
A thrill of Hope, the weary world rejoices!
7 Ways to Rethink Gift-Giving this Christmas
The sale was a way to de-clutter, but it also had a spiritual aspect: the season of Advent is coming up, and we are especially mindful of Mary and Joseph having been told that there was no room in the inn. With that in our hearts, we're...
We Sold Our Stuff and Donated the Proceeds to Charity
This Saturday, December 2nd, we hosted a large tag sale at The Mariandale Center. Our tables at Mariandale were covered: we had dishes, decorations, and knick-knacks for sale galore. Yet, in such a season of abundance, we yearn to simplify our...
Now That Christmas Day Has Passed, Here’s a Question to Consider
We all know that more than a million people escaped war and torture this year; they are refugees. (Please don’t tune me out just yet! Stay with me…) We are all also aware of some folks espousing the shutting down of our borders because people are fleeing war and...
A Christmas Reflection: Making God the Center of Your Life
The liturgical readings for the Christmas season are rich with imagery. They begin with Jesus’s genealogy, his connection with the Jewish people, and continuing with Joseph being reassured about Mary’s pregnancy, Jesus’s birth and the visit by the shepherds, and...
Hope in Haiti: How One Sister’s Holiday Sparked a New Mission
Dominican Sister of Hope Mary Headley thinks fast and talks faster. “I’m only seventy-five years old,” she says. “I’m young!” She’s also spry. After fifty-five years in hospice ministry, she retired and took on a number of volunteer jobs: she serves at Part of the...
The Roots of Hope
Radicalized. The word is everywhere. It’s the explanation we use when ISIL members kill innocent people. It’s the reason, we say, why young Americans are pledging their lives to those who hate us and who want to destroy us.We need an explanation, don’t we, to avoid...
When Hospitality Is Life-Changing
Flickr: Nicole Vaughan This Christmas, many of us will welcome family and enjoy a meal together. This is common during the holidays, but the tradition rarely becomes a pattern for the rest of our lives. For Dominican Sister of Hope Bette Ann Jaster, however,...
Ideas for Gifting on a Sister’s Budget
When Dominican Sister of Hope Linda Rivers, OP entered the convent, her allowance was $0. Eventually, she was given a budget, but it was measly, to say the least. The allowance meant for personal items wasn’t nearly enough to purchase Christmas gifts. So, Sister Linda...
Ditch the Christmas Gifts; Here’s a Present You Can Give All Year Through
After living together for forty-five years, the five Dominican Sisters of Hope in the Guzman Community have often turned to each other for gift suggestions. Sometimes, they give ornaments, books, or even donations to their favorite charities (theirs is the local...