IN THIS EPISODE
Groaning and Gratitude Often Burn Together
Sr. Julia Walsh, Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, shares how even pain, weakness, and brokenness can be a “fire” that spreads to others and leads them to a transformative relationship with God. She shares a text by Shane Claiborne’s Irresistible Revolution and her essay, “Groaning and Gratitude.”
WRITING PROMPT
Sister Julia feels that “our brokenness needs to be shared” and that “groaning and gratitude must go together” in order to make our suffering redemptive.
Think about a loved one who is suffering. Can you think of an experience, a loss, a challenge in your own life that is similar to what he or she is dealing with? Write about how you recovered, how you were redeemed as a result of this suffering. What did you learn and how did you become closer to God as a result of your moment of weakness? Then write about how you might you share this “fire of authenticity,” bringing others closer to you and to God?
About the Guest
Julia Walsh is a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration who ministers as a retreat director, educator and spiritual writer. Her writing has appeared in Global Sisters Report, Living Faith and elsewhere. She is currently working on her first book, a memoir about her time in the novitiate and the brokenness of the Catholic Church. Sister Julia lives in Chicago and can be found online at MessyJesusBusiness.com and on Twitter (@juliafspa).