It was in my final year of religion class where I learned about Jesus’ sermon on the mount. The sermon, which begins in Matthew 5, is a good guide for self-reflection. What resonated with me the most from the sermon starts on Matthew 6:19 with Jesus’ lessons on treasure.

Since becoming The Catholic Register’s youth editor in February, I’ve been trying to recapture what it truly means to “give Catholic youth a voice.” To me, it means capturing the energy and the spirit of youth ministry.

I can fondly recall as a young boy the excitement that I, and many of my friends, felt as we approached Grade 4. The time had finally come when we were considered mature enough to be altar servers at our parish, St. Anthony of Padua.

We are all called to be saints as we are all called to claim our place in Heaven as children of God. Because this is no easy task, God has given us the saints that have come before us as a huge source of inspiration.

National Geographic recently named the Virgin Mary as the world’s most powerful woman. What an honour as Catholics to have our Mother seen to hold such a beautiful and mighty role on Earth, and to get this recognition from the secular world.

It’s that time again in the Catholic Church: the beginning of a new liturgical year and start of the season of Advent.

It was in my last year of high school when my school’s chaplain asked me to come to his office one day. We talked about what I’d been going through. It was clear to myself and to others that I hadn’t been myself.

Mark your calendars. Find all your friends and tell them to do the same. From Nov. 30 to Dec. 11, 50,000 heads of state, foreign dignitaries, private sector innovators and environmental advocates will gather in Paris to discuss global initiatives related to curbing the effects of climate change — this year’s biggest UN environmental conference. Frankly, I can barely control my excitement.

More students today are facing unemployment or underemployment, even in specialized fields. A report from the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, based on 2011 data, has found that only 29.7 per cent of those with engineering degrees actually work in their fields as engineers.

During my high school years, I struggled with mental illness. I felt hopeless. I was alone. I was hurting and I knew that nothing could change the way I felt. It was during this time that I grew in my faith.