BLOG: Fr. Raphael Ma, CR
When we speak about the distribution of gifts on Christmas most think of Santa Claus as the ‘bearer of gifts’,  in my Portuguese Catholic tradition I was raised with the notion that the  gifts were being distributed by the Baby Jesus. And in Spain, the distribution of gifts is celebrated on the evening of Epiphany ...read more
What’s the difference between saying, ‘We come to pray together’ and ‘We come together to pray’? What is the difference between proselytizing, evangelizing and dialogue? Do these actions mutually exclude each other? These are some of the questions most people have when it comes to interfaith dialogue. It quickly becomes about fine distinctions and nuanced ...read more
On the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe Pope Benedict XVI announced he will visit Mexico and Cuba in 2012.  Today the Mexican Bishops’ Conference and the Cuban Bishops’ conference each released a preliminary itinerary of the Holy Father’s visit to their nations. Pope Benedict will arrive in the Mexican city of  Leon on ...read more
He was a strong supporter of the Nicene Creed – the profession of faith that is most commonly used when we come together to celebrate Mass. He is none other than St. Basil the Great. In the Universal Catholic Church, we celebrate his feast day today and  so do the Anglican and Lutheran Churches. We ...read more
The neighbourhood diner was packed after Mass on January 1st. Some patrons came to celebrate the New Year, while others were seeking a greasy antidote to their rough morning. As my friends and I waited for our brunch, I asked them whether they were looking forward to 2012. They all shrugged. One dismissed January 1st ...read more
Jeroen shares his memories of Christmas in Holland as a child and gives us a peak into his Canadian Christmases with his Focolare community. ...read more
Before we let go of the year completely, Salt + Light Radio revisits some of the best music featured on the show in 2011. If you’re hanging out at home, at a get-together with friends and family or if you find yourself out driving on New Year’s Eve, tune in for S+L Radio’s New Year’s ...read more
Daniel’s family is made up of a mix of Italian, Lebanese and Columbian cultures. He shares with us how he melds those different traditions and shares the richness of each culture with his children. ...read more
Do we need modern media to proclaim the Good News? We have a duty to evangelize, but is there a wrong way to evangelize? Can modern media, such as Youtube and Facebook, effectively communicate the depth of revelation? Can a tweet bring you one step closer to an encounter with Jesus, the icon of the ...read more
Joseph reflects on how his family’s Christmas celebrations evolved over the years and what that evolution revealed to him about celebrating Christ’s birth. ...read more