![Sydney Australia, St. Mary's Cathedral, Christmas](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sydney-Australia-St-Mary-Cathedral.jpg?crop=5px%2C0px%2C1195px%2C675px&resize=620%2C348&ssl=1)
Art & Culture
![Sydney Australia, St. Mary's Cathedral, Christmas](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Sydney-Australia-St-Mary-Cathedral.jpg?crop=5px%2C0px%2C1195px%2C675px&resize=620%2C348&ssl=1)
![The Chosen season 4 trailer](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/The-Chosen-season-4-trailer.jpg?w=620&h=348&crop=1)
![Andrea and Matteo Bocelli](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Andrea-and-Matteo-Bocelli-singing-o-holy-night.jpg?crop=2px%2C0px%2C1196px%2C675px&resize=620%2C348&ssl=1)
![Chrystus błogosławi](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/11/jezus-chrystus-blogoslawienstwo-shutterstock_119331124.jpg?w=620&h=348&crop=1)
Daniel Esparza
A brief (yet revealing) history of “blessings”
![Rubens, Jesus and Pharisees](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/rubens-feast_of_simon_the_pharisee_1440705650295.jpg?w=620&h=348&crop=1)
Daniel Esparza
Parrhesia: The biblical art of fearless speech
![Stations of the Cross](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Stations-of-the-Cross.jpg?crop=0px%2C30px%2C1200px%2C678px&resize=620%2C348&ssl=1)
![Canadian-singer-songwriter-Joni-Mitchell](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Canadian-singer-songwriter-Joni-Mitchell-AFP-000_327L9KB.jpg?w=620&h=348&crop=1)
![Puto Filipino Christmas treat](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Puto-Filipino-Christmas-treat.jpg?crop=0px%2C43px%2C1200px%2C678px&resize=620%2C348&ssl=1)
V. M. Traverso
The Philippines’ Christmas dawn Mass treats
![WALK FOR LIFE WEST COAST](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/01/walk-for-life-west-coast.jpg?crop=0px%2C246px%2C2400px%2C1355px&resize=620%2C348&ssl=1)
![BLACK MADONNA OF CZESTOCHOWA](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/01/Shutterstock_1623330322-1.jpg?w=620&h=348&crop=1)
Daniel Esparza
3 Famous Black Madonnas from around the world
![Sort of Lord of the Rings](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Lord-of-the-Rings-sort-of.jpg?crop=0px%2C8px%2C1200px%2C678px&resize=620%2C348&ssl=1)
![Montevergine (AV) Italy, February 02, 2020 Candlemas a Christian festival held on February 2 to commemorate the purification of the Virgin Mary and the presentation of Christ in the Temple.](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Montevergine-AV.jpg?w=620&h=348&crop=1)
Daniel Esparza
Montevergine Abbey: The remarkable legacy of St. William
![Francsican robes](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Franciscan-robes.jpg?crop=0px%2C22px%2C1200px%2C678px&resize=620%2C348&ssl=1)
![Concert for the Poor and with the Poor](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Concert-for-the-poor-and-with-the-poor.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C1200px%2C677px&resize=620%2C348&ssl=1)
![VATICAN-CHRISTMAS](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/12/VATICAN-CHRISTMAS-2021-Antoine-Mekary-ALETEIA-AM_1823.jpg?w=620&h=348&crop=1)
Daniel Esparza
The enchanting origins of the Christmas tree tradition
![The Hillbilly Thomists 2024 album teaser](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Hillbilly-Thomists-album-4-teaser.jpg?crop=5px%2C0px%2C1195px%2C675px&resize=620%2C348&ssl=1)
![Malta](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/The-National-Marian-Shrine-of-Mellieha-Hodegetria-�-Courtesy-of-the-Archdiocese-of-Malta.-Photo-by-Ian-Noel-Pace.jpg?w=620&h=348&crop=1)
Daniel Esparza
Mary’s hand in certain icons has a hidden message
![St. Andrew's Basilica, in Roanoke, VA](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/St.-Andrews-Basilica-roanoke-va.jpg?crop=4px%2C0px%2C1912px%2C1080px&resize=620%2C348&ssl=1)
![Sans-titre-81.jpg](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/02/Sans-titre-81.jpg?w=620&h=348&crop=1)
![Matt Maher First Sunday of Advent Reflection](https://staging.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/Matt-Maher-reflection-first-sunday-of-advent.jpg?crop=5px%2C0px%2C1195px%2C675px&resize=620%2C348&ssl=1)