Still one of the greatest scenes of any television Christmas special: Amidst all the worldly commercial and materialistic distractions of the season, Linus reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas. He reads from the King James Version of the Holy Bible:

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:8–14 KJV)

“That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

Merry Christmas to all!

This is a positive and uplifting message. And it is tastefully done, without shocking photos or even use of the word “abortion.”

According to the article, an “NBC representative in Chicago told CatholicVote.org late yesterday that NBC and the NFL are not interested in advertisements involving ‘political candidates or issues.’”

I just bought and watched a great DVD called Common Ground: What Protestants and Catholics Can Learn from Each Other. I found this to be a helpful, charitable dialogue between a Protestant minister and a Catholic priest.

Pastor Steve Andrews is the founding pastor of Kensington Community Church in Troy, Michigan. Kensington is a large, non-denominational, evangelical-Protestant church modeled after the successful Willow Creek Church near Chicago. Several years ago, some Kensington members who had left the Catholic Church to become Protestants were giving Catholicism a bad rap. Pastor Andrews thought there was a need to set the record straight, since he and other leaders considered Catholicism to be a significant part of Christianity.

This DVD presents Pastor Andrews’ interview of Father John Riccardo, pastor of nearby Saint Anastasia Catholic Church. The interview took place at St. Anastasia’s sanctuary, just in front of the tabernacle containing the Blessed Sacrament. Father Riccardo does an excellent job explaining Catholic beliefs and practices in a way that non-Catholics can understand.

If you’re looking for a video that you can share with non-Catholic friends who might be interested in learning what Catholics believe, this is an excellent resource.

A sample video clip is available from publisher Nineveh’s Crossing. Also available is a free study guide to the DVD, prepared by Catholic apologist and writer Dave Armstrong.