Today, on this 4th Sunday of Easter, the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd is placed before us, as the Church marks the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. I do not need to remind you that priests and religious are no
In the Eastern churches, Christians greet each other on Easter Sunday morning not by saying “Happy Easter”, but with the acclamation: “Christ is risen, Alleluia!” To which the other immediately responds, “Truly, he is risen!
As we complete our Easter octave, today’s Gospel presents us with the encounter between the Risen Christ and the struggling Apostle Thomas. I have always liked Thomas. I can relate to Thomas. I have even joked that if ever I became Pope (a long shot, to be sure!), I would choose to be called T
Inspired by Pope Francis’ Palm Sunday homily (2014)
Fr. Raymond Lafontaine, E.V.March 29, 2015
This week begins with the festive procession with olive branches: the entire population welcomes Jesus. The children and young people sing Hosanna, praising Jesus as their King. But this week continues in the mystery of Jesus’ death and, eventually, his resurrection.
Christ Is Risen! Alleluia! Truly, He Is Risen! Alleluia!
Fr. Raymond Lafontaine, E.V.April 4, 2015
We have just heard these words spoken by and Angel to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, who on going to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus, found his tomb empty. This empty tomb is the foundation of our Easter hope: Christ is risen, just as he has promised. Because Christ is risen, we share
Not long ago, an unsolicited “junk fax” came in and caught my attention:
ANGER MANAGEMENT! Are you alarmed at how anger is controlling your life! This important one-day workshop is all about acquiring, step-by-step, the skills you need to better manage anger: your own anger, the outbursts of your employees, the anger your clients might unleash. Topics covered include: how anger affects our bodies, minds, and behaviour; anger management; appropriate expression of feelings; staying calm; preventing a build-up of frustration; developing a model for assertive anger.
This past Wednesday, hundreds of us gathered here in the church, morning and evening, to be marked with ashes. Ashes that symbolize our mortality and vulnerability; our acknowledgement of our sinful condition and dependence on God’s mercy; our openness to conversion, to the inner transformation
Last weekend, we had the privilege of welcoming Pastor Brent Walker to the pulpit to launch the week of prayer for Christian Unity. He spoke to us passionately about some of the ways in which we can narrow the gap between the wonder of “God as God is” – infinite, unconditional, unbreakable love
My family has a tradition of going to the movies on Boxing Day. Last Friday, a group of nine of us went downtown to see “The Imitation Game”. Based on the true story of mathematician Alan Turing, the film tells the story of the team working to break the infamous Enigma Code used by the Nazis to communicate military information during World War II. At one point in the film, a Bible belonging to one of the codebreakers is found, with the passage of Matthew 7:7 clearly marked: “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” And after several years of frustrating blind alleys, near-misses, interpersonal conflict, and an ingenious contraption named “Christopher” which became the forerunner of the modern computer, the unbreakable code is eventually broken. The Bletchley codebreakers sought, and eventually, they found; a discovery that helped bring the war to a quicker end and saved thousands of lives.
St. Monica's Parish