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 patriarchal in its organization, as is the Catholic Church. In…
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 extended times, people found ways to get their hands on…
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 us the bread was his body and the wine his…
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 film-maker and a small octopus off the coast of South…
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 gathered in a locked room in Jerusalem, each with a…
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 pandemic,” a “shadow pandemic,” “intimate partner violence,” or just “domestic…
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 beginning of the civil year to pray for peace. In…
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 at war. Three shepherd children, Lucia do Santos and her cousins Francisco…
“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 you still have your health.” If your children were being…
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. They can’t be sure their child will be healthy or…