So, I’m a Novice, and the Sister who is our formator is notorious for assigning us “special missions.” I’ve learned in the last two years that anything that’s not on our regular schedule is considered a “special mission,” and these “special missions” range anywhere from putting books away, to picking up a Sister from the airport, to cleaning something out of the ordinary. (Actually, that’s USUALLY what it means.) But last week, Sister told us that we had an “extra-special mission.”As...

The night can be a scary time. As kids we might have been afraid of monsters under our bed or of sleeping in our own room. Even now as adults the “dark night”—whether it slips into our life as depression, breaks our heart with unexpected ruptures of relationships and futures, or quietly takes from us what we had most cherished—still holds hands with its sister anxiety. Just as individuals live through darkness, cultures and periods of history also can be overshadowed by fear and chaos and de...

What shall I do for Lent? Maybe I’ll give up chocolate…, or maybe not. Maybe I’ll try to improve my posture or lose some weight. Probably not. Really what I should aim for is to cut the complaining. But, there is no end of things worthy of what I’ve come to call “social commentary.” Most of the time I vent with God. But, is complaining a sincere form of prayer? Maybe not a real form of prayer, but a kind of sub-form. It isn’t adoration, contrition, or thanksgiving, but definitely a part o...

Ok, so I've been a Postulant (a.k.a. "nun-in-training") for almost two years, so maybe it doesn’t come as a big surprise that I’m a bit smitten with Jesus. To clarify, though, I mean “awesome” not in the way it's used to describe a good pizza, but in the literal sense: “inspiring wonder, awe or fear.” I have so many reasons for being in awe of Jesus, but one big reason I've been praying with lately is just how patient he is with me. Think about it. Nine times out of ten, when someone is as...

So, how’s Lent? I’m guessing that on Ash Wednesday you walked up and rang the doorbell. Having stepped into the foyer of Lent’s home, let’s turn around and look again at the front door that opened to us that day–fasting. It’s also the back door that we’ll pass through on Good Friday, as we head out to the garden of Easter Sunday. Try not to cringe. The spiritual masters of every major religion, and even health gurus, hail the benefits of fasting to mind, soul, and body. Christian fasting,...

I remember the best Lent I ever had. That year, I noticed on the First Sunday of Lent a phrase in the story of Jesus’ temptation: “ … he remained in the desert” (Mark 1:13). This phrase struck me because there were situations in my life at the time that were very desert-like, in the sense of feeling empty and desolate. So my Lent became a time of remaining with Jesus in that desert. Lent was not usually my favorite time of the liturgical year, but I was surprised to find myself “enjoying” ...

Ash Wednesday is coming. Are you looking forward to it?  Whether you like Lent or would rather skip it, Lent can give us a fresh start in our spiritual life. It’s like spring cleaning for the soul, a time when we can dispose of the clutter that’s been clogging our spirit. But if you would like this Lent to be a step forward in your spiritual life, choose only one thing to focus on.Focusing on one thing can make a real difference. You might compare it to what happens when you use a magnifying g...