Author: admin

Why does life feel empty — even when everything seems “fine”?

Fr. Mike Schmitz and Dr. Arthur Brooks, Harvard professor and bestselling author, unpack the real reason so many of us feel restless, anxious, and unfulfilled.

Drawing from both science and the Catholic faith, they explore:

🔸why pleasure isn’t the same as happiness
🔸the “arrival fallacy” and why success doesn’t satisfy
🔸how modern life trains us to avoid waiting
🔸what it actually means to find lasting joy

Try not to rush through your prayer or meditation and you will notice an amazing difference.

In our fast-paced society, it is easy to rush through our daily prayers and meditation. We say we are “too busy” to spend much time on our spiritual lives, and so we simply try to check it off our list and get it done as fast as we can.

Many of us have grown accustomed to things being “fast,” such as “fast food,” or delivery services that only take a few hours to reach us. Everything around us screams, FAST!

Taking it slow

However, praying too quickly can be harmful, as we end up not knowing what we are saying and not really having any meaning behind it. In other words, it becomes the “babble” that Jesus condemns when teaching his disciples how to pray (see Matthew 6:7).

The key to more thoughtful and meaningful prayer is to take it slow and allot enough time to interiorize our actions.

Fr. Francis Xavier Lasance writes in My Prayer Book, “It is also useful, in using the prayers of our prayerbook, to read them slowly and deliberately, making in the meantime practical reflections on their contents, or pausing from time to time to meditate a little and apply the words of the prayers to our own wants.”

We must not be concerned about “finishing” our prayers as much as praying with heartfelt devotion.

As the Psalmist writes, “My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn” (Psalm 51:9).

Similarly, 19th-century writer John Sergieff wrote, “Pray slowly till an echo comes back into your heart from every word of your prayers. Yes. It is an absolute rule. Pray slowly, and with power on every word. Pronounce each successive word from the heart. Keep to the rule that it is better to say five words from the bottom of your heart, than ten thousand words from your tongue only.”

It won’t take long for you to experience the benefits of this practice. After overcoming any impatience you might have, you will look forward to prayer and appreciate the time you have in slow, deliberate meditation.

The next time you pray or meditate, do so slowly, focusing on what you are doing and offering it to God. Peace will reign in your heart and you will have a “mini-retreat” each day from the busyness of the world.

VATICAN CITY (OSV News) — Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen will be beatified on Sept. 24 in St. Louis, the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints announced March 25.

The beatification will take place in St. Louis, with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect for the Dicastery for Evangelization, presiding.

On Feb. 9, the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, had announced that the Vatican had given the green light for the beatification of Archbishop Sheen to move forward six years after the Holy See had postponed the beatification, initially scheduled for December 2019, only weeks before the event was to take place.

In a statement March 25, Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria said the beatification will take place at 2 p.m. CT at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis.

“With anticipation of a great number of people wanting to participate, we chose this location because of availability, being indoors, and the close proximity to the Diocese of Peoria,” Bishop Tylka said.

Bishop Tylka added that a “number of events in Peoria” will be held “to celebrate this wonderful occasion.”

“This is a moment of immense grace for the Church — especially for us in the Diocese of Peoria, where Archbishop Sheen was born, ordained, and first served as a priest,” he added. “His life and ministry continue to inspire countless people to know and love Jesus Christ more deeply.”

“The Beatification Mass will be a profound moment of prayer and celebration for the faithful near and far,” Bishop Tylka said. “I invite all who have been touched by Archbishop Sheen’s life and legacy to join us in spirit or in person for this historic event.”

Msgr. Roger Landry, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies USA, received the news of the beatification date with “indescribable joy” and said he was “thrilled” Cardinal Tagle has been chosen “to be the papal legate, celebrant and preacher of the beatification Mass.”

Archbishop Sheen — who himself was national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (1950-66) — “is an inspiration not only to all of us who continue his work of prayer and support for the Church’s missionary work across the globe but for all those whose faith has been strengthened by his preaching, broadcasting, writing, and holy Catholic life,” Msgr. Landry said in a March 25 statement to OSV News.

“Cardinal Tagle, like Sheen,” he added, is “an incredibly gifted preacher, but he will no doubt be able to emphasize the contributions that soon to be Blessed Fulton Sheen made and in many ways continues to make to the Church’s mission work.”

In February, when it was announced Archbishop Sheen’s beatification would go forward, Bishop Tylka called the prelate “one of the greatest voices of evangelization in the Church and the world in the 20th century.”

Faith and spirituality are on the decline—but what does that mean for our happiness and sense of meaning? 

In this episode of Office Hours, I approach that question not as a theologian, but as a social scientist. I explore a fundamental truth: human beings are wired to seek meaning beyond themselves. The problem today is that we’re missing out on this essential part of human life.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5 

When it comes to raising children, how do we help them remain in Christ? 

Debbie Herbeck shares the non-negotiables that shaped her family life and how that positively impacted her kids. If we want our children to bear lasting fruit, they must stay connected to the Vine. And that connection begins in the family.

Can people tell you’re a Christian just by looking at you? 

We’re all called to live differently, set apart for the Lord, but how often does that actually show? Fr. Mark-Mary shares simple and practical ways you can start today to visibly witness to Christ in your everyday life.

As a series of controversial federal bills moves forward — from online regulation to hate speech law — so too are efforts to push back against them. But it is one measure in particular, the planned expansion of medical assistance in dying (MAiD) to include mental illness, where opposition has become increasingly organized.

Cloverdale—Langley City MP Tamara Jansen is leading the effort with Bill C-218, the Right to Recover Act, which would prohibit MAiD where mental illness is the sole underlying condition.

With the federal expansion scheduled for March 17, 2027, Jansen warns that Canada is approaching “a line that should never be crossed” and is urging Parliament to act before the change takes effect.

Across the country, church leaders, advocacy groups, and medical professionals are reinforcing that push. The Archdiocese of Toronto’s Help Not Harm campaign is encouraging Catholics to contact their MPs in support of Bill C-218. Neil MacCarthy, the Archdiocese’s director of public relations and communications, appreciates how Canadian dioceses are amplifying this endeavour by prominently displaying the campaign on their websites.

“We welcome the visible solidarity shown by dioceses across Canada in support of the Help Not Harm campaign,” wrote MacCarthy. “This shared witness reflects a common concern for the dignity of every person, especially those who are most vulnerable.”

Nicole Scheidl, executive director of Canadian Physicians for Life, said the proposed expansion raises fundamental concerns about assessing mental illness.

“Most psychiatrists across the country are very much against this because someone who has a mental illness and has suicidality in their mental illness, how do you tease apart what’s part of the illness and what is a rational decision? It’s impossible,” she said.

Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, said the timing is critical as the scheduled expansion draws near, noting that Bill C-218 will be coming to a vote fairly soon and that “there are many members of the government in the Toronto region.”

Meanwhile, Alberta recently introduced legislation that would bar such cases provincially and strengthen protections for health-care providers who refuse to participate. Bill 18, the Safeguards for Last Resort Termination of Life Act, introduced March 18, would prohibit assisted suicide for individuals with a mental illness as their sole underlying condition, bar minors and those without decision-making capacity, and prevent advance requests.

Juggernaut, behemoth, cable TV killer: all terms we could ascribe to one of the mainstays of the modern internet, YouTube.

As a term it acts both as a proper noun — describing a commercial entity — and as a verb — as in “YouTube this, YouTube that.”

Some may remember that in its very early days, after Google acquired the video startup, YouTube had a very odd-looking URL or domain, youtu.be, taking advantage of the internet country code for Belgium.

YouTube as a media property in 2026 is indeed a juggernaut. For many it is the sole video platform with which they engage, be it through a mobile device, a laptop, or a smart TV.

By some measures YouTube is the world’s largest media company, albeit as a subsidiary of Alphabet, the umbrella company that incorporates Google and a host of other business entities.

YouTube went live in April 2005 with a video entitled “Me at the zoo.” About a year and a half later Google acquired the service for the then-unheard-of, and widely panned, price of $1.65 billion. Money wasted on cat videos, said some pundits at the time.

According to data compiled by American business analytics firm MoffettNathanson Research, YouTube took in just over US$62 billion in revenue in 2025. That’s more than a billion dollars a week and more than Disney’s media empire earned, although only by about a billion or so dollars.

To throw a little Canadian spin on those numbers, that billion a week stacks up mightily against the total debt of one-time Canadian media giant Corus Entertainment, which has about CDN$1.5 billion in liabilities.

YouTube is a complex entity, no longer just a repository for cat videos and the like. Canada is insulated from its actual complexity in that we don’t have access to YouTube TV, its subscription service that provides television channels much like a typical cable TV plan. In addition there are sports packages under the NFL Sunday Ticket label.

Canadians do have access to YouTube Premium ($14/month for an individual, $23/month for up to six family members), essentially a way to bypass advertising breaks in videos. For some this has become their TV subscription in essence, eating away at the cable TV subscription model along with other streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. There is evidence that fewer than 60 per cent of Canadian households still maintain a cable service.

YouTube Premium also offers a yearly rate of $140 (basically two months free) and a student plan ($8/month). There is also a “limited” individual plan, called Premium Lite, at $8/month with what is described as “limited ad-free viewing, background playing, and downloads.”

It can be a challenge to decide what to watch on streaming services. With that in mind, I consulted several friends for recommendations. The result was decidedly dark.

Secret Agent was a 2025 winner at the Cannes Film Festival. Set in 1977 Brazil, before the revolution, it tells the story of Clovis (award-winning actor Robson Andrade), a widower hoping to reunite with his young son. He soon discovers that life is difficult and dangerous in a country rife with petty crime, bribery, and murder. He becomes caught up in this world and eventually a target for a crime boss.

The narrative is intriguing and often suspenseful, but too often I found scenes difficult to place, as action unfolds without sufficient introduction. At times the result is confusing, even if clarified later. Despite this, director Kleber Mendoza carries the viewer along in a complex narrative crowded with a wide range of characters.

Filmed in Spanish, requiring subtitles, Secret Agent is nonetheless a powerful portrait of a corrupt society, with an engaging hero and a complex but dark storyline.

Even darker is Civil War, a film clearly aimed at the current political situation in the United States. Many will object to its portrayal of a president who has assumed autocratic powers as too politically biased. Others, however, may find themselves drawn into a narrative focusing on war correspondents attempting to cross several states to report on events in Washington. Along the way, they witness savagery that many will find stark and disturbing. It is an ugly account of an uglier situation.

Clearly intended as a cautionary tale for American audiences, Civil War can be accused of adding gloom and doom to what many already see as a critical moment.

The fact that the film, written and directed by Alex Garland, is exceptionally well made and acted may itself frustrate some viewers, depending on their political outlook. Others may simply find it too horrific.

And that brings me back to the concern that so many films are dark. Looking at this year’s Oscar nominations, one may wonder what has happened to escapist comedy and romance. Is this merely coincidence, or a reflection of the spirit of the times in which we live?

Your voice matters! Join the conversation by submitting a Letter to the Editor here.