A great way to get into the holiday spirit is decorating your home or office space. Usually we go to the store and spend money on decorations. This year, why not make a homemade Christmas ornament. This can be a fun activity to do with your children and a nice way for siblings to bond. Add a date on each ornament so you can look back at all the wonderful creations you and your family have made.

Today we celebrate The Immaculate Conception. As Catholics, we believe that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of conception.

We all have bad days, so perform a random act of kindness for someone. At times difficulties may get us down and we feel hopeless. Be a beacon of hope today and spread kindness wherever you go. It doesn’t cost anything to be thoughtful of someone’s feelings.

Family photos are wonderful pieces of joy you can look back on and smile at the memories. Capturing milestones and good times in your holiday outfits and looking back on them is a treasure.

Under this title, Our Lady is the patron of Mexico, the United States, and all of the Americas, as well as the protector of unborn children. In 1531, she appeared in a vision to the peasant Juan Diego on Tepeyac Hill near Mexico City and charged him with asking the bishop to build a church on that spot. But the bishop demanded a sign, so Our Lady had Juan gather flowers in his cloak in December to take to the bishop. When Juan opened his cloak, the colorful image of Guadalupe was emblazoned on the cactus cloth. That icon is preserved in the most famous shrine in the Western Hemisphere, and Our Lady of Guadalupe continues to inspire poor and oppressed people worldwide.

This Christmas season, let us remember to cherish and feed into the lives of others. We can help and provide for those who aren’t expecting us to think of them.

Gather with your family member and start up a conversation about fond memories of the past.