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.
The Ignatian Spirituality Project sought a location to establish itself in Rhode Island in 2014, resulting in a collaboration between the project and the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary.
So that we can identify and relate better with Jesus, the human nature he assumed must be apparent to our human hearts. His humanness should resonate in our humanness.
The first person who taught me eucharistic theology was my Lutheran grandmother. Although I have no memories of her ever uttering the words "eucharistic" or "theology," she taught me by being a living example.
A collaborative venture between two rural-based congregations of sisters provides hands-on hospital and clinic health care in five states and virtually by telemedicine in over 30 states.
Thousands of sisters — ranging from 25 to 95 years old — from around the globe have participated in the Life Satisfaction Scale for Apostolic Women Religious survey. Some of their responses emphasized the contribution the instrument can make to religious life in general and to their congregations in particular.
Although baptized and educated as a Catholic, I had no interest in church or religion, so it was a shock when I heard in my heart: "I want you with your whole life and all you have." What could I do but leave behind my fiancé and dreams of a married life?
Horizons - From a family of six in church, we might just learn what it means to live together, to watch out for each other and care for each other's well-being, to form a family.
The School Sisters of St. Francis have always been known for education ministry, but I listened to a voice inside that led me to my unusual "mortuary ministry."
The early days of my religious education, full of music like Carey Landry's "Hi God!" series, have had a lasting impact. So when it came time for me to teach theology to freshmen, I made sure to go beyond the written word.
"And if there really is a tornado, you heard it here first, so be careful," my colleague warned. "But here's a question for you: Who would you like your house to fall on? You know, like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz."
Contemplate This: Like nature, I need to find a way to survive the winter, to "let go" so as to renew and imagine life reawakening come spring. Like nature, it isn't a cop-out, but a way of nurturing one's own life.
How might we act in hope to mend the tears and prevent future fragmentation in our society? Recently as I pondered this big question, I remembered the experience of defragmenting my early generation Windows PC.
It seems that the needle is stuck on indifference, lack of compassion, and an unwillingness to stand up to injustice. But we have prophetic voices calling us to reclaim our responsibility and dignity.
"Sisters, is your life easy?" an acquaintance asked. It was relatively easy for me to answer: "Easy? No. Good? Yes." Still, the question has stayed with me.
In anointing massage, oils and tears work as outer and inner healers, evoking feelings of being loved, freeing from the yoke of buried guilt, and awakening new hope for the future.
Horizons: We Sisters of St. Joseph risk so that we can grow, and in growing, we are made more flexible, stretched by the call of commitment and grounded in the grace of our foundational call.
I began to realize my destiny of itinerancy and mobility when I became a St. Rose of Lima Dominican in 1973, a follower of St. Dominic who spent his life traveling about preaching the Gospel. However, I never dreamed that this vocation would extend to being a refugee.
