Catholic Latte

Even though churches throughout the Archdiocese of Toronto were open this past weekend for public Mass for the first time in months, many people were clearly still afraid and concerned about the prospect of going back to Mass. Fr. Eric shares a specific call to action that he made to the people at his own parish this past weekend to encourage others to come back to Mass. Topics include the various steps required to form an intentional disciple; the importance of cultivating trust among those we're trying to evangelize; and how to renew a sense of courage and trust in a concrete way during this time of pandemic, especially when it comes to the idea of coming back to Sunday Mass.
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Given the state of the world where there is an abundance of economic and political uncertainty, not to mention the various issues and problems related to the ongoing pandemic, we can name any number of reasons in our current cultural climate to be afraid. Fr. Eric reflects on what our faith tells us about the nature of fear and how to manage our fears, focusing especially on this weekend’s Gospel (Mt 10:26-33) in which the Lord speaks directly to us on the subject of fear.
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On June 19th, the Church celebrates the World Day of Prayer for Priests.  To mark the occasion, Fr. Eric reflects on various factors to consider in discerning a potential calling to be a priest based on the account in the Gospel of Matthew of the calling of the first disciples (4:18-22).  Fr. Eric discusses the  relevance of transferable skills; the importance of doing one’s work carefully and well; the primacy of following the person of Christ; and the need to ground the effort towards evangelization on one’s own personal, transformative encounter with the Lord.
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After much anticipation, churches throughout the Archdiocese of Toronto will be reopening their doors for private prayer starting on Sun. June 14th before recommencing public Masses on Wed. June 17th. Reflecting on the whole process of planning to reopen our various churches to the public, Fr. Eric discusses the principle of subsidiarity; the importance of balancing the need for structure, and the need to respect the freedom and dignity of individual persons; the need to have patience with the process; and the significance of taking the time to remember the stark contrast between a life without the sacraments and a return to the sacramental life.
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When it comes to repairing broken relationships among the peoples of this earth, we would do well to revisit the foundational doctrine of the Most Blessed Trinity.  On the occasion of Trinity Sunday, Fr. Eric reflects on common errors with regards to the doctrine of the Trinity; as well the significance of our being made in the image and likeness of the God who Himself is mystery (cf. Gen 1:27), particularly in terms of how it affects our sense of self-worth and how we relate to other people.
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Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI speaks about “fear of the Lord” not in terms of having a servile fear before God; but rather, as a recognition that one must take personal responsibility for that portion of the world and human history which God has entrusted to him or her.  Reflecting on this point, Fr. Eric speaks about some general principles to observe when looking to take social responsibility for the various societal problems which we will have to address both now and in the future. 
Topics include the inherent limitations of virtue signaling; the need to avoid violent means, take seriously one’s personal conversion, become personally invested in finding a solution, and recognize our collective responsibility for finding a collaborative solution to the problems which afflict our world; and the primacy of prayer in bringing about the conversion of the world.
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Drawing upon an analogy of comparing a wild horse to the collective sum of our fears, anxieties, woundedness and passions, as noted in the film “Bad Boys for Life” (2020) starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, Fr. Eric reflects on our tendency to allow ourselves to led by the “wild horses” in our hearts; rather than living with a sense of real intentionality.
Other topics include the beheading of St. John the Baptist at the command of King Herod (Mt 14:1-12), the deadly effect that erroneous habits have on our ability to choose freely, and the distinction between worldly freedom and Biblical freedom. 
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On the occasion of Pentecost Sunday, Fr. Eric reflects upon how the Old Testament narrative of the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9) helps to illuminate the story of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-31), particularly in revealing how the disunity and fragmentation brought by about the Tower of Babel is undone by the event of Pentecost.
Other topics include how the Church is called to embody both radical unity amidst extraordinary diversity, the need to be in right relationship with God before being sent forth on mission to spread the Good News, and the freedom acquired through the Sacrament of Confession to acknowledge and love our neighbor in the way in which we are called.
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Fr. Eric reflects on how we might find hope in the midst of challenging circumstances based on our sense of clarity as to who Christ is; but also because of the foundational mystery of the Incarnation, which teaches us that God’s presence and His grace come to us in abundance both in the midst of the beauty and tragedy of this life.
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Reflecting on Walt Disney’s animated classic, “The Lion King” (1994), Fr. Eric discusses various effects of the Sacrament of Baptism, including the reality of sanctifying grace; and the summons to share in the mission of the Church. Other topics include defining the specific mission of the Church based on the Great Commission (Mt 28:16-20), and the need to give oneself over to the missionary imperative as a prerequisite to real integrity and peace.
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