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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
“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) […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Not much factual information about Mary’s birthday is known. We have been taught that she was conceived without sin as the Immaculate Conception. We know that her parents were Anne […]
As summer winds down for many of us here in Canada, we see this time as one of beginnings and endings. We are grateful for the season of heat and […]
Today we observe World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. Let us ponder the awe and beauty of the created world, the healing that nature brings to our […]
St. Monica is the patron saint of Mothers. Her life as a single Mom after her husband’s death was no easy journey. On top of it all, she had a […]
The start of the school year is just around the corner. To mark this moment in the lives of students, teachers and families, Novalis’ managing editor, Anne Louise Mahoney, spoke […]
The following are examples of the rich resources that Novalis has in our catalogue to support Catholic educators. In preparing for the school year ahead, consider these and many other […]
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 […]
For those working in pastoral ministry, keeping a healthy balance in the parish is a constant task. Communities, like the individual people that constitute them, have tendencies to lean towards […]
Have you ever seen a sunrise or sunset and been mesmerized by its beauty? Or Aurora Borealis in a dark winter’s night? Those are the only experiences that I have […]
The papal visit continues as I write, yet there is already so much to think about. I was moved as I watched Pope Francis arrive in Edmonton on Sunday. Despite […]
Sometimes a book comes along at just the right time. For me, this was Matthew Anderson’s Pairings: The Bible and Booze (Novalis, 2022). As pandemic restrictions were loosening and the […]
There is a good reason why the family is often called the “domestic church.” More than the actual churches, more than the schools, youth groups, movements, etc., the family is […]
National Indigenous Peoples Day is a day recognizing and celebrating the cultures and contributions of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Indigenous peoples of Canada. Novalis author Greg Kennedy, SJ […]
Where do we see and feel God’s love in the world? It is manifest in so many ways. One is the love of our fathers. This year Father’s Day falls on the […]
Summer is the perfect time to catch up on reading. At this time of year, we often have fewer responsibilities: school, volunteer work and other activities pause for a couple […]
Pentecost – Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit so he can be with us always. Also this feast is recognized as the birthday of the Church. I have had many […]
The liturgy does not have a ceremony for every loss but it does offer a rich ritual repertoire from which we can draw inspiration and hope. From September 2021 through […]
“Listening” is the theme of Pope Francis’ message for World Communications Day, celebrated in the Church this Sunday, May 29. It is a vital skill, especially necessary for Church leadership […]
Theologian: Explain Ascension. Earth: Ask asparagus. Theologian: What on Earth do you mean? Earth: Both in the Earth and of it, asparagus ascends with vernal force into low-lying sky […]
I appreciate when I come upon the story of a saint of whom I was previously unfamiliar. I did not know the story of Charles de Foucald. Once again, I am met with […]