Last week I was imagining a world without Christmas. That would mean no Christmas music and no Christmas movies. But a world without Jesus would mean much more to our popular culture. One of my favourite Broadway musicals is Les Miz. I never read the novel, Les Miserables by Victor Hugo and wasn’t crazy about ...read more

Read the full text of Pope Francis' homily for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and the 55th World Day of Peace on January 1, 2022. ...read more

? Do you ever get the feeling that you’re not in control of your life? So often we can try to take the driver’s seat, to be in charge of where we’re heading. We can be unsettled when something unexpected happens or disappointed when things don’t go our way. It’s a normal part of being ...read more

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

Come, Flower of Jesse’s stem, sign of God’s love for all his people: save us without delay! When I think of this antiphon I can’t help but think of Mary. In fact, I would consider that this O Antiphon, O Radix Jesse, is inseparable from Mary. But O Radix Jesse, Root of Jesse, is a ...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

Whenever I see a rosary hanging on someone’s rear-view mirror, I automatically feel a kinship with the Catholic driver. However, a rosary is not a decoration. It is a powerful spiritual tool, and popes have been encouraging Catholics to pray the Rosary for years. Since October is the month of the Rosary, here are three ...read more

NOLENSVILLE, Tenn. (CNS) — For Sarah Hart, writing a new hymn is always about pleasing God. “I do think, ‘God, I hope this is pleasing to you. I hope that this thing I’m doing is my prayer to you,'” she told the Tennessee Register, newspaper of the Diocese of Nashville. “Writing a song for me ...read more

Depressed and suicidal, Keith found himself going from bad to worse. He needed help. And then one night he found it in an unexpected way. ...read more

Read the full text of Pope Francis' homily given during a penitential service in the Vatican on the Solemnity of the Annunciation, March 25, 2022. ...read more