"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."
For Pentecost, I gathered with 35 other Sisters of St. Joseph from across North America, all of us ranging from candidates and novices through 10 years as fully professed sisters, a gathering intended to remind us that each of us is working at this life and, though separated by distance or living situations, we are living this reality together.
"Each day we have to place a brick on this wall of peace, democracy, development, security and stability."
A photography shop errand turns fortuitous, as a shop owner offers to make DVDs from old VHS tapes. As a result, I was able to revisit loved ones long in heaven; they had starring roles in a wonderful DVD of family history — my brother's wedding in 1989.
As a "new nun" at the age of 20, I learned the most important lesson of my life — to say "thank you" to God every night. That lesson has sustained me through many more years of religious life. I learned it from Douglas, a 13-year-old severely challenged boy in a state-run institution.
Founded in 2000 by Medical Mission Sr. Lorraine Ryan and Sr. Joan Carusillo, a Sister of the Holy Cross, Women's Circle offers English-language classes, job-search help and cultural lessons, along with a chance to meet other women who are new to the country.
The Notre Dame de Sion sisters who run the Ecce Homo Centre for Biblical Formation in Jerusalem have an intricate and layered history with Judaism.
"We are blessed to be alive. Not every egg makes it. Is this fallen one a discards of lost possibilities, or what remains after one has flown to the heavens. Where is your shell?"
Elizabeth Roberts is a freelance writer in South Florida who worked for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel for 14 years. She has spent 30 years reporting and writing South Florida stories for publications both local and national, including Newsweek, Money magazine and The Wall Street Journal.
Notes from the Field - This date is ingrained in the fabric of Haitian culture. May 18 is a national holiday, and those who feel they belong to the nation of Haiti, whether or not they live within the borders of the country, will celebrate their national roots in the world's first black republic.