A Guest in the Guesthouse
In October I was invited, for a second time, to be a retreat director for an eight-day retreat held in the Guest House of the Sisterhood of Saint John the…
Language and Identity: Words, Meaning and Mystery
As I share life with three Vietnamese Sisters who are studying English, I am constantly reminded of the richness and complexity of language as a profound part of our identity…
Building Bridges in a Divided World
As we look across the globe, we are continually reminded of the things that divide us and the power that can be wielded by individuals to enlarge the chasm between…
The Symphony of the Universe
Today we share two lovely reflections from the RNDM novices in Vietnam. The Symphony of the Universe by Novice - Anna Tran Thi Van A day at the Novitiate is almost…
The Caterpillar: Metamorphosis
This reflection is by RNDM Novice Maria Hien, who is doing her novitiate in Vietnam. In this piece, she explores creation for insights about God, and about herself. The beautiful…
One with the Buddhist Community: Part II
One of my family traditions important to me was a Buddhist ritual. At the sound of Buddhist gong at 4.30 a.m., which invites the people in the village to awaken,…
One with the Buddhist Community: Part I
I would like to share something about my relationship with the Buddhist community and Buddhism. Being from Myanmar it is impossible for me not to be one with the Buddhist…
A Musing on Charism (Part II of II)
Trinity, Cosmic Principles and Charism Our faith experience reveals that the Trinity, ‘Father, Son, and Spirit,’ is One—i.e. three ways of being totally given one to the other with nothing…
Declining Membership: Coming to Completion
Many apostolic congregations of religious women in the West find themselves having conversations about “coming to completion,” that is, about declining membership, a rising median age, and lack of interested…
The Taste of Things VII: Zeal
My favorite liturgical feast is Pentecost! It announces itself with aliveness, zeal, and spirit—a wildly untamed Spirit that is—and one cannot commit their life to this Spirit and expect to…