Besides Mary, Joseph and Jesus, there is another exemplary family that played an important role in the life of Jesus. That is the family of his dear friends – Mary, Martha and Lazarus. John’s glimpse into their lives is both…
I am 68 years old. I can no longer pretend to be “late middle-aged.” I have gray hair and wake up in the morning with aches and pains. I can officially be described as elderly. But I am certainly not…
Saints Anne and Joachim were parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandparents of Jesus. Though not mentioned in the Bible, their story has been part of the Catholic tradition for millennia. They were a religiously devout couple. They were…
The feast of St. Mary Magdalene has a double meaning for me. In one sense, the person of Mary Magdalene is an enigma in many ways. There are lots of different ideas about who she was, what she experienced to…
In the last month I have been travelling around Ontario and last week I was in Calgary, Alberta. Our country is massive and oh so varied in topography. The Rockies were the backdrop when we visited Stoney Nakoda First Nation. So breathtaking! I…
I was fortunate enough to work for several years at a parish that was richly diverse in culture. The church was located near a major airport and demographically expressed the patterns of immigration. For many years, it has been predominantly…
June has been designated as National Indigenous History Month, with June 21 as National Indigenous Peoples Day. The painful history of European colonization and the subjugation of Indigenous peoples has caused almost irreparable harm to nations, communities, families and individuals…
Father’s Day is more than a date on the calendar. It’s a celebration of love and commitment. I think every father experiences, in his own way, the profound love God has for his children. From the moment a child is…
One of the foundational pieces of our spiritual journey is this: to fully receive the invitation to ongoing transformation. To see, to hear, and to perceive in a new and deeper way. To allow basic truths to settle deeper into…
Ahhh… summertime! If we play our cards right, the season offers us some moments of rest, relaxation and reading – by a lake, in a nearby park, in our own backyard or on the porch. If you’re looking for inspirational…