Prayer using the imagination is a pillar of the Ignatian spiritual tradition. In its most common form, you take a passage from scripture, usually one of the gospels, and immerse yourself in it imaginatively using all the senses. You feel the heat...

This week's song selection is "Ripple" by the Grateful Dead.  It was recommended by John Montag, SJ, who wrote on the Ignatian Spirituality Facebook page that the chorus of the song aptly describes "consolation without cause." "Consolation without cause" is...

Men and women struggle with different sins, according to research carried out by Roberto Busa, SJ, a Jesuit scholar.  Fr. Busa studied the sins men and women confess and found striking differences in the frequency of sins.  His list: Men1....

It's a common misconception that Ignatius Loyola set up the Jesuits along military lines, with a warlike outlook, a rigid chain of command, and unthinking obedience. Wrong, as Nathan O'Halloran explains in this post. Ignatius may have...

This is a stained glass window created by Dennis McNally, SJ, depicting three of the principal meditations in the Spiritual Exercises.  The artist explains: The Principle and Foundation is depicted on the left as abstracted wheat and grapes cascading from...

Cardinal Avery Dulles, SJ, who died late last year, was one of the most readable theologians. America magazine recently published a short essay of his on the nature of faith. In it, Dulles challenges the notion that we don't have to...

Baseball is God's game, in my opinion.  I love the game and I especially like the Detroit Tigers (who are currently barely hanging on to a one-game lead in the American League Central Division).  So you can imagine how...

"Service" is a central idea in Ignatian spirituality. But what does it really mean? Here is an excellent article by David Fleming, SJ, that unpacks the Ignatian concept of service. Service is humble. Ignatius spoke of being helpful--not something that...

Nearly 50 people entered the contest for free copies of the Jesuit prayer book Hearts on Fire: Praying with Jesuits. This morning five winners were chosen using the random number generator at random.org. The winners are David Romero, Denise, eamonn,...

Before we leave the feast of St. Ignatius too far behind, I'd like to mention an excellent article about the many ways that Ignatius Loyola has been seen throughout the ages. A "polarity" of being with Christ and at...