What are you doing to leave a mark on this Earth?

Every so often, I get questioning looks directed at the cross hanging from my neck. Sometimes, people are curious to know what that wooden symbol means.

When I saw houses that were falling apart and children walking around with tattered clothing, my heart sank. I’d seen pictures of third-world countries and had heard stories of the less fortunate, but my eyes were opened when I stepped into this life for a week.

My parents gave me the name Patrick after St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.

There are 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour and 24 hours in a day. Are we using this time wisely?

Despite the fasting and the receiving of ashes ceremony that is common to every Catholic on Ash Wednesday, I have always found this day of solemnity to be a very personal experience.

Bigoted. Patriarchal. Sexist.

We’ve all heard the way some people talk about the Catholic Church — in our schools, at work, in the mainstream media or on the Internet. They say it’s an ancient institution, stuck in the past, left behind by modern progress in women’s rights.

On Sunday, Jan. 29, just as I was getting ready to leave church after an evening Mass, a gunman opened fire on a mosque in Quebec City, killing six people and injuring many more shortly after the end of their evening prayers.

In general, I’m a pretty hopeful person about the future of the Church, even more so with the announcement of the theme for next year’s Synod of Bishops.

Happy New Year! Growing up in Canada, I had a largely typical North American childhood experience, but it was also infused with the traditions of my Chinese heritage.