Celebration's Scripture for Life column - The desert is where our soul finds room to expand, where we can remember what we really thirst for. This is the desert we can choose when we want its blessing.

GSR Today - This is the third set of compiled reports from sisters working at or near the border who have written of the need caused by a recent influx of migrants unrelated to the caravan, and the plight of those seeking asylum.

Horizons - I first became aware of the Monks of Tibhirine, as they are commonly known, in the mid-2000s from a friend who was familiar with their story. Most striking to me was their commitment to building bridges between Christianity and Islam and their commitment to understanding the faith, traditions and lives of their neighbors.

Wearing orange on the 25th of every month is a practice followed by a number of sisters and staff of the Religious of the Good Shepherd, Province of the Philippines-Japan. But on Nov. 25, Good Shepherd-run institutions and centers in the Philippines were ablaze in orange to commemorate the start of the 18-day anti-violence against women campaign.

Living life as a woman religious requires me to remember that faith permeates every aspect of my life. This includes what I buy, what my community invests in, and how I treat other people. It also includes sharing that faith with others, including corporations.

Three congregations, the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Kentucky, Adrian Dominican Sisters and Sisters of the Humility of Mary, are charting toward a sustainable tomorrow by establishing goals that reduce greenhouse emissions and focus on sustainable energy. The sisters are applying principles such as permaculture to all aspects of community life.

Notes from the Field - St. John Bosco began a tradition more than 100 years ago that still is celebrated in Salesian communities around the world to this day: the Fiesta of Gratitude. It can be held at any time, and this year, I had three Thanksgivings.

Nuns and members of religious groups and government agencies who serve people with HIV/AIDS gathered at a recent symposium focused on how to end the disease, share best practices and experiences caring for patients and explore how to work together better.

Conflicts over proposed funds for controversial measures such as a border wall threaten a possible government shutdown. Network, the Catholic social justice lobbying organization, is pushing for legislation with the lowest funding for border fencing.

Mary Killeen, a Sister of Mercy from Ireland, didn't choose to come to Kenya. She was in her late 20s, happily teaching in Ireland, when another sister got sick in Nairobi, and Killeen was asked to fill in. That was 42 years ago, and Killeen has been in Kenya ever since.