"We have forgotten how to be good guests, how to walk lightly on the earth as its other creatures do."

Contemplate This - We live in a much-too-hasty age. There is little or no time to process what happens to us each day. This is even true in religious life.

"I grew up in my family with faith that God really wants the good things for us. And even amidst the bad behavior of other people, God finds a way to let us continue."

"It took 30 years to build up mass incarceration. It's not going to end overnight. It will take a very comprehensive shift in practices, policies and attitudes." While the last 35 years saw a continual increase in the prison population, in recent years, the prison population has stabilized. Part 4 of a four-part series examining mass incarceration in the United States.

Sr. Judith, 41, was one of four sisters killed in Yemen in March. Her first and last mission was at a nursing home in Yemen, where she worked with three sisters and other staff, mostly from Ethiopia.

"My heart is more open. My spirit wants to be more loving because during my prayer I had felt what I know as love."

Three Stats and a Map - While the general public most likely thinks of the film "Sister Act" when they think of sisters and music, of course, the contributions of sisters run deeper than Hollywood. 

See for Yourself - It's dismaying that many high schools in budget-crunch situations that are faced with the need to make immediate budget cuts often start by thinking that music and art programs are expendable. 

Notes from the Field - The subtle ways students have of asking us adults to "tame" them are not always the prettiest. This makes it a lot easier for me to simply say, "I don't have time." The Little Prince has changed my way of thinking.

In theory, once someone has served a prison sentence, they are free to move forward with life. In reality, however, many find that being released is merely the start of a new form of imprisonment. Part 3 of a four-part series examining mass incarceration in the United States.