April 17 is the anniversary date of Blessed Kateri Tékakwitha, who will soon be canonized a saint. How can a young Native American woman, born in 1656, be relevant for our times?

Kateri was born in a small Mohawk village in what is now New York state to an Algonquin Catholic convert and a Mohawk chief. She first learnt about Jesus as a child from her mother. When very young, most of her family died in a smallpox epidemic. She herself survived the disease, but her skin became very scarred as a result.

After the death of her parents, Kateri was looked after by relatives and no longer heard about Jesus until the arrival of Jesuit missionaries. She was baptized at the age of twenty. As a result of her becoming a Christian, life was made difficult for  her as she did not wish to marry. If you want more details about her life click here.

Kateri had to face great challenges in becoming a Christian. She no longer believed in the gods of her ancestors and was often pressured to change her ways.

When I hear of people who want to follow their hearts by believing in God and living a life of faith, they often face the same kind of challenges that Kateri did. I hear of young people who tell me that they are made fun of if they speak about going to church.

It is always difficult to go against the current of society and to live by the values that are different from the main stream. Kateri can be a model of hope and courage  for those struggling with the pressure of family and friends who have difficulty accepting that they are people of faith.

Has it ever happened to you to believe in a truth that is hard for others to accept? Let me know what you think about this blog and the story of Kateri.

Easter comes at a time when everything outside seems to be coming alive. The grass is getting greener, the trees are beginning to bud and there is a smell of freshness in the air. Even the days are getting longer so we see more sunshine and less darkness. Winter is slowly letting go of its grip.

For the church, Lent is now  over and we have just passed through the more somber days of Holy Week to emerge into Easter. The daily mass readings are all about hope and the appearances of Jesus to his disciples. They are surprised and overjoyed to see him again after his death, and yet,  Jesus is somehow different. He carries his wounds, but the wounds no longer have mastery over him.

How about us? How can we experience the resurrection of Jesus this Easter? Are there any moments of hope or joy similar to what the disciples enjoyed when they saw Jesus?

One way to become aware of how Jesus has been present to us is to  look back and see if we can see the hand of God through an event or person. When Jesus reappeared to his disciples, I would imagine him saying to them, “Remember when this and this happened?” And they would remember those moments of fraternity together.

Where may we have seen God working during this past Lent.? Were there any moments of joy, particular insight or awareness of who we are as a child of God?

Naming those graced moments helps to give thanks for them. Where can God be leading you through these blessed moments? 

We can begin to experience a hint of the resurrection when we take the time to name and give thanks for what God has given us. These are the lilies blooming from the cross.

Wishing you a very Happy Easter! 

Sometimes I think of Lent as a pilgrimage into the unknown. Why do I see it as a pilgrimage?

The pilgrims of old often left on a journey, with nothing on their backs except the bare necessities and a specific place or destination. Some of the typical Catholic pilgrimage sites are the Compostella de Santiago in Spain or, in Quebec the shrine of St. Anne de Beaupre. It is the journey that is important because you take the time to reflect and think about where God is in your life. Without the distractions of everyday living, you can often see more clearly where God is or who God is for us.

In a walking pilgrimage, we get the sense of participating in a journey without a map, without predeterminded signposts, without a weather report and in some cases, without a guide. The pilgrim must rely on God and sometimes is surprised by what happens in the process. The only known factor is the destination.

The forty day period of Lent can be like that. We start on Ash Wednesday with possible plans to try and improve our spiritual life, make some improvements in our life style, give something up. But then life happens and events occur that we did not expect. The signposts we thought were there, are gone. We have to rely on God in the hope that we arrive at the proper destination all in one piece.

Can we be pilgrim people, walking towards a destination of promise and hope? What can we learn about ourselves along the way?

Let me know if you have ever been on a pilgrimage. I would like to hear from you. If you are interested, a great movie called The Way with Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevan shows what a pilgrimage can be like today.

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate our new Archbishop Lepine on his recent nomination as Archbishop of Montreal. Let us keep him in prayer as he takes on a very challenging task.

March 17 is the feast of Saint Patrick and the city of Montreal celebrates with a parade and lots of festivities in the Irish pubs.

But what about Patrick the person? Who was he and what can we learn about our faith from him?

To begin with, he was not of Irish heritage. Patrick was born in Roman Britain of wealthy parents. As a teenager, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold as a slave to an Irish patron. After six years in captivity, he managed to escape and return to Britain.

This is where the story takes an unusual turn, Patrick feels called to become a priest and is compelled to return to Ireland, the land of his captors. His love and respect for the land and the people of Ireland had created a desire to bring the Gospel message to them.

Knowing the rituals and symbols of the Irish, he was able to connect the Gospel message with their culture. For example, he knew their love of the sun, so he superimposed the sun and the cross to create what we today know as a Celtic cross.

Patrick was able to see the qualities and strengths of the people and draw out the seeds of goodness and love in them. He looked at the people as Christ looks at them.

Saint Patrick’s ability to see Christ in all is reflected in this prayer attributed to him entitled  “St. Patrick’s Breastplate”. Following is an excerpt of that prayer:

Christ shield me today against wounding, Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me.

I arise today through the mighty strength of the Lord of creation.

To hear a musical rendition of this prayer, click here .

May Christ be present to you today and every day. Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!