I don’t know what exactly brought tears to my eyes, but the combination of the beautiful culture and its tragic loss; the foreign sound of bombs and the familiar sound of Shami Arabic; and the human goodness that somehow persists in the midst of evil made a lump rise in my throat. I looked over and noticed that my teacher was fighting back tears, too.
Poem: “Bethel”
In short, the message of this poem is an elaboration of Jacob's exclamation in Genesis 28:16: “Truly, the Lord is in this spot, although I did not know it.” Though I don’t often realize it, God is always with me.
More in Heaven: Wisdom from Julian of Norwich
Julian’s revelations remind us that union with God will not only occur at the end of time, when we are perfectly unified and meet him “face to face.” They also tell us that we can get a taste of that eventual full communion, right here, and right now.
Peeling Kiwis: “Peeling Oranges” Series
October 27, 2013 This afternoon I found myself sitting on the front porch of a woman named Maggie. No, I wasn’t with my own mother on our front porch on Pennsylvania Street in Indianapolis, but it was about as close as I could get here in Amman. I had been walking to the Vatican library …
Lessons from Good Pope John, Part 3: Detachment and trust
This is the last post in a series about the exemplary life of Blessed Pope John XXIII, whose feast we celebrated on October 11. Today's post is on detachment and trust. John allowed God to carry him through life, just as his father carried him on his shoulders when he was a boy. His motto …
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JORDAN DENARI DUFFNER 