Hope.  Is there anything this world needs more?  With violence, atrocities and natural disasters filling the news every day, it sometimes feels hopeless and unbearable.  No wonder Pope Francis called for a Jubilee year of hope.  We need it.  No wonder he called for 2024 to be a year of prayer, to open our hearts to the possibility of hope.  “2024 will be dedicated to a great symphony of prayer”, he wrote.  “First of all, to recover the desire to be in the presence of the Lord, to listen to him and adore him.  To put the need for a profound relationship with the Lord back at the centre of people’s lives.”

My mother liked to recall walking to Midnight Mass under the moon on the cold, clear December night when, for the first time in history, people were “up” there.  That Christmas Eve, three humans circled the moon 10 times, broadcasting back home a reading from the book of Genesis.  As my mother noted, the moon would never be the same again, nor would the earth, now that humans—accustomed to looking out from our planet at other heavenly bodies—arrestingly beheld a view of the earth from somewhere else.  As the astronaut who snapped the “Earthrise” photograph on that mission noted, they’d trained and prepared to explore the moon, but instead discovered Earth.

I am bringing you good news of great joy.

Luke 2:10

We approach the time of year when many are engaged in seasonal preparations, especially mailing the annual Christmas card. There are a number of stories about the first such card. One that resonates with me is about Henry Cole who, in 1843, was reportedly the first person to issue premade cards in volume. Cole was prodigiously popular at a time when one could not leave correspondence unanswered. Feeling the pressure of the season to respond to his army of friends, he commissioned what we would now call a traditional card, printed on hard cardboard stock, with the greeting, ‘A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year To You.’ The story is he had at least a thousand printed.

Prompted by the Canada Post strike that has left Canadians curiously unperturbed, one of Canada’s most august Catholic voices is calling for a rethink of public sector strikes in general.

Excerpt from an interview with veteran Winnipeg Free Press faith columnist John Longhurst on his recent book from CMU Press.

How nice to read in the Oct. 27th Catholic Register about Bishop Bergie and members of parishes from the Diocese of St. Catharine as well as from other faith communities who attended the "Niagara Ice Dogs Faith Night" game. What a great idea. The article included a wonderful picture of Bishop Bergie and Father Daniel Corso sitting in the stands. If memory serves, then Father Bergie once played for the "Flying Fathers" who entertained many with their playing skills. They were a joy and a lot of fun to watch all the while accepting donations for worthwhile causes. So glad Bishop Bergie opted for the priesthood instead of the NHL . We truly thank God for his vacation.

The front page of the Oct. 6 The Catholic Register looks and reads more like The National Enquirer than a respectable Catholic newspaper. It is distasteful. 

I must say how much I enjoyed Amanda Achtman’s article “A Northern encounter with living treasures.” If that’s not building God’s kingdom, I don’t know what is. If only there was more appreciation between generations! I’m soon to be 68 with four grandchildren and I don’t have an idea yet how to encourage this, but I will come up with one. I’m sure the Holy Spirit will inspire. 

Your fire-and-brimstone Oct. 6 editorial “Israel’s moral path” seems to miss the point that this internecine conflict is being waged on sacred ground: an affront to God. In Isaiah 54:10 we read, “For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.” 

Congratulations on the Lives Lived for Life. How uplifting to learn about 14 Canadians who have assumed leadership roles in the pro-life cause such as the witty Jim Hughes, multi-talented Nicole Scheidl and serene Mary Wagner, to name a few.