All Posts - Page 284 of 312

04 Dec

Advent Reflection

St. Joseph together with the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist are Advent saints for prayerful reflection during this time of preparation for the birth of the Lord. Earlier this year as a continuation of Vatican II's remembrance of Joseph's role in the mystery of salvation, Pope Francis added his name to the list of saints in the Eucharistic Prayers. We begin Advent, in Year A of the liturgical cycle, by reading the Gospel according to Matthew who focuses his infancy narrative on Joseph. Benedict XVI in The Infancy Narrative, a prologue to his two volume, Jesus of Nazareth, notes that Matthew places Joseph with the "great figures of the Old Covenant"....

03 Dec

The Sound and The Story – A Four-Part Series for Advent – (2) “For Unto Us a Child is Born.”

his Advent, Kevin Burns will listen to some carefully chosen music. In the second in the series he explains Handel's interest in London's Foundling Hospital and offers us a selection from Handel's Messiah....

02 Dec

God

From time to time, over the next few months, as part of the "Our Culture" section, , igNation will post poetry written by Jesuits. Poems from Gerard Manley Hopkins and St. Robert Southwell will appear as well as poems by contemporary Jesuits. Today's poem is by Greg Kennedy, SJ...

01 Dec

Prepare the Savior’s Coming

In 2013, St. Xavier's College, in Kathmandu, marked its silver jubilee. Fr. Charles Law and Fr. Eugene Watrin worked hard to see the college begin evening classes at St. Xavier's School in July 1988. By 1990 the college's first building opened on an ideal site in the city. The college has now grown and looks forward to becoming a university. Jesuits love to use the name "Xavier," and rightly so. For a decade, from 1542 through 1552, St. Francis Xavier preached, first in India, then across South-East Asia, on to Japan, and finally to the coast of China. He introduced many thousands of people to Jesus' message of salvation. He certainly did his part to "prepare humanity for the Savior's coming!"...

28 Nov

On being a Saskatchewan Roughrider Fan

Anyone who follows the CFL (Canadian Football League) knows that the Saskatchewan Roughriders have the best fans in Canada. Some might call us a bit over the top, but the reality is that, wherever and whenever we play, there are folks garbed in green and white, cheering on their team! To be at a game in Regina is an experience that rivals any other entertainment – as long as you don't mind an adrenalin rush and the most enthusiastic men, women, and children who ever donned face paint, wigs, and yes, even watermelon helmets! And if the Riders aren't at home, in many of the stadiums around the country, there might be nearly as many green jerseys in the stands as the home team....

27 Nov

Nepali Thanksgiving

I celebrated Thanksgiving in a new way this year. Our Canadian Thanksgiving weekend coincided with Dashain, one of the major festivals on the Nepali calendar. Such a coincidence worked out well for the Bhutanese-Nepali community of Toronto, as they had days off during which they could celebrate. It worked out well for me, as I was invited to be a part of the festivities. A friend from Nepal, San Bahadur, invited me to celebrate with him and his extended family....

26 Nov

The Sound and the Story – A Four-Part Series for Advent – (1) God is With Us

This Advent, Kevin Burns will listen to some carefully chosen music. In the first in the series he explains why, this year, one piece in particular will take on an even more poignant meaning: John Tavener's God Is With Us....

25 Nov

Tree

From time to time, over the next few months, as part of the "Our Culture" section, igNation will post poetry written by Jesuits. Poems from Gerard Manley Hopkins and St. Robert Southwell will appear as well as poems by contemporary Jesuits. Today's poem is by Jason Vaz, SJ, a Jesuit scholastic studying in Ottawa....

25 Nov

Martha and Her Jar

sometimes prudence sucks sometimes the Spirit blows the whole welfare cheque at Macy's on perfume...

24 Nov

A Time for Every Purpose Under Heaven

November 22, 2013, marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and might be a good time to revisit Oliver Stone's 1991 film, JFK, and to re-read James W. Douglass's book, JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters (Orbis Books, 2005)....