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May 2009

May 28

The dynamics of a church choir

May 28, 2009

For years, I took my local church choir for granted. Sunday after Sunday I would hardly notice the music unless I heard a favourite piece or an obvious mistake. Then one day an acquaintance complimented me on my voice and suggested I join him in the choir. I easily discounted the compliment, but it struck me that the quality of my worship might improve if it were more active.

Bonding with our neighbours

May 28, 2009

In 1915 hundreds of thousands of Armenians were killed by the Ottoman Empire in the first genocide of the 20th century. The surviving Armenians took refuge throughout the world, and by the 1980s thousands of their descendants were living in Ontario. Back then I knew almost nothing about Armenians. They were a special kind of Catholic — that I knew. They didn’t have their own local church, so they borrowed our parish church on Sunday afternoons. I knew the Armenian name Aram Khachaturian because he was a great composer whose music appeared on our piano. I did not yet know about the genocide.

God is always with us

May 28, 2009

Trinity Sunday (Year B) June 7 (Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40; Psalm 33; Romans 8:14-17; Matthew 28:16-20) The universe is still in motion from the tremendous force released by creation. With their sophisticated instruments, scientists measure the cosmic reverberations and aftershocks of the Big Bang. After so many billions of years we only detect whispers and traces of that actual moment. But it is still unfolding and we experience its effects daily. Creation continues — the cosmos continues to evolve and we continue to change.

'Free choice' has its consequences

May 28, 2009

Years ago, in the 1960s and ’70s, friends met in my parents’ living room. They were reflecting prayerfully on the legalization of abortion — then in its early stages in Canada — and forming a pro-life group because they considered abortion an unthinkable answer to social problems. Long before ultrasound, in-vitro surgery and other developments gave supporting evidence, they were sure a human person exists from the moment of conception. They felt “not speaking” and thereby sanctioning the conditional legalization of abortion (1969) would slide us towards a culture of death. They spoke, and their pro-life descendants are still trying to speak, but with voices muffled at times, impaired by connotations of “pro-life” as narrow-minded, anti-woman, blind, hate-filled, uneducated and so on. Whatever the origins of those connotations, however inaccurate they may be, they have their effect. Many find abortion abhorrent but would never associate themselves with “the pro-life movement.”

Be there for a grief-stricken friend

May 28, 2009

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matthew 5:4) When someone you know loses a loved one to death, you want to reach out but may feel unsure of what to say or do. Perhaps you haven’t lost someone close, and it’s difficult to appreciate what your friend is going through and anticipate his or her needs. Allow me to share some advice. Don’t agonize over what to say. Keep it simple and heartfelt — for example, “I’m so sorry,” “My heart goes out to you,” “I’m here for you” or perhaps even “I’m at a loss for words.” Avoid platitudes such as, “It’s for the best,” or “You still have a lot to be thankful for.”

Truth can hurt, even in a beautiful way

May 28, 2009

Perfecting by Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer (Goose Lane, hardcover, 360 pages, $22.95) Classical and medieval writers on esthetics believed that what made a work of art good was — at least in significant part — its proportion to the subject matter, its “trueness” to even an ugly topic. A true and proportionate image of the ugly can be beautiful because it shows forth the subject in a way that strips away ambiguities or irrelevant details that cloud the issue.

Embracing Slow Food

May 28, 2009

TORONTO - Before the lunch hour rush, chef Scott Vivian prepares locally grown leeks to accompany his slowly braised short ribs from a Bradford, Ont., farm. Vivian, executive chef of Jamie Kennedy on the Gardiner restaurant atop Toronto’s Gardiner Museum , is an advocate of the international Slow Food movement which has been picking up steam in Canada. Its Toronto-based chapter has grown from five volunteers to more than 200 in six years, joining the 100,000-strong Slow Food movement in some 150 countries. Slow Food movement supporters believe that access to good, clean, fair food is “an irrevocable human right.” Carlo Petrini started the movement in 1986 as a grassroots protest against fast food and the lifestyle it came to represent.

Indian deacons find universal church in Toronto

May 28, 2009

TORONTO - Becoming a deacon is more than a way station on the road to priesthood for Vijai Amirtharaj and Jinto Mathew. “It’s an important stage of our formation and our lives so far. It’s a stage when we are integrated into church ministry,” Amirtharaj said. “It’s part of the whole journey. It’s mystery.” “It’s not my mission, but it’s the mission of the church,” adds Mathew.

Fr. Tataryn journeys with St. Demetrius parish every step of the way

May 28, 2009

TORONTO - As a Ukrainian Catholic community gathered to celebrate 50 years of Fr. John Tataryn’s priesthood, they did so with some kilts and bagpipes added into the mix of performances. Tataryn, although of Ukrainian descent, grew up in Sydney, N.S., a town he said was diverse, with many religions and cultures. But if you didn’t listen to the bagpipes, he said, quoting his father with a laugh, “you didn’t have any culture.”

March for Life more than a day off of school

May 28, 2009

In May, I joined more than 20 other students from my school for the 12th annual March for Life in Ottawa. I joined expecting a nice three-day trip to Ottawa and little more. I was very mistaken. Just after noon on May 14 the rally began on Parliament Hill, as did the rain and wind. Though somewhat unpleasant at first I took it as just a test from God and perhaps many others did as well since no one seemed to mind.

Teens encounter Christ on P.E.I.

May 28, 2009

RUSTICO, P.E.I. - The floors shook at Belcourt Centre in Rustico as 47 youth from across the island jumped in unison to a song in the centre’s chapel. The teens, ages 16 and up, gathered May 15-17 for the bi-annual 2009 Teen Encounter retreat. Teen Encounter is a unique, relationship-based retreat for Catholic youth, led by youth under the supervision of spiritual directors. It is all about “helping teens form healthy relationships with Jesus, themselves and others,” said Sr. Joan Chaisson, who with Fr. John Molina acted as spiritual advisors throughout the weekend.

Young authors explain sexuality

May 28, 2009

Sexuality is an inescapable topic, yet teens just aren’t being given the tools to evaluate their relationships properly, say the authors of a new book for Catholics called How Far Can We Go? “Kids don’t like scare tactics, so if you tell them they might get pregnant or get AIDS, it often doesn’t help — it basically reinforces the idea that if you don’t get AIDS or get pregnant then there’s no problem. But if you say it’s bad for your relationship... and if you find out what level of intimacy is appropriate to you, that’s much better than saying here’s what not to do,” said co-author Brett Salkeld.