Another story

Re: Catholic media must do better on Indigenous file (Dec. 2):

Fr. Raymond de Souza argues convincingly that relying on mainstream media for accurate reporting “is a mistake.” Last May it described the discovery of Indigenous children’s remains at the Kamloops Residential School as a “mass grave.” The terminology was provocative and misleading, suggesting murders with bodies thrown into mass graves. 

It is with some relief that we can soon put 2021 in the proverbial rear-view mirror.

The topic of residential schools dominated this column in 2021, and too often that story is written as if Catholics and Indigenous peoples are two distinct parties, perhaps opposing or even hostile.

The Christmas season has so many wonderful feast days along the way, not least of which is Epiphany, the commemoration of the Magi’s visit to the Christ Child.

Some will sniff that a hierarchical Church is hardly an institution to concern itself with authoritarian politics.

It’s coming on Christmas and the Halifax-Yarmouth archdiocese is writing its own inspirational story of Bethlehem.

For the first holiday outing in our new city, we headed out for the tree lighting in the town square. (It felt very Stars Hallow, for the Gilmore Girls fans, with lots of twinkly lights and a mayor’s words and Santa arriving by fire truck with all the usual characters.) After a line for sleigh rides, a queue for hot chocolate and another turn to take to see Santa, my little girl exclaimed loudly that “Mostly tonight, we were waiting in line!”

There is a magic about a Christmas morning that never ceases to amaze.

At the risk of being sentimental I want to talk about the greatest gift we receive at Christmas. That gift is Christ … and our faith in Him.

Isn’t it funny that the liturgical year starts with a period of waiting? Every year we get things going, by waiting. We wait for the birth of Christ through the season of Advent. I think this is fascinating and worthy of contemplation. Recently I found a source for such a contemplation in our country’s two official languages.