Standing in the national parks of Utah, surrounded by the work of billions of years, I was humbled by how short my life span is in comparison. I found evolution's artistry provided a perspective for me. What seems catastrophic during one epoch transforms into something beautiful entering the next phase of evolution.

"Today you have the opportunity to decide what you will be beyond this point. Will you say yes to God's plan in your life?"

The upcoming assembly of Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, themed "A Revolution of Goodness," foregoes a keynote speaker and strategic planning; instead it will include invited members of the general public. Sisters and affiliates sought out goodness in the world, and they will be reporting on what they found.

After watching the film "Coco," I reflected on what it means to remember a loved one. Is it only the past that is recalled, colored by the perspective of the specific time in which the event took place? Or can memories be worked through and integrated into present life with broader understanding?

"Who is going to listen to a 17-year-old peasant with no training as a knight, no battle experience, no connections? Well, they did listen, thanks to her voices, her daunting courage, and her flaming charisma. She heard the voices of angels and saints, and they were the source of her power."

What are some of the ways that I experience the Trinity in my life? It is possible to experience the actions of all three natures in a single day.

Sr. Judy Byron is coordinator of a coalition of faith-based investors that uses a shareholder platform to start dialogue for change. Bryon co-filed a successful resolution that now requires gun manufacturer Sturm Ruger to report on its gun safety efforts. She spoke to GSR about this very public win and how it compares to the coalition's other efforts.

"The burden of the brutalized is not to comfort the bystander . . . if you have a critique for the resistance, for our resistance, then you better have an established record of critique of our oppression."

The Life - Inspiring. Enriching. Expanding. Sustaining. Nourishing. Creating solidarity. A profound sisterhood. A shared community of life around the world. That is how the panelists described their experience of writing for The Life this year. This month — the last month of the 2017-18 panel — we invited all the panelists to reflect on the year.

"The vision of the world to come seldom encourages the flourishing of the material world, but flight from it. It does not promote the splendor of the world we have, but the glory of the next."