Typically, when we think of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, we think of the audience as consisting primarily of adults. So, imagine my surprise when I learned of a pastoral minister leading retreats for children based on the Spiritual Exercises! We may not all be rushing to lead children in the Spiritual Exercises; however, we can all learn a few things about praying with children from his work. Join me for this episode of […]
I tend to be a “word” person: writing blog posts, articles, and books. Thus, it stands to reason that, for all the years that I kept a prayer journal, I filled it with words. It never occurred to me to express myself in other ways beyond words. In this episode of Pop-Up Prayer, my guest is Jaqueline Romo, campus minister at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago. She talks about creative journaling, which invites […]
For many people, journaling is a key component of their prayer lives. I journaled on and off for more than 30 years (until, like Forrest Gump’s cross-country running, one day I just stopped). Journaling can help a person express feelings more concretely and also provides an archive of prayer that can be returned to from time to time. In today’s episode of Pop-Up Prayer, my guest is Jude Huntz, a chaplain at the University of […]
Young adults in college are seekers in so many respects. They are seeking for identity, relationships, careers, and for meaning in their lives. Prayer is a relationship, and relationships thrive on communication: talking and listening to one another. In this episode of Pop-Up Prayer, we turn to Deacon Jonathan Schott, Assistant Director of Campus Ministry at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, NY. Jonathan enlightens us about the need to encourage young people to talk […]
In this episode of Pop-Up Prayer, Amy Welborn, popular blogger, speaker, and writer, shares her insights about praying with traditional prayers. Amy is the author of many books, including The Words We Pray and her most recent book, the Loyola Kids Book of Seasons, Feasts, and Celebrations. Here, she shares about what St. Paul means when he writes, “We do not know how to pray as we ought.” (Romans 8:26) For more information about […]
I firmly believe that 12-step practices can teach us much about spirituality and, specifically, prayer. In this episode of Pop-Up Prayer, I ask Jean Heaton, author of Helping Families Recover from Addiction: Coping, Growing, and Healing through 12-Step Practices and Ignatian Spirituality, to share some insights about how each of us can find strength in prayer when we find ourselves at “the end of our rope” and experiencing powerlessness. For more information about 12-step practices […]
In this episode of Pop-Up Prayer, we hear some wisdom from my long-time friend, Fr. Dominic Grassi. Fr. Dom was my Department Chairman for my first job as a religion teacher back in 1981! He and I are co-authors of Living the Mass: How One Hour a Week Can Change Your Life. A lifelong Chicagoan, Fr. Dom was ordained in 1973 and has been a pastor, a teacher, a counselor, a coach, a retreat and […]
In this episode of Pop-Up Prayer, our guest is Fr. Brice Higginbotham, a Catholic priest for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux in Louisiana who is currently pursuing a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. He is also the author of Remaining with Jesus: Discipleship in the Gospel of John. Fr. Brice shares his thoughts about listening for God’s voice in the silence and pre-disposing ourselves to prayer.
With the season of Lent upon us, the question looms: “Do we pray differently during Lent?” To answer that question, I turned to Fr. Andy Alexander, SJ, the Director of the Collaborative Ministries Office and Online Ministries at Creighton University and co-author (with Maureen McCann Waldron), of Praying Lent: Renewing Our Lives on the Lenten Journey. For more information about praying during the Lenten season, check out the following links: Praying Lent: Renewing Our Lives […]
In this episode of Pop-Up Prayer, educator and author Fr. Kevin O’Brien, SJ, talks about the need to “keep it real” when it comes to our prayer. Fr. O’Brien practiced law and taught high school before joining the Jesuits in 1996. He has taught theology and spirituality at Georgetown University, Santa Clara University, and Fairfield University, and is the author of the award-winning book, The Ignatian Adventure: Experiencing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius in Daily […]
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