February is upon us and for people in many provinces in Canada it’s Family Day! Having a holiday in February is relatively new compared to many of our traditional holidays. More recently, in 2016, Pope Francis had Amoris Laetitia published…
I think it is no shocker to anyone that there is too much hate in this world. We are inundated with stories of harm and oppression that is perpetrated and often tolerated with complicit silence. It is as true now…
A few days ago, I had a very interesting discussion with an elderly man, a hospital patient who was deeply saddened at being bedridden for many weeks. To cheer him up, I asked him what might be some positive things…
This post was scheduled to go live July 28, but due to an error in our system, its publishing was delayed. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope you can still enjoy this very thoughtful reflection! -Novalis staff If you…
In the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar, July 26 is the feast day of Saints Anne and Joachim, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. These saints are not biblical figures. Most of what is known about them comes from apocryphal…
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…
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…
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…
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Do you remember being asked this question as a child? Unlike many of my peers, my response was “I want to be a Sister.” I also wanted to be a teacher from the…
Adapted from There Must be a Pony in Here Somewhere: Everyday Stories of God’s Goodness by Michael and Christine Way Skinner (Novalis, 2020) I am proud that I was made a Dad through adoption. One night, when my son Patrick…