On the Threshold

Human life is sacred; it is also a form of captivity. Most people get the first part, not so many the second. But if we don’t understand, or better yet feel, the captivity of our current existence, we will not know the meaning of hope. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we need hope. And hope is quite different than optimism. The

Distractions and busy-ness. These times of isolation are an opportunity to free ourselves from such superficial aspects of our lives. Now that we are not so busy, we can become more contemplative. That’s true, but I am also grateful for those distractions that take my mind away from the mounting global COVID-19 death toll, from all those news articles that

By Glen Argan With widespread orders from bishops across North America and Europe to cancel public Masses including the Sunday Eucharist, some naysayers were bound to arise. Me, I agree with the bishops who have temporarily halted public Masses, first, because I believe in the sacredness of human life and, second, because this pause in Masses provides an opportunity for

Snow is gently falling this Saturday morning in Edmonton. It is near silent outside. I live a block away from 75th Street, one of the main arteries in this city which refuses to stop growing. But the last 10 days, two weeks, traffic on 75th has slowed to a trickle. The temperature is -10C, far too cold for the 28th

My meditation today was on the pitiless injustice which Roman soldiers heaped upon Jesus prior to his execution. Jesus was mocked, flogged, spat upon, stripped, crowned with thorns and struck on the head with a reed. Jesus was an innocent victim in a bloodthirsty time. Are we any better today? The means of persecution may not be so violent –

Should the Catholic Church cancel all public Masses during the COVID-19 pandemic? While dioceses across North America and in many parts of Europe are doing just that, some prominent Catholics are saying the public celebration of the Eucharist must continue even if it costs some people their lives. The Eucharist is that essential to our spiritual lives, they say. I

Nearly two weeks ago, I realized I was suffering from low-level anxiety, probably the result of reading too much about the spread of the coronavirus. I had been reading news articles about the epidemic in the Wuhan region religiously since early to mid-January and began to wonder about what the impending pandemic would mean, not so much for me or

Although Nora and I have been reducing our outside connections since the weekend, today, Friday, is only Day 2 of self-isolation for me. The isolation already feels intense; how will it feel after six or eight weeks? Thank God that we have the phone and email. Without such technology, we would really be cut off from each other. However, in

Natalka, our faithful canine family member for almost 11 years, died peacefully on the evening of Friday, August 9, 2019 on the deck of the Argan-Parker family home. Her sister Dominique was by her side. Half German shepherd and half mystery dog, Natalka was a rescue dog who brought love to our family and terror to unwitting strangers who dared