PRAYING FOR HOLY SOULS
Even as a young child, I thought it wonderful to believe that the people who had died before me were still with us, and we with them. I grew up offering all my tribulations for suffering souls in purgatory. I…
Category Prayer
THE ROSARY, PRAYING AND LIVING A MYSTERY
Using prayer beads in meditative prayer is part of many religions in the world. In Buddhism and Hinduism there are 108 beads for the 108 Sacred Mantras. In Islam there are 100 beads for reciting the 100 great names of…
A HARD PRAYER FOR CARE
Today we observe World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. Let us ponder the awe and beauty of the created world, the healing that nature brings to our lives, and our responsibility of being better stewards of the…
PRAYER FOR PEACE IN THE WORLD
God of all humanity, We pray for peace. We pray that all families know safety and comfort, that children can live and play without fear, and that countries reach out to each other with understanding and mutual care. We pray…
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
Today, Friday, March 4 is the World Day of Prayer. Christian women of 79 languages and 150 countries will be united in prayer for social issues affecting women and children and for peace. May the united force of their prayer be an…
CHANGE OUR HEARTS
Ash Wednesday tends to sneak up on me. Wasn’t it just a few weeks ago that we took down the Christmas decorations? With COVID-19, civil unrest and war dominating the front-page news, it can be hard to focus on the…
THE WEEK (AND WORK) OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
Most of us have neighbours, family members, colleagues or friends who are Christian but not Catholic. It turns out we may (perhaps without realizing it) be working toward Christian unity through those relationships. As an Anglican priest once said to…
DEC 12: NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER IN SOLIDARITY WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
“The Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council, founded by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) in 1998, proposes that the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12) be a National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples. All are invited…
PRAYING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING WITH DEPRESSION
Winston Churchill referred to it as his “black dog.” American writer and educator Parker Palmer speaks of “the snake pit of the soul.” Whatever we call it, depression is a hard thing – and incredibly common, though often not spoken…
TAKE ME TO THE MOVIES!
The liturgy does not have a ceremony for every loss but it does offer a rich ritual repertoire from which we can draw inspiration and hope. From September 2021 through June 2022, I will explore with you here on this…