Everyday For Life Canada: March 2014

The Annunciation: where our true hope and salvation begins

The Gospel reading for yesterday is taken from St. Luke 1: 26-38. We celebrated the Solemnity of the Annunciation of our Lord. This has to be in the Catholic liturgical calendar the greatest feast to mark the celebration and dignity of life. With Mary's "Fiat" the Word becomes flesh; the Word of Life became human and divine. Mary's co-operates fully with God's plan which gave meaning to her life and all of humanity. She responds with a "Yes" to life and to God's love. It all begins at conception. Here's the reading:

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.

Mar

Revisiting the truth: "The Canadian Mother and Child"

In a past blog entry, I reviewed the book published by the Department of Health and Welfare Canada tilted, The Canadian Mother and Child. It was first published in 1940, a second printing came out in 1953 and the third and final printing was done in 1968. The Minister of National Health and Welfare for the last publication was John Munro. It's interesting to note that as the sexual revolution began to gain greater speed and cultural acceptance the book was no longer reprinted.

Mar

A fundraising dinner to defend parental rights

On September 12, 2012, Dr. Steve Tourloukis filed a court Application against the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board. Why? He was forced to take this legal step after the school board refused his repeated requests for religious accommodation. Tourloukis is simply seeking a court order declaring that as a practicing Christian Greek Orthodox and parent he ought to have the right and the final authority over his children’s education, especially their moral education.

Mar

St. Joseph unmasks today's sexual lies

Today we appear to be proud of the fact that we live in a very licentious and libidinous culture. We are free to express our unrestricted sexuality. The Internet is filled with millions of pornographic websites. Sexual activities and pleasure of every kind have become an obsession. However, pornography for many has also become a debilitating addiction.

In this liberal context, the teaching of the Church when it comes to sexual morality is seen as outdated.

Mar

Canadian Food for Children: a Lenten focus on who we are

Since his election last year, Pope Francis has urged us over and over again that the world must make helping the poor, the marginalized and the hungry a top priority. It's a strong reminder that evangelization is done through prayer and actions. Toronto's Dr. Andrew Simone and his wife Joan have made this their vocation. In 1975, they completely changed their lives and gave up everything in order to help the needy and the hungry in the community.

Mar

OECTA is no longer a Catholic teachers' union

What are Catholic teachers to do when your union promotes and believes ideas that are in complete contradiction to Catholic teaching? Should they not be given the option of cancelling their membership? Let me explain. The Ontario Catholic Teachers Association made it public this week that they intend to officially participate in Toronto's World Pride march.

Mar

A blog entry in pictures

Image I

Image II

Mar

World Meeting of Families to bring new icon to Philadelphia for 2015

Preparations are underway for the VIII World Meeting of Families. In 2012, a new and beautiful icon was introduced to represent this Catholic world event. Here's the way it was described on the WMF website:

It is a large mosaic, created by the Jesuit artist Marko Rupnik, which was blessed by the Pope in St Peter’s Square on 11 April. The work was entrusted to Monsignor Erminio De Scalzi, president of Fondazione Milano Famiglie 2012, by the Holy Father.

Mar

CRTC enforces Canadian porn content

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunication Commission, CRTC, that will not grant a licence to any Christian station to broadcast religious programs 24 hours a day, is now making sure that a number of porn channels maintain their 35% Canadian content. Canada must have its own porn actors. In addition, the porn material must include "90% closed captioning for English-language programs." A number of companies are being singled out for possible infringement: Moviola: Short Film Channel Inc.

Mar

A five minute guide for Lent and Easter

In St. Augustine's Tractates on the Gospel of St. John, 49, 2, he offers a wonderful and challenging meditation and reflection for Lent and Easter. Here’s the message from this Church Father:

Virtually everyone fears the death of the body, so few the death of the soul. Everyone worries about the death of the body, which must happen sooner or later, and does everything possible to avert it. … Yet all that one does to avoid death is in vain: at best one can only delay it, but never escape it.