Speaking Out

‘Light the advent candle one, now the waiting has begun.’

As a young Catholic, I’m finding that it is important to surround myself with as much of a Catholic presence as I can. I’m in my last year of high school, and I’ve noticed that through the past few years it’s gotten harder to hold steady in my faith.

When presented with barrages of violent and destructive images, sometimes the only place to look is away. To say that it is a challenge to witness these horrors is an understatement, but to go beyond that and work against these horrors is what makes heroes.

As Nov. 5 approaches, I become increasingly excited. No, it is not my birthday, but my name day, called “imieniny” in Polish.

When I moved out of home for the first time, going to university, the big decision was taking matters of faith into my own hands. At university, there is no parent to wake you up on Sunday morning and drag you out to church. Did I really want to do all of that?

There used to be a time when I thought of Mass as just an obligation; something I had to attend to please God. It was after going to Madrid for World Youth Day 2011 that my eyes were opened. I understood that I had been approaching the Eucharist in the wrong way.

October is a special month for Catholics because it is the month Pope Pius XI chose in 1926 for the first World Mission Sunday. Falling on Oct. 23, it is the day we remember missionaries such as priests, sisters and lay people who continue to dedicate their lives to living out the gospel through prayer, action and love.

Crisp air, fiery-coloured leaves, pumpkins and apples — the smell of autumn is in the air! It’s October, and Thanksgiving is upon us.

If you have seen a Christian movie, you probably know that many are cheesy, low-budget films that are rarely lucky enough to make their way into theatres.

One would think, as a teenage girl, suicide should be the very last thing on my mind. But in a recent conversation with my grandfather, I’ve had reason to reflect on just how much Canadians have changed their perspective on assisted suicide and what a contrast it is to his generation.