Winter has passed, and spring has come. The seeds you have sown with tears will bear fruit very soon. (Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-Kiun)
Month: May 2023
Alberta Votes, and We Hope She Votes Wisely
The province of Alberta votes tomorrow, and, while not unduly influencing the democratic process – for do we not influence to some extent, even by prayer? – here are some thoughts. The choice in Canada, not just in Alberta, is a stark one: Between a free citizenry, who make their own choices and govern their[…]
Saint Rita’s Mission Impossible
A fitting thought on this vigil day of Pentecost is that nothing is impossible with God. Did not Christ promise that He would grant anything asked for in the name of the Father? As the angel Gabriel said to Mary, all things are possible with the Almighty – the Omnipotens in our Creed. So when[…]
Bernardine of Siena and the Power of the Name
May 20th in the month of Mary, the Franciscan Calendar celebrates the feast of St Bernardine of Siena. Being a great Franciscan himself St Bernardine could not help but follow in the footsteps of St Francis who loved the Name of Jesus, Our Lord and Saviour. The earliest biographer of St Francis, Thomas of Celano,[…]
The Ascension and Discipleship
‘And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age’ (Mt. 28:20). Our Lord’s Ascension which we celebrate today (or as in the universal Church, at the proper time last Thursday) marks the exaltation and glorification of Jesus, the sign and seal of the accomplishment of His mission. His glorification as Lord[…]
You must know that when you ‘hail’ Mary, she immediately greets you! Don’t think that she is one of those rude women…on the contrary, she is utterly courteous and pleasant. If you greet her, she will answer you right away and converse with you! (Saint Bernardine of Siena, +1444)
Real Grave Matter
As the search continues for what are turning out to be rather elusive and mysterious mass graves, the tragic irony of the following is poignant: https://www.liveaction.org/news/canada-assisted-suicide-vulnerable-group/ Yes, Trudeau and his Liberals have now extended euthanasia to prisoners, and 32% of the prison population is Indigenous, so one can figure out the probabilities of more than[…]
Orwell and Truth
In George Orwell’s prescient 1984, “staying sane” meant remaining critical of the totalitarian government’s apparent ‘truths’, even if only in secret. 2 + 2 does not equal five, and what you see with your own eyes is more real than what the television tells you. It isn’t Winston’s ability to say two two’s make four[…]
Saint Stanislaus Papczynski: Undisclosed Face of Greatness
What makes a great priest? On May 18, as the Congregation of Marians of the Immaculate Conception celebrates the birthday and liturgical memorial of its founder, Saint Stanislaus Papczynski, is a good time to reflect on this. John Papczynski was born in May 1631, became a Polish Roman Catholic priest, and is considered a patron[…]
Help me to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown. Give me the faith to leave old ways and break fresh ground with You. Christ of the mysteries, I trust You to be stronger than each storm within me. I will trust in the darkness and know that my times, even now, are in[…]