Religions & Spirituality
By JOHN MOONEY
March 17, 2023NATIONAL -- During a typical year (meaning pre-pandemic), more than 52% of Americans plan some type of celebration of St. Patrick's Day, and more than 82% of celebrants will wear green, according to WalletHub. Overall, billions of dollars typically are spent on clothing, flags, green carnations, dining, and, of course, beer. Guinness estimates that more 13 million pints of its stout ...
HOLMDEL, NJ: Enjoy international cuisine, entertainment, The festival of Purim commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from Haman’s plot “to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day.” It is celebrated with Megillah readings, gifts of food, charity, feasting, and merriment. Chabad Jewish Center of ...
HOLMDEL, NJ: A message from CHABAD JEWISH CENTER OF HOLMDEL:
We are excited to present to you The BAT MITZVAH CLUB, for ALL Jewish girls 11-13 years old. This club will allow your daughter to gain inspiration and knowledge about becoming a Bat Mitzvah in a creative and meaningful way. She will have the opportunity to discuss relevant topics, share with others, get artsy and have FUN ...
A few months ago a friend went for a walk and noticed a young woman nearby. She was wearing a jacket partially open in the front. It revealed a shirt with the word “ego” on it. My friend was intrigued by someone having this word on her shirt, so she asked the young woman what led her to display that term. The young woman laughed, opened her jacket wider and there was the full word: ...
Sensing a Vast Unity
As I stand in my own small space of the planet
reveling in the power and beauty of the heavens,
I feel a great unity with all beings.
I know that somewhere there is a herdsman
in the Sahara Desert who is also gazing
at the stars of our common universe.
I know there is a lamb in New Zealand
romping in sunlight that also bathes my skin.
I ...
Although Hanukkah, "The Festival of Lights," is considered a “minor” Jewish holiday, it is a popular celebration among Jewish families across America.
According to ReformJudaism.org, when the Maccabees entered the Temple in Jerusalem to reclaim it from the Greeks, they immediately relit the ner tamid (eternal light), which burned constantly in the ...
HOLMDEL AND COLTS NECK, NJ: FOX Nation will debut a two-part special entitled The Life of Jesus hosted by FOX & Friends Weekend co-host, Holmdel resident, Pete Hegseth. Part one of the series, God with Us, will debut, December 15 (streaming on Fox Nation), just in time as Christians around the world, prepare for the birth of the Christ Child. Note this ...
An amazing thing happened on the first Sunday of Advent. During the previous week I was reflecting on what to share in this newsletter, to encourage you to engage wholeheartedly in this sacred season. A lantern aglow with light kept coming to me as a symbol of Emmanuel (God-with-us) dwelling in the sanctuary of our being. As I ...
MONMOUTH COUNTY, NJ: As most of the community is aware, Aaron Van Trease, a Saint John Vianney student, suffered a very serious injury at a recent football game. The community will be gathering on November 15, 2022, at St. Denis Church, to stop in and say a prayer for Aaron Van Trease and his family anytime between 7:30am and 7:30pm.
The 12-hour drop in prayer will include Adoration of ...
A story has been singing in my heart all month. I found this account in The Way of Love, a book with selections on the topic collected by editors Michael Leach, Doris Goodnough, and Maria Angelini.The experience described in “I Am Wherever There Is Love” took place in 2006. Joy Scribner tells how her daughter Meredith wrote a letter to God after Abbey, their aging dog, died.
