At an October meeting in the Democratic Republic of Congo, women and men major superiors voted to combine their conferences into one conference. The change was in response to a directive by the Congregation of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
Horizons - The grace that we name may or may not be the grace we receive. We trust, though, that by entering into prayer with our full being, God will guide us to what we need.
When I am dancing, the music's rhythm takes me out of myself into another plane. I "see" and hear only the music. That brings me to the sculpture of Jesus in our Church of the Immaculate Conception at St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.
Mary Magdalene offered us the gift of a community: a space of welcoming and support, of healing and inspiration, of rest and prayer, and a place to learn and experience discipleship, where women are the leaders.
There are numerous instances in the Christian Bible of Jesus engaged in sharing food with friends, apostles, disciples and followers. And each of Jesus' food experiences had to do with people and with service.
My parents' faith was deeply rooted in the Eucharist. They also encouraged their children to pursue education with commitment and passion. Today, I am happy with who I am, I love being a Christian, and I am grateful for my parents' influence.
Horizons - Think of a giant fountain. Think of an ordinary campfire. To me, these are images of religious life. But what if religious life is shifting so much that for others it feels like the gifts of fountain and fire are behind a giant fence?
In spite of not seeing Dominican Missionary Sisters who died during the pandemic, our hearts have been with them constantly in common daily prayer, reciting rosaries and attending online funeral Masses.
Contemplate This - In a way we are all masked — living somewhat in a lockdown, not wanting to nor able to speak to those who may be carriers of another worldview, political position or partisan affiliation.
American sisters are women who turned on a dime after Vatican II and took on the world. They drew new lines. They changed the face of religious life. Not for being mean but for being smart, kind, generous, energetic, determined. Though we're aging and fewer in number, our work goes on with hope and vigor.
When Jesus called his disciples, he was looking to create a different kind of community. That concept resonates today, as we all confront new ways of living amid a pandemic, the threat of cataclysmic climate change, and social upheaval.
Horizons: The needs of the times do not wait for us to plan a response. They demand us to respond with the same sense of urgency that they call out to us. We must let go of control and our own desires to respond perfectly.
Although being a missionary is exciting, it also requires that we leave all behind. I have missed home, and I love my country, the Democratic Republic of Congo — even as it struggles with many problems.
Before the coronavirus, Chad faced many challenges, including ongoing conflict, poverty, food shortages and unemployment. Now, the effects of COVID-19 cannot be overemphasized. All we can do is hope and trust in God, and pray.
When I served in a village in India, I crossed a river to reach other places. When I reached midway in the stream, I would ask myself, "Will I be able to make it to the other side?" Amid the pandemic, it looks like I am not alone in asking this question.
In an imaginary conversation with churchgoers at the first Easter breakfast, Mary Magdalene describes life in the Kinship Community, an ecumenical community of believers. The only rules for the small group of Jesus' followers were to love God, love your neighbors and follow the Beatitudes scrupulously, she says.
The real tribute to Father Stan should not necessarily be to put him on a pedestal and honor him as a saint, as an extraordinary person who we cannot follow — but to share in his vision of being part of the struggles of the poor and the outcast, the fundamental mission of the church.
At the community Deepalaya ("house of light"), founded in 2006 in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, India, the Medical Mission Sisters cultivate food, welcome all creatures (except mosquitos) and care for Mother Earth.
Mother Church encourages us to be with the poor and work for them; having experienced poverty, I am eager to lift up the downtrodden. As a missionary in Peru, I have challenged myself to grow like a plant in my religious life.
Making changes to embrace conscious living is a struggle. Guidance comes from the story of Jesus overturning tables in the temple. Among other things he was disrupting the status quo of the times. Maybe that's what I could do in my own small way.
