The midpoint of the faith formation year is the perfect time to reflect on how the faith formation year has gone so far. The following exercises, based on the wisdom of St. Ignatius Loyola, are meant to help you discern where God has been in the classroom and where God might be directing the classroom during the remainder of the year. Begin each exercise by warming-up with a Scripture reading, a prayer, or silence, and […]
July 31 is the Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola, and as a Jesuit ministry, Loyola Press invites you to celebrate the life and legacy of the founder of the Society of Jesus. Ignatian Spirituality: An Introduction—Free Poster and Booklet Display the poster in your learning space and pass out copies of the booklet to introduce you and those you serve to the characteristics and insights of Ignatian spirituality, including the Examen, discernment and good decisions, […]
As you take some time to relax this week and enjoy the Christmas season, we bring to your attention a few articles you might enjoy from another Loyola Press website, IgnatianSpirituality.com. Staying Curious by Marina McCoy In his ministry, Jesus often asks others what they want. For example, he asks the blind Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51) On another occasion, James and John approach Jesus, and he asks […]
It is no secret that the largest growing demographic in the U.S. Church is our Latino/Hispanic brothers and sisters. In order to better serve the needs of this vital and fast-growing segment of our Church family, the U.S. Bishops occasionally convene a process known as Encuentro—a multi-year process of ecclesial reflection and action that invites all Catholics in the United States to intense missionary activity, consultation, leadership development, and identification of best ministerial practices in […]
The “director” part of a DRE’s job description is a taxing challenge. “Director” means “manager,” and managing people and programs is never easy. It means achieving lofty goals with limited resources. It means dealing with people who often don’t behave the way you want them to behave. It means compromise, tough decisions, and juggling conflicting interests. Managing means meetings. Lots of meetings. To complicate matters, most DREs are teachers at heart who love students much more than budgets and […]
Today, being the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about the benefits that Ignatian prayer can bring to young people. According to IgnatianSpirituality.com, Ignatian prayer is imaginative, reflective, and personal—three characteristics that are crucial aspects of the spirituality of children. Imaginative—Children are the masters of imagination! Left to their own devices, children find ways to entertain themselves using their limitless imaginations. But children today, more […]
Becky Eldredge, author of Busy Lives & Restless Souls, loves praying the Examen, a method of prayer that involves reflection on the past 24 hours of your life. She explains the steps of this defining Ignatian prayer in the below video. Pray this way with young people using Finding God Grades 7 and 8. The Examen is also a great prayer for families, as Eric Gurash explains in his article Where Have You Been, Lord? […]
Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting Becky Eldredge—spiritual director, retreat facilitator, and writer—and I was so impressed with her passion for spirituality and the gifts that she brings to God’s People as they walk the spiritual journey. I’m happy to announce that Becky will be live for a special Facebook event today, February 13, helping us create space to connect faith and everyday life. From 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. CST, Becky will be […]
Recently I led a half-day retreat for Directors of Religious Education at a nearby parish. These are the men and women who work hard all year through, helping to care for the faith of others. They are nearly always “on duty,” organizing, running, and problem-solving within their parish faith formation programs. The weather had finally, finally come around to spring qualities. We were at an expansive retreat center with lawns and water and trees and […]
St. Ignatius of Loyola founded a school of spirituality that is continued today by his community, the Jesuits, along with many others. Ignatian spirituality focuses on creating a deep bond with Jesus, as well as working to promote God’s plan and action in the world. Most important, Ignatian spirituality concentrates on “finding God in all things,” which integrates prayer and service, meditation and action, emotion and reason. Let our free poster and booklet introduce you […]
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