Messy Jesus Business

Episode 80 of Messy Jesus Business podcast, with Sister Julia Walsh.

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"I think it goes back to humility, you know, just being willing to genuinely listen to the other side."

-Kelly Moltzen

IN THIS EPISODE

In the latest episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, Sister Julia Walsh FSPA chats with Kelly Moltzen. They discuss Kelly's early Franciscan influences and how they affected her decision to study health disparity and food justice as a lay Franciscan. "Everything is connected," Kelly says, "and the way that we treat our environment is going to have direct impacts on your health."

They also discuss efforts to depolarize our communities, and the work of Braver Angels. The work of reaching out to those who think differently is difficult, but necessary. "I think it's important that we don't get caught up in group think," Kelly says, "that we all are able to seek things out for ourselves."

Name Drops:

Shane ClaibornePope FrancisJesusSt. ClairSt. FrancisThich Nhat HanhFr. Richard RohrImmanuel SwedenborgSimran Kit SinghJohn Duns Scotus

Topics Discussed:

Franciscan spiritualityintentional communityfood justicethe connection of food and faithenvironment/ecologycommunion and interconnection with creationdepolarizationinterfaith workappreciating differenceshumilityspiritual entrepreneurship

Books Mentioned:

The Irresistible RevolutionLaudato SiThe BibleThe Mystic HeartThe Light We Give

Kelly Moltzen

ABOUT THE GUEST

Kelly Moltzen is a co-founder and convener of the Interfaith Public Health Network, which inspires people of faith to be agents of change in transforming communities into ones that promote health and well-being for all. She is a Registered Dietitian, has her Master’s of Public Health, and is a member of the Secular Franciscan Order. She is serving as a co-chair of the Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation commission of the Franciscan Federation, and is part of the core group of the Intergenerational Eco-Justice & Spirituality Network which is supported by the Franciscan Federation.

Kelly was a 2021-2022 Abrahamic House fellow, and a 2022 Rockefeller-Acumen Food Systems Fellow. Her Rockefeller Food System Vision Prize proposal, Faith Communities Leading the Way Towards Healthy, Sustainable Food Systems, reached the semi-finalist stage. Kelly has worked to address health disparities in the Bronx with Bronx Health REACH for 14 years, and is also supporting the Chief Impact and Sustainability Office of Church World Service as a consultant, helping to promote faith community engagement in the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.

MESSY JESUS BUSINESS is hosted by Sister Julia Walsh. 

Produced and edited by Colin Wambsgans.

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Episode 78 of Messy Jesus Business podcast, with Sister Julia Walsh.

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Forgiveness is a process, not a product."

-Kaya Oakes

IN THIS EPISODE

In this episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, Sister Julia Walsh FSPA chats with Kaya Oakes. Their conversation goes into the issues and ideas about forgiveness that Kaya explores in her new book, Not So Sorry. To her, forgiveness is often an expected act that doesn't include avenues for processing. Kaya discusses "restorative justice as a model for a collaborative kind of forgiveness that I think is closer to what Jesus was talking about." Later in the podcast she adds, "it's like him saying give yourself time and space to decide what God's calling you to do."

Sister Julia and Kaya also talk about Kaya's breast cancer. She talks about the frustrations of the process of diagnosis and treatment, as well as how dealing with a serious medical need requires more than just individual action. As Kaya says, "you don't survive cancer without a community."

Kaya Oakes

ABOUT THE GUEST

Kaya Oakes is a journalist and author of many books, most recently, "Not So Sorry: Abusers, False Apologies, and the Limits of Forgiveness," as well as "The Defiant Middle: How Women Claim Life’s In-Betweens to Remake the World,""The Nones Are Alright," and "Radical Reinvention." You can also find her on her Substack and on her last guest appearance on the Messy Jesus Business Podcast. She teaches writing at UC Berkeley. Her work has received multiple awards, with her essays and journalism appearing in The Guardian, Slate, Foreign Policy, The Washington Post, and On Being. She was born and raised in Oakland, California, where she still lives. Find her on Instagram @kayaoakeswrites, or on X @kayaoakes.

MESSY JESUS BUSINESS is hosted by Sister Julia Walsh. 

Produced and edited by Colin Wambsgans.

Email us at [email protected]

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Episode 77 of Messy Jesus Business podcast, with Sister Julia Walsh.

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You actually have to decide to believe... recognizing that just because you decided doesn't mean it comes easily, but you have to work at it."

-Br. Cyrus Habib, SJ

IN THIS EPISODE

In this episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, Sister Julia Walsh FSPA chats with Cyrus Habib, SJ. Cyrus tells Julia that though his previous life was full of accolades, including studying in England, going to law school in the U.S., and being elected to office in the State of Washington, it could leave him feeling empty. But certain parts of his experience, like helping underserved children or talking with spiritual leaders, would make him "feel this closeness of God." Cyrus talks about how praying the Examen helped him find "when I was being prophetic, which doesn't mean standing on a mountaintop... it's any time I'm living the gospel in a way that pushes me towards growth... and hopefully also leads the way for others." He also tells Sister Julia about his experiences with cancer and loss and how he hopes they can be "a part of holiness, when my wounds are open to your wounds, and we can actually [have] the wounds as a site of encounter."

Br. Cyrus Habib, SJ

ABOUT THE GUEST

Cyrus Habib is a Jesuit Scholastic, educator, spiritual director, and former politician who served as the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Washington from 2017 to 2021. He is both the first and only Iranian American official to hold statewide elected office in the United States. He is a graduate of Columbia University, Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, and Yale Law School.

MESSY JESUS BUSINESS is hosted by Sister Julia Walsh. 

Produced and edited by Colin Wambsgans.

Email us at [email protected]

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Episode 76 of Messy Jesus Business podcast, with Sister Julia Walsh.

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Even with your presence, you preach"

-Sr. Xiomara Méndez Hernández, OP, BCC

IN THIS EPISODE

In this episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, Sister Julia Walsh FSPA chats with Sister Xiomara Méndez Hernández, OP, BCC. Sister Xiomara tells Julia about growing up in the Dominican Republic and becoming a fashion designer before being called to join the Adrian Dominican sisters. "They showed me poverty in my own country," says Sister Xiomara. "When I saw these intelligent, beautiful, well educated women giving their life for people they didn't know, it blew my mind." Her experience with the centrality of Dominican preaching helped Sister Xiomara in her years as a chaplain. "A chaplain is a call to be a compassionate and sacred and loving presence of God...when we are visiting a person who is suffering, we are meeting the person when the person is the most vulnerable. So how can we go and preach to them with our words? By listening."

Sr. Xiomara Méndez Hernández, OP, BCC

ABOUT THE GUEST

Sister Xiomara (See-o-mara) Méndez Hernández, OP, BCC, an Adrian Dominican Sister, is originally from the Dominican Republic. She is the Executive Director of Dominican Sisters Conference – DSC. Previously, she ministered for 10 years as a Hospital Chaplain at Loyola University Health System in the Chicago area; St. Rose Dominican Hospitals in Henderson and Las Vegas, Nevada; and more recently at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, FL where she was the Spiritual Care Manager. She has had diverse ministerial experiences in the areas of preaching, catechesis, directing retreats, Spanish-English Medical interpreting, liturgical dancing, performance, and high fashion teaching. Sister Xiomara holds a Master’s Degree in Pastoral Studies from Catholic Theological Union – CTU in Chicago, Licentiate on Industrial Arts with a Major on Fashion Design, and is a Board Certified Chaplain with the National Association of Catholic Chaplains – NACC. Before she became a religious sister, she was a fashion designer in her native country. She currently lives in Miami, Florida.

MESSY JESUS BUSINESS is hosted by Sister Julia Walsh. 

Produced and edited by Colin Wambsgans.

Email us at [email protected]

BE SOCIAL:https://www.facebook.com/MessyJesusBusiness

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Twitter: @messyjesusbiz

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Episode 75 of Messy Jesus Business podcast, with Sister Julia Walsh.

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Lord, help me to love just like you, ... in that prayer, I'm invoking God's grace."

-Fr Roger Lopez

IN THIS EPISODE

In this episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, Sister Julia Walsh FSPA, enjoys a conversation with Fr. Roger Lopez, O.F.M. Fr. Roger talks about what drew him to the Franciscans once he decided to "take God off hold" and enter into the priesthood. "The invitation is to be 'lesser'... that's following the person of Jesus," he says. Later, Fr. Roger goes into how grace, freely given from God, can help us in acts of compassion and connection, some of them extraordinary. "With God's grace, being open to it, it's achievable," he explains. "When we're dealing with people we don't like, or information we don't like, that's where we have to ask God for help." This grace helps us connect, but it requires us to let go, Fr.Roger adds. "It's messy... but it's totally worth it."

Fr. Roger Lopez, O.F.M.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Fr. Roger Lopez, O.F.M. is a solemnly professed priest with the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscan Friars) of the newly established Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe, where he serves as a Provincial Councilor full-time. His prior assignments were in secondary education, college campus ministry, and hospital chaplaincy, and he served as a youth high adventure chaplain, and in soup kitchens, street ministry, and RCIA.

MESSY JESUS BUSINESS is hosted by Sister Julia Walsh. 

Produced and edited by Colin Wambsgans.

Email us at [email protected]

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Episode 74 of Messy Jesus Business podcast, with Sister Julia Walsh.

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Things are gooey and God is in the goo. And thank God that God is in the goo."

-Sister Susan Francois

IN THIS EPISODE

In this episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, Sister Julia Walsh FSPA, enjoys a conversation with Sister Susan Francois CSJP. Sister Susan shares about her vocation story and how she journeyed from being an ex-Catholic working as an elections officer to a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace. "I always knew I wanted to make the world a different, a better place," Sister Susan says. "And I always thought that government would be my path to do that. And I tried that, and it wasn't enough." Sister Susan shares insights on the meaning of common good and the power of Catholic social teaching, changes occurring in religious life, and the role of chaos in collective transformation. As a leader, Sister Susan has become a bit of an expert of praying in the chaos. "The universe came out of chaos. God created us out of chaos.  It's a creative moment. That's where God is. So I'm really encouraging myself and others to embrace the chaos and to find our way to take care of ourselves and care for each other, but also to not be afraid of [chaos] and to try things," Sister Susan exerts.

Sister Susan Francois

ABOUT THE GUEST

Sister Susan Francois CSJP is the Assistant Congregation Leader and Congregation Treasurer for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace. She has served in Congregation Leadership since 2015. Sister Susan is an author, writing for Global Sisters Report and other publications on religious life and social justice. She previously ministered as a social justice educator and advocate at the lntercommunity Peace and Justice Center in Seattle, Washington. Sister Susan presently serves on the Boards of All Africa Sister to Sister Conference, Investor Advocates for Social Justice, Holy Name Medical Center, and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace Charitable Incorporated Organisation in the United Kingdom.

MESSY JESUS BUSINESS is hosted by Sister Julia Walsh. 

Produced and edited by Colin Wambsgans.

Email us at [email protected]

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A Special Episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, with Sister Julia Walsh.

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Photo by Ales Maze on Unsplash

IN THIS EPISODE

For this special time of year, we present to you this Easter contemplation episode of Messy Jesus Business Podcast. Sister Julia shares some thoughts about the joy of the resurrection and reads from John 20:1-9. You can find the translation she uses here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/20

We hope this short meditation can help connect you with the wonders of Easter and the Resurrection!

MESSY JESUS BUSINESS is hosted by Sister Julia Walsh. 

Produced and edited by Colin Wambsgans.

Original music and sound design by Colin Wambsgans.

Email us at [email protected]

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LISTEN HERE:

Episode 73 of Messy Jesus Business podcast, with guest host, Rev. Adam Bucko

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For Love of the Broken Body book cover

IN THIS EPISODE

In the latest episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, guest host Rev. Adam Bucko interviews Sister Julia Walsh FSPA about her new spiritual memoir, For Love of the Broken Body. Their conversation explores the story of the accident that shaped Sister Julia's experience as a novice with the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. She speaks about how she felt called to share her powerful story. "In alignment with my vow of poverty, I felt like I couldn't keep this story to myself," Sister Julia admits. Rev. Adam and Sister Julia also explore how brokenness is a normal and sacred part of being human and how all people can give who they are for the sake of the common good. They explore vocational discernment, vulnerability, Sister Julia's experience in finding a publisher for the book, the messiness of maturing in faith, trusting in God, and sharing life in community.

Download a free reflection guide to accompany Sister Julia's memoir, For Love of the Broken Body, here.

ABOUT THE GUEST HOST

Father Adam Bucko has been a committed voice in the movement for the renewal of Christian Contemplative Spirituality and the growing New Monastic movement. He has taught engaged contemplative spirituality in Europe and the United States, and authored Let Your Heartbreak be Your Guide: Lessons in Engaged Contemplation, and co-authored Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Vision for a New Generation and The New Monasticism: An Interspiritual Manifesto for Contemplative Living. Committed to an integration of contemplation and just practice, he cofounded an award-winning non-profit, the Reciprocity Foundation, where he spent 15 years working with homeless youth living on the streets of New York City, providing spiritual care, developing programs to end youth homelessness, and articulating a vision for spiritual mentoring in a post-religious world. He currently serves as a director of The Center for Spiritual Imagination at the Episcopal Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City, New York, and is a member of “The Community of the Incarnation,” a ‘new monastic’ community dedicated to democratizing the gifts of monastic spirituality and teaching contemplative spirituality, in the context of hearing and responding to the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth. Adam leads The Buddhist-Christian Community for Meditation and Action along with his wife, Kaira Jewel Lingo, a Buddhist teacher and former nun in the community of Thich Nhat Hanh.

ABOUT Sr. JULIA WALSH FSPA

Sister Julia Walsh FSPA

Sister Julia Walsh is a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration and part of hercongregation’s formation team, serving women who are discerning their vocation. Along with another Franciscan Sister, she co-founded The Fireplace, an intentional community and house of hospitality on Chicago’s southside that offers spiritual support to seekers, artists, and activists. She has an MA in Pastoral Studies from Catholic Theological Union and is a spiritual director and secondary teacher. As a creative writer, educator, and retreat presenter she is passionate about exploring the intersection of creativity, spirituality, activism, and community life. A regularly published spiritual writer, Sister Julia’s work can be found in publications such as America, Living Faith Catholic Devotional, and Living City. She hosts the Messy Jesus Business blog and podcast and is the author of FOR LOVE OF THE BROKEN BODY (Monkfish, March 2024).

Rev. Adam Bucko with Sr. Julia Walsh FSPA

MESSY JESUS BUSINESS is hosted by Sister Julia Walsh. 

Produced and edited by Colin Wambsgans.

Email us at [email protected]

BE SOCIAL:https://www.facebook.com/MessyJesusBusiness

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A Special Episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast, with Sister Julia Walsh.

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Photo by Ryan Cheng on Unsplash

IN THIS EPISODE

During this sacred season of Lent, we invite you to pause and contemplate God's loving presence in the midst of the mess. As we offer our breath and our bodies to God, as we pray, fast and give alms — how might our Lenten practices allow others to be fed?

The Scripture in the mediation is Isaiah 58:5-12.

MESSY JESUS BUSINESS is hosted by Sister Julia Walsh. 

Produced and edited by Colin Wambsgans.

Original music and sound design by Colin Wambsgans.

Email us at [email protected]

BE SOCIAL:https://www.facebook.com/MessyJesusBusiness

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Episode 72 of Messy Jesus Business podcast, with Sister Julia Walsh.

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“We have to understand the environment and appreciate it, both aesthetically and scientifically --as well as historically. And so it means taking all of the modalities of exploration and understanding that God has given us and bringing those together.” -Molly Burhans

IN THIS EPISODE

This episode of Messy Jesus Business podcast is the second of two featuring Sister Julia Walsh’s conversation with Catholic cartographer Molly Burhans.

In this episode, Burhans and Sister Julia explore the mess of restorative land practices and using data for good. Burhans shares how her team was the first to make a global projection map of Catholic Church jurisdictions since 1801. Sister Julia asks Burhans to comment on what stewardship means to her and what Catholics are meant to be doing in movement spaces related to land justice. They also discuss the complexities of Catholic identity and devotion in a messy Church whose structural sins have caused injustice and abuse. Regarding persisting in faith, Burhans encourages, "we have to be brave.  And if we are the kingdom of God, we can build it. And I'll map it, if you need any help."

ABOUT THE GUEST

Molly Burhans is an award-winning Catholic environmentalist, cartographer and social entrepreneur. She is the founder of GoodLands, an organization whose mission is to mobilize the Catholic Church to use its landholdings for environmental and humanitarian good. Burhans was the chief cartographer for the first unified global map of the Church, which premiered at the Vatican in 2016. She was named one of Encyclopedia Britannica's 2022 “20 Under 40,” is a winner of the Sierra Club’s EarthCare Award, a U.N. Young Champion of the Earth, a National Geographic Emerging Explorer and an Ashoka Fellow. Molly is a visiting professor at Canisius College and adjunct professor of urban design at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. In 2021 The New Yorker published a profile of her entitled How a Young Activist Is Helping Pope Francis Battle Climate Change.

(Molly wanted to give a special shout out to David Cheney, who runs the website catholic-hierarchy.com. David's volunteer work keeping track of diocese and bishop information is crucial to the land work that Molly is doing with the church.)

MESSY JESUS BUSINESS is hosted by Sister Julia Walsh. 

Produced and edited by Colin Wambsgans.

Email us at [email protected]

BE SOCIAL:https://www.facebook.com/MessyJesusBusiness

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Twitter: @messyjesusbiz

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