In a patriarchal society, to be a father is, by definition, to hold power. Pater is Latin for “father” and “patriarchy,” literally meaning “rule of the fathers.” Ancient Israel was patriarchal in its organization, as is the Catholic Church. In…
At the Last Supper, Christ mandated us to take bread and break it, to pour wine and share it in his memory. But this was no simple memorial, for he told us the bread was his body and the wine his…
Have you seen My Octopus Teacher? Last month it won an Academy Award for best documentary of 2020. Simple, heart-felt, straight-forward, it charts the year-long friendship that develops between the film-maker and a small octopus off the coast of South…
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Rita of Cascia (1381-1457), the patron saint of abused wives. We need her help. Whether labelled the “perfect storm,” a “pandemic within a pandemic,” a “shadow pandemic,” “intimate partner violence,” or just “domestic…
Every age has its own moments of meaning. Imagine a rural village, Cova da Iria, in Fatima, Portugal in 1917. The world was changing rapidly. Portugal was becoming increasingly more secular. The world was at war. Three shepherd children, Lucia do Santos and her cousins Francisco…
“Working persons, whatever their job may be, are cooperating with God himself, and in some way become creators of the world around us. The crisis of our time, which is economic, social, cultural and spiritual, can serve as a summons…
“If I only knew then what I know now.” This is what I said to Emund Matatawabin, former Cree Chief at Fort Albany, author and winner of the Order of Canada. He responded that he thought this would make a…
This beautiful painting of the Annunciation of Our Lord is provocative. It presents a very real depiction of Mary, the mother of God. A young girl wakes and thinks about the day ahead of her: chores, family activities and the weather.…
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…
St. Patrick is one of those characters embraced by a secular world that has little interest and less knowledge about who he is and what he represents. There is much more to this spiritual hero whose death we celebrate on…