See for Yourself - Ever get a craving for popcorn? It's fast and easy in a microwave, but making on the stove in a kettle is better by far, and you can add what you wish to flavor it.

Prayer is getting a bit of a bum rap these days, at least when it is tagged on to the end of the platitude most often employed in the face of senseless disaster and heart wrenching tragedy — "thoughts and prayers."

This month, and probably for every October for the rest of her life, Haitian Sr. Evelyn Moliney will remember a time she would rather forget. A year ago, Hurricane Matthew bore down on southwestern Haiti, threatening a large swath of coastal area, including the city and surrounding areas of Jérémie, the capital city of the department, or province, of Grand'Anse. 

"Every creature and creation glorifies God by being most fully itself."

A mother of two and grandmother of four, St. Joseph Sr. Suzanne Herder had a winding journey in religious life before she recently was elected to the St. Paul Province of St. Joseph of Carondelet's leadership team. 

Wielding their power as shareholders to challenge corporations, women religious are teaming up with each other and with other faith groups to ensure companies are water-conscious in their corporate practices. "If one person is speaking to a company, that's one thing. ... When you come to the company, and you have 15 shareholders who are concerned about the issue, it makes a difference.

"The church hasn't disappeared. It is still there, walking alongside people. Doing that work continues, and it has never stopped."

Aid has been pouring in to Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria ravaged the island Sept. 20, but the U.S. territory still faces a massive rebuilding challenge in addition to the immediate needs for water and food. As for women religious in Puerto Rico, little information has been coming out about how they fared in the storm and how they have been in the weeks since.

I decided in early 2016 that my life needed a change. On a plane ride to D.C. to see what was there, the young guy who sat next to me happened to work in the humanitarian field. He suggested I volunteer with a Catholic organization or go overseas to work with refugees. It was like being awakened from a long sleep.

Events of this magnitude -- whether storms, terrorism or accidents -- make us confront fears too deep for words. By walking into them, as best we can, we discover that God is greater than our fear.