ENTERING LENT
Oh, how fitting is the first reading on this 1st Sunday of Lent! The past few years of living with COVID have been oppressive to all of us (to some so much more than to others). And now, just as…
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…
BOOK REVIEW: LENT GOES TO THE MOVIES
It’s been a long couple of years, hasn’t it? COVID hit during Lent 2020, and now here we are, about to begin our third pandemic Lent. If you’re finding it hard to gear up for another season of self-sacrifice, I…
ST. SCHOLASTICA – HOLY TWIN
We know very little about St. Scholastica, whose memorial we celebrate today, on February 10, and what we do know is a mix of history and legend. In that regard, she is in good company. I can imagine many of the…
PRESENTATION OF THE LORD & WORLD DAY FOR CONSECRATED LIFE
Today we celebrate the Presentation of the Lord. Imagine that Jesus’ parents are bringing him to the Temple to offer their child, their special child, to God. It was a Jewish ritual and it was important for them to do. They knew…
WHY WORRY?
It is a huge understatement to acknowledge that we are living in challenging times. Pandemics and variants, wars and environmental disasters, political strife and unrest dominate our news and media. All this together, combined with our personal struggles, losses, needs…
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…
ST. ANDRE BESSETTE
How do you feel when someone opens the door for you? You probably feel that the person is kind and considerate. Imagine a saint who touches the lives of thousands of people by his kindness, his faith and opening doors. This is…
OUR FAMILY’S EPIPHANY TRADITIONS
In our family, the feast of the Epiphany has become a treasured tradition and way to end our Christmas season. At first, our observance of the Magi’s arrival consisted of a simple house blessing. We would snip off a branch…