ST. MONICA AND ST. AUGUSTINE
How often do we give up on friends or family members who are obstinate or dismissive when it comes to our faith? This can be painful and it feels like a personal attack. St. Monica (c. 332 – 387) faced these situations…
Category Family
MARY, MARTHA AND LAZARUS: THE OTHER HOLY FAMILY
Besides Mary, Joseph and Jesus, there is another exemplary family that played an important role in the life of Jesus. That is the family of his dear friends – Mary, Martha and Lazarus. John’s glimpse into their lives is both…
GUARDIANS OF HOPE: WORLD DAY FOR GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY
I am 68 years old. I can no longer pretend to be “late middle-aged.” I have gray hair and wake up in the morning with aches and pains. I can officially be described as elderly. But I am certainly not…
THE LEGACY OF SILENCE
June has been designated as National Indigenous History Month, with June 21 as National Indigenous Peoples Day. The painful history of European colonization and the subjugation of Indigenous peoples has caused almost irreparable harm to nations, communities, families and individuals…
A REFLECTION FOR FATHER’S DAY
Father’s Day is more than a date on the calendar. It’s a celebration of love and commitment. I think every father experiences, in his own way, the profound love God has for his children. From the moment a child is…
FAMILY DAY
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…
CELEBRATING LOVE
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…
GIVING THANKS
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…
CONNECTING IN LOVE: WORLD DAY FOR GRANDPARENTS AND ELDERLY
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…
ST. ANNE AND ST. JOACHIM
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…