Blog Archive
Contemplating the messiness of Christian life
The Messy Jesus Business Blog is an ecumenical Christian gathering of musings about what it means to live the Gospel today. A variety of contributors offer prayer, poetry, book reviews, creative nonfiction and prose about what it means to live a life of faith in our complex, modern times.
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Praying in the dark
The light is dim and the air is frigid. With Advent’s arrival in this part of the world, we continue to feel the days shorten and the darkness increase. Whether the light is dimming or not, though, another type of darkness is also apparent: the darkness of suffering. Far and near, people experience violence, injustice and…
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The Real Meaning of Justice
As part of a larger discussion in my classroom yesterday, I asked my students how they define justice. Then, I asked them how they could better demonstrate justice. The results were fascinating to me. Some students very quickly said justice means “fairness.” More students, however, said things like “being nice,” “treating people equally,” and “enforcing the…
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Franciscan Bookshelf: “Following Francis”
By day, K.P.–a good friend of Sister Julia’s–reads, writes, and has conversations about literature for a living. By night, she devours theology, sits silently with God, and pursues her calling as a lay order Franciscan through affiliation with FSPA. Each month she will share a favorite selection from her “Franciscan Bookshelf.” Like most of the…
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On Earth, Heaven
Gospel living is messy. It takes a lot of work, prayer, devotion and love to be God’s instrument and to build God’s reign of peace and justice. This 2-minute video offers a colorful meditation on this Truth. Let us pray that God’s will is done in each of us, on earth while we awake to…
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Things I think about because I watch Chopped
If you were to ask the Sisters I live with what my favorite TV show is, they would probably say Chopped. It’s true. I really am very passionate the show Chopped. If you’ve never watched, here’s the premise. Each episode is a competition between four chefs. There are three rounds: appetizer (in 20 minutes), main course and…
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Heaven and Earth: Lessons learned in Assisi
This past summer I had a profound experience that helped me to remember that heaven and earth are one. I was in Assisi, Italy, on pilgrimage. I was there with other Franciscans who were preparing for (or discerning) final vows, and participating in a study pilgrimage sponsored by Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs. As a Franciscan sister,…
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Snuggle in
I hate it when my children are sick: when their normally endless energy is replaced by a whimpering lethargy. When their bleary eyes can muster no enthusiasm for treats or excursions. When I know they are suffering and there’s nothing I can do to make it better. Except for snuggles. Oh, how I love to…
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Equal worth, unequal living
It’s Blog Action Day! The topic this year is inequality. I have a lot of passion about this. My experiences and awareness have formed a little fire about inequality to burn within me. Really, when I pray and think about this issue, much comes to mind. Limiting myself to just a few hundred words is going…
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Hope during death and decay
An Ebola epidemic. Beheadings. Bombings. War. Violence. Obituaries. We don’t have to go deep into the headlines to know that death and despair surround us. Our human family is suffering intensely. We all are. When I really let myself feel it, I squirm. Awareness of injustice gnaws at my edges, compelling me to feel uncomfortable with the peace…
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Australian crime drama removes plank in my eye
By Guest Blogger Sarah Hennessey, FSPA How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? — Matthew 7:4 I have started watching an Australian cop show, a drama called Rush, in which the main focus is…
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Volumes of vibrancy
Even with the season’s change and fading colors, I will remember the brightness and beauty of where I have been and what I have seen. The folds of these flowers frozen now in photos reminds me of yes: God’s beauty holds mystery. Yes, all of creation contains volumes of vibrancy!
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Silence: sacred and dangerous
Those who spare their words are truly knowledgeable, and those who are discreet are intelligent. Even fools, keeping silent, are considered wise; if they keep their lips closed, intelligent. – Proverbs 17:27-28 I am no stranger to silence. In fact, I love it and have often chose to lean into it. Silence is powerful and…
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