ST. MATTHEW
When you enter into a church off the Piazza Navona in Rome called San Luigi dei Francesi, a series of chapels culminate with the Contarelli Chapel which holds three huge depictions of key moments in Matthew’s life: the calling, the…
Novalis Seeds of Faith
BACK TO SCHOOL WITH….TEACHER JESUS
The start of a school year is filled with a variety of emotions and tasks. When I was teaching, I had feelings of hope and apprehension. What will be the character of my classrooms? What exactly will I be teaching?…
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE CARE OF CREATION
In 2015, Pope Francis announced that the Roman Catholic Church would join with the Orthodox Churches in recognizing September 1 as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. Since that time, there has been broad ecumenical observance…
AUGUSTINE’S WINDING PATH TO GOD
What is a Doctor of the Church, really? And how does someone become one? For St. Augustine of Hippo, whose feast we celebrate August 28, his elevation to one of the highest honours bestowed by the Catholic Church was anything…
SPIRITUAL READING: BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR IN SEPTEMBER
Happy new year! I’ve been out of school for a long time, but September still feels like the start of a new year for me. It’s a good time to reflect on where I want to spend my time, what…
BOOK REVIEW: GOD, YAHWEH, ALLAH
“But human beings did not invent God the way an inventor creates something new. Most religions will tell you that God came first. God is the creator of the universe.” God, Yahweh, Allah, p. 12 Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis…
ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY: GOD’S FIDELITY AND TENDERNESS
On the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we celebrate God’s fidelity and tenderness for her and for us. In his tenderness, after he gave us his Son, he “assumed the Immaculate Virgin Mary, the Mother of…
TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD
This moment in Jesus’ life is described in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 17: 1-8; Mark 9: 2-8; and Luke 9:28-36) and in 2 Peter 1:16-18. Three of Jesus’ disciples accompany him up a mountain to experience an extraordinary event. Jesus…
SAINTS MARTHA, MARY AND LAZARUS – DISCIPLES OF THE LORD
It is interesting that when most Christians think of Martha, the passage of Luke comes to mind where Martha is “distracted by many things” while Jesus is a guest in the house. This reference in the Gospel of Luke gives…
CELEBRATING GRAND-PEOPLE
The relationship between a grandchild and a grandparent can be locus of the most profound experiences of love and joy. The other day, I returned home from a month-long trip. My daughter Beth and 15-month-old grand-daughter Aliyah picked me up…