I remember once, a Cuban friend who grew up in Cuba with no Christmas, telling me that she had never seen or heard of a Christmas tree before she left Cuba. But had Christ never been born, the implications would be much worse than not having Christmas trees. Just think of the music we’d be ...read more

But it's hard to escape the baggage of Christmas. It’s usually about this time that I start thinking about all the people who get lonely at Christmas. It’s true. This holiday reminds us of family, of our childhood and many people don’t have that, or have issues to reconcile or a past that they would rather not remember. Secular Christmas brings all that to the forefront. ...read more

Earlier this week I found myself listening to R.E.M.’s It’s the End of the World (although I much prefer the cover by Great Big Sea). It’s a good song and, while I’m not exactly sure what it’s about, I always think about it around this time of the year when all the Mass readings have ...read more

I have many friends who do not participate in Halloween activities. They refuse to do so because they believe that Halloween is a pagan holiday. Some even go as far as saying that it is a Satanic feast. I’ve always felt that there’s nothing wrong with participating in Halloween activities. After all, I don’t believe ...read more

If you’re in the Church, it’s becoming harder and harder to ignore our missionary call. This something Pope Francis has continually talked about since his first year of papacy: go out to the peripheries; get out of the sacristies; go and make disciples of all nations. In a way, the ground was prepared by Pope ...read more

Read the full text of Pope Francis' homily for Pentecost Sunday, given in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on June 5, 2022. ...read more

This Pentecost, Steve Lawrence reflects on the fire we call the Holy Spirit and how we are called to open our hearts and be consumed by that fire. ...read more

On the feast of the Ascension, Carissa Douglas reflects that we are called both to look forward to heaven and to be Christ’s presence at work in the world. ...read more

As we approach the end of the Easter season, it is a perfect time for us to reflect on where and how we are called to bear our Easter light. ...read more

This Sunday's readings show us that discouragement is not an obstacle to faith but an opportunity to pause and seek council from others and from God. ...read more