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June 5, 2014
Trinity Sunday (Year A) June 15 (Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9; Daniel 9; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; John 3:16-18) The people in the Bible perceived God in diverse and sometimes contradictory ways. Throughout the book of Exodus, the people of Israel alternated between resentment and complaint towards God on the one hand and sheer terror on the other. They complained bitterly to God continually out of their fear and lack of trust. But when Moses approached the mountain to encounter God, the people refused to go anywhere near it. They were quite content to send him in their place, and in fact Exodus referred to him as the one who spoke face to face with God as if to a friend.
When I was in elementary school, we were made to memorize a number of poems by William Blake. We didn’t understand them, but they had a wonderful jingle to them, were easy to commit to memory and remain branded inside me to this day.
Updated 06/09/14 LONDON - The Roman Catholic archbishop of Dublin, regarded as among the most influential church leaders in England and Ireland, has added his voice to those calling for an urgent inquiry into the discovery of nearly 800 babies and children buried in a septic tank at Tuam, a home for unwed mothers in western Ireland.
June 6, 2014
TORONTO - St. Patrick’s Young Adult Ministry wants young people to turn summer holidays into holy days.
OTTAWA - An array of groups that oppose prostitution are applauding the introduction of Bill C-36 June 4 that criminalizes the purchase of sex, targeting johns as well as pimps and traffickers.
OTTAWA - Groups opposed to euthanasia vow to fight Quebec’s adoption June 5 of Bill-52 “An act on end-of-life care” that brings euthanasia to the province.
As the long winter days finally come to an end, I welcome the arrival of spring. Flowers are in blossom, leaves have reappeared on trees and our surroundings are starting to be filled with beautiful shades of green — just in time for World Environment Day.
When Steubenville youth conferences were fairly new to Washington, musician Ike Ndolo was leading worship during Saturday night adoration. Adoration on the second of this three-night Catholic conference for teens is usually a high point of the weekend. But on one particular Saturday night, Ndolo and the band had stopped playing — but the crowd just kept on singing.
VATICAN CITY - People must continue to recognize the sacrifice of the Allied soldiers who liberated Europe from "Nazi barbarism," but also should not forget the German soldiers "dragged into this drama," Pope Francis said.
June 7, 2014
TORONTO - For his 40 years of digging wells and building schools and hospitals in Tanzania, Br. Anthony Canterucci has been honoured with that country’s Medal of Honour.
VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis' June 8 meeting with the Israeli and Palestinian presidents will be a religious, not a political, occasion and should not raise hopes for immediate resumption of peace talks between the two nations, said the principal co-ordinator of the gathering.
When Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas meet at the Vatican June 8, it will be another sign of how Pope Francis has returned the Vatican to the global stage to a degree not seen since the 1980s, when John Paul II’s shuttle pilgrimages helped end the Cold War.
June 8, 2014
TORONTO - On the sugar cane plantations in the Dominican Republic, life is bitter for the Haitian migrants who farm the land.
TORONTO - Human trafficking is not limited to sexual slavery, says Karlee Sapoznik, and it occurs closer to home than Canadians believe.
VATICAN CITY - A Vatican spokesman said it’s premature to suggest a gathering between Catholic and Orthodox faiths to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the first Church council held in Nicea in 325.
TORONTO - Before marking an X on a ballot Catholic voters should pencil in a grade on a report card for candidates in the Ontario provincial election.
June 9, 2014
WASHINGTON - Pope Francis has been working nonstop since his election more than a year ago, and he has shown remarkable resilience for a 77-year-old confronted with an array of Church crises. But he is also fatigued at times and his advisors are hoping that he will take a break this summer.
OTTAWA - The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops president has written to the Archbishop of Moncton to offer condolences after the shooting deaths of three Mounties in the Maritime city June 4.
VATICAN CITY - Praying for peace in the Holy Land alongside leaders of long-antagonistic nations, Pope Francis called on God to act where human efforts had failed, to end what he described as violence inspired by the devil.
June 10, 2014
KIEV, Ukraine - Ukrainian Catholic bishops thanked people around the world for their prayers over the last six months and asked for continued prayers for peace in their country.