Pilgrim progress- a disciple on a journey!

Thank God for auto-correct! How often have I signed myself off in an email or a text message as ‘St.’, that is, Saint, instead of ‘Sr.’, that is, 'Sister'.  Though yesterday some kind person actually texted me as ‘St. Louise’! Whilst I giggled, it was also a moment of reflection on the huge commitment I have to become a saint. Yes, I aspire to be a saint. It may sound proud for someone to say out loud that one aspires to be a saint. I am convinced that I have lived with and live with saints, holy people who aspire to ‘be’ completely for Christ, for to be a saint to is be holy, in the footsteps of Jesus who is Holy.  They are ordinary people, to say it somehow, without a visible heroism, but in their everyday goodness I see the truth of the faith. This goodness, which they have matured in the faith of the Church, is for me a sure defence of Christianity and the sign of where the truth is. I came across this blog from Neal Obstat  which had a post entitled: “We need sai...

Happy International Women's Day to all the wonderful women in the world, especially those in my life I am blessed to call mother, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, niece, friend. Here's a 'thank you' in the words of Pope John Paul II. "Thank you, women who are mothers! You have sheltered human beings within yourselves in a unique experience of joy and travail. This experience makes you become God's own smile upon the newborn child, the one who guides your child's first steps, wh o helps it to grow, and who is the anchor as the child makes its way along the journey of life. Thank you, women who are wives! You irrevocably join your future to that of your husbands, in a relationship of mutual giving, at the service of love and life. Thank you, women who are daughters and women who are sisters! Into the heart of the family, and then of all society, you bring the richness of your sensitivity, your intuitiveness, your generosity and fidelity. Thank you, wo...

This weekend in Canada is Labour Weekend, with today being Labour today, so a lot of the students here have gone traveling around or visiting. I decided to do a little more exploring myself this weekend and headed off to look for the local RC Churches as well as a trip to St. Patrick's Basilica and Notre Dame Basilica. Saturday morning, armed with my map, suncream and my 'petit peu du francais', little bit of French, I set off! St. Patrick's Basilica First stop was St. Patrick's Basilica . I came across this by chance about 2 weeks ago when I was googling free Catholic books to e-read . When I went to the homepage I realised it was the homepage of the Basilica so I read up on it and decided a visit definitely had to be planned. Providence! Entrance to St. Patrick's Basilica, Ottawa Ok, finding the place wasn't the easiest...people kept re-directing me to Notre Dame Basilica (more about that later!), which is on the other side of the city. After a...

With Vocations Sunday on the horizon, here's some tips for those of you who might be discerning if God is leading you to serve Him in priesthood or religious life. Twelve Exercises to Discern Your Call Imagine yourself 5 to 10 years from now. Do you want to continue in life as you are now? Imagine yourself as a priest or religious ten years from now. Fantasize by going through an entire day in your future as a priest. Visualize yourself being a priest and doing what you imagine a priest does. Notice how your gut reacts to this exercise. What is usually the most life-giving part of your week? What does that say about you? Shadow a priest or religious for a day. Accompany them through the various aspects of ministry. For one week, live as if you decided to enter the seminary or formation program. Notice how you felt. The following week live as if you decided to drop the church vocation question and dismiss it. What feelings are stirred within you? Imagine Jesus loo...