Throughout July, we’ve been celebrating 31 Days with St. Ignatius, a month-long celebration of Ignatian spirituality. In addition to the calendar of Ignatian articles found here, posts on dotMagis this month have explored ways of Experiencing God in the Ordinary. The inspiration for our theme is the new book by William A. Barry, SJ.
To close the month, we asked Loyola Press authors and other friends of this blog to share photos of where they have experienced God in the ordinary.
“This is me with the 40 tomato plants I grew from a packet of seeds I found in a drawer. It’s my first time growing vegetables, so I am inordinately happy about these fellas.”
—Jane Knuth, author of 2021: A Book of Grace-Filled Days and Thrift Store Saints; photo by Tania Kazanjian
“Laughing is often an unexpected reaction to surprise, that is, being taken aback by God who always reminds me to not take myself so seriously.”
—Mike Hayes, Spiritual Director
“A cloud reflected in a puddle in the street on my neighborhood walking route—the only place I’ve been in weeks—reminds me that God’s glory is reflected in everything, even in the mud and messes left by passing storms.”
—Michelle Francl-Donnay, Professor of Chemistry
“Finding God in the Tupperware cupboard and the joy of grandchildren!”
—Peggy Weber, author of Enough as You Are
“A seemingly ordinary walk down a different neighborhood sidewalk surprised me with a reminder of Christ’s saving love.”
—Kathleen Butler, Blogger at Catechist’s Journey
“Finding God in a gaggle of geese at my lake house.”
—Joe Paprocki, author of Preparing Hearts and Minds and Living the Sacraments
“I see God in this ordinary field of sunflowers. These are not considered exquisite flowers, like the rose, yet God created them to have a distinct cheerful beauty all their own. They give glory to God just by being what God made them to be and remind me that God loves me as I am. It’s said sunflowers turn to face the sun throughout the day, thus reminding me to focus my spirit on God.”
—Melinda LeBlanc, Spiritual Director and Blogger
“My five-year-old found this rock and exclaimed, ‘Look, Mommy, God has our whole heart in his hands.’ He sure does!”
—Julianne Stanz, author of Start with Jesus
To conclude 31 Days with St. Ignatius, take the How Much Do You Know About Ignatian Spirituality? quiz.
Use the hashtag #31DayswithIgnatius to share the ways you’ve experienced God in the ordinary. Happy Feast Day of St. Ignatius!