In the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, retreatants imagine the mystery of the Incarnation. They take time to picture the Trinity looking over the entire surface of the earth, watching people making disastrous choices, hurting one another, and...

During a Mass for the Anointing of the Sick, the priest referred to the famous Caravaggio painting The Calling of St. Matthew. In it, Matthew sits at a table, surrounded by others, with a surprised look that Jesus is...

One evening, after the children are asleep and the porch light has been switched on and my husband and I can hear the hum of the dishwasher in the kitchen from our little nest in the front room, he...

This weekend the Church begins its observance of Advent. He is coming! I marvel at the way the Church has, over its history, sought to mark sacred time. The philosopher Charles Taylor observed that there is something remarkable about how...

We have arrived at that time of the year when planners like me make lists upon lists. Right now, I’ve got my final Thanksgiving list going along with my Christmas list, my general running “To Do” list, and a...

This story is inspired by Mark 7:31–37. The first words I ever heard were, “Be opened.” On the surface, those words seemed obvious. However, they unleashed an internal deluge of discovery. I was grateful that Jesus drew me apart from the crowd’s...

Gratitude is at the heart of prayer and thus is central to Ignatian spirituality. For example, in praying the Examen, I begin with placing myself in God’s presence and offering gratitude to God. By starting with gratitude, I allow God’s...

Advent 2021 begins on November 28. Prepare your heart for Christmas this season with online resources from Loyola Press. Answering God’s Call This Advent: A Webinar with Barbara Lee Mark your calendar for December 1, 2021, and join us for this...

Advent is just around the corner, so now’s the time to mark your calendar for a special event with author Barbara Lee. Answering God’s Call This Advent A Webinar with Barbara Lee December 1, 2021 2:00–3:00 p.m. Central Spend time this Advent exploring four...

If the answer to our prayers will sometimes be "no," why do we pray in the first place? I have no doubt that our lists of personal reasons are varied and numerous: We believe in God. We seek to...