We are very near to the close of the year dedicated to consecrated life, and there is no doubt Pope Francis has played a very profound role by inviting us consecrated people to engage in some introspection. It has been a journey of many difficult and unanswered questions, a time for renewal and rededication.

From A Nun's Life podcasts - In this Random Nun Clip, we talk with Sistrs Bernadette and Carlotta Maria about prayers, stairs and coffee at the Sisters of the Monastery of Saint Gertrude, in Cottonwood, Idaho.

There is an ancient story that is our common heartbeat. It speaks to us, deeply, quietly and simply; its whispers are heard in the rhythms of our ordinary lives, in between the rushing activity of our regular days. As we move together and alone, the power of this ancient story is known and felt in the cracks and creases of our common heart.

See for Yourself - One of the wonderful things about the holidays is spending time with family. My parents simply expected that we would all make time to be together for Christmas, and so we continue that.

At 6 p.m. on an unusually mild Christmas Eve, I parked my tan Ford Escort next to Ellen's red one outside a pizza parlor in downtown Syracuse, N.Y. Standing in slushy snow, we opened our hatchbacks and watched as two young kids in stained aprons loaded enough pizzas for the entire inmate population of the Syracuse jail.

It’s called Moab Under Canvas, and it is located just down the road from Arches National Park in southern Utah. Friends and I decided that as long as we were in Salt Lake City for the Parliament of World Religions we would drive down to see what many believe to be one of the more specular national parks. We needed a place to stay, and funds were limited. Moab under Canvas seemed just the right spot.

Notes from the Field - T'is the season to be jolly! And indeed I am jolly, as Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. I love the music, decorations, the spirit of giving, Jesus' birthday, lights, and parties. The most noticeable one of them all in Immokalee is without a doubt the spirit of giving. I attended two events in the past two weeks that give true meaning to this spirit of giving during the holiday season.

GSR Today - As Christmas approaches, a look back at what I’ve learned from the sisters I interviewed in 2015: In order to do difficult work, they must find balance within themselves. When I think about what I have learned from the sisters over the course of 2015, there is one word that jumps to mind: deliberate.

Franciscan Sr. Alicia Torres was one of four contestants on the latest round of "Chopped," a chefs' competition on the Food Network. Torres turned out to be the winner, revealed Nov. 9, of the Thanksgiving meal challenge, garnering $10,000 for the ministry of Chicago's Mission of Our Lady of the Angels soup kitchen. Global Sisters Report reached out to her to find out if she had a favorite recipe to share.

In 1983, after overcoming her own struggles with alcohol, Immaculate Heart of Mary Sr. Mary Ellen Merrick became an addiction counselor. Today, she is the executive director of women's services at Guest House, a residential addiction treatment facility in Lake Orion, Michigan, for priests and religious. Earlier this fall, Merrick talked to Global Sisters Report about her personal story and why it's important for women religious to be educated about addiction in all its forms.