Today our children are influenced by the values of culture through places like YouTube where everyone is determined to become rich and famous, and through videos, movies and TV where they are introduced regularly to the latest iteration of the superhero.

Advent is a beautiful time in the Church, a time of prayer, fasting, reflection, hope and rituals all meant to remind us of God’s limitless love, born on Christmas day in a manger in Bethlehem.

In the noisy world of social media, an “influencer” is someone who suggests a product they may never have used to their audience of people that listen to what they have to say. By this definition, influencers are selling something they may or may not believe in. They attract an audience by the force of their personality, but their hearts may not be in their flashy words.

The Advent season, which begins on Sunday, Nov. 27 this year, is the first gift of Christmas, but one that is often unwrapped.

On Nov. 11, the United States celebrates Veterans Day, a day to honor those who served in military service for their country. As Catholics, we also pray for the repose of the souls of all those who died defending their country. Across the country celebrations include parades and other observances and a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.