At one time in my life I was a high school football coach. I loved the excitement of Friday nights. There were always so many elements that I loved about coaching.

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School announced that Aubrey Blackwell will be returning to the school as its next head football coach.

Happy New Year! It is a wonderful time to reflect on our lives in general and specifically to evaluate our spiritual lives.

Stewardship is love made visible. It is faith expressed not only in what we believe, but in how we live, serve and give. At its core, stewardship is a response to God’s generous love for us, a love that calls us to action. This year’s Catholic Charities Appeal theme, “Give with Love,” inspired by St. Paul’s words, “Your every act should be done with love” (1 Cor 16:14), beautifully captures the heart of Christian stewardship.

Al celebrar un nuevo año, es posible que nos propongamos cumplir nuestras resoluciones de Año Nuevo. Cuántas veces me he encontrado a mí mismo y a otros haciendo resoluciones de Año Nuevo para llevar una dieta más saludable, hacer ejercicio a diario o gestionar mejor el tiempo. La lista podría seguir y seguir.

As we celebrate a new year, we may be resolved to live New Year’s Resolutions. How often I have found myself and others making New Year’s Resolutions of having a better diet, exercising daily or managing time better. The list could go on and on.

Happy Catholic Schools Week! As our families get into the rhythm of the second semester, I wanted to share my joy and hope for the second half of the year. We are exceedingly blessed to have close to 5,000 children and families in our care who are passionate about our Christ-centered schools. The theme from our national association is “Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community." It is this sense of shared mission that I'd like to reflect upon.

Are we there yet? An aspect of growing up that can be often overlooked is the change in how we look at time. When we are children, we sit in the back seat of the car, asking our parents one too many times, “are we there yet?” But as we age, it turns into “Wow. Has it already been that long?” Advent having ended, we are nestled into the heart of the Christmas season! The time of preparation for the Savior’s birth has passed and in that, we should look back and see what that time of preparation did for us as Catholics.

Merry Christmas! I love this time of year. I ask all of our readers to pray for those who are alone and missing loved ones. Amidst our revelry and family time, let’s make sure that we reach out to those who are hurting.

Durante la temporada navideña, la Iglesia celebra la fiesta de la Sagrada Familia de Jesús, María y José. Una tradición en mi familia inmediata era tener en el nombre de cada uno el nombre de Jesús, María o José. Tuve una última oportunidad de hacerlo cuando recibí el sacramento de la Confirmación. Elegí a San José como mi santo patrón de confirmación y siempre aprecié esta tradición familiar de honrar a uno de los miembros de la Sagrada Familia como una hermosa conexión personal con ella.

During the Christmas season, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. A tradition in my immediate family was to have in one’s name, the name of Jesus, Mary or Joseph. I had one last chance to do this when I received the Sacrament of Confirmation. I chose St. Joseph as my Confirmation patron saint and always appreciated this family tradition of honoring one of the members of the Holy Family as a beautiful personal connection with the Holy Family.

On the first Sunday of Advent, the waiting room at the Archdiocese of Mobile Chancery located at 400 Government St. begins a quiet transformation.

Many of us like to watch sports, be that in person or on television. Humans have loved watching and participating in sports for as long as humanity has existed. When we watch sports or other competitions, we don’t usually reflect on how much time, sweat, tears, pain and sacrifice have paved the way for the competitors. We just see the “game day.”

Every year, as soon as Thanksgiving ends, the pace of life seems to accelerate overnight. Calendars fill with parties, programs, shopping lists, travel plans and year-end deadlines. The world tells us to rush toward Christmas as fast as possible. Yet, quietly and faithfully, the Church invites us to slow down. Week by week, as we light the Advent candles, we are reminded that this season is not about rushing, but about preparing.

Durante la temporada navideña, la Iglesia celebra la fiesta de la Sagrada Familia de Jesús, María y José. Una tradición en mi familia inmediata era tener en el nombre de cada uno el nombre de Jesús, María o José. Tuve una última oportunidad de hacerlo cuando recibí el sacramento de la Confirmación. Elegí a San José como mi santo patrón de confirmación y siempre aprecié esta tradición familiar de honrar a uno de los miembros de la Sagrada Familia como una hermosa conexión personal con ella.

Hope does not disappoint” (Rom. 5:5). This Word of God is proclaimed by St. Paul in his epistle to the Romans. We are called to reflect more fully upon living and practicing the Christian virtue of hope in this Jubilee Year of Hope. The late Pope Francis addressed the entire Church, “For everyone, may the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the ‘door’ of our salvation, whom the Church is proclaimed always, everywhere and to all as ‘our hope.’”

Finding Christ amongst it all. The holidays are a time to gather with loved ones and eat too much food—but where is Christ in all of this?

We are so blessed to be the recipients of so many gifts from the Lord. We have so many gifts, we run the risk of not realizing how many blessings we have received.

Durante el mes de diciembre, celebramos la fiesta patronal de nuestra arquidiócesis, la Inmaculada Concepción de la Santísima Virgen María (8 de diciembre) y la fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (12 de diciembre). Como Iglesia, celebramos a María como la madre de Jesús y nuestra madre, así como modelo de discípula del Señor.

During December, we celebrate our archdiocesan patronal feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Dec. 8) and the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dec. 12). As a Church, we celebrate Mary as the mother of Jesus and our mother, as well as a model disciple of the Lord.