I’m beginning the new year with a clean office. It seems a good place to start, a practical way to set me up for any other resolutions I make.

Of all the books to select for review at the beginning of the new year, one would think the category we should most avoid is books on politics and culture. With a presidential election looming, international tensions mounting, and conflict in the Church, perhaps we are safer in probing mythic symbolism of the lilies of the field in the Sermon on the Mount. Is it really possible to identify some of the causal influences for the divisions in our society without tearing each other apart?

The year 2020 is here! Think green, recycle, reuse, eat clean, conserve water, grow organic, to bee or not to bee — all are worth pondering as we enter our new decade. Another way to be good stewards of the earth is composting. Consider these benefits:

The noted apologist and philosopher Peter Kreeft once observed the saints as ones who “had wandering minds, and to recall their constantly wandering mind-child home. They became saints because they continued to go after the little wanderer, like the Good Shepherd.” Let’s face it: our image of the saints tends toward the other-worldly — folks definitely not like we mere mortals, but rather “men and women that are amazing for their moral intellect, spiritual strength, and for the effects their choices and actions had on the birth of Europe and Western civilization,” (from Saints that Changed the World, Moderno, Italy). I always felt that we love and admire the saints simply because they are just not like us at all.

Like, I daresay, most of the English-speaking world, these past couple of years I’ve been watching episodes of “The Crown,” the beautifully filmed, marvelously written program on the life and times of Queen Elizabeth II.

Christmastime is finally here — the time of year we celebrate the birth of Christ. “Joy to the world the Lord is come. Let Earth receive her king!” The beautiful poinsettia is a Christmas plant that is rich in tradition, easy to care for and brightens up any room with holiday spirit.

I had just begun my initiation to religious life when a very kind Little Sister offered to share with me the secret to joy.

Of course, I wanted to know the secret, I responded!

JOY, she confided, is a matter of putting Jesus first, Other people second and Yourself last.

The Trump administration’s announcement last week regarding the restoration of work requirements connected to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has added volume to a misguided belief around employment in our nation.