SAINT CHARLES DE FOUCALD
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 […]
HEALTH AND HOPE
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 […]
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS
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 […]
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
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 […]
THE MEMORIAL OF STE. MARIE DE L’INCARTION
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 […]
EARTH DAY: RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL SPECIES
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 […]
PRAYER FOR PEACE IN THE WORLD
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 […]
CHRIST IS RISEN!
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 […]
GOOD FRIDAY
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 […]
SERVICE WITH A SMILE
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. […]
REFOCUSING OUR LENTEN JOURNEY
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 […]
ST. JOSEPH, PRAY FOR US!
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
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 […]
ENTERING LENT
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 […]
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
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 […]
CHANGE OUR HEARTS
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 […]
BOOK REVIEW: LENT GOES TO THE MOVIES
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 […]
ST. SCHOLASTICA – HOLY TWIN
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, […]
PRESENTATION OF THE LORD & WORLD DAY FOR CONSECRATED LIFE
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 […]
WHY WORRY?
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. […]
THE WEEK (AND WORK) OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
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 […]
ST. ANDRE BESSETTE
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 […]
OUR FAMILY’S EPIPHANY TRADITIONS
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 […]
JANUARY 1 – AN ABUNDANCE OF CELEBRATIONS!
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 […]
ALL OUR CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS TO YOU!
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 […]
LITURGY, LABOUR AND HOLINESS
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 […]
DEC 12: NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER IN SOLIDARITY WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
“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 […]
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER
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 […]
SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY!
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 […]
“NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US!”
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 […]
ADVENT BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
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 […]
WORLD DAY OF THE POOR
“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 […]
IN REMEMBRANCE
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 […]
PRAYING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING WITH DEPRESSION
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 […]
TAKE ME TO THE MOVIES!
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 […]
A PERFECT SAINT
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 […]
Q&A WITH MATTHEW R. ANDERSON, AUTHOR OF PAIRINGS: THE BIBLE AND BOOZE
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 […]
WORLD FOOD DAY – OUR DAILY BREAD
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 […]
ST. TERESA OF AVILA
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 […]
A TIME FOR MOURNING TOGETHER: INTERNATIONAL PREGNANCY AND INFANT LOSS AWARENESS DAY
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 […]
A THANKSGIVING LITANY
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 […]
REPAIRING OUR HOUSE WITH ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
If ever there was a time to rediscover the beautiful ministry and wisdom of St. Francis of Assisi, it is now. While we face the crisis of climate change, our devastating […]
DON’T FORGET YOUR WINGMAN!
The liturgical tradition does not have a ready ceremony for every scenario of loss but it does offer a rich ritual repertoire from which we can draw inspiration and hope. […]
NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION
Today, on September 30, people across Canada observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. On this day we invite you to spend some time in prayer, reflection and education. […]
ST VINCENT DE PAUL
We recognize the name of this popular saint because of the stores that bear his name. Here in Ottawa, the St. Vincent de Paul Society has two thrift stores in the […]
ON THE OCCASION OF THE WORLD DAY OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES, IT’S AS EASY AS 1, 2, 3.
Here’s what we have to know: Environmental refuges at our boarder is inevitable We have a duty of love We’ve also been part of the problem Allow me to connect […]
ST. JOHN DE BREBEUF, ISAAC JOGUES & COMPANIONS
On September 26, the Catholic Church in Canada recalls that group of 17th-century Jesuit missionaries who have become known here as the Canadian Martyrs, or the North American Martyrs if […]
ST. PADRE PIO
St. Pius of Pietrecina (1887-1968) is generally better known by his more popular name: Padre Pio. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002. Padre Pio was a […]
RITUAL, RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY
The soul-stirring pageantry during the opening of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress earlier this month in Budapest came as a gift after a time of pandemic fast from communal celebration. […]
OUR LADY OF SORROWS
Today’s culture has begun to realize that recent decades of overzealous positivity have led to unsustainable expectations for happiness and success, often with dire consequences. The mantra in this burgeoning […]
Seeds of Faith 