Culture

Culture

Articles where the best & worst of our culture are held up to the light of the Catholic faith

Woman looking out window

How to Rebuild Trust in the Church

We need to address things as they are with severity and sincerity. Here are 4 things we can do.

 
Drums

If You're Angry about Recent Scandals, (Don't) Close Your Eyes

I don’t know if this is part of a reconciling process, but I need to feel indignation filled with hope right now.

Trudeau at World Bank

6 Reasons It's Harder than Ever to Trust in Trudeau

Canada needs great leaders. Failing that, she needs at least respectable leaders.

coffee

Why Your Church Should Care about Its Coffee

Great coffee and telling people about Jesus is in fact quite compatible!

Woman smiling

8 Amazing Things a Church for Young Adults Can Do

If it’s difficult for passionate young adults to connect, how can we expect to attract the disaffected?

 
Young People in a line up

Young Adults Need a Place in the Church

So much is possible when we set aside all distractions in ministering to young adults.

Man by fire in wilderness

The Red Pill Will Disturb You for Good

Is raising awareness to the injustices faced by men tantamount to attacking the rights of women?

Andrew Scheer quote

Is There a Pro-life Future Full of Hope?

This is a pivotal moment for the Canadian pro-life movement!

Image of Malala Yousafzai

When Societies Confuse Their Heroes and Villains

We recognize the courage and cause of Malala. I pray that Canada will one day recognize her other heroines as well.

American flag and sparkler

One Thing I Really Admire about American Politics

As a proud Canadian, I’d like to admire my own political leaders for their leadership in defence of the most vulnerable among us.

 
Youtube tumbnail of Josh

How to Walk Tall as a Christian with Depression

How can we interpret things like depression in light of our Christian walk? Here are my personal thoughts.

Family pic

Liberal Government Wreaking Havoc on the Family

The Ontario government's rewriting of the meaning of parenthood is a catastrophe.

Man hesitantly typing

How to Win when Disagreeing on the Internet

As Christians online, let’s show our friends and acquaintances what healthy disagreement looks like.

Stormy day in Toronto

Are You Also Aching for Canada to Be Better?

Given the option of choosing life over death, Canadian politicians are more and more frequently choosing death.

A messy unmade bed

How to Kick Your Bad Habits to the Curb Right Now

Why do I say that all Catholics should read The Power of Habit? Because all Catholics are called to be saints!

Mountaineering with map

How to Make Jesus the Heart of Your Vacation

Instead of turning into a human-sloth hybrid, this year I am really trying to use my leisure time to grow closer to Jesus.

Girl reading smart phone

How to use social media like a saint

Saints do not drift when they are online, they swim. What I mean is they are intentional about why they do something.

Beautiful Catholic newlywed couple

Why Newlyweds Better Check Their Expectations at the Aisle

Everything changed when I chose to let go of my expectations.

Welcoming beautiful church entrance

Something I Want to Say to the Occasional Church-Goer

I hope that you discover what I did...

Dating Catholic couple having coffee. Dating Tips.

3 Proven Practical Tips to Find an Amazing Catholic Spouse

You’re young, eligible, and single. You’re ready to get serious if you could only meet someone worth being serious about...

Talking about Cleansed: A Catholic Guide to Freedom from Porn

"If you don't see it as a problem, then you are either ignorant of the data, choosing to ignore the data, or are lying."

Don't Make Decisions for People, Just Invite!

By assuming they do not want to hear the message we are doing them a disservice, because everyone deserves the opportunity to know Jesus.

How to Share Jesus with the Online World

Let's talk about opening up the world of our Catholic faith in a way that beacons others to come and take a look.

Guy reading iPad

Why You Should Be a New Media Missionary

We all need to bring the Christian message to the online world, even if it means learning some new things, and here is why.

Subway station tracks

How I Transferred From Frustration to Prayer on the Subway

The subway is a very easy place to become bitter, angry, and overly selfish. After a lot of frustration, I decided to start praying about it.

The Best Possible Way to Spend New Year's

Let me tell you a bit about 6 of my best ever New Year's experiences.

Catholic Travel Tips from a Seasoned Backpacker

See the world: I’m a Christian backpacker, and you can be one too!

Floating in the pool

Does Your Parish Have a Shallow End?

Like Pope Francis says, it all starts with encounter.

Why You Should Vote Conservative

Being a one-issue voter isn't a bad thing when the issue is this...

Can You Help Me?

"The one who helps the sick and needy touches the flesh of Christ, alive and present in our midst."

An Ecological Conversion? Say what?

God placed Adam in the garden and asked him to till it, not to ravage and abuse it.

Navigating the Eviscerated Dating Landscape

"Anyone who treats a person as the means to an end does violence to the very essence of the other." -St. John Paul II

Relationship is More than Knowledge

Let's talk about the difference between knowing about someone and knowing him.

Image of a watch

Daring to Make Time for What Really Matters

"Some resist giving themselves over completely to mission and thus end up in a state of paralysis and acedia.”

Book Evangelii Gaudium

Has Evangelii Gaudium Made a Difference at All?

What am I doing now that I wasn’t doing before EG? What in particular has been “transformed”?

What Do You Give Someone who has Everything?

We need to allow ourselves to be emptied and to ache and long for that is where we will find God.

Review of John Paul II in America: Uniting a Continent

Who do you think of when you think of the word "courage"?

Blurred image with light coming through

Why All Catholics Need to Care About Homosexuality

Charity impels us to share the truth because love is desiring the good of the other.

Happy St. Paddy's!

Here are some facts about this great saint.

5 Ways a Regular Joe can Evangelize

Can anyone evangelize? Even a Regular Joe like me?

6 Reasons to be Sad about the Sex Ed Curriculum

"They’re planning to teach what to my kids??"

2 Ways to Flood the Internet With Hope this Lent

"Man, have you seen that new video about Jesus Christ?"

5 Things I Love About Working with Protestants

"What unites us is much greater than what divides us." -St. John XXIII

Canadian Catholics Speak Out Against Supreme Court Decision

St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for us.

One Practical Thing You Can Do to Make Your Parish a Warmer Place

"I may even go as far as seeing if they want to go for a coffee. It may seem weird, but it shouldn’t."

Review of Exodus: Gods and Kings

Here are 5 reasons I think this movie missed the mark.

Comparison Killed the Cat

They say ‘curiosity killed the cat,’ but in my experience, comparison has always killed this cat.

Issuing an invitation

Why I Am Not Impressed with a "Culture of Welcome"

Let's talk about the vast difference between 'welcome' and 'invitation.'

Guy holding a "help wanted" sign

I Want My Parish to Be Radical and Fearless

Does your parish set your heart on fire with a desire to "go and announce the Gospel of the Lord,” literally?

Lips, Sleeves, and Missed Opportunities

Strongest among the things that haunt me are missed opportunities to speak of the faith.

Loving and Serving the Poor

On this Labour Day I recall a recent labour of love.

Marriage and Schmarriage

“Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.”

5 Reasons Every Disciple Needs a Blog

Have you ever thought about blogging your faith?

Dad and child by the ocean surf

The Truth about What Kids Do for Your Marriage

Let's talk about the crucial 3rd pillar of Christian marriage.

Girl praying with sombreness

The Painful Truth about the New Evangelization

Here are two ways you can and should get hurt in the New Evangelization.

Album Review: Brothers, by Joe Zambon

It's great to review an album that I actually love.

Alpha is for Catholics?

Do you know about the Alpha experience? You should.

Come Aboard the Bandwagon

Let's take a moment to appreciate the bandwagon fans.

Fist holding gold medal

In Your Faith Life, Go for the Gold

Let's talk about the difference 5% makes.

The Old School Rules of Dating

One of the biggest snags in modern dating is this: the lack of distinction between “dating" and "going steady”.

Happy half-Asian girl

A Catholic Gal's Advice to Men: 4 Tips to Smarter Dating

Men, here are a few Catholic dating snags you don't want to get caught up in.

Gentleman with a red rose

Catholic Men Should Be the Best Daters

What the heck ever happened to dating? Isn't it supposed to be simple?

Man holding lamp in the darkness

How Being Tested by Depression Brought Growth

Here's something not everyone knows about me: a few times in my life, I've had to deal with depression.

Engaging Culture & Regaining My Taste Buds

The more time we spend being critical and understanding the subtle notes or ‘flavours’ in movies, the more adept we become at picking up on the good and the bad.

The Fruits of Solidarity

"One of the most amazing parts of every trip is the deep friendships that are created through out the two weeks we spend together, and seeing how we are each evangilized by one another."

A Blessing for Canada

"Our mission is to bring people to a deeper relationship with the Lord and the Gospel and by doing that the rest falls into place."

Supreme Blunder on Prostitution

Don't Canadians deserve better law-making than this?

Who's Coming to Christmas Dinner?

Maybe this year it's time to start a new Christmas tradition.

Guy shielding eyes

Putting Porn Back in its Place

Porn is not all fun and games, and it’s no longer just the Catholic Church that’s saying so.

Rebel Against the Slopification of Culture

The Arcade Fire is issuing dress codes, and so am I.

Pregnancy test

Opting Out of Reality

When it comes to modern parenthood, there's a lot of lying going on.

Joe Zambon

6 Questions with Joe Zambon

"Songwriting has been a gift to my own personal life since songs I’ve written still minister to my heart years after I’ve recorded them."

Athletic Spirituality

How is your spiritual fitness routine going?

The Leadership Exercised by a Disciple

In our world, the best leaders are actually the best followers.

Image of the character Cosette

Les Miserables Makes Me Hunger for Justice in the World

Something about the honest depiction of suffering, sacrificial love, and longing for a just society where people can get by just pulls you in heart-first.

Thanksgiving greeting

The Relationship between Gratitude and Patience

Our pastor shared a surprising measure of gratitude this past Sunday.

Testimony sharing

YOU Can Share Your Testimony

Somebody needs to hear your testimony, so you might as well suck it up and get ready to share.

Poster for movie Don John

Hollywood's Porn Problem

The last time you saw porn referenced in a Hollywood movie, was it approached like it was kind of a joke?

5 Amazing Pope-Francisisms

In this day and age it’s important to be pithy. Even better if you can be memorably pithy.

Face palm

4 Reasons the World Desperately Needs You

Morally, it's been a bad news day.

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