"The focus of our environmental activism should be for the defense of human rights — because the rights to land and to water, those are fundamental rights," says Sr. Edia López. "People need to turn around and see the cost of maintaining this system."

Reflections from Pope Francis' 2017 World Day of Peace message, "Nonviolence: a Style of Politics of Peace," continue to unfold as the year rolls out new opportunities and challenges. These different encounters invite each person to actively seek to engage in peacemaking through nonviolence at the grassroots.

At the latest gathering of the Confederation of Latin American and Caribbean Religious, men and women religious worked on their global plan, outlining mission and ministry and finding ways to stay connected about their work and invigorated about their charisms.

Death is difficult, no matter your culture or religion, but the difference between us was faith. Their faith was carrying them through the agony, and I was stuck in it, unable to rely on anything besides myself.

Mary-Cabrini Durkin was an Ursuline Sister of Cincinnati for 41 years and an educator and is now part of the secular institute of the Company of St. Ursula, USA. Worldwide, the Company of St. Ursula has 800 members, who carry their relationship with Christ into the world in their particular country, culture and occupation.

In the Welcoming Prayer, this attitude of surrender is carried into daily life and helps us catch the false-self programs before they sink their teeth into us. It does not operate out of our head, but rather invites us to be in touch with the feelings in our bodies as our starting point.

GSR Today - We have rediscovered a handful of Lenten, Holy Week and Easter reflections published from years past to inspire you in this Holy Week and into the early Easter season.

Notes from the Field - Nongkhai, Thailand, is a rural town with abundant farm land. I live a bike ride away from the town's center, but those I live and work alongside have become my entire world. It may appear as a confining bubble, but I feel perfectly content within these walls.

"It's very strengthening. It's also a garbage collector. There's something about inner garbage that just melts after you've been meditating."

"They've carried out a dialogue where our voices as the affected people were never considered."