ST. PETER AND ST. PAUL
June 29 is a day of great significance for the Church as it celebrates the legacy of two pillars of Christian faith: St. Peter and St. Paul. Where would the world be today, I wonder, without the groundwork for the…
Novalis Seeds of Faith
JUNE 21: NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY
The first day of summer was the day chosen to be National Indigenous Peoples’ day and many have decided that June can be celebrated as Indigenous History month. Indigenous Peoples of Canada waited for a long time to be celebrated…
FATHER’S DAY
You didn’t have to embrace the politics of Joe Biden to feel his anguish over the very public trial of his son Hunter on charges he failed to disclose his own addictions when he applied for federal approval to buy…
SACRED HEART OF JESUS AND WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE SANCTIFICATION OF PRIESTS
On this day of celebration, we honour the Sacred Heart of Jesus. At the same time, this World Day of Prayer invites all to pray for the sanctification of priests. One website offers an invitation to participate in a world-wide…
CORPUS CHRISTI
One of the traditional features of the Solemnity of Corpus Christi is a liturgical procession. Processions were a significant feature of the 19th century church as shown here in this painting of a Rogation Day procession through the wheat fields…
NOVALIS SUMMER BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: READING ON THE GO
Whether you’re on an exotic vacation or sitting in the park, nothing beats a good summer read. When you don’t have space for bulky reading material in your suitcase or backpack, ebooks are just the thing. Since you can read…
FR. JACQUES MONET, SJ: A TRUE CANADIAN CATHOLIC
Jesuit Father Jacques Monet was one of the kindest and wisest people I’ve come across in all my years of working in publishing. He died last week in the Jesuit infirmary of René Goupil House in Pickering, Ontario, having reached…
PENTECOST: “WHEN YOU SEND FORTH YOUR SPIRIT, THEY ARE CREATED; AND YOU RENEW THE FACE OF THE EARTH”
This line from Psalm 104 on Pentecost Sunday reminds us that the power of the Holy Spirit brings about renewal. All of creation is imbued with recreative power. We see it everywhere, surrounding us. I go to bed at night and my garden…
LIFE BEGETS LIFE BEGETS LIFE… (NATIONAL FAMILY AND LIFE WEEK: MAY 13-19)
For those who do not know, I am the proud father of my adopted children. Years ago, each of their birth mothers faced a harrowing choice. They were surrounded by messages and pressures that provided a path to terminating their…
LISTEN WITH THE EARS OF YOUR HEART!
This day is filled with opportunities for celebration. It might seem tempting to focus on only one. If we quietly allow ourselves to ponder, we might gain a wider perspective that allows us to include all three: Mother’s Day, the…