HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!
Sometimes we think that days like Father’s Day are a commercial gimmick to sell cards and make us spend money. This is partly true, but it can also be an […]
CATHOLIC MEDIA ASSOCIATION AWARDS
There are about three dozen significant Catholic publishing houses in North America, each with its particular niche within the overall evangelizing mission of the Church. While we don’t try to […]
IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY – PRACTICAL ADVICE
When it comes to our relationship with the Blessed Mother, it is valuable for our own prayer life to see how the liturgical celebration of the Immaculate Heart has been […]
IN PERSONA CHRISTI
In a patriarchal society, to be a father is, by definition, to hold power. Pater is Latin for “father” and “patriarchy,” literally meaning “rule of the fathers.” Ancient Israel was […]
SUMMER READING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM NOVALIS
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Canadians turned to books for information, inspiration, or plain old escape. I know I did! Even with the public libraries closed for […]
ENCOUNTERING THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST
At the Last Supper, Christ mandated us to take bread and break it, to pour wine and share it in his memory. But this was no simple memorial, for he told […]
TRINITY SUNDAY
Have you seen My Octopus Teacher? Last month it won an Academy Award for best documentary of 2020. Simple, heart-felt, straight-forward, it charts the year-long friendship that develops between the […]
PENTECOST
One of the most commonly depicted images in Christian art is that of the disciples at Pentecost. Around the world, there have been countless versions of the men and women […]
ST. RITA OF CASCIA
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Rita of Cascia (1381-1457), the patron saint of abused wives. We need her help. Whether labelled the “perfect storm,” a “pandemic within a […]
ASCENSION OF THE LORD
The Church has a number of what I would call quasi-liturgical feast days. The World Day of Peace on January 1, takes advantage of the Solemnity of Mary and the […]
OUR LADY OF FATIMA
Every age has its own moments of meaning. Imagine a rural village, Cova da Iria, in Fatima, Portugal in 1917. The world was changing rapidly. Portugal was becoming increasingly more secular. The world was […]
CANADA HEALTH DAY: A PRAYER FOR HEALERS
“Well, at least you still have your health,” was the constant comfort given by the elders when I grew up. If you lost your job, someone would say, “well, at least […]
MOTHERHOOD: A LEAP OF FAITH
Even at the best of times, motherhood is a leap of faith. Women know what awaits them: sleepless nights, worry, emotional and physical demands, financial pressures, exhaustion and much more. […]
ST. JOSEPH, THE WORKER
“Working persons, whatever their job may be, are cooperating with God himself, and in some way become creators of the world around us. The crisis of our time, which is […]
ST. MARIE OF THE INCARNATION
We sometimes think that the saints had it easy – that they just stepped onto that path of holiness and sailed down it. Marie Guyart’s (1599–1672) path to sainthood had […]
ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA: A SAINT FOR OUR TROUBLED TIME
If there was a saint for our current moment in history, St. Catherine of Siena should be the one. Consider the context she lived in. It was late medieval Europe, […]
VOCATION: WHERE GREAT JOY MEETS GREAT NEED
Sr. Mary Hennessey was the co-ordinator of Field Placements at Harvard Divinity School when my husband and I were studying there. She was well known for saying, “A hobby is […]
EARTH DAY AS HOLY DAY
Earth Day, April 22, is not found on the Catholic liturgical calendar. Other ecological dates have turned up: on September 1 the Church celebrates the World Day of Prayer for […]
ST. KATERI TEKAKWITHA
“If I only knew then what I know now.” This is what I said to Emund Matatawabin, former Cree Chief at Fort Albany, author and winner of the Order of […]
EASTER FAITH
I have always loved the Easter story about the disciples on the road to Emmaus. The disciples had hoped that Jesus of Nazareth was the prophet who was to redeem […]
FOR ALL WHO SUFFER
Good Friday represents the groaning of the planet in agony. It is suffering writ large, manifested most vividly in the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ. Before we can joyfully […]
HOLY THURSDAY: WASHING FEET
There’s such a sense of anticipation on Holy Thursday, I find. It is the start of the Triduum, the three days that form a single celebration marking the end of […]
CRUCIFIXION NAILS
Above the town of Radium Hot Springs in British Columbia there is a powerful outdoor Way of the Cross at Our Lady Queen of Peace Shrine. It is built on […]
TRIUMPHAL SUNDAYS AND GOOD FRIDAYS
“Humanity is fickle. They may dress for a morning coronation and never feel the need to change clothes for an execution in the afternoon. So Triumphal Sundays and Good Fridays […]
ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD
This beautiful painting of the Annunciation of Our Lord is provocative. It presents a very real depiction of Mary, the mother of God. A young girl wakes and thinks about the […]
RENDER UNTO CAESAR
There is something wonderful that happens at this time of year. Not Easter… although it is coming soon and it is beyond wonderful. I am actually referring to tax time. […]
PUTTING THE “PAN” INTO PANDEMIC
Last Saturday, Toronto Star printed the results of a pandemic poll of Ontarians under the headline “We’ve about had it with all this, survey finds.” This title had me nearly […]
ST. JOSEPH: THE HIDDEN LIFE
Today we remember St. Joseph, in the year that Pope Francis has named as the Year of St. Joseph. Today, also, we begin a Year of the Family! When the […]
ST. PATRICK: A SAINT FOR A DANGEROUS WORLD
St. Patrick is one of those characters embraced by a secular world that has little interest and less knowledge about who he is and what he represents. There is much […]
“I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, SAYS THE LORD; WHOEVER FOLLOWS ME WILL HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE.” (JOHN 8:12)
I like the Gospel readings for this 4th Sunday of Lent. They challenge me to overcome my own prejudices, assumptions and blind spots. Both of the Gospels – I am […]
“STRESSED”: A PRAYER FOR LIVING THROUGH A PANDEMIC
One year ago today, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a COVID-19 pandemic. It has been a roller coaster ride since then, and it’s not quite over. There are many […]
HOW IS YOUR LENTEN JOURNEY?
This Sunday is a good time to take stock of how Lent is going for me. We’re at around the halfway point. Even if I haven’t stayed completely on track […]
Q&A WITH AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR OF AMAZING FRIENDSHIPS BETWEEN ANIMALS AND SAINTS
What is Amazing Friendships Between Animals and Saints all about? Greg Kennedy, SJ: If I had to use two words to describe the content and purpose of the book, they […]
COVID-LENT (PART II)
Perhaps you remember old Aesop’s fable about the boy and the nettle. If not, here goes: one day a lad comes running home with eyes full of tears and a […]
Q&A WITH ERIC JENSEN, SJ, AUTHOR OF A PASSIONATE JESUS IN HOLY WEEK
What prompted you to write this booklet? I have always disliked the image of a passive Jesus, and in the Passion Narrative, of course, Jesus suffers and is passive. But […]
1ST SUNDAY OF LENT…”WE RISE AGAIN FROM THE ASHES, TO CREATE OURSELVES ANEW”
Last year at this time, I was presenting at two parishes outside Ottawa; St. Mary’s in Chesterville and St. Daniel in South Mountain. The theme for these Lenten reflection days […]
THE LIBERATING PARADOX OF ASH WEDNESDAY
Christianity is a religion of paradoxes and we have a perfect indication of that in the liturgy of Ash Wednesday. On this day, we boldly proclaim the Gospel instructing us […]
IN PRAISE OF THE FAMILY
In much of Canada, most of us are at home with our families today as we celebrate Family Day (Feb. 16). Some of us can be forgiven if we face […]
HAPPY ST. VALENTINE’S DAY!
While writing Unlocking the Feasts and Seasons of the Liturgical Year for Novalis several years ago, one aspect that really struck me was how much energy the Church has invested in romance. […]
OUR LADY OF LOURDES AND WORLD DAY OF THE SICK
On World Day of the Sick last year, it was still business and life as usual in Canada. Remember that innocent time, before terms like “coronavirus,” “PPE” and “physical distancing” […]
“WHEN WE ENTER WILLINGLY INTO THE MYSTERY OF THE CROSS, THAT SYMBOL OF BOTTOMLESS LOVE, THE POWER OF GOD TRULY BEGINS TO BE REVEALED.”
The season of Lent is just around the corner! Will you be looking for a good companion for your Lenten journey? While many Lenten resources can be found on our […]
CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL: IT SEEMS THAT EACH OF OUR CONVERSIONS MIGHT NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BUT…..
I believe this feast is unique in the liturgical life of the Church. Most saints have their dies natalis – actually the day of their birth into heaven – commemorated in the […]
SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD
“He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Lk 24:45). With this quote from the Gospel of Luke, Pope Francis starts his appeal to the Catholic world to use this […]
FOR PANDEMIC-WEARY KIDS, TEENS AND PARENTS: DROP EVERYTHING AND READ!
Kids and teens have a lot of time on their hands these days. In various parts of Canada, school’s out and remote learning is in. Sports and many outdoor activities […]
WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
When you are born into a faith you think that everyone thinks like you do. You see the world from your own skin and your own perspective. As a child growing […]
BAPTISM OF THE SAVIOUR/BIRTH OF AN ACTIVIST
By the time Martha looked upstream the dove was just a mote in the sky and the words “my beloved” were trickling off beyond perception like a rose petal on […]
HOME BY ANOTHER WAY
Each year at Epiphany, I listen to James Taylor’s song Home by Another Way. In this song, he reminds us that the call to the Magi to change their plans […]
A FRESH START
If there was ever a year I was ready to turn the page on, it was 2020. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one. COVID-19 knocked us off our […]
WE CAN BE MORE…
A fresco of the Holy Family adorns the right side altar of the Church of the Assumption in Erinsville, Ontario – the church of my childhood. Mary and Joseph stand […]
CHRISTMAS IN THE HUMAN FAMILY OF ALL GOD’S CHILDREN
What’s your favourite part about Christmas? Is it having a fresh, beautifully-decorated Christmas tree in your home? Is it trying to figure out that perfect present for a loved one? […]
