CHRISTMAS 2017 MASS AT NIGHT Homily of Bishop Douglas Crosby, OMI Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King in Hamilton Christmas is here! After several weeks of Advent preparation, we have arrived at the celebration of Christmas. For the world, Christmas marks the end of something. There will be no more Christmas carols on the radio ...read more

  Mary “gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn” (Lk 2:7). In these plain and clear words, Luke brings us to the heart of that holy night: Mary gave birth; she gave us ...read more

God is the God of life. God is the God of love. God is the God of creation. God is the God of breath. God is the God of image. God is the God of presence. God is the God of union. God is the God of being. God is the God of family. God ...read more

Last month, I had the honour of traveling on pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Israel, Palestine and Jordan)with Salt + Light TV. Being on pilgrimage, is an entirely different experience than being a tourist. To the Christian, being on pilgrimage means to walk the same path, to see the same sights, and to encounter the same crowds that Our Lord would have as He triumphantly entered Jerusalem, with the knowledge He was bound for confrontation with the authorities. ...read more

For the last three weeks we’ve looked at three words for Advent: Light, Voice and Joy. Last week we looked at Elizabeth and how she was filled with joy when Mary came to see visit her. She heard Mary’s greeting and was filled with the Holy Spirit and the child in her womb leaped for ...read more

Last week we learned about Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. Zechariah was a good and righteous man (Luke 1:6) and was a priest (Luke 1:5) at the Temple in Jerusalem (Luke 1:8). He was probably educated and respected as a leader in his community. When the Archangel Gabriel told him that his elderly wife, ...read more

Next Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent and we begin getting ready for Christmas. I think we all know that Advent is the four week-period before Christmas. There are always four Sundays of Advent, but it’s not always four weeks. It depends what day of the week December 25th is. This year, the fourth ...read more

Another Christmas Day has come and gone. It’s time we turn our attention to 2017 with an open mind, to strive towards bridging gaps between one another with forgiveness and understanding rather than putting up walls which stem from anger and a lack of communication. But not before taking the time to reflect on the ...read more

Yesterday, as our Eastern Catholic brothers and Sisters celebrated Christmas, I was reminded of one of the most meaningful messages of Christmas: Emmanuel – God with us. Since I was a little child, I’ve known this. I always knew the meaning of the name Emmanuel, because that is my middle name: Pedro Emmanuel Guevara-Mann. At ...read more

At 10:00 am this morning, Solemnity of the Epiphany, Pope Francis presided over the Eucharistic celebration in the Vatican Basilica. Below are the texts of Proclamation of Easter, celebrated this year on April 16, and the Pope’s homily after the proclamation of the Holy Gospel: The Proclamation of Easter Know, dear brethren, that as we ...read more