There is no shortage of inspiring stories in Church history, none more compelling than the winding trail of faith, providence and persistence that led to one of the most iconic organizations of charity — the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
Some people like to think of life as a journey, an adventure, a pilgrimage, a blank slate, a beach, a work of art … a box of chocolates. But life isn’t always that neutral, is it? Sometimes we are dealt a rough hand from the earliest moments of our existence. Sometimes life is filled with pain and obstacles. We are free to look at life however we want, but one thing is for sure: Life is a battle, and no one gets to sit on the sidelines.
Today, I phoned to book a haircut only to find that Pat, my stylist of the past two years, had died of the delta variant of COVID. When I last saw him in late August, he looked fit and healthy as ever. I phoned back a month later to set my next haircut appointment but was told Pat was off work because he was having back problems. He died shortly after that call.
Granted, there is something beyond the borderline of zany in a journalist urging theologians to look to economics for reform of human behaviour.
Pope Francis will visit Canada to further reconciliation with Indigenous Canadians in relation to residential schools.
Glaring omission
I am glad to know from the news that Pope Francis is coming to Canada as recommended by the TRC. That surely will soothe the emotional and psychological wounds of the Indigenous peoples. However, it is God who heals our brokenness, especially our spiritual wounds.
The news that many Canadians have been waiting to hear for a very long time arrived on the morning of Oct. 27 — Pope Francis is ready to come to Canada.
I appear to be depressing readers. Over the past few months, some have mentioned that I seem down, depressed and sad and it comes through in my copy.
At the end of a recent long run during which the state of the world is a staple of the conversational smorgasbord, my running partner asked a pressing perspicacious question: When, exactly, was conscience transferred from individual to collective ownership?
Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention. Actually, it was Plato who argued that “our need will be the real creator,” a comment that eventually morphed into our more familiar adage.
Helpful solution
The Archdiocese of Toronto recently announced that, as of Oct. 8, it requires “all employees,” including priests, lay ministers and parish volunteers, at “the workplace, be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or provide regular proof of … negative COVID-19 test results.” Essentially it has mandated vaccination but also offered an alternative.