My 82-year-old spiritual director, Sr. Connie Kramer, had an inoperable brain tumor in the shape of a butterfly. Her spiritual guidance was present until the end. Grief calls us to not fear death, but to befriend it.
While we think about our favorite crèche, and see all the players gathered, we know that on that very first Christmas everyone besides the Holy Family and that dear donkey were en route.
An undue focus on preparing the gifts, decorations and gourmet delights can easily cross the line into seeing "the day" as an end in itself, not an observance, a celebration of the birth of Jesus.
Scripture for Life: God has given birth to a creation capable of participating in divine life. Jesus gave a replicable witness to that truth. Like him, we need to pray without ceasing to open ourselves to grace.
Scripture for Life: The time is ripe; this is the moment to make straight the paths, to remind ourselves that Christ is alive and the Spirit is active among us.
Jesus as the Word of God plays different roles in our spiritual life. Words carry strong vibrations to inspire, heal and transform the human heart, including plants, animals and all of cosmic creation.
The Bel Espoir is a small vessel that welcomes young people from different countries along the Mediterranean, with varied cultures, languages, religions and life stories.
The new panelists begin the ninth year of The Life by answering this prompt: "Drawing from your experiences and the world around you, share a reflection or meditation on the theme of Advent."
