One important reason for choosing to welcome a refugee through private sponsorship is because it’s a way to partner in the welcoming work of Christ.

As we consider the nativity story in Luke 1-2, an intriguing player who is key to the story but never named is the owner of the manger where Jesus was laid, the person who had to make room for the Christ child to be born. The familiar interpretation...

Reflections on Matthew 1-2 & Luke 1-2

As we enter the final week of Advent, we take a step back to view the story as a whole and see how movement appears throughout the two birth narratives in the gospels.

Reflections on Matthew 2:1-12

Perhaps one of the most surprising elements of the nativity story is the visit from the magi. These visitors were not Jewish, and they followed astrological signs in their search for a new king, something typically frowned upon in the biblical narrative.

Reflections on Isaiah 9:1-7

Peace is a word we hear often during the Christmas season, but how often do we pause and reflect on what it really means? Shalom, the Hebrew word in Scripture that’s translated as peace, is not simply quietness or an absence of conflict...

Reflections on Matthew 2

The nativity narrative in the gospel of Matthew goes beyond the birth of Jesus to give us a peek into the early life of his family. Despite a joyous birth and warm welcome from shepherds, travelers from afar, and faithful prophets in the temple, there was one person who was not celebrating...

I am an old woman, but a new Catholic. At the age of 68, I have recently – joyfully! – celebrated the second anniversary of my First Communion.

We see a lot of sensational headlines and stories lately about the “crisis at our border” and its effects on our society. It’s so easy for our first response to these stories to be fear and an instinct toward self-preservation.

Reflections on Luke 18:1-8

It can be hard to know where to start when we feel the nudge to advocate for justice. How do we find out who to contact? Do we email, call, or show up in person? Will our one voice matter?

Reflections on Esther 1-10

Sometimes when we pray for justice for our vulnerable neighbors, God answers our prayers by calling us into action on their behalf. In the story of Esther, we read of an unlikely advocate: a Jewish orphan given a position of privilege who risked everything by speaking up to a powerful king.

Reflections on 1 Samuel 25

Challenging those in power can be intimidating. Our fear that we lack the knowledge, experience, or authority to intervene can hold us back, but in truth one person using their gifts at the right place and the right time can change the course of history.

As a member of the National Immigration Forum’s Digital Communications team, every day, I read, write, and talk about people, stories, and policies connected to the U.S.-Mexico border. I work less than four miles from the White House, and over 1,900 miles from the bridge...

The plant with no garden

Its story began in obscurity. 

A seed buried in darkness so deep that light seemed a far away dream. 

Deep into the damp darkness something began to happen that felt like undoing.