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 […]
There’s nothing like a pandemic to remind us how fragile we are. Without warning, any sense of control we thought we had over our well-being went out the window. Medical […]
Through our Baptism, we are called to be all we can be through Jesus Christ. We belong to the priesthood of all believers. This means that we have a responsibility […]
This Mother’s Day I am particularly excited as my daughter gave birth last week (Aliyah Charlotte) and became a mom. As I reflect on her new role, I marvel at […]
Sometimes reading the lives of the saints leaves us more conflicted than inspired. This is especially the case when the saint lived in a time and culture very removed from […]
This Earth Day, may the following parabolic remix help us reflect on both the Creator’s and Creation’s deep love for us. Long before you and I were born, Mother Earth […]
God of all humanity, We pray for peace. We pray that all families know safety and comfort, that children can live and play without fear, and that countries reach out […]
For the first time in two years, Easter feels like Resurrection! As we emerge from the pandemic to spring flowers, visits with family and friends, and something more like the […]
Jesus asks: Will my death mean anything in two millennia? Will it give home to those who must flee their country because bombs are falling on their homes?” Will it […]
For me, the Holy Thursday liturgy not only sets the stage for the Easter Triduum that begins this evening but offers us a wonderful model for living as Christ’s followers. […]
Here we are, about halfway through Lent. On Ash Wednesday each year, the 40 days or so seem to stretch endlessly before us, but then time speeds up and we […]
Having just celebrated the year of St. Joseph, we all know that St. Joseph is the patron of the Universal Church and the principal patron of Canada. In the Gospels, […]
St. Patrick’s Day celebrates all things Irish. It is the day, when those of us who are Irish by culture and heritage are chuffed full of a pride that overflows […]
Oh, how fitting is the first reading on this 1st Sunday of Lent! The past few years of living with COVID have been oppressive to all of us (to some […]
Today, Friday, March 4 is the World Day of Prayer. Christian women of 79 languages and 150 countries will be united in prayer for social issues affecting women and children and […]
Ash Wednesday tends to sneak up on me. Wasn’t it just a few weeks ago that we took down the Christmas decorations? With COVID-19, civil unrest and war dominating the […]
It’s been a long couple of years, hasn’t it? COVID hit during Lent 2020, and now here we are, about to begin our third pandemic Lent. If you’re finding it […]
We know very little about St. Scholastica, whose memorial we celebrate today, on February 10, and what we do know is a mix of history and legend. In that regard, […]
Today we celebrate the Presentation of the Lord. Imagine that Jesus’ parents are bringing him to the Temple to offer their child, their special child, to God. It was a Jewish […]
It is a huge understatement to acknowledge that we are living in challenging times. Pandemics and variants, wars and environmental disasters, political strife and unrest dominate our news and media. […]
Most of us have neighbours, family members, colleagues or friends who are Christian but not Catholic. It turns out we may (perhaps without realizing it) be working toward Christian unity […]
How do you feel when someone opens the door for you? You probably feel that the person is kind and considerate. Imagine a saint who touches the lives of thousands of people […]
In our family, the feast of the Epiphany has become a treasured tradition and way to end our Christmas season. At first, our observance of the Magi’s arrival consisted of […]
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2022! Today, January 1, is a day that offers much to celebrate. Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Mary was the […]
If you think you’ve had it rough this year, what with covid-19 morphing into the Omicron variant and new restrictions on our freedom looming, you have our sympathy. We have […]
The song “Seasons of Love” from the hit musical Rent asks, “How do you measure a year?” For people living in medieval times, the year was measured by the work […]
“The Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council, founded by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) in 1998, proposes that the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12) be a National […]
On the finger of my right hand is a gold ring with a large X on it. It serves as a constant reminder that back in 1988, I graduated from […]
We begin a new liturgical year. The God of Light comes into our darkness. Our hope is renewed. Advent calls us to slow down and reflect on the beautiful mystery of our […]
These words find expression in the introduction to Moira McQueen’s new book, Walking Together: A Primer on the New Synodality. For many lay Catholics, they underlie their own attitude to how […]
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, encompassing the season we call Advent, our scripture readings at Mass have for centuries inspired some of the world’s most famous paintings. Every […]
“In 2017, Pope Francis instituted the World Day of the Poor so that “throughout the world Christian communities can become an ever greater sign of Christ’s charity for the least […]
Wars not only destroy human lives; they destroy homes and heritages, they ravage fields, trees, lakes and soil. But the life that God bequeathed to all creation is stronger than […]
Winston Churchill referred to it as his “black dog.” American writer and educator Parker Palmer speaks of “the snake pit of the soul.” Whatever we call it, depression is a […]
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 […]
Last week, a relatively young friend of mine died after a long battle with cancer. As his close friends, my wife, Christine and I were asked to offer words of […]
From apple cider (Genesis) to bloody Caesars (Revelation), Matthew Anderson’s offering of vintage biblical texts paired with alcoholic and alcohol-free drinks reveals a rich complexity of scholarship while remaining satisfyingly […]
Each year since it was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 1979, World Food Day is honoured. It is a day countries throughout […]
Teresa of Avila, also known as Teresa of Jesus, was a remarkable woman of her time. She was practical and no-nonsense kind of woman. She worked at reforming the Carmelites with […]
Miscarriage and infant loss touch many couples and the people who love them: in Canada, around one in four pregnancies ends in loss. In our neighbourhoods, at work and in […]
It seems of late, at least to me, that Canadians are getting slightly less tolerant, more testy, impatient and even grumpy. I count myself as one. The pandemic with all […]
Seeds of Faith 