El Camino
At the heart of our Christian spirituality is the belief that we are a pilgrim people. From birth to death our lives are marked by rites of passage leading us to the day when we hope to enter into the…
Novalis Seeds of Faith
Q & A with the Tataryns
Myroslaw and Maria Tataryn are the authors of our Spring title Discovering Trinity in Disability: A Theology for Embracing Difference. As parents of three daughters, two of whom are labeled disabled, the authors explore the Scriptures and writings of early…
Dispelling the Myths of Mary Magdalene
The New Testament accords Mary Magdalene a place of honour, not only locating her by name at the foot of the cross but also identifying her as one of the first witnesses to the resurrection. Saint Augustine called her the…
St. Joseph and the Eucharistic Prayer
Adding Saint Joseph to the other three main Eucharistic Prayers of the Roman Rite is part of a new development in devotion to the husband of the Blessed Virgin. I have been wondering what this seemingly random act of the…
Praying the Psalms
People often complain to me that the Bible holds little that is relevant to their lives today. The Old Testament in particular, they argue, contains archaic language and images of a violent and vengeful God. How can THAT help them…
The Virtue of Doubt
I once thought that doubt was not good for the spiritual life. It was the unhealthy trait of those who did not believe in God. A person of faith, on the other hand, trusted in God even when things were…
Prayer for Canada Day
All of us at Novalis wish you and your families a wonderful Canada Day. Let us not forget to pray for the well-being of all women and men living in our country and that we, as a nation, may work…
Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul
On this day the Church commemorates the significance of two of its most important saints. Peter and Paul represent the earliest days of the Church and were essential to the foundation of much of what we hold dear today. Peter,…
Calgary Flood Relief
Over the past few days we’ve witnessed the destructive power of water as floods destroyed significant parts of Calgary and southern Alberta. Thousands of women and men have lost everything that they own and cherish. Their lives will be forever…
St. Jean-Baptiste
Growing up on a farm near the French-Canadian village of Morinville, Alberta, I thought it only natural that Frontier Daze, as the local summer fair, would be held in late June. Only later did I make the link between the…