Days ago, Christians gathered in Churches around the world and chanted a summons to the sweet, Holy Spirit. Veni Sancte Spiritus. Days ago plus today and tomorrow, we fill(ed) the streets with chants of lament and outrage. We pray, we chant. We cry for raids to end. We risk arrest while neighbors and friends— blessed…
Sister Julia Walsh, FSPA, has assembled free prayer stations that are perfect for a Confirmation retreat. Each station lists a gift of the spirit, defines it, and offers reflection points, guided prayers, and an interactive activity. You may scroll through the prayer stations below, or click the button underneath to download.
This Advent, I’m reflecting on pigeons and finding an odd comfort in envisioning the Holy Spirit as a city bird. The violence of poverty in cities and the injustices in our world this year have me looking to these small and fraught creatures, surviving in the cracks of discarded places. In my neighborhood of Hyde…
Since the lifting of Title 42 on May 11, United States’ news outlets have bombarded us with conflicting and confusing accounts of its repercussions at the US-Mexico border. The best reports tell stories of adults, youth and families with young children, giving us a glimpse into the challenges faced by those seeking to enter. These…
Since the birth of the Church at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit has stirred in the hearts of the faithful and called upon some to commit to the Gospel through the evangelical counsels: the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Today the Spirit continues to stir within the hearts of those who love Jesus. Some are…
The Spirit has descended, the disciples speak in tongues, 3,000 come to Christ this day in baptism. Yesterday was the feast of Pentecost. In many ways, it is the celebration of the birth of the Church. Before this day — before the Comforter had come — the disciples were gathered in prayer without knowing how…
We are an Easter people, a people of the resurrection, a people of re-creation. But now, five weeks out from Easter, it can be hard to live that way. I’m tired. Even prayer seems too much of a burden sometimes. It is in these moments that I take comfort in the words of the Apostle…
I’ve been thinking a lot about my devotion to the Holy Spirit. As a vowed Franciscan Sister, I publicly committed to obeying the Spirit’s nudges, whispers, pulls and invitations. This means I am committed to living life according to God’s will, not my own. Like it or not, God’s way is always better than my…
In this episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, Sister Julia Walsh talks with Father Dan Horan about how he came to discover his vocation as a Franciscan, and they consider the importance of encouraging one another as Christians. Father Dan also talks about what he calls Holy Spirit atheism, which he says puts us at risk of acting in ways that are contrary to the will of God.
In Psalm 130, we are taught to pray: “ I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I hope. My soul waits for the Lord, more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning.” When I pray this psalm, my imagination takes me to a…
In the stretch of some days, we switched over from Resurrection joy and fiery feasts to ordinary time. (At least, according to the Church calendar that guides my contemplation.) Holiness, light goodness, hope, love, transformation: all these energies are offered to us on this side of linear thinking and time. Yet, the God we know…
The words came in prayer. And they shocked me. This is part of your priesthood. My priesthood? What priesthood do I have? It doesn’t make any sense. Yes, I am a Catholic sister who is deeply committed to Christ and the Church. Jesus is my center. But I have no desire to be a priest….
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