The Novena to the Holy Spirit
A novena—a prayer lasting nine days—seems odd at first; the number nine is not widely used in the Bible. It may be that the custom of novenas actually grew out of the nine days of prayer that Scripture tells us…
Novalis Seeds of Faith
St. Philip Neri and the Cheerful Heart
Have you heard the one about the funny saint? Talk about saints often focuses first on serious attributes: piety, for example, or a sense of selflessness. While an extraordinarily pious man, Saint Philip Neri, a 16th-century Italian priest and founder…
Books in the News: Pope Francis, Cardinal Kasper and Father Rosica
Whether it is the “Francis Effect” or the recent canonization of two of the 20th Century’s greatest popes, Catholic books have received quite a bit of media attention the past few weeks. While Catholics may be accustomed to frequent news…
Mary: A Faith-Filled Woman
“Bring flowers of the fairest, bring blossoms the rarest….” Strains of this Marian hymn from my childhood float through my mind every May as soon as the tulips start to bloom. In the old days, of course, those tulips would…
Discerning the Will of God
Although only mentioned briefly in the Acts of the Apostles, the election of Matthias as an apostle illustrates for us the importance of discernment in the life of the Church. We are told that shortly after Jesus’ Ascension, on the…
Santo Subito!
In honour of tonight’s celebration of our recently published book John Paul II: A Saint for Canada, we share with you a brief excerpt from the introduction of the book. If you’re in the Toronto area this evening, join us at…
The Canonization of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II
Today, Divine Mercy Sunday, has the distinction of witnessing the canonization of two modern icons of holiness in the Church — St. John Paul II and Saint John XXIII. The massive celebration in St. Peter’s Square in Rome is being…
Easter Blessings!
We think of Easter as a perennial event, as sure as the return of spring, the blooming of the daffodils. It is reassuring and comforting. Yet should it be? Should it be rather a shock, a jolt to our comfortable…
The Throne of the Cross
We received in our office the early shipment of Pope Francis’ newest book The Church of Mercy. We couldn’t help but share with you a passage that we thought was fitting for our commemoration of Jesus’ death on the cross today. Pope…
Pope Francis and the Washing of Feet
It’s remarkable how a simple gesture can provoke such controversy. Pope Francis caused quite the stir last year when he celebrated the Liturgy of Holy Thursday at a prison. While many lamented his departure from papal custom, more were puzzled…