Aristotle once said, “The purpose of labor is to gain leisure.” The words seen especially appropriate this Labor Day. Several recent news reports lament the number of jobs that have gone unfilled since the start of the pandemic. These tend to be high stress, poorly paid jobs. …

Late summer always makes me feel melancholic. There’s the fading of the light, a morning chill in the air, the browning of once luminous flowers. My spirits were lifted, though, by a recent column in National Catholic Reporter’s Global Sisters Report, titled “Don’t Forget To Walk Around the Corner.” The…

My dear friend Ellen Morgan lost her husband Bill this past January to Parkinson’s disease. Bill was a gentle soul, a superb poet, and dedicated literature professor at Illinois State University. As he neared the end, Bill would often tell others, “I’ve had a hellova life!” I’ve wondered ever since…

Conferences are curious events. We often attend them to deepen and confirm knowledge and beliefs we already hold. I like to attend conferences that are just as likely to upend my tightly held beliefs. I never fail to come away challenged when I attend an event sponsored by Pax Christi…

My husband and I recently celebrated our 17th anniversary, marking easily the most wonderful 17 years of my life. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that the most important words in a marriage aren’t “I love you,” significant as those words are. …

A conflict-weary world breathed a collective sigh of wonder this week with the release of the first images sent back to earth from deep space by the James Webb Space Telescope. It was a moment to stop thinking about the war in Ukraine, our struggle with gun violence and our…

Usually on the Fourth of July weekend I like to fly the flag and dress in red, white and blue. I’m not so sure the flag will go up this year, and I might end up wearing black. …

Sunlight streamed through cypresses and sycamores as our group of scholars and appreciators of the writings of Thomas Merton sat on the porch of the hermitage on the grounds of the Abbey of Gethsemani where Merton once lived. Wind rustling through leaves and the one-note song of a nearby cuckoo…

You’ve got to love Pope Francis. The man isn’t afraid to speak his mind when he thinks it’s necessary. He doesn’t mince words when he wants something to change. …