Quite often, for my train ride to and from home and Loyola Press, I bring along a book to read. Currently, I am reading and enjoying Ginny Kubitz Moyer’s Taste and See: Experiencing the Goodness of God with Our Five Senses. What I love about this book is that it captures the sensuality of the Catholic faith and especially Ignatian spirituality. Don’t be misled by that word sensuality, which we too often equate with sexuality. To be sensual is to relate to the physical senses. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, reminds us that God’s presence is experienced in the physical world. St. Ignatius of Loyola believed strongly that our spiritual life is enhanced by paying attention to the physical senses. This concept is especially important for catechists to embrace as we seek ways to engage young people in their faith formation. We need to do more than engage their intellect. We need to engage all of their senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch!
As Ginny puts it, “God speaks to us through what we see, hear, smell, touch, and taste. We know this intuitively, but to think about it consciously is a powerful form of prayer.” With that in mind, the folks at Loyola Press and I invite you to take some time this October to think about how we encounter God through our senses by joining Ginny Kubitz Moyer and your fellow readers for an online retreat at dotMagis, the blog of IgnatianSpirituality.com.
Each weekly segment of the Taste and See: Experiencing God with Our Senses online retreat will begin with Ginny’s reflection on one of the five senses. Then Ginny leads us through an Examen-style prayer and concludes with a suggestion for action to practice the ideas of the retreat in the week to come. The retreat begins today.
Go more in-depth by reading Ginny’s book Taste and See: Experiencing the Goodness of God with Our Five Senses.
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