Inspired by Truth, Enlightening Minds for the Church in Canada and Throughout the World
Inspired by Truth, Enlightening Minds for the Church in Canada and Throughout the World
(On this Sunday, September 7th, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati is being canonized, along with fellow Italian, Blessed Carlo Acutis. Both died young – Carlo at 15, Pier Giorgio at 24 – and hence are two of the patrons of youth, but they are otherwise quite different. I haven’t written on Carlo, yet, but did venerate[…]
‘Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple’ (Lk. 14:27). ⧾ This saying of Our Lord is very well known to us and we know that it expresses the essence of our Christian discipleship and commitment – the embrace of the cross. Are we willing to carry our[…]
As universities gear up to receive students, we should leave the travails of this world for a moment and ponder the other-worldliness of Mother Saint Teresa of Calcutta (+1997) who did not go to university, but who was nevertheless far better educated and formed than most modern graduates: Solidly grounded in what we would now know as[…]
The poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty — it is not only a poverty of loneliness but also of spirituality. There’s a hunger for love, as there is a hunger for God. (Saint Teresa of Calcutta, +1997)
Blessed Dina Belanger (+1929) is a home-grown Canadian saint whom we commemorate today. (The martyr Andre Grasset, whom we celebrated two days ago, is still a beatus). Born April 30th, 1897 in St. Roch, Quebec, now a suburb of the capital city, Dina was baptized a few hours later. (After all, why wait?) From an[…]
BENEDICT XVI GENERAL AUDIENCE Wednesday, 4 June 2008 Saint Gregory the Great (2) Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today, at our Wednesday appointment, I return to the extraordinary figure of Pope Gregory the Great to receive some additional light from his rich teaching. Notwithstanding the many duties connected to his office as the Bishop of Rome,[…]
One of the great joys of history is reminiscing about the past, giving hope for the present; for history is ‘eschatological’, moving towards a final purpose. Hence, we Catholics should never lose hope, and this virtue is easier to cultivate and foster in our souls if, as Christ said, we could but read the signs.[…]
BENEDICT XVI GENERAL AUDIENCE Wednesday, 28 May 2008 Saint Gregory the Great (1) Dear Brothers and Sisters, Last Wednesday I spoke of a Father of the Church little known in the West, Romanus the Melodist. Today I would like to present the figure of one of the greatest Fathers in the history of the Church,[…]
We ascend to the heights of contemplation by the steps of action. (Saint Gregory the Great, +604)
Blessed André Grassett was the first Canadian to be beatified – not quite the first ‘saint’, which requires canonization, and that honour belongs to the heroic Jesuit martyrs (if we consider them Canadian, for they were all missionaries, born in France). The first canonized saint who was both born and died in Canada is Marguerite[…]
