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.
What is the collective toll on individuals — Afghan, Syrian and American — of the 20-year war on terrorism? Is the world safer for anyone? Was it fair to wage destruction and mayhem on an entire country for the perceived actions of a few?
In the 1980s, Basilian Sisters from Croatia made visits to Ukraine, establishing connections with the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. While watched by KGB officers at every turn, the sisters brought God's blessing.
For us Africans, dance is as important in life as eating and breathing. It is a complete and independent language. It comes naturally to us; we are born into it and live it, as we are taught the meaning of dance steps and the drumming that goes with it.
Singing, dancing, and other body movements are ways I express myself and worship God. Sometimes, I am so grateful to God that I just want my whole being to express this.
Horizons - My vocation comes along with an abundance of God's unconditional love and blessings, as I share the gift of my life, especially with the poor and vulnerable ones whom God is calling me to care for.
When we sisters started the Women's Global Connection ministry, we didn't know that the seeds would blossom with young people in conversations with participants all over the world. In 2021, young women worked together for successful presentations at the UN's NGO CSW Forum.
Having spoken with Catholics in Ireland, we knew there was a need for witness to the faith and for evangelization. We would open a convent there. It was a small way to say "thank you" to the church that had given us so much.
Sisters in Nigeria go out daily to give hope to people all over the country, in spite of physical dangers. Our experiences as sisters in Nigeria will be an encouragement to others in other parts of the world.
The thought of retirement has not even entered my consciousness yet. I've got a lot of life left in me – God willing. But I am getting older. For those who come after me: I have done what I can, I'm sharing what I can, and I'm letting you run with things now.
Horizons - I took a break to shake off burnout from being in the classroom during COVID-19. In Alaska, I watched salmon swim upriver. I saw hundreds try to swim up a waterfall. The approaching school year turns my thoughts back to those fish.
Contemplate This - I wonder whether our lives and all that happens in the world might be a "600-pound leaf" we are asked to carry. If we simply carry it, it is a burden. But through the lens of the Gospel, could it be a source of life?
I have been a physical therapist assistant for almost 28 years. During the pandemic, I adjusted to physical distancing, faced the fear of contagion, and coped with losing others, while not being able to sit with them before they pass.
The one and only prejudice that every living person is subject to is ageism: judging, characterizing a person or a group based on age. This prejudice — based on false myths — is largely unrecognized in our society.
As we re-member and recall the history of slavery and the suffering and the human lives destroyed, may we make human Pope Francis’ two goals and allow this to be our opportunity of grace, empowering us to action and improving the lives of the less fortunate.
Horizons – Can I make space for uncertainty? For imagination? For uncomfortable moments? Mistakes? Hope? Joy? I pray for the freedom to be hospitable to the emerging future already present among us.
What if, in the chaos of our new reality, a subtle learning beckons? That God is here in the dark and unknown and in the questions — present in a way that was not possible when all was going well.
The joy in the air from celebrating the Resurrection was not long-lasting: We began to get news of many religious testing positive for COVID-19. When you lose cherished people, what hurts most is knowing that you'll never hear those voices again.
Elsykutty and I lived very few years together at home, but eventually she became my mentor, guide and best friend. Her strong faith and love influenced not only me but all who came to her life.
