Daily Links, Dec. 8: Nuns, Christmas lights, and the force

Today is the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the day we celebrate Mary being born without original sin. For more information and a slideshow of artwork related to this day, click here.

Speaking of conception, CNN takes a look at the possible health benefits of allowing Catholic nuns to take birth control pills.

Speaking of nuns, Joan Chittister asks today what happens to a society when wisdom and energy merge. She says: “I think the trajectory to justice may be straighter, shorter, clearer when the generations join together to make a new future out of the best ideals of the past.” And, Blessed Marianne Cope, a Franciscan nun who lived in the 19th century, needs only Pope Benedict’s approval to become officially canonized after a second miracle was attributed to her intercession.

Speaking of Pope Benedict, today the pope lit the world’s largest Christmas tree with the simple touch of a Sony S Tablet. (Not an iPad?!) And, are we sure that we shouldn’t be calling that a holiday tree?

Speaking of the importance of descriptive words (ok…I’m stretching it a bit now), were the new mass translations faithful to the Latin when they translated “us men” in the Creed?

And, speaking of the new mass translations…

(Thanks to Catholics United and Trevor Gundlach for that image!)