1st SUNDAY OF LENT – REFLECTION
“Forty days,” the experts say, “it takes to break a bad habit. Give or take a week or so.” “Forty days,” they say, “it takes to form a good one.” “Forty days,” we say, “it takes to change a heart.”…
Category Lent
ASH WEDNESDAY
It seems macabre to have a special day devoted to reminding people they are going to die. Yet on the surface that appears to be the reason behind Ash Wednesday. “Ashes to ashes and dust to dust” and all that……
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…
Easter Blessings!
By Simon Appolloni, Editorial Director It’s Easter! It’s my favourite time of year: after a long drawn out winter, spring and new life (at least for those of us living in the northern hemisphere), seem to crop up everywhere. This…
Holy Thursday
By Matthew Sottile, Editor Today marks Holy Thursday, which means Easter is upon us. Before celebrating the Risen Lord, we must revisit the moments leading up to the Death and Resurrection. Today, transubstantiation is positioned at the center of our…
A Palm Sunday Reflection
By Simon Appolloni, Editorial Director Palm Sunday inaugurates yet another Holy Week for approximately 2 billion Christians. Within this short span of time, we see Jesus’ life transform from a triumphal entry into Jerusalem, to betrayal, his death and, ultimately, his…
Preparing for Holy Week
By Anne Louise Mahoney, Managing editor Here we are again, on the brink of Holy Week. Where did these almost 40 days go? On Ash Wednesday, I had a lot of good intentions, but I have to admit that as…
God’s Redeeming Power: A Lenten Reflection
Matthew Sottile, Editor The 5th Sunday of Lent. Time feels as if it’s flying, as March has ended without so much as a warning. April’s first Gospel of the month speaks of a miracle, specifically Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from…