Spirituality

The Most Meaningful Gift

This reflection was written by Sr. Mary Elizabeth Gintling, our founder, in 1979: When we prepare for the mystery of Christmas, what are our days of preparation filled with? Most of us have thousands of things to do and for many it is the busiest time of the year. What we really should be doing…

How Virtue Conquers Vice

Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance. Where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger nor disturbance. Where there is poverty with joy, there is neither covetousness nor avarice. Where there is inner peace and meditation, there is neither anxiousness nor dissipation. Where there is fear of the…

Only For Today

A plan of life is helpful for keeping us on course, not to be perfect, but simply to be a little better than we were before. Pope John XXIII followed a simple 10-step plan that he had written. Its focus is just on today, because that is all anyone has. Perhaps one or two of…

The World is a Joyful Mystery

Spring is a tonic for the soul. After being cooped up inside during the winter, stepping outside to perceive the awakening land is a blessing. It feels like the flowers and grasses are not the only things coming back to life. Sooner or later, though, we have to consider the garden chores that await us….

Lenten Meal Blessing

In the weeks before Easter, we are given time during Lent to put extra effort in turning toward Christ and becoming more Christ-like. There are three practices to help us: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. They are three companions on the journey as we convert our hearts. They will help us to become more loving and…

This Hermitage Speaks

Carlo Carretto was a Little Brother of Jesus, a religious community inspired by the life of Charles de Foucauld. With a poetic style, he also wrote several books that explored his desire to live a contemplative life in the world. One of those books was about St. Francis of Assisi (I, Francis), and Carretto in…

Called to Love, Called to Serve

The life of a Catholic nun or religious sister is a mystery to many people. Stereotypes abound, but as usual the reality is quite different. Even though some things change over time, the essentials do not: all that is good, true, and beautiful continues to exist. If you are considering a religious vocation, or you…