Sister Julia Walsh talks with writer, speaker and storyteller Carl McColman about discovering his vocation as a spiritual director and spiritual teacher. They discuss how medieval mystics and saints and other spiritual teachers inspire him, and how the mystics teach us to tear down the walls that divide us. And they discuss the challenges of being human and being an activist and the importance of contemplation in navigating both.
Her wide arms reach and summon. I feel the lure even from a mile away. I met her, the giant Grandmother oak centered on an island in the Jackson Park lagoon. In those days, I wore rubber gloves and a mask, sanitized the handlebars. When air frightened me I met her, the giant. Immediately I…
In this episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, Sister Julia Walsh and poet, public speaker, teacher and theologian Pádraig Ó Tuama explore the light, the dark, and the infinite complexities of language. They consider terms like Christian and minister, and discuss the nature of poetry as well as the essential role imagination plays in one’s spiritual life as well as conflict resolution. And they talk about the complexities of doing good and being good.
When people meet me and learn that I am a Catholic Sister, some respond with surprise, excitement or intrigue. Others, I notice, shift uncomfortably as if realigning their filter to “only things I can say in front of a nun” mode. Although I have no formal theology background, many assume my place in the world…
In this powerful episode of Messy Jesus Business, Sister Julia Walsh talks with author and activist Kathy Kelly about her journey as a peace activist, how militarism doesn’t offer true security and how to ground ourselves in the fight for peace when we feel overwhelmed.
Lord of Mixed Emotions, thank you for knowing. Thank you for knowing where we hurt, what we fear, what we dread, and what makes us sing. It’s a strange day, Lord, the day after many of your children sighed deep sighs of relief, and cried out to you with gratitude — thank you for being…
We bought a lemon tree a couple of years ago. Bonnie Sue Ellis came home with what appeared to be a scrawny seedling from friends at our neighborhood garden store. Bonnie is a strong, passionate, observant, prayerful, exuberant pillar of our community life. She is also the unchallenged maker of our sweat teas and salad…
Last year, during the Lent that still hasn’t ended, I took my children on a walk to the local cemetery. The grounds were beautiful and included a small pond accessible only by a simple wooden bridge on one side and a more ornate stone bridge on the other. The cemetery was nearly as old as…
Years ago, I sat before my friend after a particularly hard week and said, “I don’t know if I can take this anymore.” I was thinking that I didn’t deserve to live anymore. He looked at me and didn’t try to talk away the pain. He listened. And all he said in reply was, “I…
Sister Julia Walsh and author Lisa Deam talk about pilgrimage as a spiritual practice and discipleship as a journey. They discuss the paradoxes of faith and being a contemplative, where we are called to be in the moment, while also moving toward God. And they share how loving history and being part of the Church is relational, messy work.
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