Thanksgiving does not have to wait until everything is fixed. In the middle of unfinished prayers, uncertain futures, family complications, and ordinary worries, grace is already present. Perhaps gratitude begins when we stop waiting for the perfect moment and discover the daily bread God has already placed before us.
Tag Archives: Christian Reflection
Before the Turkey: Learning to Notice What Is Already Good
Thanksgiving begins long before the turkey reaches the table. It begins when we learn to notice the ordinary gifts we have become accustomed to overlooking. As Canadian Thanksgiving approaches, perhaps our spiritual work is simple: look around, pay attention, name what is good, and discover the grace that has been there all along.
The Spiritual Discipline of Looking Out the Window
Creation has not stopped speaking—we have simply become very good at interrupting it. During the Season of Creation, perhaps one of our most important spiritual disciplines is simply learning to notice again: the trees, the birds, the soil beneath our feet, and the quiet goodness of a world still declaring the glory of God.
Reconciliation Will Cost Us Something
Reconciliation becomes credible when it moves beyond apology into action. For the Church in Canada, that will require more than good intentions: it will require humility, changed priorities, shared authority, committed resources, and the courage to surrender control. The question is no longer simply whether we regret the past, but whether our repentance is changing the way we live today.
Truth That Walks: Reconciliation Beyond Good Intentions
The work of truth and reconciliation is not complete because we have acknowledged the past. The Gospel calls the Church beyond good intentions into faithful action—listening deeply, building authentic relationships, and pursuing justice with humility and courage. Reconciliation is not a destination but a lifelong journey of discipleship, where our prayers become partnerships and our faith becomes visible in the work of healing.
Truth That Walks: Reconciliation Is a Journey We Must Keep Choosing
Truth and reconciliation cannot remain annual observances or well-intentioned words. The Gospel calls the Church to a deeper commitment—one marked by humility, listening, repentance, and the patient work of rebuilding relationships with Indigenous peoples. As we prepare for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, this reflection invites us to consider what faithful discipleship looks like when reconciliation becomes not simply something we remember, but something we live.
Orange Shirt Sunday: More Than a Shirt
Orange Shirt Sunday is more than an opportunity to wear orange—it is a call to repentance, truth, and faithful action. As Christians, we are invited not only to remember the painful legacy of Residential Schools but also to renew our commitment to healing, justice, and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. The Gospel calls us beyond good intentions toward lives marked by humility, listening, and hope.
The Theology of the Garage Sale
Every September, garage sales remind us of an unexpected spiritual truth: we are far better at collecting things than letting them go. In this light-hearted reflection, discover how Jesus invites us to clear the clutter from our hearts as readily as we clear out our garages, making room for the freedom, joy, and grace that only God can give.
The Theology of Waiting for the Kettle
We live in a world that prizes speed, yet God so often works through waiting. In this gentle reflection, discover how something as ordinary as a kettle coming to the boil can become a surprising lesson in patience, trust, and the quiet grace of God’s perfect timing. Sometimes the holiest work is happening long before we hear the whistle.
September Again: The Grace of Beginning Once More
Summer may still linger on the calendar, but September always feels like a fresh beginning. As vacation ends, children prepare for school, churches return to familiar rhythms, and ordinary routines resume, we discover that God often does God’s finest work in the everyday moments of life. Join me as we begin a new series of reflections exploring the quiet holiness hidden in backpacks, coffee mugs, autumn mornings, church pews, and the simple patterns that shape our days. Perhaps this season will help us see that Christ has been waiting for us in the ordinary all along.