There’s an old saying that we should “pray as if everything depends on God, work as if everything depends on you.” It’s been attributed to Ignatius (though there’s no evidence that he said it), and many think it captures the Ignatian spirit: turning it all over to God in prayer and then working tirelessly and [...]
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I have a dear friend who has been a Servite sister for many decades. Last week she mentioned in passing that in her community they have a tradition that she called “Go gracefully.” It means that before someone goes on a trip she gets everything done ahead of time. Laundry is done, suitcase packed, driving [...]
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At our parish on Mother’s Day, we have a tradition of honoring all women, whether they biologically have children or not. I am always deeply moved by this tradition, because it allows us to honor women who “mother” even if they do not have children of their own. As all women stand in our parish, [...]
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I found myself this morning reflecting on an experience that occurred last year during a Charis retreat. It was a Friday night last March, and I stepped outside the chapel into the cool air during a period of sacred silence. As the doors of the chapel closed behind me, I caught a glimpse again of [...]
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During Holy Week I’ve encountered two very different and yet equally profound meanings in the act of a kiss. The first, of course, is the act by which Judas symbolized his betrayal of Christ: a tender, intimate act which was a lie and a travesty. The other was the act by which we show reverence [...]
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The first contemplation in the Fourth Week of the Spiritual Exercises involves Jesus appearing to his mother. Can you imagine being Mary, sitting in her house, overcome with grief and despair at losing her son? Can you imagine Mary, fully immersed in a “Holy Saturday” moment, pondering what happened, absorbed in her grief? Grief that [...]
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Easter isn’t a happy ending. It’s a new beginning. Easter is an incredible surprise. No one was expecting it, but it happened. Jesus rose from the dead, and a new creation was born, starting with Jesus but intended for the whole world. We are summoned to get on board. Let’s have a party! Enjoy an [...]
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It is with the somber feel of Holy Week that I write that our old friend, Fr. Dennis, has died. Last April I wrote about visiting him with my husband as he said Mass in his apartment. His tears as he tried to get through the Mass with his increasingly debilitating disease was so sad. [...]
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I’ve been thinking about Ignatius’s Presupposition lately. This is a ground rule for the Spiritual Exercises that he puts right at the beginning of the book. It’s about the relationship between the spiritual director and person making the retreat. To assure better cooperation between the one who is giving the Exercises and the exercitant, and [...]
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When my son, Brady, was eight weeks old, I led my first Charis retreat in the Diocese of Baton Rouge. I remember kneeling at the closing Mass, both exhausted and energized from juggling being both mom and minister, and begging God, “If you want me to continue this ministry, show me how. Is this a [...]
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