When is the last time that you thought about your “identity” as a person? Perhaps that thought, when it came, led you to the question of “why you were created?” If we look at inanimate things we can generally determine the purpose for which the item was created. A motor vehicle is created to transport … More DUSTING UP THE “LIKENESS”

Today, the feast of the Holy Family is a good day to reflect on our own family life. The example provided to us by Jesus, Mary and Joseph is a good starting point because the Holy Family, like all families, faced the many perils and uncertainties of life and in their case the difficulties of … More OH, FOR THE LOVE OF FAMILY

  Some of us in pursuing life’s journey have been terribly hurt, often by the actions of others. Whether that hurt comes about as the result of warfare, betrayal, physical or sexual abuse, the willful defaming of our good name, chronic bullying, neglect, or some other unfathomable injustice we tend to retreat into a defensive … More CLINGING TO THE CREATOR

When we think about our important inter-personal relationships we draw on our heart to frame a relationship that, to the extent that we are able, reflects our emotional commitment to that relationship. Ideally, love in the Agape sense of the word, is what we strive for in all our relationships. Agape love has been described … More DRAWN FROM THE HEART

  The scriptural reading from Isaiah today [Isaiah 11: 1-10] is instructive. We might ask: How is God speaking to me in this verse today? Isaiah, of course, speaks of a bud rising from the stump of Jesse blossoming into Jesus. If we look at this reading allegorically and paint a picture of stumps that … More NEW LIFE FROM THE STUMP

How often have any of us been tempted to take the short cut knowing implicitly that the longer route held much more promise? We elect frequently to settle for momentary gain at the expense of long term growth. We can then settle into patterns that inhibit our growth indefinitely. It’s not meant to be this … More SETTLING FOR LESS

The Jewish people were obviously startled to hear Jesus predict [Luke: 21: 5-6] that the Temple would be destroyed, “not a single stone to be left upon another”. No doubt they thought that one of the benefits of having the Messiah among them was that He would protect the Temple. Jesus however, as we now … More RECOGNIZING THE TEMPLE WITHIN

  That we live in a time of spiritual darkness, there can be little doubt. The challenge, if we are a Christian, is to take on the mantle of Christ and embrace the truth. That leads to the question: What is truth? That is an ancient question and one posed to Jesus himself by Pilate … More THEY RISE IN THE DARKNESS

As a Christian we know that we have a duty to help proclaim the Gospel to all nations. Reflecting on this duty might conjure up notions of missionary activity in far away locations where the Gospel has never been preached. Think again. Our modern North American culture with its emphasis on “self” gives each of … More ARE YOU A SIGN OF CONTRADICTION?

I’m settled back at Riverside after having attended Mass in Keremeos this morning. We were treated to a visiting Priest, Fr. Jack, and to a homily that really resonated with me. I’d like to share the essence of that Homily with you. The Gospel reading today was from Luke 18: 9-14, and is the parable … More HANGING ON TO THE RAINBOW