Michelle Van Loon

We three kings of Orient are Bearing gifts we traverse afar Field and fountain, moor and mountain Following yonder star The royal seekers featured in this beloved carol are a part of every manger scene, usually represented by three kingly…

On December 26th, Christmas wrapping paper is marked down for clearance, and suddenly all that red and green decor festooning the house starts looking a little stale. Christmas is over, right? Actually, the liturgical season of Christmas begins on December…

I’ve enjoyed participating in this year’s #AdventWord Instagram journey with the online community connected with St. John the Evangelist. Each day, the brothers of the order gave us a word we could use for contemplation. We were invited to share…

I’m a sucker for Top Ten and Best Of lists at this time of year. Just for fun, here’s my own list of media favorites from the past year: [Read more]

I am not Catholic, but am grateful for my Catholic siblings in faith. I’ve been strengthened by many Catholic writers over the years, particularly those from the contemplative tradition. I’ve been encouraged by Catholic pro-life activism and challenged by the…

One of my favorite Leo Tolstoy short stories is “Where Love Is, God Is”. It is profound in its simplicity at any time of year, but certainly suits this season. A few years ago, I turned the story into a…