All Posts - Page 123 of 312

20 Feb

International Outreach of John Veltri, SJ

"he extent of John Veltri's spiritual outreach around the world was very real, is difficult to document, and needs further exploration by researchers." ...

19 Feb

God’s Gift of Friendship

"By the grace of God and thanks to the listening ears of a good friend, I turned a corner and my faith was strengthened."...

18 Feb

Quotes from My Bright Abyss, Christian Wiman.

"A quote on the back cover states: “A book that will give light and strength, even to those who find themselves unable to follow its difficult path.” (Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker) "...

17 Feb

A Tree Planted by Water – Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Trust is a tenuous feeling. Jeremiah refers to the fear that comes with heat and the anxiety during a time of drought. If the tree hadn’t been planted by water, it would wither. Instead, it continues to bear fruit."...

16 Feb

The Selfishness o f Western Countries

"When arriving in our Western countries, refugee claimants ask for our help. We don’t want to give our help because we will have to invest time and money. It is time to really look in the mirror and admit it: We are selfish."...

15 Feb

Education as Transformation at Regis College

In the eyes of the world, I probably look like I’ve received more than enough: I work as an executive for a technology firm in Toronto, live a comfortable life, own properties, I’m surrounded by a supportive group of friends, and volunteer part-time for my local parish. To some, this might seem like a good lifestyle in the context of Canadian society: going through the motions, entertained, helping out a bit, without feeling really moved by the depth of the pain that our world is in. The experience of my first semester at Regis College in Toronto, Canada, has further pushed me to further realize that neither the job nor the money nor my relationships bring true peace if I do not live them for the greater good of others and in God; if I do not listen to His voice and get behind Christ’s project. The “Christ Project” is a concept embraced by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin in his book The Divine Milieu. According to de Chardin, God’s plan is not just for each human being to be “saved,” but also that we humans, working together as a collective of bodies and souls, would contribute in the creative work of a universal good. This project “encompasses the entire evolving universe and it aims to bring creation (along with all of us) back to God, fully conscious of our divine origin and divine destiny.” More specifically, I have been moved by the situations of social injustice covered throughout several of the classes. For instance, learning about the generosity of those who have “the least," such as Teresita de Jesus, one of the thousands of Guatemalan refugees in Canada, touched my heart. Moreover, it brought a significant sense of guilt. Like many, she lived paycheck to paycheck, working two jobs, supporting her son. And she still...

14 Feb

Sans Noblesse Oblige (aka Snob): Trying to Understand What Went Wrong

"They must take a page out of the conservative playbook and constantly without end be out there convincing people that a globalised world is better for them, that immigration is the best thing for the country, and that just because the country’s demographics are changing on religious and ethnic lines does not mean that one’s voice counts any less."...