Pope Benedict XVI’s Wednesday General Audience looked at the Eastern monk Symeon the New Theologian. One point I found interesting, particularly in this Year of the Priest, was the Holy Father’s comments on spiritual direction. Symeon had a spiritual father who helped him greatly as a young man, and our Pontiff invited the faithful to ...read more

In the past two seasons of Lectio Divina with Archbishop Thomas Collins, Toronto’s chief shepherd has meditated on the Sermon on the Mount and the writings of St. Paul. The third season premiers this weekend, with the Archbishop reflecting on the Parables of Jesus. The Sower, the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan are among ...read more

A woman religious from Israel will be among five new beatifications occurring this fall. The announcement of the five new blesseds came last week from the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff. The four other Blesseds include a Spanish Cardinal, a Hungarian Martyr, an Italian diocesan priest and a German religious. Here are ...read more

Obtenir le lecteur Flash pour voir cette vidéo. On Thursday, Salt + Light was visited by the daughter and son-in-law of a saint. Laura Molla and Giuseppe Pannuti were visiting from Milan for the dedication of a new St. Gianna Maternity Home located in Brampton, Ontario. On Friday they traveled to Washington, D.C. for a ...read more

As we celebrate the feat of St. Augustine this Friday, I couldn’t help but thinking one of his most famous quotes: “Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet.” (I believe the context of the quote was Augustine’s ongoing conversion and the difficulty he had in dismissing his mistress) Chastity is a bit of a ...read more

It was very much a Marian weekend for Pope Benedict XVI. On Saturday, he celebrated Mass on the Solemnity of the Assumption at St Thomas of Villanova, a Church that is across the square from the Papal Summer residence Castel Gandolfo. In his homily, the Holy Father said: The Assumption reminds us that Mary’s life, ...read more

The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the oldest Marian Feast, returns every year in the heart of summer. It is an opportunity to rise with Mary to the heights of the spirit where one breathes the pure air of supernatural life and contemplates the most authentic beauty, the beauty of holiness. ...read more

In a recent interview with Catholic News Agency, the new Archbishop of New York, the Most Reverend Timothy Dolan spoke about the challenges facing the Church in the United States. These challenges could be just as applicable to Canada as well. I found of particular interest his comment that the real vocations crisis is not ...read more

Liturgically, this has been a week of martyrs. Sunday was the feast of St. Benedicta of the Cross, or Edith Stein, Monday was St. Lawrence, today is St. Pope Pontian and companions, and tomorrow the feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe. These martyrs were the focus of Pope Benedict XVI’s Sunday Angelus address — you can ...read more

There is a wonderful story from the life of St. Clare of Assisi, whose feast we celebrate today. I’ll grab it from New Advent’s Catholic Encyclopedia entry on St. Clare: When, in 1234, the army of Frederick II was devastating the valley of Spoleto, the soldiers, preparatory to an assault upon Assisi, scaled the walls ...read more