FREE access to the digital edition and archives until September 2. Click here. →
Browse › 2008 › January
January 10, 2008
There is finally a growing awareness that, if the Internet is like the Wild West, children are exceedingly vulnerable to being targets of stray bullets. These may take the form of pornography stumbled upon, online bullying by peers, commercial exploitation by manipulative corporate marketers or even — at an extreme — sexual luring by adults.
January 11, 2008
The Spiritual Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Case for the Existence of the Soul, by Mario Beauregard and Denyse O’Leary (HarperCollins, 368 pages, hardcover, $31.50). Materialists are legion in the universities, and it is a favourite sport of materialists to make fun of us credulous people who believe in God. Materialists, especially the 19-year-olds, are amazed that religious people even bother to go to university. What materialists don’t realize, of course, is that materialism is itself a belief system whose claims have not been scientifically verified.
One of the most useless and common complaints about the movies is that they’re not like real life. It’s like complaining that the water is wet, or exercise makes you tired.
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) Jan. 20 (Isaiah 49:3, 5-6; Psalm 40; 1 Corinthians 1:1-3; John 1:29-34) What is it like to be singled out by God for an important task? As any prophet or person of God can tell you, it is not always fun and games.
CALGARY - Songs of praise to God replaced the clang of champagne glasses as young adults welcomed in the New Year at the stroke of midnight.
Are you busy? I usually am. Who isn’t these days? We seem to become too busy sometimes. We try to do lots of good, to the point that we forget what’s important. It brings to mind Jesus’ words to Martha about occupying herself with minor things.
TORONTO - A Catholic Zen roshi from Texas is coming to town to explain what Buddhism teaches about compassion in a world that often fails to live up to our expectations.
TORONTO - James Magee has been named this year’s Meritus Catholic Business person of the Year. Meritus is a not-for-profit organization that provides networking opportunities for Catholic business people. Every year the organization honours a businessperson who lives out Christian values in their personal and professional life.
If you pray for something for 100 years you might find the prayer refines itself in the light of new realities, and then perhaps the prayer itself deepens your understanding and broadens your horizon.
OTTAWA - Two Catholic nuns have been named Members of the Order of Canada in recognition of their contribution to Canadian health care. On Dec. 28, Governor General Michaëlle Jean named Sr. Margaret Smith of the Sisters of St. Joseph and Sr. Margaret Vickers of the Sisters of Charity among 61 new appointments to the Order of Canada.
OTTAWA - The upper room, where Jesus held the last supper and where the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost, is also known as the cenacle. Thus it is fitting that a new DVD prepared by organizers of the June 2008 International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City is called Encounters at the Cenacle.
NAIROBI, Kenya - Church leaders, pastors and bishops are working to change the channel on the cycle of ethnic and political violence which has claimed nearly 500 lives since Kenya’s disputed national elections Dec. 27.
January 16, 2008
TORONTO - The archdiocese of Toronto will be spiritual host for what could be the largest gathering of Catholic media ever held in Canada when the Catholic Media Convention 2008 comes to town May 28-30.
January 17, 2008
This year's theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan. 20-26) uses Paul's words “Pray without ceasing” from his letter to the Thessalonians (5:13b-18). This is sage advice, not only in the cause of Christian unity, but for life in general.
Jesuits are always on the move, but the next move for the Jesuit Fathers of English Canada will concentrate the order's brain trust on the eastern edge of Queen's Park Circle, on the main campus of the University of Toronto.
TORONTO - A Canadian manufacturer is hammering its nails into an oratory which will be the centre piece of Ave Maria, a brand new Catholic town in Naples, Florida, that will host Ave Maria University and an oratory in the city centre. The town and university is the brainchild of Domino's Pizza chain founder Tim Monaghan.
Pain. Loss. Injustice. In these situations some common questions we ask are what is the cause of my misery? Why do corrupt people seem to gain the greatest rewards like success and wealth, while practiSing Christian believers appear to suffer? I frequently read the Old Testament, particularly the story of Job, because it holds the answers to these questions.
TORONTO - Michael Scaffidi placed first in the sixth annual Friars' Student Writing Award contest for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which runs from Jan. 20 to 27.
From the conception of the Catholic Church to the present day, Christians have existed as a proud, yet humble people, full of courage and hope. Thousands died for Christ throughout the ages, be it in battles fought over the Holy Land, or in the merciless and bloody persecutions of tyrants and unjust empires.
Any Catholic who has gone to university in Ontario knows that there is a lot of anti-Catholic feeling here. And any Catholic whose family has been in Ontario for more than two generations is not particularly surprised.