To contemplate the sacredness of messiness, start with the natural world. Step into the forest and study the rotting logs. Examine the erosion. Notice the tiny and the grand, how transformation and evolution have designed the landscapes, and the simple and small. See the surrender of one creature to another, the wildness of complete metamorphosis…
The couple sits next to one another on the two-seater couch in my office, not minding the imposed closeness, arms intertwined. They have worked hard for and in this relationship, and it continues to flourish. In fact, they are getting married in two days. And they are so anxious. What will the weather be? Will…
I don’t pray much anymore, in the traditional sense. But in times of trouble, there are certain recitations I return to. One I’ve been repeating lately comes from the Medieval anchoress and mystic Julian of Norwich: All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well. The lines…
I’ll admit it. Even though I am a Franciscan Sister, I sometimes struggle with prayer. I mean, how am I supposed to contemplate when I’m busy and the world is loud, thick with violence and oppression? Doesn’t the world need more do-gooders than navel-gazers nowadays? But of course, I am contemplative and being reflective is…
I’ve been feeling depressed about many things. I’ve been depressed about AI—about people using AI to write books and articles; AI stealing art and gobbling up water from poor communities; AI ruining mental health. Not to mention endless wars and genocides, climate despair, rising wealth inequality, and more. In all of this, I’ve found myself…
The mute lamb /
Bleeds-gives-gives /
For each breathing body
Fasting is a pillar of Lent whose challenge I’ve long avoided. It is mid-January and I’m crossing through a busy, crowded airport. With my duffle bag hanging on my shoulder, I sweep my white cane side to side and walk with a wheelchair attendant who pulls my suitcase. As we cross through the terminals, he…
It’s Lent in the Catholic world. Prayer, fasting, almsgiving. I love Lent. It’s my favorite liturgical season. I think it’s because I’m action-oriented and Lent is about changing behaviors and seeing how that impacts both us and others for the better. Whether I’m fasting, giving, or praying, the whole season seems to say to me,…
we join Love in the desert,
disoriented, dizzy. we thirst
as we wander rending
I can’t anymore. Sometimes urgently, sometimes softly but persistently, several times a day these words echo in my brain. They seem like an interruption and they need to be heard. I can’t anymore. In a world on fire, I am exhausted. As a spiritual director, I am a professional listener. Everyone I listen to right…
I wake up at 4:20 a.m. Unable to get back to sleep, I brush my teeth, make a cup of coffee, and curl up in a rocking chair in the living room. My cat sits nearby. Christmas tree lights illuminate the dark room with a warm glow. The day before, I attended my kids’ Christmas…
Emmanuel,The choirs sing peace on earth while the festive crowds feast and dump waste into bins. Meanwhile migrants are offeredthe opposite of welcome, The planet needs healing, Violence and conflict rage and Many people are without the basics:Food, shelter, water, warmth, love.Forgive us for how we have wandered Far from the meaning of your glorious Incarnation, from the simplicity and purityof your love…
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