Enter the silence

Shh. Quiet. Be still. Listen. These are standard directives in meditation and contemplation to focus the mind and heart on a wide world that goes beyond words.

Embrace grace

At the center of your vocation journey stands the cross—the symbol of God’s self-sacrificing love, the source and summit of the Christian life.

Peace be with you

Wind, water, breath, tongues of fire, and a dove are among the many forms in scripture and Christian art used to depict the wholly elusive and mysterious Holy Spirit. 

Stay the course

Labyrinths are ancient examples of the virtual tour. When incorporated into medieval Christian architecture, they provided pilgrims who couldn’t make the trek to the Holy Land with a “Road to Jerusalem.”

The “yes” that launched a thousand vocations

Before the angel Gabriel showed up on her doorstep, Mary, the mother of Jesus, likely lived an ordinary life occupied with domestic tasks and attending the temple on the Sabbath. But then came the angel’s announcement: “Hail favored one. The Lord is with you."

Stop, look, and listen

When it comes to hearing God’s call “there is no escape, for in spite of ourselves we must listen,” says Saint Teresa of Ávila.

Quench your thirst

"Come, see a man” who knows me, who knows you! That is the good news the Samaritan woman at the well runs to tell her neighbors.

Light up your life

Christ, the Resurrection and the Light is a perfect subject for the medium of stained glass because the pure white light of God’s glory pours forth and through Christ translates it into the colors of every day—the colors of the Kingdom.

God awaits, always

Your spiritual journey begins not when you first realize how much you love God but when you realize just how much God loves you. 

SONG: Wake the world with dawning joy

POPE FRANCIS called on the faithful to express their gratitude for those in consecrated life. What better way to offer praise and thanksgiving than in song?

We are all connected

Jesus’ core message—that we are one—is surely one of the great mysteries of existence. This truth is so hard to accept because our senses tell a different story: We are separate, different, and alone. We need an image to help us realize what our senses cannot. 

Pilgrims here on earth

All of us “without exception, both individually and in society, have a life-long obligation to strive after heavenly values. . . . The traditional as well as the contemporary Christian approach to life is to strive with all zeal for evangelical perfection, and at the same time to contribute toward the material good of humanity.”

Truth in stenciling

VISION'S WEBMASTER, who is also a painter and musician, happened upon this spray-painted image on a walk along a Mexican road. He said it looked like something that belonged in VISION, and the editors agreed. We were struck by two things: 1.) The power of the image; and 2.) The eye of the photographer.

Mysterious encounters

Art itself is an encounter with mystery, and as such it is inherently sacred. We approach mysterious art forms with trepidation, but as we contemplate them, we are stirred and often called—the art speaks to us, draws us in, inspires us to feel and act.

Just take it

No place like home

Jesus assures us in the Gospel of John that he is going to prepare a place for us, and he will lead us there, “so that where I am you also may be.” But where is this place Jesus is leading us, and how will we know when we’ve arrived? These are the fundamental questions of vocation discernment.

How the Samaritan found his vocation

WHO WAS the Good Samaritan? We don’t know for sure, but it is clear that he was a layperson, not a religious professional. In fact, it is probable that he was some sort of businessperson . . .

Make no little plans

Preeminent 20th-century architect Daniel Burnham advised his associates: “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably will not themselves be realized . . .”