Author: admin

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.

We just closed the books on another Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina, Italy. Amid the hype and some controversy, some athletes cemented their names in history while others jump-started their careers. Events of this magnitude offer a chance at glory and a moment on the world stage — but also a platform for witness. Some athletes did just that. Here are some Catholic Olympians from past and present.

Britta Curl-Salemme, who played on the U.S. women’s hockey team that broke Canada’s hearts, winning gold in overtime, says she draws strength from her Catholic faith. Hockey is her “path to becoming a saint,” she said, because in a team sport “you sometimes have to die to yourself and put the team first,” she told The Catholic Spirit. St. Therese of Lisieux helped reignite her faith in college.

Jadin O’Brien competed in bobsled for the U.S. and has overcome a serious health issue. “I use my platform to glorify God,” she said. At every event she blesses the race location with holy water. “At competitions I just dive into my faith; I stop thinking and just do.”

Kacpar Tomasiak, a Polish ski jumper, drew attention after placing his silver and bronze medals on the altar of a church in Predazzo, Italy. He became the first Polish jumper to medal three times in one Olympics. Instead of celebrating, he asked for a Mass of thanksgiving, Father Edward Plen said. “His humility is striking, especially given the scale of his achievements,” he told the Catholic Register. He crosses himself before every jump and serves as an altar server in his parish. “You do not need to loudly proclaim your faith; people who look at your life will begin asking about Jesus and that is the greatest victory,” Father Plen said.

Maxim Naumov lost both parents in a 2025 plane crash over Washington, D.C., but his faith helped him return to competition and qualify for this year’s Olympics. He spoke of skating with love in his heart and Mary by his side. His second piece was set to Ave Maria. He crosses himself before every routine and wears his cross. After his final routine, holding a picture of his parents, he said, “I love you. We did it. God is good,” according to Aleteia.

Yuna Kim, Olympic gold and silver medalist from South Korea, converted to Catholicism in 2008 after a knee injury and care from Catholic doctors. “I had a providential encounter with these Catholic doctors who would quote from the New Testament to keep my morale high,” she said, according to Catholic Review. She also met met a priest in the hospital who gave her private lessons in understanding more about the Bible and Church teachings.

Amy Orr-Ewing shares the miraculous story of a trip to Afghanistan to give a Bible to a Taliban leader, who had been praying for one for years. 

“It really changed my life, that experience. It changed how I see people. Who could our God actually speak to and reach? Who seems to be outside of the realms of possibility?”

Amy Orr-Ewing shares the miraculous story of a trip to Afghanistan to give a Bible to a Taliban leader, who had been praying for one for years. 

“It really changed my life, that experience. It changed how I see people. Who could our God actually speak to and reach? Who seems to be outside of the realms of possibility?”