Last time we concluded that Baptism welcomes us into the family of God and after Baptism we belong to God. Now let’s look at the baptism ritual. All Sacrament ritual includes three moments: anamnesis (remembering), epiclesis (coming of the Holy Spirit), doxology (praise). In Baptism we remember the healing waters, we remember Christ’s death and ...read more

Why do we baptise babies? How can a baby decide to become a Christian? Where does this tradition come from? Deacon Pedro explains. ...read more

I remember about 5 years ago when we went to the Easter Vigil Mass for the first time in about 12 years (that’s what happens when you have kids) how amazed I was at the beauty and meaning behind this the greatest of all liturgies. I guess I’d forgotten; or never realized it. In particular, ...read more

Last week we saw how the Baptism of Jesus is one of three manifestation or “Theophany” moments: the Nativity, the Baptism and the Wedding at Cana. Today we are focusing on the centre of these three events: The baptism, which this year, in Canada, was celebrated last Monday, on January 8th. I’m sure that thousands of ...read more

I’m confused this year. Why is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord celebrated tomorrow, Monday, January 8, instead of next Sunday? This was the tradition: It was always celebrated on January 13, on the octave of the Feast of the Epiphany (which is normally January 6 – but not always, in some places, ...read more

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. As we reflect on the year that has been and the year that will be, through the lens of the family, let me offer this wonderful reflection from Bl. Pope Paul VI from an address while in Nazareth in January 5, 1964 and taken from the ...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

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 looked at John the Baptist and how he was the voice that announces and prepares the way. I love the Baptist. He is by far one of my favourite characters in Scripture. It’s a good exercise to go through the Gospels and read everything about him. I bet you’ll find some things ...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