the Planned Parenthood in Fairview Heights, Illinois, on October 31. The driver told sidewalk counselors she was there “picking someone up to take them to the funeral home.” She later exited Planned Parenthood with a bag… On October 31, a hearse arrived at the Planned Parenthood in Fairview Heights, Illinois… The driver told sidewalk counselors that she was there “picking someone up to take them to the funeral home.”… The driver later left Planned Parenthood carrying a bag believed to contain a baby aborted late in pregnancy. ….
RFK Moves to Bar Federal Funding on ‘Sex-Rejecting Procedures’ for Children, by Elise Winland
By Elise Winland, Catholic Vote – The Trump administration on Dec. 18 took its most aggressive federal action yet against “transgender” medical interventions for minors, with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announcing six regulatory and administrative moves aimed at ending what he called “sex-rejecting procedures” for children… The actions target hospitals, federal health programs, drug manufacturers, and research funding tied to puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and related interventions often termed “gender-affirming care.”
Yes, a Woman’s Place Is in the Home—But so Is Her Husband’s, by Fiona Melton
By Fiona Melton, Crisis Magazine – In her most recent Crisis article, Breaking Up With Toxic Femininity, Ann Burns points out the hypocrisy of many “conservative” strains of anti-feminism: they fall prey to the same lie that many liberal feminists do, viewing women through a hypersexualized, pornographic lens. I agree with her main critique; conservatives cannot attempt to revive traditional values by glorifying displays of immodesty, indecency, and instantiating male lust as a virtue.
he Ecclesiastical Front in the War on Christmas, by John M. Grondelski
By John M. Grondelski, The Catholic Thing – A suburban Boston Catholic parish ignited a controversy this Advent when its outdoor Nativity scene replaced the figure of the Baby Jesus in His crib with a sign, “ICE was here.” The pastor contends the display moves “beyond static traditional figures and evoke[s] emotion and dialogue.”… A new battlefront is emerging in the “War on Christmas.” For years, the “war on Christmas” was primarily a confrontation with encroaching secularism: many Americans’ first encounter with the “naked public square” was the city hall park from which the traditional Nativity scene had been evicted ….
Pope Leo Picks Fellow Chicagoan with ‘Missionary Spirit’ as New York’s Next Archbishop, by Jonathan Liedl
By Jonathan Liedl, National Catholic Register – The Cupich Connection – In addition to Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Hicks is also connected to another Chicago Churchman: Cardinal Blase Cupich… The archbishop-elect is the third former auxiliary of Cardinal Cupich’s to be named to a U.S. archdiocese in the past year and a half, joining Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee and Archbishop Robert Casey of Cincinnati… Cardinal Cupich, 76, has long exerted considerable influence upon major episcopal appointments in the U.S. ….
Saint of the Day for December 19: Blessed Pope Urban V
By Franciscan Media – In 1362, the man elected pope declined the office. When the cardinals could not find another person among them for that important office, they turned to a relative stranger: the holy person we honor today… The new Pope Urban V proved a wise choice. A Benedictine monk and canon lawyer, he was deeply spiritual and brilliant. …
The West’s Embrace Of Mass Third-World Migration Is Civilizational Suicide, by Shawn Fleetwood
By Shawn Fleetwood, The Federalist – How many innocent civilians have to be senselessly murdered before Western powers admit that mass importation of Third-World migrants was a mistake? Apparently, the answer is: many more… most Americans have heard of the horrific terrorist attack that occurred at Bondi Beach in Australia over the weekend, in which two Islamists opened fire on a crowd of Jewish festivalgoers… The prime minister all but admitted the attack was “driven by” radical Islamic ideology.
‘Stronger Than Ever Before’: 4 Highlights From Trump’s Speech Showcasing 2025 Accomplishments, by Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell
By Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal – President Donald Trump touted his 2025 accomplishments in a national address Wednesday night… “Tonight, after 11 months, our border is secure, inflation is stopped, wages are up, prices are down, our nation is strong, America is respected, and our country is back,” he said, “Stronger than ever before. We’re poised for an economic boom the likes of which the world has never seen.”… 1. Lowering Prices… Trump said the Biden administration “looted the Treasury,” driving up prices, but he is bringing them down. …
Four Republicans Help Democrats Secure Vote for Taxpayer-Funded Abortions, by Anna Callahan
By Anna Callahan, LifeNews – In response to GOP Reps. Fitzpatrick, Lawler, Bresnahan and Mackenzie partnering with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ push to force a vote on extending Obamacare subsidies without Hyde protections, SBA Pro-Life America issued the following statement: “The GOP cannot afford to take its pro-life base for granted heading into 2026,” said SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dan …
Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations: He Will Save His People from Their Sins
Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Matthew 1:18-25 – 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; 19 and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife …
Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations: Many Will Rejoice at His Birth
Author Don Schwager, Servants of the Word – Luke 1:5-25 – 5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
Founder’s Quote
Patriot Post – “The Hand of providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations.” —George Washington (1778)
Saint of the Day for December 19: Blessed Pope Urban V
By Franciscan Media – In 1362, the man elected pope declined the office. When the cardinals could not find another person among them for that important office, they turned to a relative stranger: the holy person we honor today… The new Pope Urban V proved a wise choice. A Benedictine monk and canon lawyer, he was deeply spiritual and brilliant. …
