Blog Archive
Contemplating the messiness of Christian life
The Messy Jesus Business Blog is an ecumenical Christian gathering of musings about what it means to live the Gospel today. A variety of contributors offer prayer, poetry, book reviews, creative nonfiction and prose about what it means to live a life of faith in our complex, modern times.
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Ashen timelines
we inherit historyhistory of horror, heartachethe systemic sinsthe memories of line after lineof penitent, penitentour breath, our skinheavy hearts –no denial, only Truthrepent, repentancestors lamentgaze into flamessmoke, smog, ash:reality invades temptations to escapeyet we must remain, remainso we say Amento mortality, humilityto dust & decayto being todaythe bodiesalong linesof time smearedwith sorrow,with truth,with ash who
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Dreaming and Discernment
Recently I dreamed that I changed congregations. As a Franciscan sister (FSPA) who made first vows almost 20 years ago, I have never thought of being in a different order. But that morning, after the dream, I had my regular prayer time. As I prayed and talked to God, suddenly a desire started to take
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The Good News
Based on Luke 4 I never have good news for Jesus. I deal in the gloom and doom. But that doesn’t make me any less welcome in his home. I lower my head as I meet his mother at the threshold, then allow myself a half grin as her arms wrap around me. I am
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Staring into the Abyss
“They who fight with monsters should be careful lest they become a monster. Gaze too long into the abyss, and the abyss will also gaze into you.” – Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil We all know the quotation. Like many of Nietzsche’s aphorisms, it has taken on a life of its own, and people
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Finding a Word for 2025
“One word.” It’s a newer trend to ring in a new year foregoing the traditional New Year’s resolution. Instead, you opt for a word or phrase that sets your intention for the coming year. Adventure, Inner Peace, Joy. You get the idea. It’s an alternative with some real benefits. Magellan Health says a focus word,
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Christmas 2.0: Fleeing in Hope
Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Then Joseph got up, took the
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From History to Here: Honoring the Sacred Mystery of Time
I am writing this two days after the Feast of the Holy Innocents in the octave of Christmas in the year 2024. These words will be published days later when the octave is over and while I am away on a retreat, starting the spiritual exercises. The words will hang on this page for months–
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The Heartbeat of Christmas
Merry Christmas and blessings of the season from Messy Jesus Business! Please enjoy this piece from Sr. Julia Walsh, originally published in 2022. There is an ancient story that is our common heartbeat. It speaks to us, deeply, quietly and simply; its whispers are heard in the rhythms of our ordinary lives, in between the
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Special Podcast: Darkness and Light in Advent
A Contemplation Episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, with Sister Julia Walsh. Join Sister Julia in a special edition of Messy Jesus Business podcast as she reflects on what the darkness can teach us in Advent. Podcast: Play in new window | Download With this episode, we’re beginning our winter break. We’ll see you again in late January!
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An Advent Reflection on Pigeons
This Advent, I’m reflecting on pigeons and finding an odd comfort in envisioning the Holy Spirit as a city bird. The violence of poverty in cities and the injustices in our world this year have me looking to these small and fraught creatures, surviving in the cracks of discarded places. In my neighborhood of Hyde
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Unexpected Signs of Hope
Marigolds have unexpectedly become a symbol of hope for me in this bleak moment where we find ourselves, as a church and as a country. Our little backyard garden didn’t do anything right this summer. Well, almost anything. For years, our little raised beds would generate pounds of tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, garlic, and peppers. Our
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Sister Norma Pimentel, MJ: Courage at the Border
Episode 84 of Messy Jesus Business podcast, with Sister Julia Walsh. Podcast: Play in new window | Download Subscribe: Email | RSS | More ” Once they enter our [Humanitarian Respite Center for immigrants along the border], the very first thing that I asked is, “Como estas?” How are you? And it’s for the very first time that someone that has been through
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