Contemplative wisdom teacher Cynthia Bourgeault discusses how “dying before we die” brings new life from our awareness of mortality: he one who would save his life or her life will lose it and the one who’s willing to lose it, will save it (see Matthew 16:25)… The whole tradition we’ve had of ...

MMOC’s Care of Creation group, part of the Peace and Justice ministry, held a well-attended program last Sunday on plastic pollution and ways to reduce our plastic consumption. As a follow-up, Lori Fick, chair of the Care of Creation subcommittee, provided additional information as to how we can reduce, reuse and recycle. The Magic House accepts...

In his book A Grief Observed, C.S. Lewis proposes that, “You must have a capacity to receive, or even Omnipotence can’t give.” True mercy, grace, and love are big gifts, so much so that we can struggle with our ability to ...

This reflection and practice come from therapist Resmaa Menakem’s book My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies (Central Recovery Press: 2017), 137, 35: My grandmother was a strong and loving woman. But her body was frequently nervous… She would soothe that sense of impending disaster in...

Pope Leo XIV met with El Paso’s Bishop Mark Seitz, chairman of the USCCB’s committee on migration, on October 8, 2025. The pope stated that the church cannot remain silent about the situation of migrants in the United States. Pope Leo made clear that he wants Catholic bishops and the U.S. church “to be united” on this crucially important issue, which he described as “a matter of human dignity.” The meeting came amid...

Any number of distractions and obstacles can disrupt a burgeoning or even a regular prayer practice, beginning with the typical challenges of establishing a new habit – finding time, finding a place, adjusting to different lifestyle – and continuing with everything from perceived “lack of results” to major life events. When such disruptions inevitably arise, we must resist the temptation to frustration and instead....

What do U.S. Bishops have to say on the issue of undocumented immigrants? “Undocumented immigrants present a special concern. Often their presence is considered criminal since they arrive without legal permission. Under the harshest view, undocumented people may be regarded as undeserving of rights or services. This is not the view of Catholic social teaching. The Catholic Church teaches that ...