IN PRAISE OF THE FAMILY
In much of Canada, most of us are at home with our families today as we celebrate Family Day (Feb. 16). Some of us can be forgiven if we face this with a little chagrin: so many have been working…
HAPPY ST. VALENTINE’S DAY!
While writing Unlocking the Feasts and Seasons of the Liturgical Year for Novalis several years ago, one aspect that really struck me was how much energy the Church has invested in romance. In Quebec this day is still Saint Valentin, there is even…
OUR LADY OF LOURDES AND WORLD DAY OF THE SICK
On World Day of the Sick last year, it was still business and life as usual in Canada. Remember that innocent time, before terms like “coronavirus,” “PPE” and “physical distancing” entered our daily vocabulary? We didn’t think twice about being…
“WHEN WE ENTER WILLINGLY INTO THE MYSTERY OF THE CROSS, THAT SYMBOL OF BOTTOMLESS LOVE, THE POWER OF GOD TRULY BEGINS TO BE REVEALED.”
The season of Lent is just around the corner! Will you be looking for a good companion for your Lenten journey? While many Lenten resources can be found on our website, there is our much-beloved Lenten devotional booklet that has…
CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL: IT SEEMS THAT EACH OF OUR CONVERSIONS MIGHT NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BUT…..
I believe this feast is unique in the liturgical life of the Church. Most saints have their dies natalis – actually the day of their birth into heaven – commemorated in the liturgical calendar. A few: Mary, Saint John the Baptist, and…
SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD
“He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Lk 24:45). With this quote from the Gospel of Luke, Pope Francis starts his appeal to the Catholic world to use this Sunday, Jan. 24, to reflect on the importance of the…
FOR PANDEMIC-WEARY KIDS, TEENS AND PARENTS: DROP EVERYTHING AND READ!
Kids and teens have a lot of time on their hands these days. In various parts of Canada, school’s out and remote learning is in. Sports and many outdoor activities are on hold. Even the toboggan hill is off limits…
WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
When you are born into a faith you think that everyone thinks like you do. You see the world from your own skin and your own perspective. As a child growing up in Scarborough, I saw the world divided into Catholic…
BAPTISM OF THE SAVIOUR/BIRTH OF AN ACTIVIST
By the time Martha looked upstream the dove was just a mote in the sky and the words “my beloved” were trickling off beyond perception like a rose petal on the face of the River Jordan. What it was exactly,…
HOME BY ANOTHER WAY
Each year at Epiphany, I listen to James Taylor’s song Home by Another Way. In this song, he reminds us that the call to the Magi to change their plans finds resonance in our own lives today. He sings: “Maybe…