Speaking Out

Once upon a Sunday in Ordinary Time, I happened upon a church in Toronto. It was a pleasant — and all too rare — inconvenience to find the pews so packed that people had to stand outside the front doors just to hear the words of the Mass. At the time, it was a scene so unfamiliar to me that it made me reflect more deeply on how precious the Mass truly is.

January 1 is right around the corner — to some, that means New Year’s Day. A time for clean slates, a fresh start and all the goal-setting. To the Catholic man or woman, it’s all that and the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

The year is about to end and as we begin to sit down and think about our New Year’s resolution we can recall and reflect over the events of the past year to help guide us along. 

Going through grade school, Christmas was always my favourite time of the year. 

Advent is such a busy time of the year that what the season is all about can sometimes get lost among all the out-of-the-ordinary things that have become part the countdown toward Christmas.

Taking time to reflect is one of the hallmarks of the Advent season, which prompted us to dig into The Catholic Register Archives to see how our Youth Speak News writers have tackled this special time of year. From the Dec. 19, 2010 issue, Jason Coelho, then a Grade 12 student at Brebeuf College in Toronto, presented his own timeless view of this special season:

Music became a big part of my life at a very young age. When I was only a few years old, I would sit by my father while he played the piano and sing to my heart’s content even if I did not know the words to the song. Then, when I was five, I began the wonderful adventure of playing the violin. With music so deeply ingrained in my heart, St. Cecilia, patroness of music and musicians, became a special figure who continues to inspire me.

Months of heated debate ended at a recent Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) meeting when trustees voted to include new terms into the board’s code of conduct. 

I have never once set foot on a school bus. I have never been taught in a traditional school at all. This is because ever since I started kindergarten, I have been homeschooled.

If there is an over-used excuse for neglecting our duty to pray the rosary, it would be busyness.