When Michael Zoettl entered the Benedictines at St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman, Alabama, he had no plans of building a shrine. Taking the name Brother Joseph, he soon was assigned to the menial tasks necessary to keep the abbey running, including shoveling coal for the abbey’s power plant.

Although Joseph was obedient to his superiors and did his best, he found the work tedious. For relief, in his spare time he began to build miniature shrines that held little holy statues. These miniatures were sold at the abbey gift shop to support the missions.

I understand that my prayers for someone will not cause God to move that person to the head of the line or guarantee a desired outcome. Then why do we pray for other people?

We cannot pray honestly for someone else without at the same time growing in compassion toward that person in particular and indeed toward all suffering people. Through honest prayer, we become more like the God to whom we address those prayers.

As a magazine, one connected to a sprawling digital outreach, we’re always listening. Yes, we listen to the news and to our many sources of inspirational information, always to bring strong content to you. More important, we listen to you, our loyal subscribers, to know your wants and needs, and to understand how well we’re meeting them.

We sometimes draw your attention to difficult moral issues, perhaps inspiring you to take action. At the same time, we maintain a steady stream of inspiration to nourish your spirit in other ways.

The Lost City of Z

In the early 1900s, Col. Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam), an experienced traveler and surveyor, trains British soldiers in Cork, Ireland. He lives there with his wife, Nina (Sienna Miller), and young son, Jack.