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The Power of Political Catchphrases
Do you ever notice politicians repeating certain phrases or concepts like: “Small business owners…” “We need to get this country back on track.” “For me it’s not business as usual.” “The middle class…”...
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Liturgy & The Spiritual Exercises
Italian-born priest Fr Romano Guardini felt the Spiritual Exercises had an anti-liturgical bias. Indeed, Jesuits have been seen as anti-liturgical, or at least careless about the liturgy. In truth, the...
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First World Problems
I’ve been rather amused lately by the First World Problems Internet meme. They are complaints only people of privileged circumstances experience. Urban Dictionary says they are “problems from living in...
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An Ignatian Reflection on Palm Sunday
Every year we celebrate Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter. It celebrates Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem, the crowds buzzing with excitement. All four gospels have a Palm Sunday account....
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Grace from Suffering
A year ago I was working as a chaplain at Georgetown University Hospital. It forced me to grapple with hard questions around suffering and the mystery of life. I recently wrote a reflection on how we...
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Inculturation: Can accommodation effectively evangelise?
Inculturation Throughout the history of Jesuit missionary work we find evidence of our modern term “inculturation”, otherwise known as “accommodation”. This concept not only helps missionaries meet...
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I’m Not Boasting: A Psalm
Back when I experienced the 30-day retreat of Saint Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises one of my Jesuit classmates, Joshua, shared with us a poem he wrote during the First Week of the Exercises. The First...
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How do I serve the Church as a lay person?
“For two and a half years I was a Jesuit, living religious life and experiencing what it was like to be part of the Church in more of a public capacity. I had many opportunities to serve people from...
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The Heart & The Gut
With the amount I talk about feelings and the importance of “using your heart” or “paying attention to your gut” I tend not to think about the bodily language we use to describe feelings. But feelings...
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The Prayer of “Yay!”
This one church I usually go to for Mass has a beautiful music ministry led by a very joyful pianist. At the beginning of each Mass she greets and welcomes the congregation with a smile in her voice....
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The Ignatian Way: Contemplative in Action
Reading: Mark 6:30-34 This gospel passage captures a beautiful Ignatian spirit. Let’s jump to the punchline: Stop. Reflect. Then go back to work. Then repeat. The world we live in is a hurried world of...
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A Story from the Bar
Listen to this for the best story experience. The other day I went with my girlfriend, Sarah, to Locke Ober, a famous Boston restaurant founded in the 1870s. It’s the third oldest restaurant in the...
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Not Quite a Do-It-Yourself Spirituality
Take a look at this short but great wisdom about Ignatian spirituality from Adolfo Nicolás, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits): Fr Nicolás says that Ignatian discernment is...
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Changing States
I was speaking to a friend who spent just two weeks in religious life but discerned to leave. It took the action of entering to help him discern that it wasn’t God’s will for his life. For me it took...
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Magis
I think life is pointless if you don’t strive for greater things. It’s what propels civilisation forward. During Walt Disney World’s Millennium Celebration back in 2000 one of their theme songs was “We...
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Three Little Messages
This is a guest post by Teresa Hogan. I was on a one-week retreat at the Jesuit Seven Fountains Spirituality Centre in Chiangmai, Thailand, in September of last year. It was not something I had long...
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Repetition
If you’re like me you love change and new experiences. “In with the new and out with the old!” people like us might say. But Saint Ignatius says, “Woah, how about going back to the old again? You might...
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Called to Adventure
This is a guest post by Cara Callbeck. Yesterday I found God in the rain chasing my dog. It was not at all what I had planned, and that is just how God found his way into my day. Just like any other...
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Companionship & Ignatian Spirituality
This is a guest post by William Ockham. “It’s always said that the Jesuits were founded by Ignatius of Loyola, but I like the thought that the Jesuits were founded by a committee, not by one man. And...
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Communal Discernment
As I discerned marriage with my girlfriend, Sarah, I began to think about how alone the process can be for many couples. Yes, they might get “vibes” from each other’s families as to whether they’re...
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