My prayer for Advent this year emerged out of an evening retreat, given by a colleague at the retreat centre where I work: “Jesus, move in me.”

In the face of seemingly senseless tragedies, such as the death of a child or natural disasters, many have lost faith. The massive suffering caused by such disasters is not easily dismissed. We should and do strive to prevent such suffering. Why doesn’t God lend us more of a hand?

The classic Christmas favourite, “The Bells of St. Mary’s,” is truly a slice of history. I’m an advocate of watching (quality) old movies to get a sense of the past and “the way we were.” Are older Hollywood depictions true to life? In some ways, yes. If priests and nuns in BOSM were portrayed in some totally unrealistic, overly idealized fashion, there would have been a contemporaneous outcry of “foul!” There wasn’t.