PENTECOST
On a Tuesday night at St. Ignatius Parish 14 young people stand ready to be anointed with oil. They have come from many different situations and different schools. Some of […]
SPEAKING WITH THE HEART: WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY
Today is World Communications Day, which we mark every May, on the feast of the Ascension. This is appropriate: in today’s Gospel reading from Matthew, Jesus sends out the eleven […]
TO THE CHURCH ON MOTHER’S DAY
Dear Church, On this Mother’s Day, I am writing this letter on behalf of all mothers, explaining what we need from our Christian community. The first thing I would like […]
NATIONAL FAMILY AND LIFE WEEK (MAY 7-14, 2023)
We adopted our first child when she was 11 days old. We were told by the social worker that her birth mother loved her dearly but could not offer […]
ST. JOSEPH THE WORKER
One of our Catholic Social Teachings is the dignity of work. People ought to be able to use their skills and knowledge to accomplish a purpose and to have self-worth […]
A PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS
The church is called by the Lord to serve the world so that the Gospel can be proclaimed “to the end of the earth.” Throughout history, as the world changed, […]
EARTH DAY
Last week, the city of Ottawa was ravaged by another ice storm. The huge pine tree in my backyard lost many heavy limbs and the yard was full of the […]
WE ARE WITNESSES: EASTER SUNDAY
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! After the 40 days of Lenten prayer, fasting and almsgiving, after the three intense days of the Triduum, here we are at the […]
GOOD FRIDAY
The Good Friday service, with its sombre hymns, silence, bare altar and empty tabernacle, is one of most moving liturgies of the year. There’s something about knowing that around the […]
HOLY THURSDAY
Can you imagine the tension building during that last Passover that Jesus celebrated with his friends in that upper room? The rejoicing of the crowds welcoming Jesus on that Palm […]
FAITH AND PROTEST: Q&A WITH KAREN A. HAMILTON
The news these days can be overwhelming: as stories of violence, polarization, war, a refugee crisis and a suffering planet wash over us, we may wonder if faith is even […]
LIVING WITH CHRIST WEBINAR: PREPARING OUR HEARTS FOR EASTER
Speaker: Christine Way Skinner, author of many Novalis books, including Sacred Journey 2022, Catholic Kids Library series, The Joy of Keeping the Faith and co-author of There Must be a Pony in Here Somewhere. To register, […]
ANNUNCIATION
Are you one of those people who never takes down your Christmas lights? Or maybe you’re the neighbour scowling at one of those people? Exactly nine months before the birth […]
ST. JOSEPH
I often think of St. Joseph as the patron saint of shy men. In the little we read of him in the Gospels, he says nothing, but when called upon […]
ST. PATRICK
What do you know about St. Patrick? That his favourite colour was green? That he banished all the snakes in Ireland? That he was Catholic? So little is known fact […]
SOFTENING OUR HEARTS THIS LENT
I admire those of you who keep steady and committed Lenten observance.I feel like my work in music ministry keeps me mindful, but if I wasn’t singing, I might get […]
FOR VICTIMS OF ABUSE: PRAYER INTENTION FOR MARCH
Each month, the Pope sets before the People of God a special intention for the worldwide Church to bring to prayer. This month he asks that we pray for victims […]
“I HAVE HEARD OF YOUR FAITH…” EPHESIANS 1:15
Life has taught me that people talk about each other. At its worst, this is manifested in gossip that is more rooted in rumour than fact. At its best, it […]
LIVING LENT
It’s a mark on the forehead that means so much. A gym full of children listen to the readings, sing hymns and receive their ashes. They are a bit silly, […]
CREATING THE WORLD ANEW…FROM THE ASHES
It’s hard not to see all the things that are going wrong in the world. Many areas are suffering from the effects of climate change. The war in Ukraine heartbreakingly […]
OUR LADY OF LOURDES
When you are sick or feeling like you are coming down with something nasty, what do you want? Most people will answer that they want their mothers, even if they […]
THE FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD AND LITURGICAL FUN
Today, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, is my favourite feast day! When I mention it, people usually ask why and I never have an […]
THE CONVERSION OF A LIFETIME
A great light from heaven shone about him and a voice spoke, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” This how Saul, a persecutor of Christians became Paul, arguably one […]
ST. FRANCIS DE SALES
Many of us go through life with regrets and worries. Some of these are unavoidable and even unsought as we live our daily lives on this planet. Yet, both can […]
SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD
The New Dictionary of Sacramental Worship by Peter E. Fink, SJ states that God’s word is more than“mere external utterance or intellectual discourse. It is the self-communication of God to […]
LIVING WITH CHRIST WEBINAR: READING SCRIPTURES WITH OUR HEARTS
On Wednesday, January 18, 2023 at 2pm EST, Living with Christ will host a webinar entitled “Reading Scripture With Our Hearts” in this year’s Living with Christ webinar series “Seek […]
ST. ANDRÉ BESSETTE, PATRON OF FAMILY CAREGIVERS
It was an ordinary Sunday until the Mass ended and a parishioner went up to the ambo to speak. He shared the story of a man who had been severely […]
HOSANNA: A LITANY OF PRAISE AND PETITION FOR THE NEW YEAR
The passage from the old year to a new is a time for reflection. One thinks about the losses, griefs, and disappointments suffered as well as the achievements, blessings, and […]
THE CHRISTMAS CARD DOESN’T TELL THE WHOLE STORY
One of my favourite Christmas images is of the Holy Family huddled together. Looming large in the forefront is a Christmas card bearing images of gifts, bells, candles, etc. The […]
FROM POLITICS TO PEACE: THE FEAST OF HOLY INNOCENTS
Three days ago, we were filled with joy at the birth of the Christ child. Today, we mark the deaths of innocent children at the hands of Herod, pawns in […]
“A THRILL OF HOPE, THE WEARY WORLD REJOICES”
I have childhood memories of sitting in the silence of Christmas morning. Of course, there was great excitement about presents and company coming. Deep within, there was the contemplation of […]
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE & NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER IN SOLIDARITY WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
December 12th is the Feast Our Lady of Guadalupe (Patron of the Americas). In December of 1531, on a site revered by Aztecs as a shrine to the goddess Tonantzin, […]
AN OPEN LETTER FROM ST. NICHOLAS
Dear Adults, Kids love me because I love them first. Ever since I was a kid myself, I’ve done what I could for the vulnerable – all those folks who […]
HOW IS YOUR ADVENT JOURNEY?
Advent is my favourite liturgical season for so many reasons. It provides an opportunity for seeing more of the nighttime sky and the stars. And the night sky plays such […]
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Let us go rejoicing! The 1st Sunday of the Advent is upon us. This beautiful season seems to rush past us in the anticipation of Christmas. I hope to slow […]
COME, LORD JESUS! BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADVENT
Where did the liturgical year go? We’re almost at the end of this one, with Advent and the new church year just around the corner. I love Advent, but it […]
CHRIST THE KING / WORLD DAY OF YOUTH
Kids today got no king they got no king everywhere anxiety they got no king got no king God told the line of Abraham not to cower beneath the crown […]
ANNOUNCING A NEW BOOK SERIES: NEW PATHS FOR THE CHURCHES AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
Novalis is very pleased to announce a new series on the churches and Indigenous Peoples in Canada! Sponsored by the Centre on the Churches, Truth, and Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples […]
AND STILL, RACHEL WEEPS…
“A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more. (Jeremiah 31:15 & Mathew 2:18) […]
PRAYING FOR HOLY SOULS
Even as a young child, I thought it wonderful to believe that the people who had died before me were still with us, and we with them. I grew up […]
ALL SAINTS
Saints are the ultimate role models of holiness and goodness. Our Church invites us to emulate the saints and to follow their example of virtue and prayerfulness. Catholic parents once […]
WORLD FOOD DAY
Life is surface material skin deep a shallow wave of earth stuck rolling in across vast shores of clay and sand and rock that, dry and of themselves, simply cannot […]
ST. TERESA OF JESUS
I like to think of Teresa of Jesus as a diamond, many faceted and beautiful. It is said that when she was a young girl, both she and her brother, […]
2 THANKSGIVING PRAYERS
I offer you on this day of bounty not one, but two thanksgiving prayers. I do this to acknowledge that we do not all approach this feast under the same […]
THE ROSARY, PRAYING AND LIVING A MYSTERY
Using prayer beads in meditative prayer is part of many religions in the world. In Buddhism and Hinduism there are 108 beads for the 108 Sacred Mantras. In Islam there […]
BLESSED FEAST DAY OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI, THE EARLIEST OF ENVIRONMENTALISTS
I am proud of myself that I ate one tomato from my garden this year. One tomato! I placed my statue of St. Francis in the garden and my tomato […]
ST. THERESE OF LISIEUX
The liturgical tradition does not have a ceremony for every scenario of loss but it does offer a rich ritual repertoire from which we can draw inspiration and hope. On […]
NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION: MOVING BEYOND THE ORANGE SHIRT
Earlier this week, I saw a tweet from an Indigenous person lamenting that many Canadians would be wearing an orange shirt on September 30, and then for the next 364 […]
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
If you have ever lamented the state of divisiveness in the Church today, it may help to delve into a history book and time travel back to the days of […]
WORLD DAY OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES
Once again, the media brought out the plight of migrants this week in the coverage of their shipment to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. They were loaded onto planes and buses and […]
Seeds of Faith 