Along with 18 other students, from our Archdoicese, I graduated from AST (Atlantic School of Theology) with a Diploma in the New Evangelism. As a way of reflecting on the course material I’m reminded of a scripture reference that my Grandmother had penned inside my New Testament, “In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15).

Sacrifice is an economic activity. For example, if you sacrifice a bit of your paycheque to CPP, in return for that sacrifice; when you are 65, you receive the Canada Pension.

Unravelling Daniel’s prophecy of the weeks is like executing a “paint-by-numbers”. When you first get a paint by numbers the canvas is a confused jumble of numbers…

Over my lifetime I have lived inside various ‘spiritualities’ and just prior to being received into the Catholic Church, in 2012, I had spent 20 years exploring the land of ‘modern’ spirituality. In that world, the notion of the search for the ‘truth’ was put on the back burner, instead what was cooked up and served was a buffet containing various offerings of religious diversity. The table manners were structured to ensure that it was the spirit of fraternity that animated our interactions. Traditional Christians were accused of having an ‘unhealthy’ interest in the truth-claims of Christ.

In Genesis 6: 9-2 2, God supplies Noah every detail of the ark, i.e. how high, how wide, (300 cubits by 50 cubits by 30 cubits), even what kind of wood to use. He is given a pretty comprehensive blueprint. Yet two details are conspicuously absent. There is nothing in the specs about a sail or a rudder! Noah is asked to trust that God would provide the propulsion and the steering, when and as required. Talk about launching out, in faith.