Jeanie Hannaman

The Watchman's Lamp by Bishop Joseph E. Strickland, Bishop Emeritus, Pillars of Faith -  I believe the Lord is calling us to face something that most people don’t want to acknowledge. It is a truth we see with our eyes, we feel in our bones, and yet the world – and far too many in the Church – treat it as nothing at all. And the truth is this: we are becoming a numb generation. A generation that no longer notices when the serpent is standing right in front of us... This numbness did not fall on us overnight. It crept in slowly, quietly, almost politely, dulling our senses little by little until the things that once would have shocked us now barely stir the soul. We have grown used to darkness ....

By Michele McAloon,  The Catholic Thing - Advent in Germany is brightened by its world-famous Christmas markets. The smell of grilled sausage, Germany’s famous mulled gluhwein, and gingerbread (Lebkuchen) blend together under multicolored  lights creating a cheerful experience in anticipation of Christ’s birth... Tragically, in the past ten years, festivities have been marred by violence.  Terrorists have murdered market-goers in  Magdeburg, Trier, Berlin and in several markets in France. German and French authorities have now been forced to take measures to prevent these threats almost everywhere.