The season of Christmas is in full swing now. As I walk about our neighbourhood there are Christmas lights up everywhere and Christmas trees shining from the living room windows. You know what I have noticed? That many of these same homes are also decorated during other seasonal events like Thanksgiving and Halloween. Or religious festivals…
The Fall is now pressing upon us and there is beauty all around. Our news has lately been full of disasters through fire, earthquake and storm. We pray for those who are encountering trouble and reach out to help as we are able. These things are a sobering reminder of how blessed we are in the Lord…
Dear St. Mark’s Family,
It is cold outside as I write this letter and the weather gurus are predicting another dump of snow this evening. But inside it is warm and festive, full of life and energy. The church is decorated for the opening of the Journey of Christmas. The Hall is a buzz of activity as a small army of volunteers are preparing for the annual …
Dear St. Mark’s Family, What does the season of Lent mean for you? For very many people Lent, is simply something that was borrowed, (and may or may not be returned 😉 But for Christians, Lent can be a wonderful season of spiritual life and growth which begins on Ash Wednesday and finishes on Palm Sunday. During this season […]
We are sitting in a Greek restaurant overlooking the ruins of the ancient city of Corinth. Perhaps you’ve seen a program on television called “Property Brothers”? These two brothers help buyers purchase rundown tired and inadequate houses that they will transform into dream homes. There is a moment in the program where they run a computer software that magically takes an empty space and fills it in with decor of beauty and grace. This is the process one needs to engage with your imagination…
Sometimes travel can be hard. We have nearly accomplished our most difficult link in this journey. We left our pensione in Naples on foot, lugging our backpacks to catch the metro to the train station. There were many stairs to negotiate. Holly and I are both carrying quite a bit of weight despite our best efforts to travel light. Climbing with a backpack is tiring…
We are here. Never thought I would see Pompeii, yet as it turns out this is a very significant sight. Yesterday we made it to the museum in Naples where they have housed many of the treasures that were collected from Pompeii. We heard that a Bourbon King, Charles VII, when the city was discovered in the 19th century, said, “Bring me all the best stuff.” Those treasures found their way to the National Archeological Museum in Naples…
Enjoy these sights and scenes of Rome!
When I was a small child, there was a grave yard near my home that I would walk through on occasion. I did not fully understand what it was about but I somehow felt that it was a special place and had an air of sanctity about it. The most sanctified place in Rome is in the catacombs…
I remember the first time I stepped on a Roman road, in Jerusalem. I was in awe at the thought that a road could still be in place after 2000 years. Imagine what one of our Canadian roads would look like after 2000 years. The Romans built things to last. All over Rome there are monuments in stone testifying to the people who built this empire. In fact, we were able to walk on the same streets where the Apostles Peter and Paul would have probably walked before us…