UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women Reflection Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread human rights violations in our world today and remains largely unreported due to the stigma and shame surrounding it. According to the United Nations, 35% of women and girls globally experience some form of physical and or sexual…
Reflection Those who live justly understand what belongs to whom and work to ensure that they receive it. If we take time to reflect on situations around us, the actions of our national leaders, the prejudices we take as norms, we may realize that we have been ignoring injustices that demand our attention. Justice impels us to recognize the equality…
Reflection In the turbulence of our days, amid events that trouble us, we tend to forget that there is still wonder in our world, that beyond the struggles for power and transitory victories, deep within creation, there still exists wholesomeness and goodness and beauty. We need to try to put aside the noise of conflict, anger and division and turn…
Feast of Christ the King Reflection God’s kingdom is a kingdom where the chief goal is to bring all people to fullness of life and humanity. It is the kingdom of the Beatitudes, of the great reversal of worldly values where those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted; where those who are…
Remembrance of Mother St. John Fontbonne Refounder of the Sisters of St. Joseph Reflection Tomorrow we honor the memory of Mother St. John Fontbonne. Jeanne Fontbonne was a woman who at the age of twenty-six was elected superior of a thriving convent and who was in prison in facing probable execution at the age of thirty-four. Because of the French…
Reflection Whenever we confront a difficult, frightening, painful or disturbing experience in which we are challenged or pushed to the limit, whenever we feel threatened and vulnerable, we either find the courage to face and defeat fear or face being defeated by it. Life requires courage. When our first instinctive reaction is to flee, courage is the strength or resolve…
Reflection We are living in a difficult time in history but there have been difficult periods before. It is a time when we need those whose thinking can be creative. Creativity requires courage. It means taking what is ordinary and presenting it from a different perspective and in a new arrangement. It becomes a new thing, a break away from…
Reflection There comes a time when criticism of the past is simply not enough. There comes a new moment in life when we must dedicate ourselves to creating the future. And that is hard, hard work. At that moment we discover the difference between rabble-rousers and leaders, between critics and prophets, between malcontents and the committed. Finding the openness of…
Reflection When we experience kindness, our hearts are warmed. Kindness is friendly, generous, and considerate. It gives freely without expecting anything in return. A kind person is generous with presence, time, and resources. The recipient experiences someone who is selfless, compassionate, and merciful. Kindness is not a quid pro quo endeavor; its greatest power is to those who may not…
UN International Day for Tolerance Reflection International Day for Tolerance is a day to celebrate the differences between cultures and creeds and appreciate what they bring to our lives. It is based on the premise that we should live in unity rather than be divided. This day calls us to reach out on the basis of mutual understanding and respect, especially…