SpiritualityApril 22, 2018Rejoice and be Glad (Gaudete et Exsultate)
As we read about Pope Francis' latest writing - a call to sainthood for all - it is good to recall on this Earth Day his writings on ecology.
SpiritualityApril 16, 2018An Hour With Jesus
"We are living at a time when churches must be locked between services to protect these sacred places from vandalism. It is a sad commentary to modern living, but also a practical and necessary solution".
SpiritualityApril 15, 2018The Humboldt Broncos and the Strong Arms of Saskatchewan – Third Sunday of Easter.
"We’ve all been affected by last week’s terrible tragedy on a highway in rural Saskatchewan. Sadness and grief disrupted the peace and sleep of much of the country."
SpiritualityApril 14, 2018Learning a Lesson from King Zedekiah
"The pattern of sin, disobedience, and mercy is repeated countless times throughout scripture. But is this pattern repeated in our own lives as well when we reflect back?"
SpiritualityApril 13, 2018Giving Renewed Meaning to the Title of Pope
"Pope John and Pope Francis were to my mind outsider Popes. That is they were ready to break free of the orthodoxy of the administrative church and bend it more toward a pastoral church. "
SpiritualityApril 11, 2018Holocaust Remembrance Day 2018
“Jews survived all the defeats, expulsions, persecutions and pogroms, the centuries in which they were regarded as a pariah people, even the Holocaust itself, because they never gave up the faith that one day they would be free to live as Jews without fear.”
SpiritualityApril 08, 2018A Man of Peace – Martin Luther King, Jr – 2nd Sunday of Easter
"The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream of a dignified life for all men and women regardless of colour or creed continues to live on in the teachings of one of his most influential admirers, Pope Francis, a Vatican representative said."
SpiritualityApril 04, 2018Evangelization: Religious Minorities in Asia
In writing and on video, Bill Robins, SJ recounts his life and work in Nepal.
SpiritualityApril 02, 2018This is What Mass is About? Really? !
"Ask anyone who doesn’t regularly go to Mass why they don’t and one of the top answers you will get among youth is because it’s boring (among young adults, that response turns into “I don’t really get anything out of it”)."
SpiritualityMarch 29, 2018The Distinguished Donkey
"When you read the title of this article, you are probably thinking about that figure of speech called an oxymoron, for who would refer to a donkey as being distinguished . . . "
SpiritualityMarch 21, 2018The Art of Reflection
"Aren’t we all people becoming patches of light? Coaxed out of our own shadows by friends, we shine."
SpiritualityMarch 17, 2018The Presence of God
"The presence of God, the Trinity, is all-encompassing, all-inclusive. The Jesuit priest-scientist, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, described the universe we live in as “The Divine Milieu”, where God is all in all."
SpiritualityMarch 09, 2018My Readings
"Allow me to share with you my top three scriptural readings that have influenced me in my living a Christian life. "
SpiritualityMarch 04, 2018Reflecting on my Early Faith
"When I was told that I was to write for Ignation Blog countless different topics came to mind, . . . I thought it was a good idea to express myself in my native tongue first and to reflect on the earlier parts of my faith."
SpiritualityMarch 02, 2018The Eucharist
"It is the belief of Catholics that the bread and the wine offered in the Mass become the body and blood of Jesus Christ." How is this possible?
SpiritualityFebruary 27, 2018Walking in Fellowship
The 500th anniversary of he Reformation gives rise to feelings of unity rather than division.
SpiritualityFebruary 25, 2018Flying and “Contemplatio ad Amorem.”
"The crowning meditation of The Spiritual Exercises is the contemplation to achieve divine love. But, what has it got to do with flying a small airplane? For me - lots."
SpiritualityFebruary 23, 2018On Vocation
"may the grace of vocation well up in our land, characterized by an increase in listening and following, by hearts that are open and unafraid."
SpiritualityFebruary 20, 2018The Chair of Peter
A look at this feast of St.. Peter lead to something deeper.
SpiritualityFebruary 16, 2018If God Worked At McDonalds . . .
"Today I was sitting in a McDonalds enjoying a coffee and a random idea came to me. I wondered to myself, if I were the owner of this little food chain, and God was an employee of mine, where would he be?"
SpiritualityFebruary 15, 2018Looking Back: The Relic of St. Francis Xavier in Canada
"For five weeks in Canada we have experienced hands reaching out in faith to touch the Major Relic of St. Francis Xavier, drawing people from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific. Many came for personal reasons, hoping for a miracle, hoping for encouragement"
SpiritualityFebruary 10, 2018“Unclean, unclean” – Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
"I had the privilege of working with lepers and tuberculosis patients at Jesu Ashram, in Matigara, India (in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal). This was for a few months in the early nineties, when I was in the Jesuit stage of formation known as tertianship."
SpiritualityFebruary 09, 2018Lapsed Christians
"The Pope's prayer intention for July 2017 was: That our brothers and sisters who have strayed from the faith, through our prayer and witness to the Gospel, may rediscover the merciful closeness of the Lord and the beauty of the Christian life."
SpiritualityFebruary 03, 2018The Intensity of Jesus – Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
"In the commentary on today’s readings in Living with Christ, Marilyn Sweet stresses that today’s Gospel excerpt from Mark reveals the “intensity and urgency of Jesus”. She looks at his feverish activity in one day."
SpiritualityFebruary 02, 2018A New Altar
"From the earliest days of the Church, the altar has been at the centre of Christian acts of thanksgiving. Our altar reflects the incomparable beauty of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ, who offered the perfect sacrifice for our salvation on the Altar of the Cross. "
SpiritualityJanuary 30, 2018The Advent of Liberty
Four women - a Gypsy, a Jew, a Muslim, a Catholic - brought gifts to the author this season.
SpiritualityJanuary 28, 2018Forgiveness
"If you spend enough time on the Internet, you’d think Canada has become a nation of scolds. Cloaked in anonymity, our scolds span the spectrum of peevish, holier-than-thou thought. On one end are the politically correct scolds. They come with a complete set of attitudes that can’t be challenged. T
SpiritualityJanuary 27, 2018“Into the Silent Land” – Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Pope Benedict XVI wrote: "Let us not be afraid to be silent outside and inside ourselves, so that we are able not only to perceive God's voice, but also the voice of the person next to us, the voices of others."
SpiritualityJanuary 21, 2018The Governor General and People of Faith
Governor General Julie Payette is said to reflect the hopes and aspirations of the people of Canada. How well is she doing?
SpiritualityJanuary 20, 2018“Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power”- Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
"This Sunday occurs during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This Week of Prayer is an annual ecumenical celebration. Christians around the world are invited to pray for the unity of all Christians, to reflect on scripture together, to participate in jointly-organized ecumenical services, and
SpiritualityJanuary 18, 2018Our Broken World
"God our ever present loving Father wants us to be mentors of reconciliation to others, to be their ‘elders’ who show by example and word how to live and be God’s children."
SpiritualityJanuary 14, 2018Writing a Sunday Homily
"The homily is the result of a hodgepodge of my own thoughts and prayer and that of all I have read and learned from others concerning the Sunday readings. The intent is to present a unified, prayerful, inspiring ‘opening up the scriptures’ for God’s people each Sunday."
SpiritualityJanuary 13, 2018What Are You Looking For? – Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
"People who bring serious reflection to the question of what they desire don’t usually speak of their desire for a new car or a fancier house. . . . Rather, people speak of peace, health for self and others, a desire to be more appreciative for what they have, and so on."
SpiritualityJanuary 12, 2018Three Jesuit Resolutions for Anxiety
Ignatius offers three suggestions for dealing with stress in a healthy way. Reprinted with permission from The Jesuit Post.
SpiritualityJanuary 06, 2018The Relic of St Francis Xavier Comes to Canada
In January 2018, the relic of St. Francis Xavier will be making a pilgrimage across Canada for a month. Here is the telling of how this came about.
SpiritualityJanuary 04, 2018Trusting in Divine Will
"The most difficult challenge is to know that the Holy Spirit is truly present in our lives. We must take the time to be still, and listen to the promptings that will guide us and keep us on the right path."
SpiritualityJanuary 02, 2018The Courage to Love: On James Martin and the Magnitude of Words
"When Damian Torres-Botello, SJ read about recent reactions to Fr. James Martin’s newest book, he was reminded of the power of words and the call to love." Reposted with permission from The Jesuit Post
SpiritualityJanuary 01, 2018Devotion to Mary: An Unsafe Path?
"The path is not safe, but, surprisingly, it is leading me to discover that Jesus actually wants me to be happy." Reposted from The Jesuit Post with permission.
SpiritualityDecember 18, 2017Respecting Diversity
" . . . every human being is created in the image and likeness of the Creator. Honouring this divine image in the very being of every person is the foundation of genuine social justice. "