ST. JOSEPH: THE HIDDEN LIFE
Today we remember St. Joseph, in the year that Pope Francis has named as the Year of St. Joseph. Today, also, we begin a Year of the Family! When the Church honours a saint or honours families, it is one…
Category Family
IN PRAISE OF THE FAMILY
In much of Canada, most of us are at home with our families today as we celebrate Family Day (Feb. 16). Some of us can be forgiven if we face this with a little chagrin: so many have been working…
HAPPY ST. VALENTINE’S DAY!
While writing Unlocking the Feasts and Seasons of the Liturgical Year for Novalis several years ago, one aspect that really struck me was how much energy the Church has invested in romance. In Quebec this day is still Saint Valentin, there is even…
WE CAN BE MORE…
A fresco of the Holy Family adorns the right side altar of the Church of the Assumption in Erinsville, Ontario – the church of my childhood. Mary and Joseph stand on the porch of their home looking out to the…
GREAT GRANDMA’S LESSONS ON GOD
Today we celebrate Grandparent’s Day. If I had to choose the person who had the greatest impact on my devotional life, it would have to be my great-grandmother, Mary Taylor. When I was a small child, I spent a lot…
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!
Whether we have a caring father we’re in touch with often or he is nowhere to be found, whether he is a model of how to live or his life has gone off the rails, Father’s Day gives us a…
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Happy Mother’s Day! The day when we take moms of all stripes out for brunch, bring them flowers, spend time together… Well, that probably won’t be happening this year. And maybe that’s a good thing. As with other aspects of…
HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH
When I think “holy,” I often think “perfect.” So the Holy Family can be a bit intimidating. How can our families ever measure up? Part of the issue is that we don’t get the full story of Mary, Joseph and…
A REFLECTION ON FATHERHOOD
A lot of fathers I know really don’t know what to do with Father’s Day. We don’t need more ties. Golf paraphernalia, T-shirts and other odds and sods, while sometimes handy, are actually beside the point. But what is the…
MOTHERHOOD – ONE OF GOD’S GREATEST GIFTS
Motherhood is one of God’s greatest gifts – for both the mother and the child. That it is a gift for the child is obvious. The child would have no life without its mother and would also lack the physical…