Contemplate This - As the place of my daily prayer was invaded by the need to fix the mortar of the house I live in, I experienced the wrenching clash of progress, modernity and our intimate connection with nature.
I imagine how the caterpillar feels, floating through space, holding on to its line of silk for dear life, like a bungee jumper. That's rather what it feels like to enter a religious congregation.
My retreats at Holy Cross Abbey in Virginia have made a profound difference in my life. Perhaps sharing my experience might interest others to venture forth on this "road less traveled" retreat at a monastery.
As news of the Hurricane Ian fades from public attention, we cannot forget the long-term suffering left all over Florida. And let us never forget the invisible people who are always among us.
I lost my beloved pet Chloe on Oct. 27, 2021, but she is alive and well in the lessons she taught me. With gratitude to her and to God for the blessing of Chloe, I would like to share those lessons with you.
The pandemic is giving place to serious reflection on our frailty and on our contemporary way of living. We are essentially frail, biologically, intellectually and spiritually. What can make us transcend our frailty?
We are on a single transformative journey as we undergo the epochal change taking place this decade in religious life. It has many dimensions. But it is the same Spirit call to us, to make a vital shift in consciousness.
Since 2016, a water purification system from the Conrad H. Hilton Fund for Sisters has supplied filtered water for about 300 Catholic and non-Catholic citizens in one parish in the Can Tho Diocese in Vietnam.
It's been more than one year since 19 people — laywomen, former religious, religious women and a couple of men — began an adventure. Since then, the Community of Magdala has been growing in depth and in number.
Let's be honest, the world is kind of a scary place right now. So much is unknown and so many are struggling. There is usually a sense of safety in a hug, whether it's "I'm so happy to see you" or "I'm scared, hold me."
We thank God, the creator who is also our protector, by taking care of our Mother Earth, protecting and nurturing her. In my life in Peru, that has been an experience with rabbits, guinea pigs and gardening.
Our mission of compassion need not involve going to far-off places outside our city. It begins first in our homes, convents, presbyteries and neighborhoods — and with our family members.
Horizons - While the oneness we Catholics proclaim may be a hard-forged unity, the national synthesis offers hope that even if it is not a full reality, unity is desired by people on all sides of the ecclesial aisle.
Last year I was assigned to serve in Croatia. After the war in Ukraine started, I joined volunteers to help receive Ukrainian refugees. Every day was full of touching and painful stories; I started to keep a journal.
Contemplate This - For those of us who believe the Gospel message is one of love, mercy, compassion, inclusivity and justice, it is hard to see where we are going as the mist thickens at the horizon.
Technology is good. But letting technology form our behaviors is not always so good. In balancing between virtual reality and actual reality, we all need to take time to fact-check our lives.
Networking with various groups, such as civil bodies, private agencies, NGOs and even government agencies, keeps us motivated and at the same time energizes the women in need.
In my experience, the most transformational part of a relationship is learning and listening to the other person's story. It gives a window into their lives.
It is a hardcore reality in India that most rural women face a lot of challenges. Jebamalai Mary is a single mother who shows that such oppressed women can rise up and prove their worth, dignity and respect.
