Yesterday marked one year after the outbreak of war in Ukraine. We can ask ourselves: what can we do? We are not political leaders who can hold summits or peace talks. We aren’t soldiers on either side of the battlefield. We may feel distant or helpless before the tragic events that have unfolded these past ...read more

What is your reaction when you receive a gift from someone? Do you ever wish they had gotten you something else? Does it sometimes make you feel obligated to give them something in return?  How beautiful it is when a gift doesn’t make us feel disappointed or obligated but deeply grateful, wanting to give in ...read more

? Do you ever get the feeling that you’re not in control of your life? So often we can try to take the driver’s seat, to be in charge of where we’re heading. We can be unsettled when something unexpected happens or disappointed when things don’t go our way. It’s a normal part of being ...read more

? Something we don’t often realize is how Advent coincides with the final weeks of Mary’s pregnancy. Perhaps you have personally experienced being pregnant. Maybe some important women in your life have been pregnant. Your mother certainly has been. Of course, pregnancy is a time filled with ups and downs, highs and lows. It can ...read more

Put yourself in the shoes – or sandals – of a Jewish person 2,000 years ago. Maybe you’re one of Mary’s cousins or one of Joseph’s siblings. Since you were little, your parents and relatives have told you about “the Messiah” – the Chosen one, the Anointed, the one who is to come. This Messiah ...read more

Imagine the scene. You’re exhausted after a long trip. Your wife is pregnant and due to give birth any time now. You’ve come back to your hometown, but you don’t have any relatives here anymore. You’re looking for a place to stay for the night, but everything is closed or fully booked. You keep looking ...read more

Come, King of all nations, source of your Church’s unity and faith: save all people, your own creation! Our poverty meets God’s poverty “Jesus is King of all nations.” We can ask the question: Is Jesus really the King of the nations? Isn’t that a bit presumptuous? What about countries and societies that aren’t Christian?  ...read more

October 11, 2022 marks 60 years since the start of the Second Vatican Council. So what was Vatican II and why does it matter today? Vatican II was the biggest Church event in the 20th century, bringing together all the bishops of the Catholic Church – 2,625 of them! – with the pope and many ...read more

As I stood in Maskwacis, Alberta, witnessing Pope Francis arrive to deliver his much-awaited apology to the Indigenous peoples of Canada on their lands, I was cut to the heart. Two things struck me simultaneously. First, the suffering, pain, and intergenerational trauma that has wreaked havoc on Indigenous communities and families. Second, the humility, courage, ...read more

Who is John Paul I? God’s Smile is Blessed It has been said that John Paul I’s pontificate was like a meteor that lights up the sky and quickly disappears. His election as pope was a source of joy after the heavy grief that accompanied the death of Saint Paul VI less than one month ...read more