ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA
If you plan on confronting a Pope (or two), especially if you are a woman – an uneducated one at that – you better have a pretty strong connection to the Lord, Jesus Christ. If you want to do this…
Category Feast Day
ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD
One can get lost in researching Catholic doctrine on Mary and the feast of the Annunciation. We only need to look to interpretations of this moment in fine art and music to appreciate its influence on our tradition and humanity. In this…
ST. JOSEPH, PATRON OF CANADA, PRAY FOR US AND FOR THE WHOLE WORLD
I have the good fortune to have two of the best-known saints as my name patrons, and they are both celebrated in March. My first name being Joseph and my second name Patrick, it’s pretty obvious that this is a…
OUR LADY OF LOURDES
As a Catholic girl of Irish descent who grew up in rural Ontario, I didn’t grow up with Disney princesses. I grew up with apparitions of the Blessed Virgin. When I was around six or seven years old, someone my…
HAPPY FEAST DAY OF ST. JOHN BOSCO!
As an editor, I depend on many resources in my work: dictionaries, style guides, the internet, and even a saint or two! When challenges arise, I am happy to be able to call on the patron saint of my profession,…
REPRESENTATIONS OF GOD’S GOODNESS
On this feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), I want to share something from this giant philosopher/theologian’s writings which I find remarkable. It should give us reason to pause and re-think what we are doing to creation as a…
PAUL’S (ECOLOGICAL) CONVERSION
What colour was the horse off which Saul was knocked on the road to Damascus? The Bible doesn’t say. In very fact, the Bible doesn’t mention a horse at all. At some murky point in history, the anonymous quadruped trotted…
ST. FRANCIS DE SALES
Each year on January 24, the Church celebrates the feast day of St. Francis de Sales, a Doctor of the Church, patron of journalists, writers and the deaf. In an age of media overload, he is particularly relevant given that…
BAPTISM OF THE LORD
The feast of the Baptism of Our Lord marks the end of the Christmas season. It often feels like a transitional time, maybe a bit sad and boring for little ones, and a bit of a lull for those working…
THE MAGI TEACH US THAT PEOPLE CAN COME TO CHRIST BY A VERY LONG ROUTE
When I was little, I loved the three Advent rituals we did at our house: the Advent calendar with its little cardboard doors that opened one day at a time to reveal tiny pictures and bible verses; the Advent wreath,…