Reactions and reality are not always proportionate

About 200 Nigerian Christians lost their lives in multi-day attacks that left hundreds more injured and displaced.

These are dark days, and we are battle weary. There are a multitude of wars raging, geo-political, cultural, ecclesiastical, domestic and physical, and the northern winter has us scuttling like burrowing animals, seeking out light and warmth.

Pope Francis, in his Dec. 10 Angelus address, advised the faithful that disconnecting from media and social media, “the pollution of vain words and chatter,” has become not just a fioretti, a little spiritual sacrifice, but an essential element of the modern, Christian life.

St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal is home to not only the heart of St. Brother André Bessette but also to a collection of close to 1,000 crèches gathered from every corner of the world.

With the predictability of the liturgical year, the church hall of St. Willibrord Church in Verdun, Que., is for the first weeks of December a hive of excited preparation as volunteers fill boxes with food and toys for over 200 local families.

A pipe organ made by lauded Quebec organ builder Karl Wilhelm has found a new home in Sainte-Catherine-de-Sienne, a small, neighbourhood parish church in Montreal.

Underdog, Catholic, champion… with a ‘sprinkle of Jesus’