PENTECOST
On a Tuesday night at St. Ignatius Parish 14 young people stand ready to be anointed with oil. They have come from many different situations and different schools. Some of them are new Canadians. We often talk of how discouraged…
Category Community
WORLD DAY OF THE POOR
“In 2017, Pope Francis instituted the World Day of the Poor so that “throughout the world Christian communities can become an ever greater sign of Christ’s charity for the least and those most in need.” Ordo Liturgical Calendar 2020-2021, page…
TAKE ME TO THE MOVIES!
The liturgy does not have a ceremony for every loss but it does offer a rich ritual repertoire from which we can draw inspiration and hope. From September 2021 through June 2022, I will explore with you here on this…
WORLD FOOD DAY – OUR DAILY BREAD
Each year since it was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 1979, World Food Day is honoured. It is a day countries throughout the world focus on celebrating the foods we eat in…
A THANKSGIVING LITANY
It seems of late, at least to me, that Canadians are getting slightly less tolerant, more testy, impatient and even grumpy. I count myself as one. The pandemic with all its related woes has gone on for far too long,…
NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION
Today, on September 30, people across Canada observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. On this day we invite you to spend some time in prayer, reflection and education. Below is a special prayer we would like to share…
RITUAL, RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY
The soul-stirring pageantry during the opening of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress earlier this month in Budapest came as a gift after a time of pandemic fast from communal celebration. It was a display of faith and community, as Catholics…
GRACE AND GRATITUDE – EVEN DURING A PANDEMIC
There have been so many heart-breaking stories over the past 18 months. Thousands of our elders in long-term care died of the virus, while countless others had to stay in their rooms alone for weeks on end. People in hospital…
BACK TO SCHOOL IN EXTRAORDINARY TIMES
When the pandemic began 18 months ago, I regularly thought of myself as living in extraordinary times. I am struck by how very much we have adapted. That which was unprecedented in human history has come to feel almost normal…
THE NEW NORMAL
As we slowly straggle out of the pandemic, with its various waves and our one-step-forward-two-steps-backward responses, it is only natural that we are all praying for a return to normal. But if the pandemic has taught us anything, it is…