The Panama Canal, the highlight of our last day, was a study in contradictions after the full immersion in the natural world of Darién. In the context of the Web of Life, I think beyond this place and this moment, where 3,000 people will visit with their cameras and iPhones and take selfies in front of the moving machines. I think of the 30,000 people who died in the creation of this canal. I think of the mountains moved, the thousands of acres of forests flooded and wetlands drained, and the millions of gallons of fresh water being flushed into the sea with the movement of every ship.

The day was one of transition. Two earlier presenters, Hermel López, regional environment ministry representative for Darién, and Osvaldo Jordán of the Alianza para el Desarrollo y Conservación shared reflections about the future for Matusagaratí and its meaning as a microcosm of the larger picture. Participants joined in a thought-provoking reflection , then the group immediately jumped into a series of activities until nearly 10 p.m. in Panama City. Today, Friday, is the last day, and we will go to see the Panama Canal and then have an integration ceremony.

See for Yourself - "If you show them love, they'll run their hearts out for you," so shared an unlikely horse expert. Unlikely only because I wasn't expecting one of the banquet servers to tell me about the horse track.

I was born into security and opportunity, but many others emerged into a world of poverty and barriers. On this, my 31st birthday, I pray that each of us does what we can to make the world better for all.

"Each of us was baptized to share in Christ's prophetic ministry. That means we need to stop and ask ourselves if we are willing to step into the space where the way of the world contradicts the Gospel and say, 'It doesn’t have to be this way.' "

Though we started with a somber presentation, as the day progressed, we moved to celebrate a rich abundance of life in many manifestations. And on our last night in Darién, we were caught up in the cosmic dance.

From A Nun's Life podcasts - What are some unexpected things you've learned about prayer? In this Random Nun Clip, we're with the Sisters of the Humility of Mary on a Motherhouse Road Trip to Villa Maria, Pennsylvania. 

For the past five years, Sr. Mary Do Thi Thuy of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate has quietly brought health care to hundreds of villagers with HIV in the Chinh Ly Commune of Ha Nam Province, northern Vietnam.

Right after Mother's Day, I received shocking news. My sister, Ginny, my only sibling, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Only 71 years old; this seemed unbelievable. Grief seeped through me.

"Evolution requires trust in the process of life itself because, from a faith perspective, there is a power at the heart of life that is divine and lovable."