Summer is a wonderful time to renew your soul! With that in mind, Loyola Press is making available some excellent books for summer reading at a very special price of only $9 each. Take advantage of these savings and enjoy reading some wonderfully inspirational books while you relax on your porch or deck, in your backyard, at the park, or on the beach. Don’t forget to take a peek at some of the books I […]
You’ll notice I did NOT say that this is a “Top” 10 list of ways to pray online. I’d rather not get into ranking prayer! Rather, I’d like to offer some online prayer resources that I encourage you to pass along to parishioners by sharing the following list in the parish bulletin or in your religious education or school newsletter. Those of us in ministry sometimes forget that we may be privy to resources that […]
I recently completed participating in a very enriching experience of the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola with a group of colleagues and friends here at Loyola Press. The Spiritual Exercises were originally designed for Jesuits to experience over a 30-day retreat. Realizing that most lay folks are unable to arrange for a 30-day retreat, St. Ignatius made an accommodation. In his notes or annotations to the Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius […]
Time-lapse videos capture my attention with their unique take on viewing the passage of the seasons. This one from Norway shows one year of a woodland in two minutes. Those in catechetical ministry must look at their years with a time-lapse mentality in certain ways. Leaders must attend to daily details while never losing sight of the long-term goals for the year or even further out future. But through all the hustle and bustle, sometimes […]
The ending of the catechetical year is the perfect time to reflect on the highs and lows, rejoicing in the graced moments in our programs and seeking to improve the more challenging areas. The Examen prayer, as outlined by St. Ignatius of Loyola, provides us with a perfect guide to making just this kind of review. As you get set to begin this time of prayerful review, be sure to set aside at least 15–20 […]
In the Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus gives his disciples and us the New Commandment. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34–35, NIV). So what is “new” about this commandment? The duty of loving neighbors is grounded in the Old Testament and had been at […]
I’ve always had a feeling of synergy when working with my friend and colleague, Tom McGrath. All he has to do is open his mouth and share some insights and wisdom and I immediately feel like I can turn it into an activity that others can use and benefit from! Recently, Tom led a reflection for a small group that I was participating in. He invited us to think about the qualities and characteristics of […]
Throughout the Gospel of Luke, the power of evil is lurking and the heavenly hosts stand ready to go into battle, beginning with the appearance of an army of angels to the shepherds at the birth of Christ. Evil tempts Jesus in the desert. Throughout Luke’s Gospel, Jesus drives out demons. However, the ultimate battle takes place during the Passion of Jesus that we enter into this Holy Week. Evil’s tenacious presence is manifested in […]
There are few people that we know better than the members of our own family and our closest friends. We know one another’s strengths and abilities, and we also know one another’s limitations and weaknesses. Like the Pharisees in the Gospel for the fifth Sunday of Lent, Year C, we may be tempted to focus on the faults and sins that familiarity with one another can sometimes reveal. As family members and friends, however, we also […]
The Pharisees taught a very scrupulous observance of Jewish Law. In their interpretation and practice, observant Jews who shared table fellowship with sinners would be made unclean. Like Jesus, the Pharisees hoped to lead sinners back to God. The Pharisees, however, required that sinners first become ritually clean—observant of the Pharisees’ interpretation of Jewish Law—before sharing table fellowship. This appears to be one of the major differences between the Pharisees and Jesus. Jesus reaches out […]
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