Renew Year

The US Bishops have unveiled a new online resource for celebrating the season of Advent.

This in addition to the perennial favorites from Catholic Culture and EWTN.

I've been preparing for the season by learning more about Our Lady of Guadalupe, thanks to Carl Anderson's new book about the Mother of the Civilization of Love. The most fascinating part for me has been learning the many secrets of the image imprinted on St. Juan Diego's tilma. Here are some reviews from the book's website:

“It’s remarkable – and it’s why Our Lady of Gudalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love is so important and needed - that more recent appearances of Mary at Lourdes, Fatima, and even the disputed visitations at Medjugorje are so much more well-known to Americans than her visit to our own continent.”

Brad Miner
A former literary editor of National Review, is senior editor of The Catholic Thing.

“The greatest icon of Christian unity in the New World is Our Lady of Guadalupe, and this compelling, informative, immensely readable book is a fitting tribute to her. It reminds all of us who are ’Americans’ North or South, and whatever our native tongue -- that we are one Christian family, loved by the same Mother and her Son, spanning an entire hemisphere, and joined in a common vocation to create a civilization of love. Read these pages. They will renew your heart.”

Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
Archbishop of Denver

"I started reading Our Lady of Guadalupe like a regular book, but ended up not having enough of it. The reason was as simple as unexpected: very rarely do inspiration, devotion and historical accuracy meet in such a superb manner. Mr. Carl Anderson and Msgr. Eduardo Chávez have achieved that poetic balance in this magnificent book, written with both profound love and stunning clarity.

“Our Lady of Guadalupe” is a must–read for all Americans who want to understand why the beloved Patroness of the Americas is rightly called the “Mother of the civilization of love,” and why only under her mantle, the Catholics of this continent will be able to finally carry out the New Evangelization dreamed of by Pope John Paul II and encouraged by Pope Benedict."

Alejandro Bermudez
Editor ACI Prensa and Catholic News Agency

I have to agree with his excellency Chaput-- Advent marks the beginning of a new year: no time like the present to enter the conversion process and draw closer to Jesus. We have four beautiful and reflective weeks to do this successfully and well. The day after Our Lady's feast, I will enter a new year of marriage to my beloved wife. Since we are with child, we can enter under the mantle of Nuestra Senora, who wears the ribbon round her waist, and invoke her protection as we forge our small unit within the Civilization of Love. As we prepare to welcome the Christ Child, we also prepare to welcome the birth of our own child in January. As we learn our capacity for love, we can renew our commitment to the one whose love and mercy for us has no limit. Through her intercession, may our child and all children in the womb experience the saving love of the Infant King~ Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!