The Little Sisters of Jesus and Mary describe their way of life as being active-contemplatives. What does that mean? Sr. Mary Elizabeth Gintling, the community’s founder, wanted the Little Sisters to be “people of deep prayer and silence,” and then bring this contemplative spirit to their work with the poor. It’s a way of life…
We all know Christmas is commercialized and the real meaning of the feast day is lost in the materialism that consumes modern life. Christmas at the Nativity, a new book by Pope Francis, brings the focus back to where it belongs, the birth of Jesus. The book is a collection of the Pope’s thoughts on…
For All Saints Day, here is a review of a book about one of our newest saints, who is also important to the Joseph House and the Little Sisters (find out why on this page: Brother Charles). Brother to All is one of the first books about Charles de Foucauld published after his canonization on…
Music is a shortcut to the soul—and a new album from one of the oldest communities of religious women offers a reminder of that. The Poor Clares are contemplative nuns who belong to the Franciscan family. Their founder was St. Clare of Assisi, who lived from 1194 to 1253. A group of these nuns in…
By definition, a desert is an empty, arid wasteland. Some would say there is nothing to see. But the desert also brings clarity of vision, and with this clarity Charles de Foucauld saw deep into the mystery of Jesus. In her book, Hidden in God: Discovering the Desert Vision of Charles de Foucauld, Bonnie Thurston…
In the economic world of today, “9 to 5” is being replaced with “24/7.” More and more people feel as if they are always “on the clock.” In fact, because of smartphones, they are discovering they can’t leave work when they go home. There’s no downtime, no freedom from an electronic distraction, no chance to…