Every man is created in the image and likeness of God, Who is strength. As such, he is called to use his strength for laying down his life. Our world is full of men who are aggressive or passive, but strength is something different - it is an ability to protect, lead, defend, and provide for those under us - especially in the spiritual realm against the Evil One and sin.

The Christian Life lives between two feasts - the Feast of the Eucharist, commemorating the great work of our Redemption, and the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, when God returns victorious to destroy sin and death forever. Advent straddles both feasts - helping us celebrate what God has already done and looking forward to what God will do when He comes again in majesty!

An ancient and beloved prayed to Our Lady is the "Salve Regina" ("Hail, Holy Queen"). We pray it at the end of the Rosary and sing it at the end of the Liturgy of the Hours. But where does it come from? Who wrote it, and how is it borne out of tragedy - and still a prayer of hope and glory? Tune in to find out more about this powerful prayer!

We live in enemy-occupied territory - the Evil One has oppressed and enslaved us since the beginning of time. But a rescue mission is afoot - a Man has come in disguise, behind enemy lines, to rescue us by dying in our stead. Advent celebrates the beginning of this great sabotage, where our Enemy is defeated by his own tactics (by death), leading to our great liberation!

St. Jude lived a unique, unrepeatable life with both blessings and challenges: an Apostle, a missionary, a martyr. Your life, too, is unique and unrepeatable. As much as we may look at others with envy, we ought to embrace our own unique path to holiness and find God's Hand in both the blessings and the challenges - for we have an unrepeatable role to play in the Kingdom!

You may never have heard the name of Aleister Crowley, but you are certainly familiar with the one commandment of his religion "Thelema": "Do what you will." We see this "commandment" everywhere today, from how we approach religion to how we approach our daily lives. But Christ the King demands a different path: obedience to the life-giving commands of the Lord. Hear how we can overcome the legacy of Crowley through the authority and power of Christ the King!

How quickly does the glamour and pride of the world vanish! All the vanity, the riches, the fame of the world means nothing in light of eternity. This is a truth that should be pondered frequently by Christians: how the world as we know it is passing away.

Why do we build beautiful churches? Is it necessary since God is everywhere...and after all, shouldn't the Church be poor and simple? Ah, but beautiful Churches are important - they are a visual demonstration of our Faith, a foretaste of Heaven, and a powerful recognition that it houses God Almighty in the Holy Eucharist. Beautiful Churches glorify God, make incarnate our love for Him, and help us desire to be with Him!