People are hungry for God

I saw the relic of St. Francis Xavier at St. Michael's Cathedral in Toronto last Friday where Mass was said by Cardinal Collins. The Church was packed. I didn't stay to venerate the relic as I intended to go on the Sunday at Our Lady of Lourdes.

Then Sunday I went into Our Lady of Lourdes Parish at 1:30 but couldn't get in. The church was jammed and people were spilling out the door.

I returned at 4:30 and got in line. It took an hour and 15 minutes to finally venerate the relic for two seconds. The line of people wound their way through the pews, one line on each side of the church (pictures below).

People are clearly hungry for God. What a lovely thought, when Canada has become so secular and so many of our political leaders preach an anti-Christian worldview. Clearly they can't dampen the desire for God. No matter how hard they try.

Pictures at St. Mike's Cathedral in Toronto

Pictures at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Toronto

Thank God for St. Michael the Archangel

I was able to go to Mass while in Toronto to the newly refurbished St. Michael's Cathedral Basilica. Such a beautiful building. A fitting home for God in Canada's largest city.

Bishop Michael Power originally built the Cathedral in 1845. He never saw its completion because he died of typhus, from the Irish who he helped when they more than doubled the size of Toronto:

"Bishop Power did not live to see the completion of the building he had spearheaded. In January 1847, Power had departed on a six month-month trip to Europe to recruit priests for the growing Diocese of Toronto and to raise money for the Cathedral. The trip took him to Ireland where he witnessed the Great Famine (1845-1851) that would result in the emigration of so many Irish to Canada. Prior to his return, Bishop Power sent a pastoral letter read in all Catholic churches in and around Toronto, urging congregations to be prepared for the influx of Irish Famine victims. Between May and October 1847 over 38,000 emigrants arrived in Toronto. With a population of only 20,000, the influx strained local resources. Upon his return to Toronto, Bishop Power administered to the sick and dying, many of who were suffering from typhus. He contracted the fever and died on October 1, 1847. During Bishop Power’s Episcopate, the number of Catholics in the Diocese of Toronto approximately doubled from 25,000 in 1842 to 50,000 to 1847. During his short term, Bishop Power provided energetic leadership to the Catholic community. 

He is remembered for his contributions to the new Diocese of Toronto including the establishment of its operational framework. The construction of St. Michael’s Cathedral and his compassion to the victims of Irish famine. Although the funeral of Bishop Power was held at St. Paul’s, he was buried in the crypt of the unfinished St. Michael’s Cathedral."

 I'm glad St. Michael he Archangel is out there protecting us all from evil. Of which there is a lot.

Price of admission - subway token

Serenaded in the tunnel where the Bloor-Danforth line meets the Yonge-University subway Toronto.

Finding God in all the right places

Thanks to Ellen and Christmas, I'm convinced. People are looking for God.

I turned off Netflix after watching another episode of Luther, and before I could turn the TV off, Ellen came on. And her audience were going ape over her. Why do people get so excited by celebrities? I don't know.

Then this year for the first time ever, my family had a Christmas where I didn't buy anyone anything. It was liberating. Instead we had a simple Christmas with our daughters and their husbands. While we waited for the birth of our first grandchild.

We went to Christmas Mass and saw the best Nativity scene ever. Made by some parishioners at Holy Rosary Parish in Toronto.

I didn't have to prowl the stores on an endless quest for the "perfect" gift. Nope, just being with my family and enjoying their company, going for walks, having two fantastic turkey dinners, baking Christmas cakes and doing dishes. It was awesome.

Yep people are looking for something to make them happy. To make them feel good.