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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2022! Today, January 1, is a day that offers much to celebrate. Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Mary was the first apostle to her Son. She said “yes” to God’s…
If you think you’ve had it rough this year, what with covid-19 morphing into the Omicron variant and new restrictions on our freedom looming, you have our sympathy. We have all had a tough year and we need a break.…
The song “Seasons of Love” from the hit musical Rent asks, “How do you measure a year?” For people living in medieval times, the year was measured by the work they did. Calendar pages in the Book of Hours –…
“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…
On the finger of my right hand is a gold ring with a large X on it. It serves as a constant reminder that back in 1988, I graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. It is…