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 […]
GRACE AND GRATITUDE – EVEN DURING A PANDEMIC
There have been so many heart-breaking stories over the past 18 months. Thousands of our elders in long-term care died of the virus, while countless others had to stay in […]
BACK TO SCHOOL IN EXTRAORDINARY TIMES
When the pandemic began 18 months ago, I regularly thought of myself as living in extraordinary times. I am struck by how very much we have adapted. That which was […]
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE CARE OF CREATION
Since Pope Francis offered the world his reflections in the encyclical Laudato Si’, my consciousness of caring for Creation has been notched up. I have always thought that by not […]
INTRODUCING OUR NEW LIVING WITH CHRIST WEBINAR SERIES!
One of the most encouraging developments of our recent pandemic confinements has been our webinars. We’ve had as many as 600 people participate in our discussions on everything from the […]
ST. MONICA AND ST. AUGUSTINE
The feast of St. Monica and St. Augustine provide opportunities for much reflection and consideration. As North African Christians, for example, it is remarkable that most depictions of them present […]
HEADING BACK TO SCHOOL (AGAIN)
If “back to school” is starting to feel like a regular occurrence, that’s no surprise. Canadian families and educators have had countless stops and starts to the school year since […]
Q&A WITH MICHAEL AND CHRISTINE WAY SKINNER, AUTHORS OF THERE MUST BE A PONY IN HERE SOMEWHERE
All stories are true… and some of them actually happened. As an Irish/Indigenous Catholic storytelling family, this aphorism sums up our attitude to stories. The following event likely never happened, […]
ST. CLARE OF ASSISI
In his book, St. Clare of Assisi: Light from the Cloister, Bret Thoman, OFS describes how St. Clare (1193-1253) referred to herself as the “Little plant of St. Francis.” When […]
TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD
Have you ever been in a time and a place where everything seemed to be just perfect? Perhaps for just a few moments, on a beach at sunset or, perhaps, […]
WELL WOUNDED
This year, the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola has an extra sparkle. Not only is today Ignatius Day for Jesuits around the world, it also comes nestled within the […]
ST. MARTHA
The women of the Gospels are significant to us in so many ways. They are models of faith and discernment, and they give us a glimpse into the community of Jesus. Martha […]
THE NEW NORMAL
As we slowly straggle out of the pandemic, with its various waves and our one-step-forward-two-steps-backward responses, it is only natural that we are all praying for a return to normal. […]
APOSTLE TO THE APOSTLES – AND TO US!
We can hardly be surprised that with so many women named Mary in the New Testament there is a little confusion around which event refers to which Mary. Add a […]
Q&A WITH CHRISTINE WAY SKINNER, AUTHOR OF THE AWARD-WINNING BOOK, THE JOY OF KEEPING THE FAITH
Explore this award-winning book, The Joy of Keeping the Faith, with author Christine Way Skinner, as she discusses thriving in the Church. Christine Way Skinner is a lay minister and […]
CANADA DAY
This Canada Day, events such as the discovery of the children’s burial sites at the Kamloops Indian Residential School bring us to a more sombre reflection on the spiritual landscape […]
Q&A WITH ANNE LOUISE MAHONEY ON LOOKING TO THE LAITY
How would you describe your book to today’s Catholic, whether they are in the pews or watching from the sidelines? This is a book for everyone who is wondering how […]
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 […]
