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Steadying Ourselves in the Storm
The early years of my adulthood and priesthood were spent teaching theology at a College in Edmonton, Canada. They were exciting years: I was young, full of energy, loved teaching,
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Dark Memory
Inside each of us, beyond what we can express in words, picture clearly, or even feel distinctly, we have a dark memory of having once been touched and caressed by
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The Communion of Saints
Growing up, as part of our family prayer, we used to pray for a happy death. I pictured that this way: you died cradled in the loving arms of family,
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Breathing Emotionally
One of the things that made Henri Nouwen such a loved writer was his disarming honesty. He hid little about himself. And one of the things that he was able
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Some Reflections on the Priesthood
On the tenth anniversary of my ordination, I published a reflection on the priesthood, intending it as a challenge to the Catholic community to understand its priests more empathically. Maybe
https://ronrolheiser.com/some-reflections-on-the-priesthood/
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Standing on New Borders – Islam
In the early 1990s, Islamic extremists were terrorizing much of Algeria. Among other things, they’d warned all foreigners to leave the country. One group that didn’t heed their warning was
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Caring for Our Hearts
“Be careful not to seek yourself in love, you can end up with a broken heart that way.” Therese of Lisieux wrote that. But what exactly does she mean, given
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What is True Religion?
What is the essence of true religion? What, in the end, constitutes authentic discipleship? There is a lot of tension within and among the churches today about precisely that question.
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The Struggle to Trust
Perhaps the most important thing we ever need to learn is this: It is safe to love! It is safe to love. Yes, it is safe to be vulnerable because
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Chastity and Healing
If you’ve never read Christopher De Vinck, you owe yourself a favour. He is, I believe, one of the truly moral essayists writing today. Like Henri Nouwen, with whom he