My roommates and I hosted a party last Sunday. We called it Gaudete Partaytay. (All day day, we claimed.) Everyone wore pink. We served shrimp and salmon dip, pink lemonade and guava margaritas, pink meringues and grapefruit. We blew up pink balloons and hung pink streamers and set out pink plates and cups and silverware. It was magical. So, maybe it was a silly title for a party of adults. Maybe the setup would have been better suited for a two-year-old girl’s birthday party

I love babies. Really, really love them. So it helps that there are quite a few of them in my life. I’ve got friends with chunky six-month-olds, and friends with little newborns that came early. I’ve got friends who are in their early stages of pregnancy, and friends who are due any day now. It’s a joy. But you know when I especially love these little ones? When I’m particularly in awe of the miracle of pregnancy and birth? During Advent. Jesus came as a baby. A baby! A mewli

Oh, Advent. Sweet little Advent. Like the forgotten middle child, nestled in between Thanksgiving feasts and Christmas mayhem. When our culture goes from turkeys to trees in one fell swoop, it’s easy to get caught in the tide. But, I say we swim against the tide. (I think Pope Francis would be proud.) Sometimes I feel a bit like the Grinch whose heart is two sizes too small—not because I hate the Christmas season (most definitely not!), but because I tend to recoil with disda

Have you ever received a gift you weren't expecting? It was several weeks ago that I did, pulled aside from a group, surprised by a thoughtfulness I didn't deserve. I was tempted not to take it, well aware of my unworthiness, but also secretly delighted. This surprise giver had thought of me, noticed my interests, and offered a token of care, expecting no gift in return. So, accept it I did, and it’s been sitting on a shelf ever since, reminding me of its dear origin. I’ve so

Happy New Year! The first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of the Church’s calendar. Isn’t that neat? I’ve never been a big fan of New Year’s resolutions in the traditional sense, but New Liturgical Year’s resolutions? Those I can get behind. My year ended with a drive from my parents’ house back to my own in Philadelphia, having spent a gloriously restful few days with family for Thanksgiving. My drive was extended by an hour or so, thanks to a patch or two of traffic, b