Bridge Builders
Last weekend I went on retreat with about 30 people from across Ontario. We were a diverse group, with women and men of all ages, vocations and very different views about God and faith. Despite our seemingly radical differences, we…
Category Feast Day
The Cross of Christ: A Light of Hope
Anyone even mildly aware of global events at the moment could be forgiven if they indulge in a bit of despair. Threatened by pestilence, war and environmental destruction, the world could use a large dose of hope. The Exaltation of…
Celebrating the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary
When we think of Mary, we usually cast her in one of two roles: that of the quiet but consistently supportive mother or as the young virgin who answers God’s call to motherhood. Today, however, we celebrate Mary’s birth, an…
Experiencing Perfect Freedom: Augustine’s Lesson to Us
I first encountered St. Augustine’s Confessions as an 18-year-old university student. My professor, a kind and gentle priest from China, Fr. Peter Wong, extolled the work’s place in Christian history and its relevance for us today. Sadly, my friends and I were…
The Quiet Witness of Mary
We hear Mary’s voice a scant four times in the New Testament, but her quiet witness to the ministry of her son resounds throughout the gospels. The Gospel of Luke includes three instances of Mary speaking, while her words are…
What Are You Searching For?
The feast of Mary Magdalene coincides with the anniversary of my mother’s death, a fitting intersection given the spiritual inspiration I’ve gained from each woman. Like Mary Magdalene, my mother’s faith ran deep and her life served witness to that…
Generous Hospitality: Recognizing Christ in All
For more than 1,500 years, Benedictine monasteries and convents around the world have operated under the Rule of Saint Benedict, a set of simple precepts designed to help religious communities lead an ordered, prayerful life. Saint Benedict’s guidelines address five…
Called to be Saints
As a child I always perceived saints as rather extraordinary women and men. Their faith and holiness always appeared well beyond my ability. Years later I discovered that many of the saints’ lives were much more alike our own. Many…
Corpus Christi Customs & Traditions
Everyone loves a parade. If you search the world, you will find Eucharistic processions of almost every description to mark the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. In Rome the procession goes down one of the major streets,…
It’s a Mystery
Ask any student of theology about the Trinity and the answer you’re likely to receive is this: “It’s a mystery.” To the uninitiated, that may sound trite, if not a downright attempt to avoid offering an answer to a theological…