It sure is a strange time to be alive. In the wake of public closures of ‘nonessential services,’ it really makes me consider how we take human interaction for granted. I think we’ve been truly blessed to live in a time when the internet sort of alleviates the feeling of isolation, but certainly doesn’t replace in-person conversation — especially when it comes to the Church. With that being said, I have a somewhat strange reflection to share. Given that we are... Read more
Image credit: pixabay.com “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” — 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV In the wake of any traumatic event or disaster, emotions usually run high among those involved. In my own experiences, I’ve had my own share of vehicle accidents where, in the aftermath, my head was usually overloading with questions. What if I had gone a bit slower? What if I took an... Read more
For non-Catholics, this article might come across as a bit of an oddity. Most Protestant Christians (with the exception of certain Lutheran and Anglican denominations) believe the Eucharist is merely a symbol and an act of remembrance, though Catholics, Orthodox and certain mainline Protestants believe it is much more than that. While the vast majority of Christian denominations teach that individuals ought to receive Communion in a reverent manner, the method of reverence varies among them. Because Catholics believe the... Read more
In Chapter 7 of Elie Wiesel’s novel ‘Night,’ there is a disturbing scene where prisoners of war boarded a train car in Poland on their way to the concentration camps. After they journeyed for days with little to no food and drink, the prisoners were gradually becoming sick and dying. Some would even consume the snow on the ground in an attempt to find some form of nourishment. A few German workmen by the train tracks tossed pieces of bread... Read more
The first week of March was a pretty rough haul for me. In addition to battling sickness, I was assigned to a job site about an hour and a half out of town while the weather was still your typical Albertan winter. The periodic wind gusts exceeding 35 kilometers an hour made finishing the tin roof of an unfinished gazebo a task that required more caution that the usual times I’ve been sent out in the field. As I had... Read more
“According to the commission of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it. For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 RSV As a carpenter, dealing with building foundations is part of my profession. Like a domino effect, a faulty foundation not only affects the framework of... Read more
It’s that time of year again! Lent is just around the corner! Because the times are changing rapidly, so are the things that affect our daily routines. Instead of coming up with the usual sacrifices for Lent like chocolate, sweets or alcohol, I figured I’d come up with a list that is somewhat less cliched and more up-to-date. Well, sort of. One thing I should clarify is this is only a list of ideas. If anything, it’s easier to stick... Read more
“By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” — Genesis 3:19 NRSV In the winter of 2017, a dear friend of mine passed away after losing her battle with cancer, and her funeral happened to land on Ash Wednesday — the first day of the season of Lent. Prior to this I knew it was going to be a busy... Read more
In the wake of the newly released apostolic exhortation Querida Amazonia, outrage seemed to have once again sparked — but this time from both traditionalist and feminist corners of Catholic social media. One side generally believes the document is too ambiguous regarding the ordination of women in the Amazon and is freaking out that not enough is being said to lay the issue to rest on a global scale. Thus, further enabling the eventual possibility of (dun dun dun!!!!) women priests.... Read more
As someone who was raised Catholic and spent nearly 12 years as an adult Evangelical, there have been numerous times when I’ve struggled with having faith in God, let alone the existence of Jesus Christ. I had regularly attended Mass in my youth, though the circumstances surrounding my autistic brother’s high sensory difficulties made attending our local parish difficult to accomplish as a family unit. Paired with being frequently bullied in school by even those who attended the same church, I... Read more
Coffee and Crucifix
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