When I chose the name Teresa of Avila for my Confirmation name during my freshman year of high school, I didn’t know what an important, meaningful decision I’d made. I picked her because she founded the Discalced Carmelites, a group of sisters I had grown close to in Indianapolis and admired for their contemplation, simplicity, …
Me and Mary Magdalene
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him. (Mark 16:1) I press my face against the pink, veined marble slab, smeared with a fragrant oil that lingers on my neck and hands. As I push myself from the …
Midnight in Jerusalem (“Peeling Oranges” Series)
Jerusalem: Good Friday, and the first day of Passover. Just before midnight, beneath a full moon and the shadow of the Western Wall, pigeons and crumpled prayers snuggle between cracks in bricks. I sit nearly alone in the women’s section, except for a few Jewish ladies whose covered heads rest against the wall, their eyes …
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Breathing underwater (“Peeling Oranges” series)
(The Red Sea coast along Jordan is known for its beautiful coral reefs and clear water, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to snorkel for the first time in Aqaba a few weekends back.) I jump from the boat into a blue-green splash, and a taste of saltiness washes through my mouth. Gasping and …
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The Garden (“Peeling Oranges” Series)
One cold morning, I wait for the American neighbors next door, who share a cab with me to school. A smoky mist rises up from their host mother’s garden, the night’s frost melting and crystalizing again in the air. It curls around laundry polls and hovers above the lemon trees, full of pocked yellow bulbs …
JORDAN DENARI DUFFNER 