Five o’clock. First light was beginning to peek through the blinds of our fifth wheel camper. I pushed past the temptation to remain snuggled under the blanket and forced myself out of bed. I was going to do it - I was going to climb a mountain (okay, a hill) to watch a sunrise and sit in the presence of my Heavenly Father. 

My family was spending the first week of August at Dinosaur Provincial Park, joining my in-laws for a four-day adventure in the hoodoos. Our first evening at Dinosaur Park, we’d trekked to the highest point to get a full 360 of the oddly picturesque World Heritage Site. It’s an incredible anomaly among the flattest of prairie, and it’s one of the most breathtaking landscapes I’ve ever experienced. Anybody who’s been to Dinosaur Provincial Park, 43 kilometers northeast of Brooks, knows exactly what I’m talking about: after driving through miles of prairie, the world suddenly opens up. Sandstone-striped hills, hiding who knows how many millions of fossils, seem to go on forever. Standing at the top of the mountain (okay, again, hill) and breathing in the majesty of God’s creation, I had the bright idea to climb again one morning during our trip to take in a prairie sunrise over the hoodoos and hills. 

Our first night camping was fraught with high winds, deafening thunder, and sheet lightning, which encouraged me to sleep in snugly that first morning (cozied up to my nine-year-old daughter, who tucked in with us at the first roll of thunder.) The following day, however, my internal alarm went off three times before I finally arose to first light at 5 am, pulled on a hoodie, and quietly slipped out of our camper while the rest of my family snoozed away.

It was quiet and dark enough that I felt a little bit disconcerted (I’ve seen a rattlesnake or two at the park), but as I began my ascent, my desire to be with God on a mountaintop (hoo-doo top?) outweighed my fear. The climb was steep and slippery in running shoes, and I laughed at myself as I huffed and puffed towards the top, bolstered by Al McGuire’s quote: “There’s no one who’s dropped on top of the mountain. You’ve got to work your way to the top.” After slips and slides and gratitude that I had no witnesses, I arrived at the apex, took a deep breath, looked around, and prayed:

Lord Jesus Christ,
Take all my freedom,
My memory,
My understanding,
And my will.
All that I have and cherish
You have given me.
I surrender it all to be guided by Your will.
Your grace and love and wealth enough for me.
Give me these, Lord Jesus,
And I ask for nothing more. Amen.

I’d never heard Saint Ignatius of Loyola’s prayer until Father Raul Hernandez, former pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Brooks, introduced me to it. It’s a prayer that I hold dear to my heart; it’s the prayer that I turn to most often, especially when I’m experiencing something uncomfortable or discouraging. 

I’m writing about a mountaintop experience, which juxtaposes quite jarringly with the valleys my soul had been experiencing as of late. I’d been suffering from bouts of crippling anxiety since school let out. When I’m not teaching, my mental health tends to take a dip - I slug through the valleys of dark days, sustained prayer and platitudes (as well as adherence to exercise and diet.) God has given me many tools to help me keep my head above water when anxiety sets in. 

When I’d finally made it to the top of the hill, I realized that I wasn’t alone: having neglected a good dose of Deet, I was joined by mosquitos, happy to keep me company as I attempted to pray and settle quietly into God’s presence. It was almost laughable - I’d stolen a moment to myself to be still, and I was busily swatting away the most loathesome of insects. It was tempting to sink into defeat, something that anxiety preys on greedily, but my repeated dedication to Jesus kept me mountaintop for over an hour. Praying… and swatting. 

I watched the sandstone ground warm from grey to brown as the slow light began spreading its way westward over the hills, painting everything the colour of morning. I listened to coyotes howl from the south, answered by packs from the north. I watched a flock of Canada geese in their V formation, and listened to birds honk along the shores of the Red Deer River. I sank into the majesty of God’s kingdom here on Earth. Mosquitoes and all, it was a literal mountaintop (okay, hilltop) experience. 

On August 6, we celebrated the Feast of the Transfiguration. After I shared that I was writing about my mountaintop morning, a dear friend of mine noted how, when prompted by Peter to set up camp at the top of the mountain, Jesus and His disciples came back down shortly after. They didn’t even stick around much longer after God acknowledged His Son. “We can’t stay in the mountaintop experiences. Even the disciples didn’t,” she noted sagely. She then asked, “what kind of transfiguration did you experience that morning?”

My mountain morning allowed for a transfiguration of my hurting heart. Anxiety doesn’t just slip away at will, but God always brings me back to His love, despite the temptation to despair. Climbing the mountain may not have entirely quelled my anxiety, but I was reminded of God’s great love for me as He painted the skies, and I returned to my family with an assuaged soul (and a million mosquito bites.) His grace and his love were in abundance that morning. Give me these, Lord Jesus, and I ask for nothing more. Amen.

With today’s technology, we can enter into prayer through a guided Christian meditation using art from the comfort of our own home. This video by Fr. Geoff Wheaton SJ of the Jesuits of Britain meditating on the work of James Christensen gives us an experience of prayer with the Ten Lepers.

Watch this YouTube video and meditate on our need for gratitude in our life for the God’s abundant blessings. For more videos like this, use this link for the Praying with Art playlist 

Consider this…

“Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”  ~ Philippians 4:8

The Catechism of the Catholic Church 2502 says,
“Sacred art is true and beautiful when its form corresponds to its particular vocation: evoking and glorifying, in faith and adoration, the transcendent mystery of God - the surpassing invisible beauty of truth and love visible in Christ, who "reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature," in whom "the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily." This spiritual beauty of God is reflected in the most holy Virgin Mother of God, the angels, and saints. Genuine sacred art draws man to adoration, to prayer, and to the love of God, Creator and Saviour, the Holy One and Sanctifier.”
Surround yourself with truth, beauty, and goodness and you will seek God. 
​
Art: Annunciation - by Ivanka Demchuk in Ukraine. Used with permission.

May is a month often associated with the veneration of Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. One meaningful way to express our devotion to her is by undertaking a Marian pilgrimage. While it is common to think of organized Marian pilgrimages as the only way to embark on one, a meaningful Marian pilgrimage may be had by simply planning one that you journey alone, with another person, or with your family or a group of friends.

A key part to making a Marian pilgrimage is to embark on a physical journey to a spiritual place. This can be far which will require a considerable trek or can be short as a few blocks' walk. What is essential is the desire to offer this special homage to our Lady and to pray and reflect while going towards the destination and back. This resource provides guidance on how to make a spiritual pilgrimage (printable, one page).

Here are some suggestions of destinations for your Marian pilgrimage...

1. The grotto at the FCJ Christian Life Centre (219 19 Ave SW, Calgary)
2. The grotto at the back of the Lacombe Care Centre ( 270 Providence Blvd SE, Calgary)
   
   

You can always incorporate driving to your pilgrimage especially when the distance is too much to handle for walking. You may consider driving to the Shrine Church of Our Lady of the Rockies in Canmore. Drive prayerfully but attentively.
Don't miss the chance to make a pilgrimage during Our Lady of the Cape statue tour in Calgary and Canmore:

• Full schedule here
• St. Mary's Cathedral - on Sunday May 29, from 9 am to 2 pm. 
• The Shrine Church of Our Lady of the Rockies - on Sunday evening, and Monday, May 30 from 10 am to 10 pm. Mass with Bishop McGrattan at 7 pm.

Little things we can offer for peace in the world...

1. Pray

• Offer constant prayers throughout the day for peace not only in the world but also for our own surroundings. Take a moment and pray for peace using this video.
• Go to Mass daily.
• Offer the Holy Rosary daily for peace and conversion.
  
  

2. Offer penances

• Love is expressed by gestures and not just words. Offering penance for others is offering concrete prayers to God for others. It begins with our conscious acceptance of ordinary incoveniences and discomforts,,, accepting the daily crosses. When we are aware of these daily challenges, pause, recognize the sacrifice, and offer them to God for peace in our world. Instead of kicking and screaming and perhaps whining and complaining, endure the incoveniences and turn these moments of sacrifice into prayer.
• Another way of offering penance is by actively doing something good for others that we do not normally do for them and secretly offer this loving gesture as a sacrifice to God for peace in our world.
  
  

3. Watch or read the news and pray for the people you see & hear about

• Doing this reminds us that they are all human beings like you and me, and in need of prayer. 
• While it may be tempting to not pray for those who do evil and only pray for the victims, they need our prayers too. We must pray for the grace of conversion that their hearts may be softened. After all, we are all human beings in need of God's grace.

Consider this... 
St. Paul says, "I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church." ~ Colossians 1:24

We all share in the sufferings of Christ and have a part in His crucifixion. As we consciously unite ourselves to His suffering and the suffering of others, we also unite ourselves to the gift of the resurrection and new life.

• Donate through CNEWA
• Donate through Development and Peace, Caritas Ukraine

Our homes hold a lot of what is near and dear to us. For starters, our family. The home provides shelter for the people we love.

Aside from our belongings which we need in order to function in life, our home is a shelter for the things that define us, objects that hold special meanings. Be it a special painting, a family heirloom, or that memorable walkman from the 80s.
In a Catholic home, some of the objects that hold special meaning to us are holy images or religious articles that help us think of God and the communion of the saints and the angels. 

Some Catholic homes have home altars or prayer corners/rooms where the family can spend time of prayer, meditation, or teaching the Faith. This YouTube vlogger, A Catholic Mom's Life, features her prayer room as a place not only to pray but also to read and hang-out as a family apart from the living room or the kitchen. 

Tips for starting your home altar/prayer corner or room...

• It would be helpful to have the home altar or prayer corner/room situated in an area where there is some silence and privacy.
• Imagine one focal holy image. Ask yourself what image will move you to pray and have a conversation with God.
• You can choose to have only one large image or statue flanked with candles or have one large one and a few small images or statues that hold some significance for you.
• Think about your preferred posture when praying at home. Do you tend to sit on a comfortable chair, kneel, sit on the floor with pillows, or the combination... have this set up near or around the home altar/prayer corner or in your prayer room.
• Consider the lighting. A space for prayer would need to have soft or ambient lighting to make it cozy, soothing, and easy to slide your way to an intimate time with God.
• If you like to pray and meditate with soft sacred music playing in the background, perhaps have a device for playing music nearby.
• To keep the area neat and tidy and free of distractions, make sure that things are placed and organized in presentable storage boxes that do not need to be seen until needed. Keep the area clutter-free.
• Once you have all of these set up, figure out the routine or times of prayer in your home.

Having a home altar or prayer corner/room can help us consciously make room for God in our lives.

Consider this... Our homes should be a refuge, a place where everyone can come home to rest, to be nourished, and to be re-energized for the next day. Carve a place for prayer and let the peace of Christ dwell in your house. 

Epiphany means “manifestation”, that moment when we suddenly understand something that previously was hidden from us. Christmas is about the Incarnation, the coming down of the Son of God to become human, one of us. Epiphany is the showing of the Christ Child’s divinity, which is beginning to manifest itself in the world.
​

• Blessing of Homes
  The tradition of blessing doorways on Epiphany is inspired by the three Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, who followed the star to a manger in Bethlehem where the Messiah was made manifest for them in the person of a newborn child. The Magi showed great hospitality when they came to honour the Messiah. The blessing of our own doorway reminds us to welcome strangers and travellers into our midst as though each were Jesus himself. Incidentally, the tradition of carolling is also associated with the journey of the Magi and is a suitable way of announcing the manifestation of the Christ Child in song.
  • Here is a simple prayer service to use at home when blessing the doorway. Or download it as PDF here
    
    
• Continue Celebrating Christmas
  Even if your Christmas trees have come down and decorations have been returned to storage, we invite you to consider keeping out the Christmas crèche a while longer at least until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, and placing it in a prominent place in your home where you can gather with family and pray.  Read: Continuing with the celebration of Christmas
  
  
• Resources for family & children: Epiphany of the Lord
  • Today is the Feast of the Epiphany. We remember that the Magi, or Wise Men, visited Jesus. Let’s listen to learn about their journey and what gifts they gave Jesus to honour him. (Loyola Press) 
    • Kid's Bulletin for this Sunday
    • Colouring page this Sunday 
    • Sunday Connection for the Epiphany of the Lord (Gr. 1-8) 
    • Children's Liturgy of the Word with Miss Heidi (Catholic TV)
      
      
• Gospel Reflection  
  Gifts. The Magi, these foreign interpreters of dreams, do the following: follow a star, travel a great distance, trust the words of others, bring and give gifts. In some countries, Epiphany and not Christmas is gift-giving day.  This twelfth-day (when on the traditional 6th of January) brings to completion the manifestation of Christ – first to the Jews and today to everyone. No one is foreign to God’s good grace. (Source: Diocese of Springfield)
  • How will I search diligently for Jesus?
  • Because God is merciful to me, what mercy work can I do for another?
  • What gifts will I give to others in need? 
    
    

​Hope — St. Joseph must have had a lot of it, leading his very pregnant wife through the hill country from Nazareth to Bethlehem to give birth to his son. I imagine it was an arduous journey filled with uncertainty. Sometimes amidst hard times, I’m tempted to let discouragement steal my hope; I forget that my circumstances will change in time.

I crawled over the 2020 finish line, exhausted and tired, only to be met with the dead of winter. January is an isolating month in the best of times, nevermind government sanctions restricting social contact. 

The reality is that life is hard for a lot of people right now; so much change and instability due to the ongoing pandemic. But what is unchanging is that our faith always gives us reason to hope. As Catholics, we carry the Good News of the Resurrection within us. With the eyes of faith, no time is wasted to perfect ourselves in love. And we can look to the great examples of the saints to help guide our path. 

In a special way this year, Pope Francis invites us to renew our hope by placing an emphasis on Our Lord’s foster father. He has declared Dec. 8, 2020 to Dec. 8 2021 — The Year of St. Joseph. 

What St. Joseph represents in my life is a husband and father who is a faithful, patient, humble, courageous protector. Joseph didn’t utter a single word in the Bible, rather he communicated volumes through his attentive presence.  

The Holy Father Pope Francis encourages each of us with these words found in his Apostolic Letter Patris Corde: “Each of us can discover in Joseph – the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence – an intercessor, a support and a guide in times of trouble.”

My hope is to seize this opportunity to take a deeper dive into what St. Joseph’s secure, strong, safe, steadfast fatherly presence means in my life and the life of my family.

Our family has set a few goals for the coming year to get to know St. Joseph better, and grow in relationship with him. I hope a few of these ideas will inspire you to think of ways to discover the presence of St. Joseph in your life and keep you anchored in hope.  

• Read the Holy Father’s Apostolic Letter Patris Corde 
• Make a pilgrimage to St. Joseph’s Church in Calgary and/or St. Joseph’s Church in Vauxhall
• Visit the St. Joseph Chapel at Our Lady Queen of the Rockies in Canmore.
• Make a 33-day consecration to St. Joseph using the book Consecration to St. Joseph by Donald H. Calloway
• Receive an indulgence 
• Attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on the Solemnity of St. Joseph on March 19 as we mark the beginning the Year of the Family 
• Attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on the Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1
• Reflect on the importance of St. Joseph in the life of Canadian Saint Andre Bessette. 
• Prepare a St. Joseph Table, according to the old Italian tradition. To find what this is all about and for more inspiring ideas visit: yearofstjoseph.org  

Written by Sara Francis for Faithfully

It was 2012. My then-girlfriend, Chelsea, had completed her BEd and had taught part-time for a year in Saskatoon. A full-time position there proved precarious, following a teachers’ strike and cutbacks. Although she loved the Catholic Saskatchewan school system, she was discerning a move to greener pastures.

I was working for the summer before entering the Ed program in my 4th year at the UBC campus in Kelowna BC, where I grew up. Having travelled to Alberta for work before school started again, I was living in a camp about 500 km drive north of Edmonton. 

In June, we started a 30-day novena to St. Joseph, over the phone, to discern Chelsea’s future career path. I was most excited about her application to teach at my old elementary school in Kelowna. A move there would end the long-distance factor in our relationship and would potentially see us teaching in the same diocese if I were to get hired at my secondary school, Immaculata Regional High, after convocation. 

The prayer was beautiful, but the conditions were not, at least not on my end of the call. The cell reception so close to the Northwest Territories was abysmal and forced me to walk to the top of a nearby hill, which didn’t stop the mosquitoes from tracking me down. Sometimes Chelsea would lead, other times it was me, reading the prayer on my blackberry screen between swats at mossies and checking to see if the call had been dropped. This was anything but a “When Harry Met Sally” type of romantic scene on the dusty bi-centennial highway to Greater Slave Lake; more like a real game of telephone that mostly left us wondering what words the other had just prayed. 
“We must believe that the life of St. Joseph - ”
“Pray for us.”
“- Not finished – spent in the presence of Jesus and Mary – “
“Pray for us.”
“Almost done – was a continual prayer – “
“Lord hear our prayer.”
“Oh for – Abounding in acts of faith…”

And so it went for 30 days. St. Joseph must not have minded the static, because on the day following the novena, day 31, Chelsea received a call requesting her to do a Skype interview for the 5/6 split position in Kelowna, at St. Joseph Elementary. We were elated and thankful to God for his faithfulness through the intercession of St. Joseph.
​
Chelsea was hired to work in the much sought-after Okanagan Valley and moved from Saskatoon the next month. We were engaged that November and married by the following August. We did end up teaching in the same diocese for a year before welcoming our daughter Hannah. Early on in our relationship, Chelsea had always remained aloof about our future, leaving the distance between us to be closed, or not, by the providence of God. St. Joseph continues to be a model for this docility in our household and we have returned to that novena on recent occasions, most notably when I applied to Calgary Catholic in 2016. His influence in our lives is real and testifies to the goodness of God that cannot fail. 

​Aames Abanto from Catholic Sunday Best offers five great reasons for Catholic gentlemen to adopt St. Joseph as their 2021 patron saint. 
​

• St. Joseph had the original Dad Bod 
  Ancient images depict St. Joseph as an old man, to protect the virginity of Mary (the lily he traditionally held), but this is not so. The Ancient Greek term for carpenter was a tektōn (Mark 6:3), an artisan/craftsman. Not only was he a carpenter, but he was a builder, stonemason, and engineer. The best depiction of his strength could be in the sculpture of the Holy Family in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas. The titles of Terror of Demons and Protector of the Virgin would not be appropriate for a frail old man, but for a strong, physically gifted man. Where else could our Lord endure lifting a 300 lb. cross from Jerusalem to Calvary if not learning from his foster father’s trade? Consider him as a patron of your 2021 fitness goals.
  
  
• He relied on God in fear
  The first years of Joseph’s married life were chaotic. He was a righteous man (Matthew 1:19) and feared for Mary’s safety. If he disgraced her publicly for being pregnant outside of marriage, she would have been stoned to death. He also feared for the life of Jesus when Herod killed children in Judea (Matthew 2:16). He had to lead his family to escape for Egypt and find suitable employment to provide for his family (in Egypt and Nazareth). Most men would be paralyzed by this kind of marriage, but St. Joseph relied on God and protected his family. I’ve been laid off three times since 2012, and looking for meaningful employment to ensure my family had a place to live and food on the table was challenging. St. Joseph was a great role model in those seasons. Perhaps if you’ve lost employment, are afraid of uncertainty, or facing great challenges, he can be yours too.
  
  
• (Spiritual) Fatherhood is good
  Imagine what Joseph felt when he found out that his wife was pregnant, and the son was not his own. I’m sure his desire to become a biological father was great, especially since he descended from King David. I would like to imagine that Joseph embraced this role well, but I’m confident that he took Jesus as his own son and became a true Spiritual Father. I have a replica of the statue of St. Joseph and the Child Jesus from the Basilica of Mary Queen of the Universe on my desk at home. It shows Joseph teaching his foster son carpentry, but it also shows Joseph’s wonder at Jesus’ delight. Joseph’s eyes had a Father’s tender gaze. As a husband carrying the cross of infertility for many years, it gives me hope that Joseph was gifted with grace in his Spiritual Fatherhood. It is my prayer that I gain that same grace if Spiritual Fatherhood is my lifelong vocation.

Pope Francis has declared that the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time is to be devoted to the celebration, study and dissemination of the word of God “that the life of our people be constantly marked by this decisive relationship with the living word that the Lord never tires of speaking to his Bride” (Aperuit Illis, 2). In 2022 the Sunday of the Word of God falls on January 23.

Here are five liturgical suggestions for making the most of this universal invitation from the Pontiff.  

1. Homily
Focus on the centrality of the Bible for Christians. In the Gospel, Jesus quotes what we heard in the first reading from the Prophet Isaiah. The word of the prophet is the foundation for his teaching and the call of the first disciples. In the second reading Paul tells the Corinthians that Jesus did not send him to baptize but to proclaim the Gospel and that “it is the power of God”.

2. Bless Ministers of the Word
Following the Homily, invite ministers of the Word to stand (e.g. lectors, psalmists, leaders in RCIA, liturgy of the word for children, and scripture study). Bless them with hands extended:

Blessed are you, Lord God,
Source of all light and all goodness,
you sent your Son, your living Word,
to reveal to humanity the mystery of your love.
Look with mercy upon these women and men who proclaim your word
and lead your people closer to your teaching.
Bless X them in their ministry
so that they may be nourished by your Word,
be transformed by it and faithfully announce it
to their brothers and sisters in your Church.
We praise and thank you, Father,
in the name of Jesus your Son,
and in the love of your Holy Spirit,
God of glory for ever and ever.
Amen.

Adapted from the blessing of lectors in Celebrations of Installation and Recognition, copyright Concacan Inc.,2005. All rights reserved.

3. Universal Prayer

Introduction to the petitions:
Dear sisters and brothers,
nourished and formed by God’s Word
let us bring our needs and petitions before Him.

In addition to the petitions you have prepared for today, include some for the Word of God to come to life in your community, for example:

• For bishops, priests, deacons, lectors, psalmists, and all who proclaim God’s Word in the world, we pray to the Lord.
• For teachers and staff in Catholic schools, for catechists, parents, and all who bring the Word of God to children, we pray to the Lord.

Prayer at the end of the petitions:
Grant, O God, that our lives be marked by your living word.
Hear these, our prayers,
and help us to proclaim the good news of the kingdom.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

4. Eucharistic Prayer

You might use Eucharistic Prayer III for Various Needs and Occasions (Jesus the Way to the Father). Its Preface focuses on Christ as the “Word” of God. Roman Missal p.764ff.

5. Enthroning the Bible (For use in homes, schools, and with RCIA or Bible Study groups)
​
The faithful have shown reverence to the bible as the inspired word of God since ancient times. The enthronement of an open bible has often served as a symbolic invitation to delve into the sacred text as the source of our spiritual life. You might use this short ritual from the American Bible Society to enthrone the Bible at home, in schools, and with RCIA or Bible Study groups.  

• How to enthrone the Bible in your home/class/school? 

6. More Resources

• Note from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on the Word of God Sunday. The note highlights opportunities and practical suggestions for the Word of God Sunday celebration. English | French 
• Adult Formation Activity
• Understanding the Bible
• The Art and Practice of Lectio Divina
• The Word of God as a Source of Prayer

The painful truth is that I never knew my grandfather, at least in any way that a grandchild should. My grandfather went overseas to fight in the first world war, full of pride. But he returned, like so many other young men, broken in spirit. In the years after his marriage to my grandmother, life afforded him little opportunity beyond labour as a brick layer. He tried to be a man of faith, but with every bottle he drank, his sense of worth diminished. When his body finally became too tired to work, his waning years disappeared before the television screen, his mind consumed by his addiction. Whatever mercy he asked for in his final days, there is no doubt he carried tremendous pain to the grave.

How many of us carry the memories of those whose stories leave us with no tale of redemption, no dramatic moment of grace to close the curtain of life, no bright ray of hope shining on their horizon. We are left sorting through the broken dreams and fractured relationships to find a goodness we can hold up, something to tell us this life meant something.

During the month of November, the Church encourages the faithful to spend 30 days praying for the dead. Pope Francis has said: “Church tradition has always urged prayer for the dead, in particular by offering the celebration of the Eucharist for them: It is the best spiritual help that we can give to their souls, particularly to the most abandoned ones.”
​
It is in the words of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, where I find great hope in the gift of purgatory, the time when God purifies those souls who long to know the peace of His eternal presence, but still carry the scars and sin of this life on earth. Benedict XVI offers these words for us:

Written by Lance Dixon, Director of Campus Ministry at St. Mary's University

For the August edition of Faithfully, we asked sacred artist Maria Muszynski, founding member of Sacred Guild of Alberta, a Lay Association in the Diocese of Calgary, to share about her journey in the sacred arts. 
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Why becoming a sacred artist?
I was born an artist. But why the sacred arts? I have been journeying towards this path my whole life. A journey shaped by childhood experiences, unexpected circumstances, and twists of fate. 
​
My father was a Polish soldier who fought with the Allied army and my mother was a refugee in a displaced persons camp. After the war, by chance, they both decided to settle in Calgary. My mother converted to Catholic Christianity when she agreed to marry my father. Mother’s side of the family were Russian Orthodox and we celebrated Christmas and Easter (twice!) with the extended family. On occasion I attended the All Saints Russian Orthodox Church and feasted my eyes on the iconostasis which separated the sanctuary from the nave. From the cadence and the passion of the choral voices singing the liturgy in the loft, to the intense images that were illuminated by hundreds of candles lit by the faithful – all of these elements left an indelible impression that shaped my sensibilities and my soul.

In comparison, the Queen of Peace Polish Catholic Church - which was the church we attended - was innovative on the outside (built in 1968 and shaped like a gleaming white teepee) but bereft of warmth inside because of its plain concrete walls and lack of imagery (minimalism and constructivism was “in”). Only a framed copy of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa, Queen of Poland, resided above the altar. Over the years, as the population of Polish immigrants increased, many contributed their talents to the beautification of the church. Today the stained-glass windows, once plain, resonate with stories while the walls are warmed with carved traditional architectural features and religious imagery. It is a testament to the transformational power of art and faith.

I began my personal journey into the sacred arts when St. Mary’s University offered a Sacred Arts certificate program. The first course I took was Painting in the Western Renaissance Tradition. Other courses followed – traditional iconography, calligraphy and illumination, and even stained glass. A trip to Italy to see the glories of Rome, Florence and Ravenna was a special highlight. In 2014, I was one of 5 students to complete the requirements for the certificate in the Foundations of Sacred Art. The Sacred Arts Guild of Alberta (SAGA) was conceived by a handful of like-minded souls who wished to delve even deeper. SAGA brings in local and international specialists in illumination, iconography, calligraphy, sculpture - and in the near future Byzantine mosaic - to nourish the skills and spirits of our guild membership leading to a wonderful resurgence in the creation of sacred arts here in Alberta. 

Share about other artists who inspired you
My journey has taken me through many mentors most notably iconographer Peter Murphy, David Clayton (The Way of Beauty) and the brilliant illuminator Jeb Gibbons. I am also inspired by the traditional work of Aidan Hart, and the contemporary style of Philip Davydov, among others. I am drawn both to the classical Greek/Byzantine and Romanesque style of icons, and to Marian images in particular because of my Polish heritage. Like Saint John Paul, faith in Mary kept me strong through many trials and tribulations including surviving cancer. 
​
Sacred art is not ‘art’, it is theology, it is a way of praying and connecting with God and all His wonderful creation. I am humbled that people have expressed their admiration of what I do, but I thank the spirit of God who moves through me when I sit and begin the first line. Every stroke is meditative and reflective and prayerful. It is an act of salvation, my connection to the divine. Peter Murphy and Aidan Hart believe that a fragment of heavenly reality is revealed within the sacred image, as it is revealed in the holy Scriptures and through the blessed sacrament. It is ‘extraordinary’ in every sense of the word. 

Any advice for novices in sacred art? 
The best advice for beginning sacred artists is to be mindful while you are working – hold the focus and pray. Breathe. Practice your drawing skills which is key. Find a good teacher or mentor who inspires you. Learn from everyone you can and practice. The typical stereotype of the hermit monk writing icons alone in his hovel does not fit today, so find and join a community of similar-minded artists. And practice more. Do not worry about the medium you use because it is the message of the image and the intent of the artist that are more important. 

Writing an icon is like praying twice. “Lord Jesus Christ, God of all, enlighten us, imbue the soul, the heart, the intellect of Your servant.”  So begins the iconographer’s prayer. And is it still relevant today? In the age of Covid-19 and all its’ uncertainties and anxieties - more than ever.

Maria Muszynski  is a teacher with the Calgary Catholic School District. She is a longtime member of the Burns Visual Arts Society and a founding member of the Sacred Arts Guild of Alberta. She currently attends Mass at St. Bonaventure Parish. 

I remember going past the dorm buildings, down the hill, through the cafeteria, and out into the coulees in the Oldman River. It was dark out — the University of Lethbridge hadn’t installed the floodlights yet — and so the only light I could see by was the moon reflecting off of the clouds, sailing eastward on a full chinook wind. I came to the crest of the coulees and just stood there, unsure of exactly what was going on or what exactly I was hoping to accomplish by getting fresh air.  

And that’s when He came to me.

The song’s chorus goes:

“And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
 
​And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy that we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known.”

It sounds cliché, and it probably is, but I can’t deny that I felt the presence of the Holy Ghost there that night, riding in on the wind, wrapping me tightly in His embrace, teaching me that I am beloved regardless of my academic abilities. To accept that God loves me as a cerebral exercise is one matter, but to experience it in the heart is another matter entirely. I think I began to understand this all more clearly that night. I felt peace in the midst of the academic storm, and joy in the midst of personal trial. Most importantly, I knew that I was His own.

I stood on the coulees for quite some time, the wind washing over me and carrying all of my anxieties out to Saskatchewan (or wherever the chinook winds go). When I finally left to return to another few hours of pounding my keyboard, I knew that regardless of how my academic work turned out, of more importance was that I would turn out, because I have a loving God who will light a lamp and sweep the house to find His lost coin.
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I would go on walks outside again throughout my degree whenever I was overwhelmed and anxious; even now, it has been a very present help in the midst of the pandemic. And still, every so often, God finds me on these walks and speaks with me in my heart, and we share that joy together that “none other has ever known”.

Written by Solomon Ip, a parishioner of St. John the Evangelist, Calgary.

I have been called to Catholic education and this vocational call has blessed and enriched my life in profound ways.  As a teacher, principal and superintendent I have had varied and rich opportunities to experience the  5 Marks of Catholic Education first hand.  In particular, I have found myself surrounded by colleagues who are authentic witnesses to the Gospel.  I have worked with teachers who share their testimonies at staff retreats and liturgies. I have seen the sacrifices made by educators who are absolutely committed to going above and beyond for their students.  I have experienced the prayers and actions of my colleagues in times of crisis and tragedy.  I have seen extreme generosity and service.  I have been surrounded by Gospel witnesses.

One such example that deeply affected me took place during a school administrator’s retreat at Mount St Francis in Cochrane. As one of the four superintendents responsible for creating the retreat, I would often build a time of adoration into our two days away. A few years ago we spent an hour with Jesus in adoration and administrators were invited to come and pray. Some stayed for ten minutes; some for much longer.

As often happens to me in adoration, I lost all track of time. I heard the quiet rustle of people leaving and I knew our hour was coming to a close.  I opened my eyes and raised my head. I looked across the empty chapel and saw that only my three superintendent colleagues were still present and deep in prayer. One was on his knees in adoration.  The second was focused intently on the front monstrance. The third was in the pew alongside me; his head bowed, hands clasped, immersed in his dialogue with God. I felt the Holy Spirit at that moment and I knew that I was in worship with men of faith and colleagues of integrity. While the chapel had emptied, our leaders remained in prayer, in service, in faith. Their witness to me and the administrators they served went beyond words to lived action---a true mark of Catholic leadership.

Written by Bonnie Annicchiarico, PhD, Director of Grateful Advocate of Catholic Education (GrACE)

Through the visions St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, devotion to the Sacred Heart became formalized and the feast day extended to the whole Church by Pope Pius IX in 1856. This Friday, celebrate this beautiful feast at home, and receive the blessings and mercy Jesus promised St. Margaret Mary to souls who honour the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

Devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus are numerous and here are some ways we may be able to observe it this year:

• Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
• Enthrone your home to the Heart of Jesus (read "Easy Steps")
• Pray the Pope's Intention for June
• Pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
• 8 ways to honour the Sacred Heart of Jesus in June at home (Aleteia Article)

The Stations of the Light is a spiritual journey with Christ that takes one through fourteen of the most inspiriting events of His post-Resurrection life on earth. In the early Church this practice was known as the Via Lucis, or Way of the Resurrection. It invites participants to walk along a path of transforming joy by following in the footsteps of the Risen Christ and his friends. Resources for praying Via Lucis: 
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• Stations of the Light from the Diocese of Manchester, featuring a video and prayer guide
• Download booklet for Via Lucis compiled by St. Joseph's, Calgary
• A Celebration of the Stations of Light in the Chapel at Irondale Alabama with readings and hymns (live-streamed on April 29 by EWTN).  Pray with video. 
• Prayers and Reflections for the Stations of the Resurrection/Way of Light (CNA)
• Praying Stations of the Light with children (Catholic Icing)
• Make Stations Boxes for the Via Lucis with Children
• Images for the Stations of the Light

Download the accompanying prayer booklet (Diocese of Manchester)

The consecration of Canada to Our Lady will enrich our faith, allow a more abundant outpouring of God’s spiritual and temporal gifts on us, and enable us even more to fulfill our calling and mission. Ultimately, consecration to Mary, which springs from a more fervent, more committed, and more sustained life of prayer and devotion in which the Blessed Mother plays a unique and loving role, points and leads to a renewed spirit and understanding of family, Church, and the need for societal engagement. ​To find more catechesis on Marian Consecration and why we consecrate Canada to Our Lady, please read the document "Consecrating Canada to the Blessed Virgin Mary: Insights for Adult Catechesis."

Join us in prayer: Bishop McGrattan will consecrate the Diocese of Calgary to Mary, Mother of the Church, on Friday, May 1, seeking her maternal protection during the Coronavirus pandemic. To assist dioceses with the consecration, the CCCB will provide a prayer for use during the solemn act of entrustment. It can likewise be incorporated into family or individual prayer at home and used by other groups and faith communities. 

• Download Prayer in English | French

Bishop McGrattan will celebrating the following liturgies on Friday, May 1, 2020:

• 8:30 AM - Mass for the Feast of St. Joseph, the Worker (St. Peter's Catholic Church)
• 11 AM - Consecration of the Diocese of Calgary to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, in time of pandemic (St. Mary's Cathedral). Livestream will be available at www.calgarydiocese.ca | Facebook 

Do we still need to pray for Christian Unity?

The annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will begin  Saturday, Jan. 18.  In many countries, Christians will gather in one anothers’ churches to pray. Since the 1960s, prayers and readings for the week have been jointly planned by the Vatican and the World Council of Churches.

Christian unity was a chief goal of the Second Vatican Council and signified the lowering of barriers that caused pain within families, between spouses, and in the workplace. The significance of this ecumenical movement is not lost on Rev. Adrian Martens of the Roman Catholic Church and Anglican Archbishop Gregory Kerr-Wilson.

So, have we been successful in attaining Christian unity?

Archbishop Kerr-Wilson, Anglican diocesan bishop of Calgary and metropolitan of the ecclesiastical province of Rupert’s Land says there has been some success. There is a consensus that “we believe the same things. We have the same God. These similarities weren’t seen 50 or 60 years ago. However, the work is ongoing. Our goal should be to share at one table.”

Rev. Martens, Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs Coordinator in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary says, “there have been wonderful strides and some dark periods in the history of Ecumenism. At times, we vary in our degree of Ecumenism. However, if we focus on being joined with Christ, other denominations will want to share much more.”
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So, while there seems to be some success in terms of dialogue and mutual understanding of other Christian denominations, has there been any tangible gains? 

Kerr-Wilson says “there have been many benefits to diverse Christian traditions. Different traditions have different strengths and emphasise different things. The Anglican Church went through several centuries with no Eucharist or mass unless you went to the early service for the most devout. The ecumenical relationship helped us to recover the benefit of seeing the Eucharist as the heart of Church worship. This is an example of receptive ecumenism, what we can receive from you that can deepen our own life in Church and faith in Christ. The gift of the other.”

“…We need to realise that the other’s gift is our gift as well,” says Martens.

In the eyes of both Kerr-Wilson and Martens, various Christian traditions and values from different areas and places around the world have helped the abundance of faith. 

Martens has seen a marked increase in the number of Christians from other countries. “There is also an increase in the number of Anabaptists, Hutterites and Mennonites.”

One aspect of this growth is the level of fluidity between denominations. Kerr-Wilson notes that “some Anglicans from different countries find that the way they worshiped is more similar to a different denomination here e.g., the Nigerian Anglican expression is similar to a Pentecostal church. There are some positive and hopeful aspects of this fluidity as well as some troubling things. The positive is that we see Christian faith in the other. The negative is that we are leaning towards consumerism, ‘if I am not happy with what is going on, I can move somewhere else.’ There isn’t that commitment to persevere in the midst of the struggle, which is an essential part of the discipleship.”

The looming question for Kerr-Wilson seems to be not whether we still need to pray for Christian unity, but rather, how can we act more together? 

“When we talk to each other, we need to recognize that we are not talking to a Catholic, Anglican or Presbyterian. We are talking to a brother in Christ, a sister in Christ. I have seen that when people engage in prayer and bible study together more regularly, that brings them closer together. I would love to see a monthly service where we gather as Christians to pray for others to come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. We should be fueled by our faith to act together on social justice initiatives.

Martens agrees that such joints actions will help remove barriers in families of mixed Christian denominations. “We can do more to make other denominations feel welcomed. Prayer is the best thing. We can lead the Prayer of the Faithful to pray for local churches.”

By Nadia Hinds

My most enduring memories of youth have to do with the place of faith and prayer in my family. I didn’t fully appreciate the gift that was given to me then. Now I do. And in all honesty, neither did I fully grasp, in my first years as a husband and dad, the beautiful gift, the responsibility, and the opportunities family prayer was. I still remember the prominent weekly ritual of our family getting ready for Sunday mass and the privileged role of Mary in our Polish home. I fondly recall the persevering prayer life of my mother, the power prayer had for my dad when dealing with cancer, the image of my grandfather in prayer, so often with a rosary in hand and ever so contemplative. 

A perfect family? Far from it. There were moments of harmony, but also conflict. Unity and cohesion, but also misunderstanding, hurt and pain. There was health, but also sickness and death. Rejoicing with successes, crying with betrayal, and conflict followed by repentance, conversion and forgiveness. How did we ever get through it all? Now, after all those years, I look back and see that it was all grace. 

In Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis writes: “A positive experience of family communion is a true path to daily sanctification and mystical growth, a means for deeper union with God” (No. 316). He goes on to say, “If a family is centred on Christ, he will unify and illumine its entire life. Moments of pain and difficulty will be experienced in union with the Lord’s cross, and his closeness will make it possible to surmount them” (No. 317). Given the conviction of the Holy Father and Tradition of the Church on the power of prayer in the life of individuals and families, you may also find relief knowing that there is scientific support to Fr. Patrick Peyton’s maxim, “The family that prays together, stays together.”

One study, published in the Journal of Family Psychology, explored this adage and identified 7 themes. 

• A family’s ritual practice of prayer and the worship of God creates space for its members to interact with each other and experience closeness and intimacy;  
• Family prayer creates a safe space for members to share their own individual struggles and worries. Members show support, understanding and provide comfort. They learn to ask for prayer. and pray for one another;
• It passes on the faith. Children learn how to pray by watching their parents; 
• It becomes a means for families to address and deal with familial issues and concerns;
• Conflict is mitigated and can contribute to its overall management and resolution and appears to foster self-examination;
• It increases the sense of connectedness and unity;
• However, the experience of discontent, often times due to differing views, makes family prayer more difficult. Hence the need to address conflict. 

There is value in creating a culture of family prayer. To do this means prioritizing time for prayer and intentionally setting aside distractions. Jesus said, “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20). In essence, that is what prayer is all about. Responding to His initiative, and inviting Jesus, who loves me and my family in an intimate and unrepeatable way, into our homes and hearts. 

By: Anthony Banka, Family & Youth Coordinator

Note: ​Chelladurai, J.M., Dollahite, D.C., and Marks, L.D. (2018). The family that prays together: Relational processes associated with regular family prayer. Journal of Family Psychology, 32(7), 849-859.