Saint of the Week “In his loving providence, God made St Peter Canisius his own ambassador at a time when the voice of the Catholic proclamation of faith in German-speaking countries risked falling silent.” So wrote St John Paul II of St Peter Canisius SJ, in a letter to the German bishops to mark 400…

Even the greatest believer goes through the tunnel of doubt John the Baptist, hearing of Jesus’ works, is seized with doubt as to whether he is really the Messiah or not. In fact, he imagined a stern Messiah who would come and do justice with power by chastising sinners. Now, on the contrary, Jesus has…

New York-based authors Audrey Elledge and Elizabeth Moore have found safe harbour in the practice of inviting God into every moment of modern life, writes Jason Osborne ‘Liturgy’ is the public prayer of the Faithful, but it takes many forms. Whether it’s in Mass or the Liturgy of the Hours, liturgy gives structure to our…

It delights me that Babette’s Feast is one of Pope Francis’ favourite films. It is a lovely film and quite subtle, deserving much more than the small, but devoted following it had previously. Set in a small community in Denmark, with its particular virtues and expectations, it is about how these can both elevate and…

A doctor of the Church, St John of the Cross is also one of its great mystics and poets. Born Juan de Yepes de Alvarez in Spain, he was the son of poor parents from Castile, near Avila, but was mostly raised by his mother after his father died early in his life. In 1563, he…

Meditation awakens the heart to the spirit who dwells within every person. Each of us is called to continually renew that spirit as we follow our life’s path. We might express this in another way by saying that we are each called to give birth to Christ in our hearts just as Mary did in…

Godly Play seeks to help children explore their innate spirituality in a Scripture-centric way, writes Jason Osborne How many Catholic parents over the years have longed to see their children engage with the Faith with the same degree of enthusiasm as they engage with their play? While I don’t have the answer to that, it’s…

Faith in Film Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo star in the subtle rom-com Just Like Heaven. Last week, I wrote about how great art can turn our eyes to God to appreciate his beauty. But not everything has to be deep and serious to warrant our attention. Light, sincere films can be just as effective,…

Saint of the Week It wouldn’t have been proper to focus on anyone else this week other than Mary, the Mother of God. The Church celebrates on December 8 the Solemnity of her Immaculate Conception, which is such a momentous occasion that it’s a holy day of obligation – meaning that Catholics must attend Mass…

by Lindsey Weishar I love the hymns that accompany us through the Advent season. A term I sometimes hear used for them is ‘haunting.’ Some are played in minor keys, which fills them with a special mystery, a particular kind of longing. I think haunting is such an appropriate word as the earliest usage of the word haunt…