"Encounter invites us to come outside of ourselves. It encourages us to meet one another as equals and sisters and brothers. It is not standing on one side of the river bank, waiting while the other party builds a bridge clear from the distant shore. No, it is gathering our tools and hammering away as well, as best we know how, to hopefully meet in a graced space on a bridge we build together."

From a Nun's Life podcasts - If you wear ashes, is that like parading around your holiness? In this Random Nun Clip, a listener asks if people who wear ashes on Ash Wednesday are showing off their holiness.

After 40 years of community organizing, Sr. Pearl Ceasar will assume her role as superior general of the Sisters of Providence, a congregation that spans the U.S. Southwest, Missouri, Colorado, California and Mexico. She is now working on transitioning out of her position as executive director of Project QUEST (Quality Employment through Skills Training) in San Antonio.

Sometimes it is difficult to discern the voice of God, especially in dark, political situations. But God's voice does come, mostly in the needs of others.

Roman Catholic sisters in the Democratic Republic of Congo are coming under increased attacks as vandals destroy churches and convents in an attempt to frustrate the church's efforts to act as mediator in an election dispute.

"As a cosmic sentry, when you become a lightning rod for divine compassion you draw down the energy and send it around the planet."

GSR Today - Sisters and co-members of Loretto issued a statement on welcoming the stranger, urging officials to "reject immigration laws and policies at odds with the Gospel value of welcoming the stranger into the United States of America. Meanwhile, U.S. immigration policy is affecting aid workers negatively.

In the midst of human suffering, spirituality seems to be the best means to cope with trauma and difficult situations. It is a dynamic and fundamental way for us to connect with something bigger than ourselves, helping us to have meaning and purpose in life, as well as hope for a tomorrow.

For sisters and organizations helping resettle Syrian refugees in Ontario, reaching out to help the families means relying on others in the community and forging new paths toward interfaith cooperation.