I made my way to the Women's March on Washington last Saturday filled with a mix of excitement and trepidation. I had gone back and forth about whether I should go, torn between a deep-seated conviction that there are matters of basic human rights, dignity and justice that need to be defended, and an internal disquietude about a broad protest platform that included certain positions I didn't agree with.

See for Yourself - "How about it? Say yes. They need you. They really need a piano player for the non-denominational church services on Sunday afternoons. You'd be perfect!"

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

Catholic sisters who joined some 3 million people in Women's Marches Jan. 21 are heartened by the turnout, the international scope of the demonstrations, their peaceful nature, and the energy they engendered. But the question of "What's next?" is a serious one.

President Donald Trump turned to immigration: He signed three executive orders relating to the border wall, sanctuary cities and increased enforcement. Still unclear is the future of the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which grants work authorization and a temporary halt to deportations for certain immigrants who arrived in the United States without documentation as children. The sudden changes to U.S. immigration policy have left many in immigrant-heavy communities anxious and uncertain of what they can expect from this administration.

When St. Anthony of Padua Sr. Estela Buet visits the local prison every week, she is living out a mission she's felt called to her whole life — one that Buet said is also inherent to her order. Buet began her consecrated life working in education, hoping she'd someday be assigned to work and live among the impoverished.

Emoji, a Japanese word, roughly translates to pictograph. The popularity of emojis has skyrocketed with the use of mobile phones, texting and social media. Emojis are actual pictures in icon form, such as a taco or a yellow smiley face. They are a succinct, economical way to express the everyday stuff of life — facial expressions, ideas, food, locations, actions. Emoji provide imagery that is, for the most part, readily understood across languages, cultures, ages and religions.

"It is precisely because the prophet is addressing the actual situation, publicly lamenting current oppression as contrary to God's will, and energizing real people to imagine and begin to strive for an alternate future, that the prophet is often perceived as dangerous to the status quo."

"Seeds of Justice can be planted deep by our recognizing that the inner and outer are connected. No thing can happen except in connection."

Notes from the Field - Two of the biggest gifts I received from my time at Franciscan Mission Service were courage and confidence. I typically avoid the spotlight at all costs. But God has a sense of humor and ways of pushing us to overcome the things we're afraid of.