In 40 short essays mixing the sociological, theological, and sometimes deeply personal, Catholic women raise a number of weighty concerns for the hotly anticipated worldwide meeting of prelates on family life — centered on the fact that extraordinarily few women are invited or involved in the synod on the family.

Calling himself "a bit feminist," Pope Francis praised women religious for always heading to the "front lines" to bring the church's tenderness and motherly love to those most in need. "The church thanks you for this, it is a beautiful witness. This is being close. Be close! Close to people's problems, real problems," he said during an audience Thursday with young consecrated women and men from around the world, including Iraq and Syria. He began the audience by directing attention to "our martyrs in Iraq and Syria, our martyrs of today," revealing that he now keeps on him a small cross that a priest held in his hand while he was being murdered for his faith.

"The boats bob waiting for those with the courage to set sail. Live the dreams."

Nuns on the Bus Blog in Nashville - We Nuns on the Bus are on the road to hear the stories of people we meet and take them with us to Washington. These encounters are opening us to new realities, new understandings and new possibilities.

If the Vatican were looking for someone who models the kind of church Pope Francis envisions, it would be difficult to do better than Mercy Sr. Mary Scullion, a North Philadelphia icon, founder of Project HOME and fierce, if jovial, advocate for the city’s poor and homeless for the past 40 years. The mention of Francis recently brought a huge smile to Scullion, who was asked by Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput to head up the Committee on Hunger and Homelessness for the Sept. 22-25 World Meeting of Families. Pope Francis speaks a language — about the margins, about the need for the church to get out of the sanctuary, about the art of accompaniment — that has defined Scullion’s life and ministry since 1976.

St. Teresa of Avila, a Carmelite Sister who lived from 1515 to 1582, describes prayer as “looking at God looking at me.” I believe this is the goal of all spirituality — whether Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist — to see others, our world and ourselves with the eyes of God. There are a few extraordinary people who inspire us to see as God sees.

Though I don't particularly like celebrity hoopla, I am following Pope Francis’ visit to the United States with heightened interest. I'm glad our pope is spending so much time with poor folk during his time here. In Washington, he will visit with homeless families and check out St. Maria's meals, a volunteer food truck operation that hands out hot meals to mostly Spanish-speaking day laborers.

The United States sister chosen by Pope Francis to participate in next month’s synod on the family says the issues bishops and cardinals will wrestle with are the same she deals with everyday. Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary Sr. Maureen Kelleher is a Legal Aid attorney in Florida, where most of her clients are farmers and immigrants.

" . . . No politics, song, religion, behavior, or what not, is of account, unless it compare with the amplitude of the earth . . ."