Catholic Carnival 150: Hope, Love, Joy and Peace

As Christians, we're advised to be in the world, but not of the world. That is definitely a life-long challenge, especially during the Advent season.

The secular world pulls us here and there during these four weeks, and it can be easy to forget - as the saying goes - the Reason for the Season. Amid the shopping, partying, decorating and more, we can easily overlook the four pillars of the Advent wreath and their promises of Hope, Love, Joy and Peace.

So sit back, take a deep breath and relax with the peaceful, educational and inspiring posts of this week's Catholic Carnival:

Our first post embodies the four symbolic virtues of the Advent wreath in a post about...an Advent wreath. Kim and her husband share the lighting of their first two candles, representing hope and love, in memory of their daughter lost to miscarriage last month. A very poignant, personal and hopeful sharing that, when you think about it, can also describe the Advent season itself.

If you're looking for good Advent reading to deepen your appreciation of the season, Steven examines In Conversation With God: Volume #1: Advent and Christmastide by Francis Fernandez Carvajal, an excellent devotion for the season and the beginning of a great series.

Another good addition to your reading list can be found at one of my favorite blogs, Daughter of the King. Jen shares her reflections on Pope John XXIII's book, Journal of a Soul, as well as interesting information about the Pope himself.

If you're interested in focusing more on Scripture this season, Kevin reflects on the readings for the second Sunday of Advent, examining what God asks of us in promising the coming of Christ.

And for the ultimate Catholic reading, check out Mark's fantastic post on the Liturgy of the Hours. He gives a wonderful explanation of the vocabulary, appeal, history and much more.

Ever wonder how the whole commercialization of Christmas started? Maria looks at the root in The War Against Christmas. 

And if you're discouraged, or even overwhelmed, by the secular world's unrelenting commercial assault on the season, Owen advises you to Be the Salt! Enjoy his post as he shares his new approach to handling the madness.

If you need to find me (or my shoes) on Dec. 6, 2008, we'll be at Matthew's house! He and his family share their St. Nicholas celebrations with crafts, food, shoes and more.

It's a neat blend of faith and technology at Extraordinary Time as Leo offers a Java applet inspired by the Pope's recent encyclical on hope, Spe Salvi.

Last week, presidential candidate Mitt Romney addressed his Mormon faith in a news-making speech. David over at la nouvelle theologie outlines important things for Catholics to consider regarding Romney's "Faith in America" speech.

The Golden Compass underperformed at the box office last weekend, and that's not surprising if you read guest blogger Pete Vere's review over at Catholic Fire. Co-author of Pied Piper of Atheism: Philip Pullman and Children's Fantasy, Vere gives an authoritative review on a movie that's not only offensive to Christians, but also "boring" and "bad art."

What is pulling the Episcopal Church apart and can it happen to the Catholic Church? Domini Sumus presents The Americanizing of Faith posted at We Belong to the Lord.

Self-described "strange Christian" Joe Wetterling tackles the whopper of a question: "Can God lie?" and a common argument against God: "If He is omnipotent, how can there be something He cannot do?"

Ever been challenged on the Immaculate Conception? Head over to the Catholic Spitfire Grill for an answer to those who say that the dogma of the Immaculate Conception contradicts Sacred Scripture.

Now here's an interesting site: Executed Today, a daily chronicle of an historical execution that took place on this date, and the story behind it. The blog recently offered the stories of the 1581 deaths of Catholic martyrs Edmund Campion, Ralph Sherwin and Alexander Briant.

And Fred looks at purgatory and resistance to the beauty of Christ over at Deep Furrows.

Thank you all for your thoughtful writing and submissions! Want to join in the fun? Submit your blog article to the next edition of Catholic Carnival using the Carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on the Carnival index page.