Imagine yourself as one of Jesus’ followers, sitting in a field in Galilee, surrounded by hundreds, maybe even thousands of others, listening attentively to him speak. Along with everyone else, you are captivated by his wisdom and authority; you have the feeling that there is something special about this man. More »

Joy and holiness are intimately interrelated. When holiness unfolds in the context of our daily life, joy increases in the same process. Deep joy is growth in holiness. More »

John the Baptist reached beyond himself, both backward and forward in time. He represented the history of Israel, waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promise to send a messiah. And he pointed to the future, announcing the coming of the Messiah who would establish the reign of God. More »

Teresa of Ávila is a woman, a saint, a mystic, and a doctor of the church. She is best known for her reform of the Carmelite community in sixteenth-century Spain and for her many inspiring and profound writings that were saved and circulated in the decades after her death. As a woman of prayer, Teresa is a good model for anyone who wants to live a simple life with God in the midst of a complex world. More »

Let us thank God for the opportunity he has given us today to come here to pray together. We have come here especially to pray for peace, joy and love. We are reminded that Jesus came to bring the good news to the poor. He told us what that good news is when he said: "My peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you." He came not to give the peace of the world which is only that we don’t bother each other. He came to give the peace of heart which comes from loving—from doing good to others. More »

In the seventeenth century, French fishermen, fur traders, and explorers were landing in New France, which included not only Quebec but all the lands watered by the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. They traded and made alliances with native tribes such as the Hurons and Algonquins. More »

When the Son of God entered the world, he didn’t simply appear one day in a blaze of glory, bringing immediate salvation. In God’s perfect plan, his Son was "born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons" (Galatians 4:4-5). More »

During the Second Vatican Council, the bishops voted on whether to have a separate document about Mary or to put a chapter about her at the end of the most important document of Vatican II, which was called Lumen gentium or the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. By one of the narrowest margins of the entire council, the bishops voted to include Mary as part of—at the end of—the document on the Church. More »