Weekly Insight
Freedom from Spiritual Slavery: Following the Example of Christ
(As we enter back into 'ordinary time', we follow the public life of our Saviour, His three years of ministry before His Passion, Death and Resurrection, for which prepare during Lent, and celebrate at...
Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys: What Canada Was, and May Be Again
On this January 12th here in Canada we celebrate Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys (1620-1700), founder of the Congregation of Notre-Dame, alongside the first official 'school' in what were the the untamed wilds of Canada. A...
Living Our Baptism
A blessed feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which in the novus ordo normally falls on a Sunday (today is the Feast of the Holy Family in the usus antiquior). A grace-filled one...
Baptism of the Lord and the Beginning of His Ministry
‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased’ (Mt. 3:17). ⧾
Today’s Feast of the Lord’s Baptism brings to a completion our celebration of the Feast of Christmas and the Epiphany...
Extraordinary Ordinary Time
With the feast of Christ’s Baptism last Sunday, and the 'Second Sunday' today, we enter back into what we now call ‘Ordinary Time’. We should not misconstrue this term - Ordinary' here means not...
It’s Still a Wonderful Life
The quiet authority of the 1946 Christmas move It’s a Wonderful Life upon the cultural imagination cannot be overstated, and few films manage such influence while refusing every modern instinct toward superficial consolation. Consequently, its...
The Mysticism of Gregory of Nyssa
The memorial of Saint Gregory of Nyssa, even if not in the universal calendar, is on this January 10th. Gregory is one of the 'Cappadocian Fathers', along with his elder brother, Saint Basil the...
Chant Workshop in Ottawa
For those who want to learn something about the great tradition of Gregorian chant, or hone your incipient skills, there will be a a Chant workshop offered by Miss Catherine Helferty in Ottawa with...
Healing Effects of the Holy Eucharist
Sadly, the majority of Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Nearly seven in ten Catholics (69%) say they personally believe that during the Holy Sacrifice of the...
Saint Raymond of Penyafort
Today, January 8th, is the feast of Saint Raymond of Penyafort (1175-1275), one of the first Dominicans (officially known as the Order of Preachers) eventually becoming the third Master General of the Order (after...
Cardinals in Consistory
The 245 cardinals of the Catholic Church - give or take a few - are gathering today and tomorrow in consistory to discuss various issues. We don't know precisely what they may discuss -...
Petit Brother André Bessette: The Miracle Worker of Montreal
On January 7th here in Canada we honour one of our most beloved homegrown saints, André Bessette (1845-1937), a humble lay-brother who went on to found Saint Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal. A sickly boy,...
Pope Saint Telesphorus
This fifth of January is the traditional commemoration of the eighth bishop of Rome after Saint Peter, namely, Saint Telesphorus. Not much is known about his life: He was Greek, and was chosen Pope...
Saint John Neumann, the Bishop Who Kept on Going
Today is the feast of Saint John Neumann - whom we should distinguish from Saint John Henry Newman, the English Oratorian and fellow saint; as well as from the non-ordained layman John von Neumann,...
How Dostoevsky Changed the World
In 1849, Fyodor Dostoevsky stood before a firing squad, fully prepared for death, only to hear his execution sentence revoked at the final instant. This episode serves as more than dramatic biography, since it...
