Tag: catholic

Beautiful Hope

On By reneemarie31In Books, Faith, Positive ThinkingLeave a comment

I recently read Beautiful Hope:  Finding Hope Every Day in a Broken World which is a small essay collection put out by Dynamic Catholic.  I am a lover of quotes, and I was reading, I found myself highlighting a few, so I thought I would share some of them here today. 

Optimism disappoints, but hope does not.

Pope Francis

This one stuck out to me because it started the description of the difference between optimism and hope.  I’m a naturally optimistic person and a proponent of positive thinking.  But I know a lot of people are turned off by what they view as toxic positivity.  Hope in God and His plan for us is so much deeper and more powerful than mere optimism though.

Hope is never still; hope is always journeying, and it makes us journey.

Pope Francis

Those with hope are willing to act.  Those without hope are content to wish.

Fr. Mike Schmitz

When hope dwindles, love also dies down; the heart is invaded by uneasiness and worry, which stifle charity.  Hope keeps the heart free to love, and to give itself.

Fr. Jacques Philippe

There was a lot about how hope should influence our actions and the choices that we make each day of our lives.

Hope is not merely a wish that something good might happen – it is the firm confidence and desire that the promises of God will be fulfilled.  It is the expectation that “he who began a good work among you will bring it to completion” (Philippians 1:6).

Sr. Miriam James

Hope is the theological virtue that enables us to keep our eyes on heaven – even during those times when our sufferings and trials make our lives here on earth seem like a living hell. 

Archbishop Jose H. Gomez

A reminder that hope is not about what we want and desire, but what God wants and desires for us.

In my mind, hope and purpose are directly tied to one another.  Without an understanding of purpose, there can be no hope.

Marguerite Brambani

Prayer is the great school for growing in hope.  When we pray, we realize that we are never alone.

Archbishop Jose H. Gomez

The saints are beacons of hope in the world.  They show us that ordinary men and women can be the living hands of Jesus acting in the world.  Saints show the world that God does powerful things through those that make themselves available to him.

Grandpa Paul Hess

Hope helps us to be the people that God wants us to be.  The best versions of ourselves.

Notre Dame de Bon Secours and Chateau Ramezay

On By reneemarie31In TravelLeave a comment

For our last afternoon in Montreal, I explored Vieux Montreal on my own, while my husband and daughter went back to the hotel for a swim. My first stop was Chapelle Notre Dame de Bon Secours. This church was built by Marguerite Bourgeoys. The chapel became a favorite place of prayer for sailors and has some model boats hanging from the ceiling.

In the chapel, I also visited the Marguerite Bourgeoys museum. She was a French nun who founded the Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal. She developed a convent and a school for girls, the poor, and First Nations children. It was an uncloistered community. There were exhibits on her life and little miniature scenes of her whole life.

Next, a tour guide took me down into the archaelogical site below the chapel. Recently, they have found the remains of the original chapel, constructed in 1675, that was destroyed by a fire.

Back upstairs, there was also a temporary exhibit full of the paper sculptures of artist, Claude Lafortune.

Next, I climbed up the top of the tower, which has the highest view of Old Montreal.

Next, I walked to Chateau Ramezay, a residence built in the 18th century. Its exhibits cover over 500 years of Montreal history.

There was a really interesting temporary exhibit called War Flowers. It told several stories from World War I through the senses, including pressed flowers. At each exhibit, you could press a button a smell the associated scent. It was a touching exhibit.

A Downtown Stroll

On By reneemarie31In TravelLeave a comment

On Sunday morning, we finally received our luggage, after having been in Canada since Thursday night! I decided to do a bit of exploring on my own, while my husband and daughter went swimming and watched the soccer game. I headed downtown to take a look at St. Patrick’s Basilica.

It is another pretty church, opened in 1847.

The church was built for the Irish immigrant population in Montreal. I liked seeing all of the Saint Patrick details.

Since Saint Patrick’s is the main English speaking Catholic church in Montreal, I decided to stay for Mass. There was a little park area out front (and down the many steps) where I spent a little time by myself before Mass began. The parishioners and visitors attending Mass made quite the diverse cultural group.

Since it was Sunday morning, I timed my visit to the next church to be between Masses. As I approached the Cathedral of Marie Reine du Monde (Mary, Queen of the World), Mass was just ending. I walked inside for a look around. The thing that makes this church unique is that it is a miniature replica of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. I’ve never been to Rome, but one day!

On my way back to the hotel, I passed Place du Canada, where it appeared some sort of gathering or concert of Muslim people was happening. I couldn’t tell exactly what was going on as they weren’t speaking English over the loudspeaker, but everyone was carrying the same flag. Montreal is definitely a diverse and international city with many cultural influences.

L’Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont Royal

On By reneemarie31In TravelLeave a comment

Another major church on my tour of Montreal is Saint Joseph’s Oratory. This is a huge Catholic shrine dedicated to St. Joseph. It was founded by St. Brother André. The oratory is located on top of a mountain and there is a lot of stair climbing involved in visiting. It is a pilgrimage site.

Due to the great amount of walking, stairs, and lack of air conditioning, I did a lot of the exploring on my own. My husband and daughter saw some of the sights, but also chose to sit and rest, while I explored. The first area I explored was the Gardens of the Way of the Cross. As you walk up and around the expansive gardens, you follow the stations, which are statues depicting Christ on the day of his crucifixion.

The whole sight is dedicated to Saint Joseph, Jesus’ father on Earth. There are several chapels located throughout the property, along with the main church.

I liked these statues of the twelve apostles located in the main church.

Brother André, the founder of the Oratory, was canonized a saint in 2010. As the humble doorkeeper at Notre Dame College in Montreal, he welcomed and prayed with and even healed countless visitors. There are several areas of the Oratory with presentations on Saint André Bessette.

  • his tomb
  • crutches left by those who have been healed
  • a recreation of his office

I walked to the original chapel, where Brother André lived on the top floor.

If you enjoy visiting churches and religious sites, as I do, then I definitely recommend a visit to Saint Joseph’s Oratory. Just be aware that there is a great deal of walking and climbing involved, although there are escalators inside. You can get a great view of the city from the top. There are many people visiting, but also some quiet spots for prayer, where no pictures are allowed. Mass was also being held in the crypt chapel during my visit.

Notre-Dame Basilica

On By reneemarie31In TravelLeave a comment

One of the most popular tourist sites in Montreal is La Basilique Notre-Dame. It is located in Vieux Montreal. We headed straight there on our first morning in the city. We had to wait for a few minutes in line to get in, but I noticed that later in the day, the line had gotten much, much longer. So I definitely recommend heading there in the morning to minimize your wait.

The church’s construction began in 1672, in the earliest days of Montreal. In the early 1800’s, the old church was torn down and construction began on the current basilica. It is a beautiful church, rich in historical significance.

The elaborate altar pictured above is gorgeous. The pulpit, pictured below, is also quite ornate and beautiful.

The stained glass windows tell the story of the early days of Montreal, which makes them quite unique and fascinating.

There were many places throughout the church to light candles for prayer intentions.

This was the first of many Catholic churches I visited in Montreal. My husband and daughter are not quite as interested as I am, so I went to several of them on my own. I love visiting beautiful churches and seeing the different ways artists and architects have chosen to honor God.

  • The organ
  • Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys

This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. ~John 15:12