Saturday, November 30

St. Andrew - November 30

Advent brings with it great saints. Over the next week, we have Francis Xavier, John Damascene, Nicholas, Ambrose, and today, St. Andrew, brother of Peter, fisherman, disciple, martyr.
(Would you like a study guide accompanying all of Pope Benedict XVI's talks on the apostles? Here's a pdf of one I wrote for OSV.)

Who, what, when, where, why....



The first striking characteristic of Andrew is his name:  it is not Hebrew, as might have been expected, but Greek, indicative of a certain cultural openness in his family that cannot be ignored. 

The kinship between Peter and Andrew, as well as the joint call that Jesus addressed to them, are explicitly mentioned in the Gospels. We read:  "As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men'" (Mt 4: 18-19; Mk 1: 16-17).

From the Fourth Gospel we know another important detail:  Andrew had previously been a disciple of John the Baptist:  and this shows us that he was a man who was searching, who shared in Israel's hope, who wanted to know better the word of the Lord, the presence of the Lord.
He was truly a man of faith and hope; and one day he heard John the Baptist proclaiming Jesus as:  "the Lamb of God" (Jn 1: 36); so he was stirred, and with another unnamed disciple followed Jesus, the one whom John had called "the Lamb of God". The Evangelist says that "they saw where he was staying; and they stayed with him that day..." (Jn 1: 37-39).

Thus, Andrew enjoyed precious moments of intimacy with Jesus. The account continues with one important annotation:  "One of the two who heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah' (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus" (Jn 1: 40-43), straightaway showing an unusual apostolic spirit.

Andrew, then, was the first of the Apostles to be called to follow Jesus. Exactly for this reason the liturgy of the Byzantine Church honours him with the nickname:  "Protokletos", [protoclete] which means, precisely, "the first called".

-Amy Welborn

Friday, November 29

Daily Advent Devotional

Image result for daybreaks welborn 2016





Mary, the angel, a manger, an infant…
You’ve heard this story before. You’ve read it, seen it, and heard it countless times before.
This Advent and Christmas season won’t be any different. Or will it?
This Advent and Christmas season, author Amy Welborn encourages you to see the Christmas story with new eyes. Not just the Christmas story you know, but how Christ reveals himself to you in ways you don’t expect, through a family vacation that was more than you expected or a chance encounter with a stranger. Each day offers Scripture and a related reflection to enhance your experience of the season.
Daybreaks is a affordable, full-color, daily devotional for Advent and Christmas. Daybreaks reflections take only moments a day, and you will enjoy an Advent season that will have a lasting impact all year long.
  • Scripture selections match each day’s theme
  • Beautiful color interior offers a meditative backdrop for the daily reflections
  • Popular authors in both English and Spanish give a multicultural parish a common seasonal prayer
  • Place Daybreaks in the pews for parishioners or leave it at the exits for easy pickup after Mass.
  • Mail Daybreaks to parish families, catechists, and volunteers.
  • Use Daybreaks as a seasonal prayer or study group.

Wednesday, November 27

Teaching First Communion Class

If you are teaching 2nd grade Catechism this year, the book Friendship With Jesus by Amy Welborn might be a helpful resource.

Friendship with Jesus: Pope Benedict XVI Speaks to Children on Their First Holy Communion



Friendship With Jesus: Pope Benedict XVI Talks to Children on Their First Holy Communion is based on a dialogue in St. Peter's Square that took place in 2006




Artist Ann Engelhart thought the dialogue would make a wonderful children's book and asked me to help edit it and get it published. It was first published in England by the Catholic Truth Society in 2010 and then picked up by Ignatius Press in 2011.






Sunday, November 24

Advent Family Devotional

Like the rest of us, families make their way toward Christmas in a world that is already celebrating, if not the coming of Christ, at least the season of parties and gift-giving. How do we focus on Jesus and the Incarnation amid the busy-ness of getting ready for December 25? Author Amy Welborn offers families simple ways to find the gospel message in what is going on all around them, even in preparations that can get hectic at times. These brief but pointed devotions will keep a family centered on what is most important not only at this time of the year, but every day.



Saturday, November 23

Christmas Pamphlet for Catholic Parish


How to Celebrate Christmas as a Catholic

***Sold in packs of 50***
The mental checklist of things to do between Thanksgiving and Christmas can be overwhelming: shopping, planning, decorating, baking, cooking, hosting, traveling, etc. How easy it can be to forget the real meaning behind the season.
How to Celebrate Christmas as a Catholic by Amy Welborn can help you maintain a better balance and perspective.
How to Celebrate Christmas as a Catholic can provide a simple reminder and reinforcement to truly evaluate the time, stress, effort, and family traditions of the season. It will also give you a combination of explanation, inspiration, and motivation in just the right dose!
For a non-reproducible PDF of this pamphlet, click here. The PDF is meant for review only and should not be reproduced in any form.

Friday, November 22

When Does Advent Begin? December 1

How to Celebrate Advent


**Sold in packs of 50***
The mental checklist of things to do between Thanksgiving and Christmas can be overwhelming: shopping, planning, decorating, baking, cooking, hosting, traveling, etc. How easy it can be to forget the real meaning behind the season.
How to Celebrate Advent by Amy Welborn can help you maintain a better balance and perspective.
How to Celebrate Advent can provide a simple reminder and reinforcement to truly evaluate the time, stress, effort, and family traditions of the season. It will also give you a combination of explanation, inspiration, and motivation in just the right dose!
For a non-reproducible PDF of this pamphlet, click here. The PDF is meant for review only and should not be reproduced in any form.

Thursday, November 21

Presentation of Mary - November 21

May is Mary's month.


My book Mary and the Christian Life, has been out of print for a couple of years, so I am offering it for sale on Amazon Kindle. 




Amy Welborn

-by Amy Welborn

Wednesday, November 20

Christmas Gift for Catholic Children

Still looking for a Christmas Gift for your Catholic grandchild?

The Loyola Kids' Book of Saints

 Over 40 saints' lives,written at a middle-school reading level.

I. Saints are People Who Love Children St. Nicholas,St. John Bosco, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Blessed Gianna Beretta Molla
  Amy WelbornSaints Are People Who Love Their Families St. Monica,St. Cyril and St. Methodius, St. Therese of Lisieux,Blessed Frederic Ozanam,

Saints Are People Who Surprise OthersSt. Simeon Stylites,St. Celestine V,St. Joan of Arc,St. Catherine of Siena

Saints Are People Who Create St. Hildegard of Bingen,Blessed Fra Angelico,St. John of the Cross,Blessed Miguel Pro

Saints Are People Who Teach Us New Ways to Pray St. Benedict,St. Dominic de Guzman,St. Teresa of Avila,St. Louis de Monfort

Saints Are People Who See Beyond the Everyday St. Juan Diego, St. Frances of Rome, St. Bernadette Soubirous, Blessed Padre Pio

Saints Are People Who Travel From Home St. Boniface, St. Peter Claver, St. Francis Xavier, St. Francis Solano, St. Francis Xavier Cabrini

Saints Are People Who Are Strong Leaders St. Helena, St. Leo the Great, St. Wenceslaus, St. John Neumann

Saints Are People Who Tell The Truth St. Polycarp, St. Thomas Becket, St. Thomas More, Blessed Titus Brandsma

Saints Are People Who Help Us Understand God St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Jerome, St. Patrick, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Edith Stein

Saints Are People Who Change Their Lives for God St. Ambrose, St. Gregory the Great, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Camillus de Lellis, St. Katharine Drexel

Saints Are People Who Are Brave St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, St. George, St. Margaret Clitherow, St. Isaac Jogues, The Carmelite Nuns of Compiegne, St. Maximilian Kolbe

Saints Are People Who Help the Poor and Sick St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Martin de Porres, Blessed Joseph de Veuster

Saints Are People Who Help In Ordinary Ways St. Christopher, St. Blaise, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Bernard of Montjoux

Saints Are People Who Come From All Over the World Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Paul Miki, Blessed Peter To Rot, Blessed Maria Clementine Anuarite Nengapeta

Buy this at Aquinas and More Catholic Goods
Barnes and Noble
Amazon

Tuesday, November 19

Amy Welborn in Living Faith

Amy Welborn is a contributor - five devotions per issue -  to the Living Faith daily devotional quarterly

For example today, November 19


My son was playing a Beethoven sonata in a piano recital and everything was going great. Then...a memory slip. He stumbled. He paused, started from the same point...and stumbled again.
Later, his teacher said, "Next time that happens, don't return to the spot where your brain flipped out on you the first time. Pick a point beyond your first mistake--and move forward."


MORE

 November 1

The principal narrating the film--also a religious sister--described her order's understanding of that moment and that place. She said they were seeking to share a greater truth with the children, to image the warmth and welcome God shares with us in his kingdom by the way they welcomed and treated children in the classroom every day. "We're saying here--you have a place prepared for you," she said, "as the Lord has a place prepared for you in heaven."



MORE


 September 23.

It was strange. Twice within the space of a few days, two writers that I know, but who don't know each other, said to me something like, "Yes, this is what I'm working on now, but let me tell you about what I really want to write." So why weren't they putting their energies into the ideas that excited them? Different reasons: 



MORE



MORE

 July 18:

I don't have as many anxiety dreams as I used to. But when they occur, they share the same setting as they always have: I'm in the classroom, either as a student or a teacher, unprepared to either take or give an exam. Or I have to get to school and I just can't.

What a relief it is to realize--either in the midst of it or upon awaking--that it was, indeed, just a dream.



 July 3


A long time ago, my oldest son stumbled in the kitchen. A knife in the cutlery rack of the open dishwasher door stabbed his leg and he had to get stitches. Now, 20 years later, you can still see the scar. I glance at my forearm and a darkened crescent shape reminds me of the time I burned myself with an iron.

Whether we are children or adults, we relish battle scars. We compare them, check to see if they are still visible. They are evidence of adventures, mistakes, and they are signs of surprising strength. We recognize ourselves, in part, through our scars.



MORE

.

 June 22:

When I was a child, I used to frustrate my parents--so they told me later--because when asked what I wanted for Christmas, I would shrug and say that I couldn't think of anything. I told them that whatever they gave would be all right.

I don't share this so you can file it away in my canonization file: "Even as a child, she eschewed the false glitter of the world..." Far from it! 


MORE


 May 14:


I'm taking a stand in defense of paint. Specifically, paint drying. What is it we say when we want to express deadly dullness? "It's like watching paint dry."


MORE



 April 30

I was in a boat on a lake in Central America and feeling guilty about it. My youngest son, asked where he'd like to go on a summer trip, had answered "Mayan ruins in Guatemala." So here we were. Who does that? "Ridiculous," I thought. What an overprivileged pair!



MORE



 April 15:

The garage doors had been inoperable for months, mostly because I was convinced it would be an expensive repair. A handyman, here on another job, snapped a part into place, pushed a button--done.
I was both joyful and shamed because of the easy fix. I was elated at the simplicity and zero cost, but a little embarrassed that I'd not understood that the situation wasn't really that complicated after all.\

MORE

 March 31:

I don't remember my baptism. There aren't even any photographs of the event. But it happened. And, indeed, as a tiny baby there in Bloomington, Indiana, I died and rose with Christ, and here I am.



MORE

 February 25:



When my children see a wasp outside the house, I ask them to please not race away in fear. Do themselves, and the rest of us, a favor, I say, and follow it, at least with their eyes. For if there is a wasp floating about, it's likely because it has a home--one that's probably attached to our home somehow, under an eave or in a doorframe. If we follow it to its source instead of just running in fear, we might eliminate a lot of future problems.

MORE

February 22 - the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter

When I think about each of the important older people in my life (all deceased because I'm one of the older ones now), all are associated with a chair.
My father's preferred spot was his desk chair in his study. My mother spent her days in her comfortable chair in the corner, surrounded by books. My great-aunt was not to be disturbed as she watched afternoon soap operas from her wingback chair. My grandfather had his leather-covered lounger, its arms dotted with holes burned by cigars.



More



 January 29:

Inside this church, it is warm and dry. Light filters through stained glass and shines on friendly, familiar faces. Led by the choir, we chant praise, joining our voices to the saints. The Lord comes among us.

As I pause at the church door on my way out, I'm met by the chill that lies outside. I know that I'll encounter strangers and much that's unfamiliar out there. It's far more comfortable inside.

MORE

 January 7:

I would have just driven on by. But my son, always alert to the mysteries that nature holds, had been paying attention, so he was able to see. And so Magi, wise and observant of God's ways in the world, were led by the light to his son.

MORE

Monday, November 18

Christmas Gift for Catholic Teens

Prove It: You by Amy Welborn

The final book in the series isn't apologetics, but a guide to discipleship. How can a teen live joyfully and amy welbornfaithfully? What does it mean to do that? What's right and what's wrong? What's my life for?
  • Who Am I
  • Sure, I Want to Be a Good Person, But...How?
  • What's Jesus Got To Do With It?
  • It Was Only a Little Lie. So?
  • I've Got All The Time In The World...Don't I?
  • Love Who? Everyone? Really?
  • It's My Body. All Mine.
  • How Far Can I Go?
  • Whose Life Is Worth Living?
  • It's A Big World With Too Many Problems.  Can't I Just Live My Life?
  • "Be Not Afraid"

Sunday, November 17

Christmas Gifts for Mothers

The Catholic Woman's Book of Days by Amy Welborn would be a wonderful Christmas gift for any woman - mom, sister, friend. It's a 365-day devotional written for Catholic women - all Catholic women. It is loosely tied to the liturgical year, is a very handy size, and features special devotions for several saints. It is not structured to be tied to any particular year. So it’s sort of perennial.

You can find more information and ordering information here. 






Saturday, November 16

First Sunday of Advent is December 1



Help deepen your child's experience of Advent by using stories from the Loyola Kids Book of Bible Stories. 



Written by popular Catholic children's author Amy Welborn, this beautifully illustrated collection of warm and engaging Bible stories for children and their families is arranged in a uniquely Catholic way—based on the liturgical year and the order in which they are proclaimed during Mass. Divided into five sections—Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time, Lent, and Easter—each section is subdivided into Old and New Testament stories.
From the Creation to St. Paul, the charming illustrations in Loyola Kids Book of Bible Stories and Welborn’s friendly writing style turn reading the Bible into an experience that draws families closer together and deeper into the heart of the Church.




Friday, November 15

St. Albert the Great - November 15

He's covered in The Loyola Kids Book of Heroes by Amy Welborn.

 More saints' lives, organized according to the virtues they expressed through their lives.

I. Faith
amy welborn
  1. Introduction: Jesus is Born
  2. John the Baptist: A Hero Prepares the Way
  3. Early Christian Martyrs: Heroes are Faithful Friends
  4. Medieval Mystery Plays: Heroes Make the Bible Come to Life
  5. St. Albert the Great: Heroes Study God’s Creation
  6. Sister Blandina Segale: Heroes Work in Faith
II. Hope
  1. Introduction: Jesus Teaches
  2. Pentecost: Heroes on Fire with Hope
  3. Paul: A Hero Changes and Finds Hope
  4. St. Patrick and St. Columba: Heroes Bring Hope into Darkness
  5. St. Jane de Chantal: Heroes Hope through Loss
  6. St. Mary Faustina Kowalska: A Hero Finds Hope in Mercy
Charity
  1. Introduction: Jesus Works Miracles
  2. Peter and John: Heroes are Known by their Love
  3. St. Genevieve: A City is Saved by a Hero’s Charity
  4. St. Meinrad and St. Edmund Campion: Heroes love their Enemies
  5. Venerable Pierre Toussaint: A Hero Lives a Life of Charity
  6. Rose Hawthorne Lathrop: A Hero Cares for Those Who Need it Most
  7. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta: A Hero Lives Charity with the Dying
Temperance
  1. Introduction: Jesus Strikes a Balance
  2. Peter and Cornelius: Heroes Love Their Neighbors
  3. Charlemagne and Alcuin: Heroes Use their Talents for Good
  4. St. Francis: A Hero Appreciates Creation
  5. Venerable Matt Talbot: Heroes Can Let Go
  6. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati: A Hero Enjoys the Gift of Life


Prudence

Thursday, November 14

St. Nicholas Day - December 6

St. Nicholas Day is less than a month away - time to order resources.

Perhaps you could include this booklet by me, written for Creative Communications for the Parish.

Nicholas of Myra by Amy Welborn


Amy Welborn


St. Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop legendary for his charity and love of children, has been revered throughout Europe and North America for over a thousand years. Written for elementary school children, author Amy Welborn emphasizes the importance of Nicholas' love for Jesus as the motive for his concern for others. Along with narrative about St. Nicholas and the traditions that have grown up to commemorate his life, this booklet includes prayers to remind children of the miracle of God's love for us in Jesus.

Wednesday, November 13

St. Francis Xavier Cabrini for kids

! St. Frances Xavier Cabrini's feastday is today - November 13. 
If you ever feel tired...read her story.
If you ever wonder how the Church can "go to the margins" ...read her story.
If you are under the impression that before the last couple of years Catholics were unaware of the missionary call of Christ and spent their lives closed up in fortresses....read her story.
Here’s an excerpt from the chapter on St. Frances Cabrini from my Loyola Kids’ Book of Saints.  To reiterate – it’s an excerpt.  There’s more at the beginning at the end to relate her story to a younger child’s life.  It’s in a section called,“Saints are People who Travel Far From Home,” along with St. Boniface, St. Peter Claver, St. Francis Xavier and  St. Francis Solano. 
By the late 1880s, Mother Cabrini became interested in a new problem. Hundreds of thousands of Italians moved to America, seeking a way out of the poverty of their new land. Very few of these immigrants were successful right away. Most lived in worse poverty than they’d endured back in Italy. They lived in crowded and dirty apartments, lived on scraps, and were unable to find work. Sad stories traveled back to the home country, right to Mother Cabrini. So Mother Cabrini set out on the long trip to America.
Over the next thirty-seven years, Mother Cabrini was constantly on the move, starting schools, orphanages, and hospitals for Italian immigrants, and others in need. In the first few years she traveled between New York, Nicaragua, and New Orleans. After having a dream in which she saw Mary tending to the sick lying in hospital beds, Mother Cabrini started Columbus Hospital in New York City.
After she founded the hospital, Mother Cabrini made trips back to Italy to organize more nuns for work in America. Between these trips, she and some sisters headed south to Argentina. The sisters went by way of Panama and then Lima, Peru. They made the journey by boat, train, mule, and on foot.
Back in the United State, Mother Cabrini traveled constantly taking her sisters to Chicago, Seattle, and Denver. It was in Chicago that Mother Cabrini, at the age of sixty-seven, passed away. She’d begun her work with just a handful of sisters. By the time she died, fifty houses of sisters were teaching, caring for orphans, and running hospitals. Her order had grown to almost a thousand sisters in all.

Tuesday, November 12

Bambinelli Sunday



"amy welborn"

It's a Christmas book. From the publisher:


Alessandro is staying with his grandparents, who run a small shop that sells figures for the presepe (Nativity scene), while his parents look for work in another country. To help with the boy’s loneliness, his grandfather encourages Alessandro to make his own figure of the baby Jesus. They will bring that figure to Rome in two weeks to have it blessed by the Holy Father on Bambinelli Sunday. Through the events that occur in the time leading up to receiving the blessing in St. Peter's Square, Alessandro comes to see his world in a new way, and receives the best surprise of all in the end. 
  This book for children ages 7-10 tells a wonderful story about sharing, comfort, generosity, and forgiveness through the lens of a long-standing Italian tradition. The beautiful illustrations and timeless story make this a treasure Advent and Christmas resource for generations to come.

Monday, November 11

Advent Daily Devotional








A vibrant prayer life unfolds when we regularly open ourselves to inspiration and God’s grace. 2020: A Book of Grace-Filled Days by Amy Welborn provides a daily prayer experience to help us build and nurture our faith.

Beginning with the start of the church year in Advent 2019 and continuing through the 2020 calendar year, this daily devotional notes major feast days, saint commemorations, and holidays. Each page combines readings from the Scripture of the day with reflections to provide a few minutes of solace for quiet prayer and meditation. 2020: A Book of Grace-Filled Days ​is an accessible and insightful way to deepen our connection to God’s loving presence and fill each day with grace.​​​

Sunday, November 10

St. Leo the Great - November 10

St. Leo the Great is celebrated today. He's in The Loyola Kids Book of Saints under "Saints are People Who are Strong Leaders."

"amy welborn"





The Loyola Kids' Book of Saints by Amy Welborn

 Over 40 saints' lives,written at a middle-school reading level.

  I. Saints are People Who Love Children St. Nicholas,St. John Bosco, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Blessed Gianna Beretta Mollaamy welborn

Saints Are People Who Love Their Families St. Monica,St. Cyril and St. Methodius, St. Therese of Lisieux,Blessed Frederic Ozanam,

 Saints Are People Who Surprise OthersSt. Simeon Stylites,St. Celestine V,St. Joan of Arc,St. Catherine of Siena

  Saints Are People Who Create St. Hildegard of Bingen,Blessed Fra Angelico,St. John of the Cross,Blessed Miguel Pro

  Saints Are People Who Teach Us New Ways to Pray St. Benedict,St. Dominic de Guzman,St. Teresa of Avila,St. Louis de Monfort

  Saints Are People Who See Beyond the Everyday St. Juan Diego, St. Frances of Rome, St. Bernadette Soubirous, Blessed Padre Pio

  Saints Are People Who Travel From Home St. Boniface, St. Peter Claver, St. Francis Xavier, St. Francis Solano, St. Francis Xavier Cabrini

  Saints Are People Who Are Strong Leaders St. Helena, St. Leo the Great, St. Wenceslaus, St. John Neumann

  Saints Are People Who Tell The Truth St. Polycarp, St. Thomas Becket, St. Thomas More, Blessed Titus Brandsma

  Saints Are People Who Help Us Understand God St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Jerome, St. Patrick, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Edith Stein

  Saints Are People Who Change Their Lives for God St. Ambrose, St. Gregory the Great, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Camillus de Lellis, St. Katharine Drexel

  Saints Are People Who Are Brave St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, St. George, St. Margaret Clitherow, St. Isaac Jogues, The Carmelite Nuns of Compiegne, St. Maximilian Kolbe

  Saints Are People Who Help the Poor and Sick St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Martin de Porres, Blessed Joseph de Veuster

  Saints Are People Who Help In Ordinary Ways St. Christopher, St. Blaise, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Bernard of Montjoux

  Saints Are People Who Come From All Over the World Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Paul Miki, Blessed Peter To Rot, Blessed Maria Clementine Anuarite Nengapeta

Saturday, November 9

Spanish Advent Resources

Image result for Un nuevo comienzo: Reflexiones diarias para Adviento y Navidad



María, el ángel, un pesebre, un niño ... Ya has escuchado esta historia. Lo has leído, visto y oído muchas veces. Esta temporada de Adviento y Navidad no será diferente. ¿O lo hará?

Autor Amy Welborn le anima a ver la historia de Navidad con nuevos ojos. No sólo la historia de Navidad que usted conoce, sino cómo Cristo se revela a usted de una manera que no espera, a través de unas vacaciones familiares que fue más de lo que esperaba o un encuentro casual con un extraño. Cada día ofrece la Escritura y una reflexión relacionada para mejorar su experiencia de Advent.
Mary, the angel, a manger, an infant… You’ve heard this story before. You’ve read it, seen it, and heard it countless times before. This Advent and Christmas season won’t be any different. Or will it?
This Advent and Christmas season, author Amy Welborn encourages you to see the Christmas story with new eyes. Not just the Christmas story you know, but how Christ reveals himself to you in ways you don’t expect, through a family vacation that was more than you expected or a chance encounter with a stranger. Each day offers Scripture and a related reflection to enhance your experience of the season.

Friday, November 8

Daily Devotional for Advent

Image result for daybreaks welborn 2016





Mary, the angel, a manger, an infant…
You’ve heard this story before. You’ve read it, seen it, and heard it countless times before.
This Advent and Christmas season won’t be any different. Or will it?
This Advent and Christmas season, author Amy Welborn encourages you to see the Christmas story with new eyes. Not just the Christmas story you know, but how Christ reveals himself to you in ways you don’t expect, through a family vacation that was more than you expected or a chance encounter with a stranger. Each day offers Scripture and a related reflection to enhance your experience of the season.
Daybreaks is a affordable, full-color, daily devotional for Advent and Christmas. Daybreaks reflections take only moments a day, and you will enjoy an Advent season that will have a lasting impact all year long.
  • Scripture selections match each day’s theme
  • Beautiful color interior offers a meditative backdrop for the daily reflections
  • Popular authors in both English and Spanish give a multicultural parish a common seasonal prayer
  • Place Daybreaks in the pews for parishioners or leave it at the exits for easy pickup after Mass.
  • Mail Daybreaks to parish families, catechists, and volunteers.
  • Use Daybreaks as a seasonal prayer or study group.

Thursday, November 7

Advent Family Devotional




Like the rest of us, families make their way toward Christmas in a world that is already celebrating, if not the coming of Christ, at least the season of parties and gift-giving. How do we focus on Jesus and the Incarnation amid the busy-ness of getting ready for December 25? Author Amy Welborn offers families simple ways to find the gospel message in what is going on all around them, even in preparations that can get hectic at times. These brief but pointed devotions will keep a family centered on what is most important not only at this time of the year, but every day.

Wednesday, November 6

St. Nicholas Resources

St. Nicholas Day is about a month away - time to order resources.

Perhaps you could include this booklet by me, written for Creative Communications for the Parish.

Nicholas of Myra by Amy Welborn


Amy Welborn


St. Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop legendary for his charity and love of children, has been revered throughout Europe and North America for over a thousand years. Written for elementary school children, author Amy Welborn emphasizes the importance of Nicholas' love for Jesus as the motive for his concern for others. Along with narrative about St. Nicholas and the traditions that have grown up to commemorate his life, this booklet includes prayers to remind children of the miracle of God's love for us in Jesus.

Tuesday, November 5

Bambinelli Sunday by Amy Welborn



"amy welborn"

It's a Christmas book. From the publisher:


Alessandro is staying with his grandparents, who run a small shop that sells figures for the presepe (Nativity scene), while his parents look for work in another country. To help with the boy’s loneliness, his grandfather encourages Alessandro to make his own figure of the baby Jesus. They will bring that figure to Rome in two weeks to have it blessed by the Holy Father on Bambinelli Sunday. Through the events that occur in the time leading up to receiving the blessing in St. Peter's Square, Alessandro comes to see his world in a new way, and receives the best surprise of all in the end. 
  This book for children ages 7-10 tells a wonderful story about sharing, comfort, generosity, and forgiveness through the lens of a long-standing Italian tradition. The beautiful illustrations and timeless story make this a treasure Advent and Christmas resource for generations to come.

Monday, November 4

Sunday, November 3

St. Martin de Porres November 3

St. Martin de Porres is in this book, under "Saints are people who help the poor and sick."  The first page:

amy welborn


The Loyola Kids' Book of Saints

 Over 40 saints' lives,written at a middle-school reading level.

  I. Saints are People Who Love Children St. Nicholas,St. John Bosco, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Blessed Gianna Beretta Mollaamy welborn

Saints Are People Who Love Their Families St. Monica,St. Cyril and St. Methodius, St. Therese of Lisieux,Blessed Frederic Ozanam,

 Saints Are People Who Surprise OthersSt. Simeon Stylites,St. Celestine V,St. Joan of Arc,St. Catherine of Siena

  Saints Are People Who Create St. Hildegard of Bingen,Blessed Fra Angelico,St. John of the Cross,Blessed Miguel Pro

  Saints Are People Who Teach Us New Ways to Pray St. Benedict,St. Dominic de Guzman,St. Teresa of Avila,St. Louis de Monfort

  Saints Are People Who See Beyond the Everyday St. Juan Diego, St. Frances of Rome, St. Bernadette Soubirous, Blessed Padre Pio

  Saints Are People Who Travel From Home St. Boniface, St. Peter Claver, St. Francis Xavier, St. Francis Solano, St. Francis Xavier Cabrini

  Saints Are People Who Are Strong Leaders St. Helena, St. Leo the Great, St. Wenceslaus, St. John Neumann

  Saints Are People Who Tell The Truth St. Polycarp, St. Thomas Becket, St. Thomas More, Blessed Titus Brandsma

  Saints Are People Who Help Us Understand God St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Jerome, St. Patrick, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Edith Stein

  Saints Are People Who Change Their Lives for God St. Ambrose, St. Gregory the Great, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Camillus de Lellis, St. Katharine Drexel

  Saints Are People Who Are Brave St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, St. George, St. Margaret Clitherow, St. Isaac Jogues, The Carmelite Nuns of Compiegne, St. Maximilian Kolbe

  Saints Are People Who Help the Poor and Sick St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Martin de Porres, Blessed Joseph de Veuster

  Saints Are People Who Help In Ordinary Ways St. Christopher, St. Blaise, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Bernard of Montjoux

  Saints Are People Who Come From All Over the World Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Paul Miki, Blessed Peter To Rot, Blessed Maria Clementine Anuarite Nengapeta

Saturday, November 2

All Souls and Purgatory for Teens


On the Feast of All Souls, we think about Purgatory. This book contains a chapter which might be helpful explaining Purgatory to teens and young people. 


Prove It: Church by Amy Welborn

  1. What Church Do You Go To?
  2. Why Isn’t Your Church a ‘Bible Only’ Church?
  3. Why Don’t You Read the Bible Literally?
  4. Why Aren’t Some of Your Beliefs in the Bible?
  5. Why Doesn’t Your Church Let You Interpret Scripture?
  6. Why Has Your Church Added Books to the Bible?
  7. Why Were You Baptized as a Baby?
  8. Why Aren’t You Saved?
  9. Why Does Your Church Say You’re Saved by Works, Not by Faith?
  10. Why Do You Pray to Saints?
  11. Why Do You Honor Mary So Much?
  12. Why Does Your Church Have Statues?
  13. Why Do you Believe That the Pope is Infallible?
  14. Why Do You Confess to a Priest?
  15. Why Do You Call Priests, “Father?”
  16. Why Do You Believe In Purgatory?

A resource for teen catechesis and Catholic youth ministry

Amy Welborn Prove It

Friday, November 1

Amy Welborn in Living Faith

Amy Welborn is a contributor - five devotions per issue -  to the Living Faith daily devotional quarterly

For example, today, November 1


The principal narrating the film--also a religious sister--described her order's understanding of that moment and that place. She said they were seeking to share a greater truth with the children, to image the warmth and welcome God shares with us in his kingdom by the way they welcomed and treated children in the classroom every day. "We're saying here--you have a place prepared for you," she said, "as the Lord has a place prepared for you in heaven."



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 September 23.

It was strange. Twice within the space of a few days, two writers that I know, but who don't know each other, said to me something like, "Yes, this is what I'm working on now, but let me tell you about what I really want to write." So why weren't they putting their energies into the ideas that excited them? Different reasons: 



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 July 18:

I don't have as many anxiety dreams as I used to. But when they occur, they share the same setting as they always have: I'm in the classroom, either as a student or a teacher, unprepared to either take or give an exam. Or I have to get to school and I just can't.

What a relief it is to realize--either in the midst of it or upon awaking--that it was, indeed, just a dream.



 July 3


A long time ago, my oldest son stumbled in the kitchen. A knife in the cutlery rack of the open dishwasher door stabbed his leg and he had to get stitches. Now, 20 years later, you can still see the scar. I glance at my forearm and a darkened crescent shape reminds me of the time I burned myself with an iron.

Whether we are children or adults, we relish battle scars. We compare them, check to see if they are still visible. They are evidence of adventures, mistakes, and they are signs of surprising strength. We recognize ourselves, in part, through our scars.



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 June 22:

When I was a child, I used to frustrate my parents--so they told me later--because when asked what I wanted for Christmas, I would shrug and say that I couldn't think of anything. I told them that whatever they gave would be all right.

I don't share this so you can file it away in my canonization file: "Even as a child, she eschewed the false glitter of the world..." Far from it! 


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 May 14:


I'm taking a stand in defense of paint. Specifically, paint drying. What is it we say when we want to express deadly dullness? "It's like watching paint dry."


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 April 30

I was in a boat on a lake in Central America and feeling guilty about it. My youngest son, asked where he'd like to go on a summer trip, had answered "Mayan ruins in Guatemala." So here we were. Who does that? "Ridiculous," I thought. What an overprivileged pair!



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 April 15:

The garage doors had been inoperable for months, mostly because I was convinced it would be an expensive repair. A handyman, here on another job, snapped a part into place, pushed a button--done.
I was both joyful and shamed because of the easy fix. I was elated at the simplicity and zero cost, but a little embarrassed that I'd not understood that the situation wasn't really that complicated after all.\

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 March 31:

I don't remember my baptism. There aren't even any photographs of the event. But it happened. And, indeed, as a tiny baby there in Bloomington, Indiana, I died and rose with Christ, and here I am.



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 February 25:



When my children see a wasp outside the house, I ask them to please not race away in fear. Do themselves, and the rest of us, a favor, I say, and follow it, at least with their eyes. For if there is a wasp floating about, it's likely because it has a home--one that's probably attached to our home somehow, under an eave or in a doorframe. If we follow it to its source instead of just running in fear, we might eliminate a lot of future problems.

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February 22 - the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter

When I think about each of the important older people in my life (all deceased because I'm one of the older ones now), all are associated with a chair.
My father's preferred spot was his desk chair in his study. My mother spent her days in her comfortable chair in the corner, surrounded by books. My great-aunt was not to be disturbed as she watched afternoon soap operas from her wingback chair. My grandfather had his leather-covered lounger, its arms dotted with holes burned by cigars.



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 January 29:

Inside this church, it is warm and dry. Light filters through stained glass and shines on friendly, familiar faces. Led by the choir, we chant praise, joining our voices to the saints. The Lord comes among us.

As I pause at the church door on my way out, I'm met by the chill that lies outside. I know that I'll encounter strangers and much that's unfamiliar out there. It's far more comfortable inside.

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 January 7:

I would have just driven on by. But my son, always alert to the mysteries that nature holds, had been paying attention, so he was able to see. And so Magi, wise and observant of God's ways in the world, were led by the light to his son.

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