The virus blocked us. Like a sudden stop in the face of an unexpected obstacle on the road. Many things that seemed essential went on hold. So many others that we believed unnecessary became vital.
I would like to offer a distinctively Catholic interpretation of this practice of "taking a knee" during the playing of the national anthem, looking at its cultural context and causes through the hermeneutical lens of the Catholic sacramental tradition.
Horizons: As I write about apathy, a memory from my teenage years rises to the surface. Though an unremarkable event overall, I've never looked at an acorn pile the same way since.
As the years go by, I understand that breath is life and life is holy. Sometimes breathing feels like being anointed with oils of gladness, sometimes like receding waves of darkness into depthlessness
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed deep economic inequality, systemic racism and the destruction of greed. Yet the pandemic also showcased humanity's ability to love and help one another.
In our retirement, the days are past when we served meals to the hungry, or joined marches protesting injustice. But we are still people of faith who have lived long enough to have seen and felt the power of prayer.
Our community could be a great witness if we succeed in living harmoniously together, in spite of our differences; but if we cannot, our community could be a real scandal to the secular world.
Horizons - I'm afraid the war has already started. We've sorted ourselves into echo-chambers online and in real life and succumbed to a mentality that our disagreements make us enemies. The good news is that we have a formula to move forward.
Living in the timeline of sheltered in place has given us more time to connect with family and community. How will all these experiences of distancing and connection become unforgettable, lived realities when the new normal returns?
What should our prayer be at this dreadful moment in United States history? We must realize that this is not a time for blame — or for violence. Reactions like those must be left in the past. Let us face this.
I would like to know the plans God has for us in this pandemic. And as critical as social distancing is, I am struggling with it. But what if all this is to draw me into an intimate relationship with God?
Contemplate This - Our future does not need leaders who contribute to increasing breakdown by pretending we can go back. Our future needs transformational leadership that calls forth a renewed sense of altruism.
Horizons - Reading Dr. Martin Luther King's words from 1968 is a surreal experience. In many ways, it seems like his final book was written in the summer of 2020.
I am from Sri Lanka, but God called me for missions far from my land. I answered: "Here I am, send me." With joy and enthusiasm, I went to share my life in mission with the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in Peru.
To address the many crises of women struggling in trafficking and the street-based sex trade, one Lutheran church and four Catholic women religious congregations formed a faith-based partnership.
COVID-19 is unprecedented, and its impact has been overwhelming, because of the many uncertainties at the beginning of the pandemic. This pandemic has made me think of the reason I became a nurse.
I've been giving presentations on how musicals help us get through hard times. Today, "The King and I" offers wisdom as we deal with racial bias, bigotry, polarization and learning to live with different views.
This is a story about a widow named Meera Srivastava, mother of two who persevered to change her situation and who taught me about grit, courage, wisdom and humanity.
One lens with which to view history is the leadership that emerges during times of crises. We have witnessed displays of fine leadership in response to the coronavirus pandemic — led by women.
