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 […]
THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS
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 […]
THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
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 […]
JESUS: ALPHA AND OMEGA, LORD OF BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS
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 […]
A HARD PRAYER FOR CARE
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 […]
SAINT MONICA
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 […]
Q&A WITH AUTHOR AND EDUCATOR MARIETTE MARTINEAU
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 […]
BACK-TO-SCHOOL RESOURCES
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 […]
A SIGN OF SURE HOPE AND COMFORT
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 […]
WHAT ST. CLARE CAN TEACH US ABOUT THE EUCHARIST
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 […]
TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD
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 […]
“I Humbly Beg Forgiveness”: Reflections on Pope Francis’ Visit to Canada
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 […]
BOOK REVIEW: PAIRINGS: THE BIBLE AND BOOZE BY MATTHEW ANDERSON
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 […]
WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES IN ROME (JUNE 22-26)
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
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 […]
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!
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 READING RECOMMENDATIONS
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
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 […]
VISITATION OF MARY
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 […]
WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY
“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 […]
ASCENSION
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 […]
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, […]
Seeds of Faith 