The importance of the interior and private
We can never be challenged too strongly with regards to being committed to social justice. A key, non-negotiable summons that comes from Jesus Himself is precisely the challenge to reach out to the poor, to the excluded, to those whom society deems expendable.
Praying good for the brain, not just the spirit
Be ready and open to God’s call
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) Jan. 18 (1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19; Psalm 40; 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20; John 1:35-42)
How many of us are called upon by God without realizing it? Divine addresses are seldom of the dramatic type portrayed in Hollywood biblical epics. They usually lack the beams of light and angelic choirs. God’s call is often innocuous enough to be overlooked or mistaken for something else. Only its persistence sets it apart.
Unbroken
NEW YORK - Positive values permeate the inspirational fact-based drama "Unbroken" (Universal). Despite its admirable qualities, however, the film also represents something of a missed opportunity.
Pope: Don't miss Christ this Christmas; take time, be ready, let him in
VATICAN CITY - God is knocking to come into people's lives, so be attentive, humble and courageous to let him in, Pope Francis said.
Advent app guides families
Lord's Prayer will still open Mississauga council meetings
MISSISSAUGA, ONT. - "Our Father" still has a place at Mississauga city council.
On Dec. 17, council voted to keep the tradition of reciting the Lord's Prayer to open council meetings.
With His coming, Jesus asks so little of us
They came by the thousands. Young and old, men and women, Francophone and English, the able-bodied and the infirm, they came despite the driving, biting snow and blustery wind to a church in Montreal in mid-December to bid farewell to hockey legend Jean Beliveau.
Pope decries 'inhuman terrorist acts' in Australia, Pakistan and Yemen
VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis decried the "inhuman terrorist acts" that killed scores of people the previous day in Australia, Pakistan and Yemen.
West Bank town takes pride in links to St. Nicholas, celebrates Dec. 19
BEIT JALLA, West Bank - Bethlehem might have the Church of the Nativity, but residents of this largely Christian town adjacent to Bethlehem say they have St. Nicholas.
Count down to Christmas by counting your blessings, Pope says
VATICAN CITY - No saint was ever known for having a "funeral face," Pope Francis said; the joy of knowing one is loved by God and saved by Christ must be seen at least in a sense of peace, if not a smile.
Celebrating the third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, Dec. 14, Pope Francis paid an evening visit to Rome's St. Joseph parish, meeting with the sick, with a group of Gypsies, with a First Communion class and with dozens of couples whose newborn babies were baptized in the past year.
Destroy hatred, not enemies, to bring peace, papal preacher says
VATICAN CITY - Peace does not come from wiping out enemies, it comes from destroying all hatred with prayer, dialogue and friendship, including in the Church and within the Roman Curia, said the preacher of the papal household.
London Diocese co-opts Pope Francis to spread its prayerful message
The London Diocese is taking advantage of the overwhelming popularity of Pope Francis to spread a prayerful message.
Nuncio exhorts Canadian religious to build vocations culture
OTTAWA - As Pope Francis inaugurated the Year of Consecrated Life Nov. 30, Canada’s Apostolic Nuncio exhorted Canadian religious to build a culture of vocations.
Christ as the centre of life
Soul of Christ: Meditations on a Timeless Prayer, Sr. Marie Paul Curley (Pauline Books & Media, 161 pages, $17.50).
Your relationship with Christ is not just for Sunday, says Sr. Marie Paul Curley.