Columns

We have been created for love, for life and for eternity. So when temporality reminds us that we can't have the fullness of any of it yet, something in our human nature rebels with either a sob or a whimper.

Each of the world religions tells us something about the meaning of life and death. What does the Catholic Church tell us about death and dying and aging gracefully?

Late last year, I returned to our motherhouse in San Francisco after 28 years of developing lay leadership in the parish of Jesus Nipalakin, just north of Guatemala City. The parish received its name, "Jesus walking with us," from the Kaqchikel Mayan parishioners, who make up about half of the parish population.

I am facing two trumped-up court cases filed against me because I — with the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines — have stood for the truth, for justice and for the rural poor.

We were a gathering of older religious women sitting in a large circle in a barren church hall. A hard journey we had of it, traveling long distances to listen to each other.

Horizons - In the tradition of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, we say that peace is a gift, given in Christ. It's a perpetual gift, one that we must nurture in our hearts and relationships, even or especially when it is not the easy path.

Edwina Gateley's memoir oozes the mystical power of a listening heart, the excitement of freedom, and a profound call to kindness channeling through deep faith, allowing everyone to hear the seeds of integrity, compassion and daring courage.

Arriving as a volunteer in South Africa in 1984, I encountered a new place, unfamiliar faces, and the mystery of two communities living the founders' dreams miles and years into the future.

The pope's appointment of women as full members of the Vatican office for religious orders includes Sr. Kathleen Appler, of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. The Daughters continue a legacy of pioneering leadership started by co-founder St. Louise de Marillac.

Horizons - The expectation of what is to come is a gift. If we choose to engage this time of waiting, Advent has the power to deepen our celebration, enlivening the joy that makes itself manifest in myriad manner of decorations and celebrations these days.

Not everyone can have a furry companion, but their lessons are freely given and outline a way of life that keeps you grounded in what's important.

My ability to touch type doesn't mean that I never type a wrong letter, but I can chug along fairly accurately. Sometimes the typos lead to further ponderings.

Contemplate This - I invite you to use this reflection for yourself and perhaps with those with whom you celebrate.

Horizons - Amid the reality of devastating violence, Mexicans still treasure the richness of the place they call home. The more I integrate into the life here, the more I can appreciate why.

Everywhere, lying just beneath the surface of what can easily be reported and sensibly explained, some curious presence is reaching out to us — barefoot — as we reach out to it.

As an alumna of the choir that accompanied the St. Louis Jesuits in the 1970s, I was honored to be among those invited to sing at their final concert. Memories triggered by songs brought to mind a lifetime of being loved by a God beyond all names.

The numbers of sisters are dwindling. But can religious life really die, if its beginnings were a response to the God-call to answer God's people's cry?

During these transitional "middle years," whenever and however they may occur, even though they seem to last a very long time and we feel unable to move forward, something beautiful is happening.

Horizons - Those of us who work in vocations and formation ministry are like those who run the middle leg of a relay race. Though we may not necessarily see the outcome of our work, we do what we do for the sake of those who were before us and for the sake of those who are behind us.

The U.N. High-level Political Forum held in July enabled member states to give reviews on their progress in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. Speakers from the grassroots level gave moving testimonies.