The Sacred Familiar
I sit by the window, alone but not lost, letting questions roam freely. The roses spill from cracks in the path — beauty too much to behold yet impossible to ignore. I think of the dreams and imaginings that once kept me company and wonder if they were glimpses of truths not yet seen. Even in uncertainty, I’m grounded. Even in fear, I long for what is beautifully familiar and fully his.
Dealing With Grief: Interview With Sister Sarah Hennessey
Grief has many faces, and Sister Sarah Hennessey has seen them all — through funerals, fractured friendships and the quiet ache of transition. In a world that pushes us to grieve alone, she offers a different way: brave grieving in community. “God is the one who stays,” she says. Her vocation isn’t just spiritual direction. It’s walking with others through the sacred work of loss.
Religious Traditions Help With Holiday Blues
The holidays can stir a mix of joy and challenges, but faith traditions offer a unique lifeline. From “Blue Christmas” services to moments of communal singing, shared meals and acts of giving, faith communities provide meaningful ways to navigate grief, loneliness and stress. These gatherings remind us we’re not alone and offer a chance to rediscover hope and joy — even in the midst of life’s heaviest seasons.
What’s It Like Inside a Trappist Monastery?
What does life inside a Trappist monastery offer to those of us on the outside? In “A Matter of the Heart,” Brother Paul Quenon shares over 50 years of journal entries from his quiet life of prayer and contemplation. With a poet’s touch, he reflects on life’s mysteries and a spiritual calling shaped by solitude, stillness and the pursuit of inner peace — insights that resonate well beyond the cloister.
Silence: Quieting Other Voices To Hear God’s
Are you in a season of great challenge? Remember Richard Foster’s words: “The purpose of silence and solitude is to be able to see and hear. The Spirit speaks to us when our heart is still and silent before the Lord — not when we’re rushing about and doing our own thing in our own way.”
