Adult friendship and Gospel living

Adult friendship and Gospel living

The radio buzzed in the background when a friendly voice, coming through the airwaves, caught my attention. I paused, briefly, to listen before I turned off the car and rushed to my next appointment, learning that the friendly voice belonged to a children’s songwriter. She said, “This song is about making friends. It’s also a…

Resisting violence in our skies and museums
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Resisting violence in our skies and museums

On a bright Sunday afternoon last month, my friend Ashley and I went to an “anti-militarist field day” outside the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. It was organized by a group of recent college grads and was part of the Boeing Arms Genocide campaign. My desire to learn about anti-war efforts like these…

A long journey to healing, justice
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A long journey to healing, justice

Having slid in a few minutes late, I sat in the last row of the courtroom. I had only been in a courtroom one other time since my husband’s immigration court appearance. Neither were particularly positive experiences. Court proceedings are dry, confusing and surreal. Jargon and formalities make it feel like a scene in a…

Hoverboards, driving lessons, friendships and the common good
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Hoverboards, driving lessons, friendships and the common good

The sun was setting as we wrapped up a delicious meal at a local park with some new family friends. A couple of the youngest daughters from the Ahmed family walked slowly by the side of my daughter, JoyAna, on her first attempt at riding a hoverboard. JoyAna’s body was shaking, her knees bent, as…

Prayer is listening to my heart’s longing
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Prayer is listening to my heart’s longing

“Well, what do you want? What do you desire?”  At the start of my final year as a student at a Jesuit University, I felt like a spiritual mess. I had recently returned from studying abroad for four months in El Salvador through a service-based educational program that effectively upended what I knew about myself…

A Personality Mosaic: How Enneagram Connects the Pieces

A Personality Mosaic: How Enneagram Connects the Pieces

I live in a neighborhood filled with vibrant, Mexican art and murals. Some of my favorites are mosaics. I love admiring a cohesive image from afar, then drawing close and realizing how many different shades and colors are really there. From close up, it can be hard to imagine how these little shapes could possibly…

Sister Julia is now a contributor to Living City magazine

Sister Julia is now a contributor to Living City magazine

Sister Julia Walsh, Messy Jesus Business founder and podcast host, is now a contributor to Living City magazine published by Focolare Media. The July/Aug. 2023 issue includes “A Complicated Patriotism,” an article written by her. Future issues of Living City magazine will include more of Sister Julia’s authored works.  Focolare Media is a ministry of…