Cosmic Advent: With Eyes and Heart on the Spiral Advent is a time to rest, a time to reflect, and a time to wonder. We invite you to contemplate the vastness of the cosmos starting with the creation of the…
Scientific research tells us that there are many benefits that one may experience when expressing gratitude: improved physical health, fewer aches and pains, an increased immune system, and more energy to exercise. It can add to psychological health with reduced…
Do you have a favorite saint? The question is a stumper for me. Growing up Catholic in the ’50s, I found most saints impossibly good and situated in contexts so different from mine that emulating them seemed way out of…
The word oikos is a new one for me. It is a Greek word meaning Earth Community. This year’s Season of Creation theme was: “A Home for All? Renewing the Oikos of God.” It ran Sept. 1–Oct. 4, and includes…
When I think of Mother Clarke, I love to think of her as in the picture, pen in hand, writing a letter to one of her sisters. As she writes, the sister is sitting there with her in the imagination…
Olga Marina Segura The theme of the 2021 International Day of Peace is: Recovering Better for an Equitable and Sustainable World. Established in 1981 by the United Nations, Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit…
What’s in a name when a child is born? For some, it acknowledges a religious or cultural icon. Others choose a family name steeped in tradition—a favorite grandparent or relative who died too young. The choice may be based on…
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” (Luke 1:46-47). Liturgical music–singing and playing guitar–is an enormous part of my life. It is how I “proclaim” and “rejoice.” When the pandemic hit, my…
Imagine a world in which active nonviolence is the normative daily news story. You may chuckle and say, “Dream on,” and this is exactly what I am going to ask you to do. Pope Francis’ message on Jan. 1, 2017,…
The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is celebrated joyfully by Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary every July 16. Our beautiful home above the Mississippi River is our Mount Carmel; surely it is as beautiful as…