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…
Category Family
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…
Ash Wednesday: Promise, Hope, Pain & Forgiveness
By Matthew Sottile, Editor Ash Wednesday. How quickly Lent arrived; we spend today reflecting, trying to find balance between the sorrows and joys of the season. In doing so, it is important to examine our own souls, behavior and spirit.…
Shrove Tuesday: Don’t Forget to Feed Your Souls, too!
By Matthew Sottile, Editor What does Shrove Tuesday mean to you? Many families celebrate with copious amounts of fatty-foods, indulging in the joys of a shared meal. Laughter, happiness, conversation and prayer are on full-display as pancakes are drowned in…
A New Year, with Familiar Goals
By Matthew Sottile, Editor We here at Novalis hope you had a wonderful, spiritually enriching and joyous Christmas! As we continue into the New Year, we are reminded that we must reflect and spend times with ourselves, as well as…