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In the world of USA shopping, there is a day called “Black Friday”. It is the day after Thanksgiving in which many sellers lower prices and offer special deals as a way of introducing the Christmas shopping season with a little “holiday cheer”.

“The Science of Happiness- An Experiment in Gratitude” is a video produced by Soul Pancake. It looks to pose one of the most important questions we can ask: What makes you happy? How often, when asking someone what makes them happy, have you heard them list off gratitude as an important element? Have we too fallen into the folly of our times, ignoring the category of “gift”? https://buff.ly/2IHabEh

On the first level are material goods: food, shelter and possessions. We know some people (probably quite a long way from us) don’t have food; we have seen it on the news and perhaps we have even seen someone searching through the trash looking for something to eat. We see people living on the streets and so we know that not everyone has a roof over their heads. We know people are struggling to find work. At the moment, because of all the economic problems, we probably know someone personally who has been laid off, or is worried about losing their home, or hasn’t had a vacation for a couple of years.

Did you know what a Burse was?

Check out some of our products for you and your loved ones on your Christmas list!

St. Catherine of Alexandria pray for us!

Looking for Advent ideas to try with your family? I love Advent! If you deliberately celebrate Advent, you get the joy of preparing for Christmas, without becoming tired of the pre-Christmas hype. Now that my children are starting their own families, I think about the ways we used to celebrate Advent as a Catholic family. Enjoy this list of Advent ideas and add in your own family traditions. https://buff.ly/4fxHZDK

Catholic-Link Connect Small Group: Encountering Emmanuel A Guided Advent Journal for Prayer and Meditation Embark on a transformative journey this Advent with Heather Khym, cohost of the Abiding Together podcast, as she extends a heartfelt invitation to embrace stillness and silence amid life’s chaos, allowing God to dwell in the depths of your being. While the world moves at an ever-faster pace, Heather encourages you to pull back from the hustle and create space for our Savior to come into every area of your life—to transform and heal it through his love. In Encountering Emmanuel, Heather will gently guide you into the areas of your heart where Christ has not yet come—the areas where you’ve shut him out, the places you’ve long forgotten and ignored, or the spaces you’re ashamed to acknowledge. You’ll learn how to invite him in so that he can bring his light, love, peace, hope, and healing into your heart. From the forgotten corners to the shadowed recesses, Heather encourages you to open these spaces to the transformative power of Christ’s love. Small groups will take place Wednesdays at 8 PM EST beginning December 4th and Saturdays at 8 AM EST beginning December 7th. Purchase the Advent book by clicking HERE For questions, contact Dominique at [email protected] or Robert at [email protected]

Happy feast of Christ the King! Need a reminder that YOU are royalty? Here it is!

Advent Books For Kids All about Advent & Christmas: Sharing the Seasons of Hope & Wonder with Children | Katie Bogner All about Advent & Christmas: Sharing the Seasons of Hope & Wonder with Children is a resource unlike any other. Explore the rich traditions surrounding Christ's birth as you journey through Scripture to understand the story of salvation and discover the meaning behind many of our celebrations during Advent and Christmas. Highlighting treasured customs from throughout Church history, All about Advent & Christmas features the stories of saints we celebrate throughout December and explains numerous other aspects of Catholic liturgy and teaching. With detailed illustrations to make the liturgical seasons come alive, All about Advent & Christmas will guide readers of all ages closer to the Savior whose birth we look to with joy. The World Waits | Elizabeth Pham There are many wonderful children’s picture books about Christmas, but few about the season of Advent. In The World Waits, Elizabeth Pham explores this period of anticipation through the eyes of an anthropomorphic Earth experiencing the progression of human history and its longing for a Messiah. We see the world first plunged in the darkness of pre-Christian times. Then we see the world uplifted by the coming of Christ (the world sees a star!). Then we see the world cycle through the post-Christian era, when Christ seems perhaps more elusive and mysterious than ever (the star left almost as quickly as it came). But then, with the conclusion of the book, we see that the world has not given up hope ― the world still waits. We wait for Jesus’ coming at Christmas each year, we wait for His coming in the Blessed Sacrament during Mass, we wait for His coming at the end of time, and we wait for His coming into our hearts in all seasons and situations. The Wise Men Who Found Christmas | Raymond Arroyo In this thrilling, visual adventure capturing the wonder of the Christmas season, New York Times bestselling author Raymond Arroyo shares the true, hidden story of the mysterious Magi, who risked everything to discover the truth. Based on new historical evidence, The Wise Men Who Found Christmas is the miraculous, untold tale of three seekers who followed a star and found themselves in the middle of the greatest story ever told. Stunningly illustrated by Diane Le Feyer, this enchanting family keepsake is sure to become part of your Christmas tradition – and a reminder that chasing truth is often the greatest adventure of all. My MagnifiKid - Daily Advent Prayers Find more here: https://buff.ly/48S1Ue2