Sometimes, because it’s Lent we may overlook some feasts or solemnities that fall during the season. It’s hard to ignore the Feast of St. Patrick, but how many really pay attention to the Solemnity of St. Joseph? ...read more

(CNS Photo: A rare full moon glows over Vatican City on Christmas Eve, 2015) Another marvellous cosmic discovery was made this week: seven earth-sized planets orbiting a red dwarf star just under 40 million light years away. Nasa’s discovery strengthened the popular hypothesis that other “earths,” that is, distant planets able to sustain life, most ...read more

Catholics who remember the paradigm shift that took place at Vatican II often point to the transformation of the liturgy as its most concrete expression. That’s understandable. As Catholics, the Mass is the most frequented celebration in the life of the community.  Even if you didn’t follow the theological developments at the Council, you couldn’t escape the ...read more

Saints would be the first ones to declare that prayer is a battle. But a battle with who and what? Well, they would say, with ourselves and with whatever is keeping our eyes fixed on God. “The great figures of prayer of the Old Covenant before Christ, as well as the Mother of God, the saints, ...read more

One of the greatest but often overlooked gifts given to us by the Catholic Church are the many saints canonized over the years. They are given to us as examples of hope during all possible combinations of human hardship we might find ourselves in. This group provides real examples of people who have overcome great tribulations, ...read more

One of the defining celebrations of the 2016 Jubilee Year of Mercy was the canonization of Mother Teresa. Beloved around the world by believers and non-believers alike, her relentless care for the poor and abandoned struck the heart of humanity. Her story continues to spread through the ministry of her postulator, Fr. Brian Kolodiejchuk, MC, ...read more

In our household, Christmas is on call twelve months a year. That’s not to say that we celebrate it in the summer as well as in winter, but the possibility of its inclusion is always there, even if it is just one small part of our Advent and Christmas traditions. Yes, there is always a ...read more

We all have probably read before the story about a kid who collects some money and goes to his always-busy father asking: how much is an hour of your day? Well, picture yourself for a second answering: an hour of my day is worth an iPad. Which means that your kids will have the option of choosing to spend ...read more

Recently I had a conversation which brought up the following question: When we are voting at a political election, as Catholics, is there a guide or principles that we should follow? The person asking the question had been told that there is a list of ‘non-negotiable’ principles that Catholics should follow when voting. I may ...read more

“Nobody writes better about the lives of the saints than Robert Ellsberg,” according to spiritual writer Ron Rolheiser.  He’s not alone.  Robert Ellsberg, the publisher and editor-in-chief of Orbis Books, has compiled an eclectic cloud of witnesses in his new book “Blessed Among Us: Day to Day with Saintly Witnesses,” published by Liturgical Press. What’s most ...read more