Today I had a pronounced pilgrim-panic spell. It was early morning here in Jerusalem; I had just come from Mass at the Holy Sepulchre, I had consumed a potent coffee whilst checking my email/ blogging at a little cafe and I had read a good portion of the Jerusalem Post. And it was only 8:30! ...read more

Shalom! I am writing today from the beautiful Holy City of Jerusalem! The city of which all of the Psalms sing; the city where our Lord made frequent pilgrimage and where His Life among us drew to a close only to be followed by His glorious Resurrection. I must first say that today started with ...read more

It’s rare that a tourist attraction actually lives up to the hype. I am happy to report that the Dead Sea is one such tourism bulwark. It is genuinely the most interesting place I have ever visited! A few quick facts about the Dead Sea: It was formed 3 million years ago Its waters boast ...read more

I suspected this would happen. I have been rendered speechless. But, when you work in communication, speechlessness is not an option. So off I go… Today had a dreamlike-quality to it. It began like this: I opened my eyes to the sights and sounds of the Sea of Galilee in the town of Tiberias. This ...read more

There is much to be said about going on a pilgrimage with an open heart. Few seasoned pilgrims will admit just how dangerous this can be for fear of scaring prospective pilgrims off.  A pilgrim (especially of the Holy Land variety) runs the risk of a complete spiritual reprogramming. I feel like this might be ...read more

It seems strange to be talking about 2010 when already so much has happened in 2011! With less than one month under our belts, 2011 has already become a memorable year. This morning, for example, we all learned that our late, beloved John Paul II will be beatified in May, 2011 (on Divine Mercy Sunday, ...read more

“Good morning Jenna,” a friendly male voice chimed. “It appears that you have drawn the short straw!” These were the warm words I heard as I picked up the first phone call of the day on the morning after one of the best days of my life. The voice belonged to Mr. Jerry Adler at ...read more

2010 was a monumental year for the Catholic Church and for its Shepherd. We saw Pope Benedict’s five International voyages, one “insider” exclusive papal Q & A released in book form, painful abuse scandal exposés, the first Canadian male saint, an Irish apostolic visitation and martyrdoms in the Middle East. All of these are just ...read more

Whether we like it or not, gift-giving has become characteristic of how we celebrate Christmas. When someone asks us “are you ready for Christmas?”, we automatically translate this to “do you have all of your shopping done?” Somehow, the message behind giving a gift has been lost in the exchange; the language has been distorted ...read more

First of all, this week’s episode of Perspectives is the first one to ever merit a “viewer discretion” advisory at the onset! And not without due reason; we have come to discover that many people have strong opinions about Santa and about the version of Christmas that he represents (particularly those under 12 years old). ...read more