"Teachers should be the best minds in the country," Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan once said. Since 1962, India has observed Teachers' Day on Sept. 5, Radhakrishnan's birthday. Story after story about teachers' kindness and commitment highlight the lifelong influence they often have over students.
Horizons - Years ago, I read The Other Side of Chaos: Breaking Through When Life is Breaking Down; I focused on the other side aspect — getting to the other side where all would be better. Rereading it now, I understood the other side more as the possibility inherent in the chaotic mess.
Every day we hear of someone who is sick or has died from COVID-19. That's why the two of us— who live in the city of Goiania in Brazil — are now contributing to the country's vaccination efforts.
Some bishops and religious superiors scoff at notifications that priests treat women religious and laity like dirt. These authority figures refuse to investigate the claims and take no action against the perpetrator.
We humans seem to have come to abhor silence, moving from radio, to television, to phone, then emails, and Whatsapp, Twitter and Messenger. Quite a busy world! But who has time to listen to the interior man/woman now?
When one is in a comfort zone, the mind gets idle. But when discomfort emerges, one must seek alternatives. Our story, dealing with power outages in Zimbabwe, is a practical example of this reality.
People who work in ministry, counseling and social work sometimes need the space and support to go through our own grieving process. It's OK to admit that and to accept the support. We simply cannot give what we do not have.
The city of Tapachula in Chiapas, Mexico, is a place of transit for thousands of migrants. Comboni Missionary Sisters have established a program called "Effatá" that provides welcome, support and healing to migrants.
Contemplate This - Through contemplation, your true self aligns with the magnetic center of Divine Love within. Held there in love, you are totally immersed in all that is, and yet nothing pulls you off that center.
Invite women of the Hebrew Scriptures to be a part of your prayer. By honoring the feminine metaphors and allegories, we can feel the presence of God and understand God's message for us.
The memory of a bird floating on a stream of air is an image for my spiritual life. In the beginning, there were things to learn, practices that are part of praying with others. There is another way that has developed over time for me.
Horizons - When we probe more deeply into the practice of ministry of presence — being actively present to the people in front of us — we discover that what seems to be simple is, in reality, rather complex.
One morning on my way to the chapel I was stopped by purple button flowers in our drawing room. I expressed surprise at the tiny white blossoms within the flowers: God's creativity never stops. He is creatively creating.
Our mission community in Thailand serves 21 villages through many ministries. Though COVID-19 lockdowns have restricted some work, sisters have used extra time to plan for the future development of the people they serve.
I live in an outlying area of Lima, Peru. For me, the pandemic has been a call to live my commitments as a Franciscan Missionary of Mary with great intensity, in a new way.
"What do you need?" I asked. She never made eye contact with me. I would like a sandwich for my daughter and me. That's all she said. I tried to chat a little. Not what they needed. They needed food for their bodies.
Horizons - When both a billionaire and a minimum wage worker have to rent an apartment for $3,000 a month, that's equality of opportunity, but it leaves the worker homeless. Equity says that is not enough.
In Vietnam, many are showing charity to those facing difficulties due to the pandemic. Small groups in parishes and large communities like dioceses, religious orders and charity organizations are working to serve those in need.
The online gathering "Being Benedictine in the 21st Century " brought together vowed members, oblates, volunteers, staff and others who see monastic spirituality as a vital source of healing for an unsettled world.
The Suffering Face of Christ is everywhere to behold. Two lesbians are being evicted. The grammar school teacher throws up his hands after a year's shutdown and moves out. A 60-year-old neighbor cares for his 98-year-old cousin.
