There’s something thoroughly Ignatian about finding God in music. St. Ignatius’s spiritual approach mostly bypasses the concepts and ideas stuffed into our heads and strives to touch the heart directly. That’s what music does too. Music is literally beyond words. There’s a scene in the movie The Mission that shows what I’m talking about. A Jesuit, loosely based on the missionary and martyr St. Roque Gonzalez, comes into the jungle to make contact with the […]
In celebration of our fifth anniversary, we’ve invited our dotMagis bloggers to reflect on the individual lines of St. Ignatius’s Prayer for Generosity. This is the reward for all that labor—the knowledge that we’ve done God’s will. Can we really know that? St. Ignatius thought that we can, not with 100% certainty perhaps; God is always greater than anything we can say or think about him. But Ignatius thought that most of the time, in […]
In celebration of the release of Pope Francis’s book, The Church of Mercy, several of our dotMagis bloggers will be sharing reflections this month based on the words of Pope Francis. Pope Francis is a Jesuit, formed in the spirituality of the Spiritual Exercises. So it’s not surprising that he zeroed in on one of the central ideas of Ignatian spirituality when he found himself in front of a group of students from Jesuit high […]
Pope Francis has given another must-read interview, this one with the Italian newspaper La Stampa. A couple of comments particularly struck me. One: “reform always begins with spiritual and pastoral initiatives before structural changes.” Another: “We must try to facilitate people’s faith, rather than control it.” Nothing shows the Ignatian heart of Francis’s ministry more clearly than this relentless focus on spiritual conversion. Asked “What does Christmas say to people today?” he replied: It speaks of […]
I recently discovered the haunting ballad “Mercy Now” by the roots singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier. It’s a lovely, heartfelt prayer: Yeah, we all could use a little mercy now I know we don’t deserve it But we need it anyhow We hang in the balance Dangle ‘tween hell and hallowed ground Every single one of us could use some mercy now Every single one of us could use some mercy now Lyrics here. (Go here to […]
Today is the feast of St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, SJ (1533-1617). He was a humble lay brother who served as the doorkeeper at a Jesuit school in Majorca for 45 years. He exerted great influence on Jesuits and lay people who came to know him, and was especially admired for his wisdom about finding joy in hardship. Here is an exercise he used in times of trouble: I put myself in spirit before our crucified Lord, looking […]
I’ve just discovered a fine app that delivers daily Ignatian reflections and prayer to your mobile device. The Jesuit Prayer app also gives you the scripture readings of the day and it features downloadable prayer cards and a link for prayer requests. It’s maintained by the Jesuits of the Midwest Province. Get it free for Apple and Android devices.
For years, in times of stress and pain, Brian Busse, SJ, would find a quiet place to smoke a cigarette or two. A bad habit to be sure, but it was the first step in the direction of reflection and self-awareness. He quotes the Jesuit Anthony de Mello: “Be grateful for your sins. They are carriers of grace.” Smoking became a path into devotion. It asked me, sometimes demanded me, to find a place apart, […]
America magazine has published a wonderful slideshow of contemporary Catholic art by women in its online edition. It features 21 works–paintings, icons, drawings, sculpture–in different styles. It was curated by assistant editor Ashley McKinless. The art show supports the current issue of the magazine on “Women in the Life of the Church.” The editors point to something Pope Francis said in his famous interview: Pope Francis expressed his conviction that it is “necessary to broaden the […]
Ryan Duns, SJ, has a couple of interesting posts about the recent televised exchange between Oprah Winfrey and the swimmer Diana Nyad about atheism and awe. Nyad, an atheist, said she experiences awe: “I can stand at the beach’s edge with the most devout Christian, Jew, Buddhist…go on down the line, and weep with the beauty of this universe and be moved by all of humanity…all the billions of people who have lived before us, […]
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