Ignatian Spirituality

10 Things to Love About Ignatian Spirituality

Editor’s note: Celebrate the 10th anniversary of IgnatianSpirituality.com with us. For the next 10 weeks, we’ll be “Counting the Gifts of Ignatian Spirituality” by bringing you special content on our website and special offers from our sponsor, Loyola Press. Learn more here. Here are 10 things I love about Ignatian spirituality. 1. It promotes lasting happiness. One of my friends gave me a coffee mug that reads “Do more of what makes you happy.” Every […]

The Cheer-Ups File

Loretta Pehanich

This is the last stop for the Make Today Matter blog hop, in which bloggers have been reflecting on the habits in Chris Lowney’s new book from Loyola Press. See the full list of blog hop stops here. I keep a “cheer-ups” file for paper treasures that strengthen me when I hit a snag of desolation. I realized this week that the manila folder reminds me of happy warriors, those special people Chris Lowney talks […]

paperclips symbolizing unhealthy attachments

What Is an Unhealthy Attachment?

Vinita Hampton Wright

People who are familiar with St. Ignatius, the Spiritual Exercises, or Jesuit spirituality in general will sometimes use the term unhealthy attachment. What is that exactly? Let’s explore this by asking a few questions. Is there any physical habit I have that gets in the way of my being available to God? Do I turn to food, drink, sex, exercise, or sleep to avoid facing myself or my conversation with the Divine? What are my […]

Don’t Break My Banana!

Becky Eldredge

Do you know what will make my two-year-old completely lose her mind? Breaking her banana while peeling it! Mary is a child who likes routine, and part of her morning ritual is snuggling with me while I sip coffee, and she eats a banana. Most mornings, the banana peels easily, but occasionally in the peeling process, it breaks as I open it. My heart sinks as I think, “Oh, no! I did not have enough […]

What I Think about When I Don’t Have to Think

Jim Manney

A while ago I decided to stop trying to make big changes. They were too hard. I thought I’d concentrate on making small changes, but much of the time this was even harder. The big changes were things like writing a novel, learning how to play the piano and design web pages, become a master gardener, and become the most attentive husband any woman ever had ever had. Those things didn’t happen. I did some […]