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

2016 has come and gone and so it’s time for our year-end-review. What are the highlights of this past year? What stands out the most in your mind? What’s your favourite Pope Francis moment? Join Deacon Pedro and our year-in review panel, Sebastian Gomes and Emilie Callan as they look at the Church in the ...read more

At 10 am this morning in the Vatican Basilica, Pope Francis presided at the celebration of the Mass on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God in the Octave of Christmas and in commemoration of the 50th World Day of Peace on the theme: “Nonviolence: A Style of Politics for Peace.” Below you will find ...read more

Two years ago I was home, in Panama for my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary. They were married December 26, 1964. Of course, the priest had to make a comment about how St. Stephen was the first martyr and how Marriage is like martyrdom. We laughed but he had a point. Martyrs are not killed against ...read more

The Christmas story told through the eyes, words and imagination of children. – Special thanks to Anna Boyagoda, Coordinator of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd – Archdiocese of Toronto; St. Benedict Parish, Toronto, for permission to film at their Mary Help of Christians Children’s Atrium, Fr. Mario Villaraza SDB, Pastor of St Benedict and ...read more

Some years ago, in an episode of Perspectives about the truth about Santa Claus we had a wonderful discussion on Perspectives Weekly about teaching our kids that Christmas is about Christ. We’ve never had so many comments on one program! I remember that one of the comments came from Warren Dungen, who suggested that we ...read more

This Advent, Deacon Pedro teams up with Rabbi Aaron Flanzraich to see how Judaism can help us prepare for the coming of the Messiah. Last week, we looked at the significance of light. In this final week, Deacon Pedro and Rabbi Aaron wonder to where do words, signs, symbols and light point and explore the ...read more

This Advent, Deacon Pedro teams up with Rabbi Aaron Flanzraich to see how Judaism can help us prepare for the coming of the Messiah. Last week we looked at signs and symbols and saw that light is both sign and symbol in all faith traditions. In this third week of Advent, Deacon Pedro and Rabbi ...read more

Since moving to Canada, I’ve met quite a variety of people from all over the world, most of them Catholic. We go through the usual motions – ‘What’s your name? What do you do? Are you from Toronto? You’re from Texas? Oh your parents are Mexican?’ – etc. etc. And shortly after the ‘Mexican parents’ ...read more

This Advent, Deacon Pedro teams up with Rabbi Aaron Flanzraich to see how Judaism can help us prepare for the coming of the Messiah. Last week, we looked at the significance of words. In the second week, Deacon Pedro and Rabbi Aaron explore the significance of and difference between signs and symbols in Judaism. ...read more