A few weeks ago, I was called by some old family friends to the hospital in Markham, Ontario to anoint one of their relatives who was dying. As it had been several years since I had last visited my old home town, I decided to drive by the home that I had grown up in and where my family had lived from 1972 to 1992. I could not help but notice in front of the home a beautiful huge Maple tree that was starting to get all its leaves as Spring was advancing. The tree was a huge, beautiful healthy tree that cast shade over the entire front yard of the house. I remembered that tree because I had planted it there with my father almost fifty years ago. It had been my job to water that tree and to help it take root. There were actually a few weeks when it was first planted that I was not convinced that it was going to survive; partially because I may not have watered it as regularly as I should have and the hot summer weather threatened not to allow it to take root properly. The tree had obviously survived those early challenges and was now a thriving and well rooted tree, like one of those that we hear Jesus speaking of in today’s Gospel. Continue reading →

These days, during the COVID 19 pandemic, and the state of emergency that is now in existence in our province, many of us have gotten used to doing things “virtually.” We meet with people from work virtually, attend Bible studies and have virtual family celebrations. There is a certain ease to doing things virtually. There is no need to really show up for a virtual encounter. These kinds of meetings are convenient and don’t call for the same kind of commitment and sacrifice that really showing up for an event can require. Continue reading →