Today is the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, co-founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and deviser of the Ignatian Exercises. Ignatian spirituality, particularly the Exercises, and their ability to take us deeper into Scripture and into our relationship with God, and with our own true selves, is a topic I think beneficial for … Continue reading Get ready to exercise with St. Ignatius

From Lauds (Morning Prayer), Jeremiah 31 The young girl will dance for joy, young men and old men too.“I will turn their weeping into gladness,” says the Lord, “I will comfort them and give them joy after sorrow.” This world, at times, can seem like a constant burden of sorrows. And, we can come to … Continue reading Thoughts from Lauds, July 30

We hear of Saint Martha in two principal passages of the Bible. In the first, Jesus has come to the home of Martha and Mary, sisters of Lazarus. From Luke 10:37-42 Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord … Continue reading For the Feast of St. Martha

From Sext (the Sixth Hour, Noon Prayer) Proverbs 3:13-15 “Happy the man who discovers wisdom, the man who gains discernment: gaining her is more rewarding than silver, more profitable than gold. She is beyond the price of pearls, nothing you could covet is her equal.” In His parables of the Kingdom of Heaven, in Matthew … Continue reading Thoughts from Sext, July 28

From Vespers (Evening Prayer), from Ephesians 1 “Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us, in Christ, with every spiritual blessing in heaven.In love, he chose us before the creation of the world, to be holy and spotless in his sight.He predestined us to be his adopted children through … Continue reading Thoughts from Vespers, July 27

Thoughts from Terce (the third hour, 9 a.m., Mid-Morning Prayer): from Psalm 18 (19) The law of the Lord is spotless, it refreshes the soul.The teaching of the Lord can be trusted, it gives wisdom to children.The judgements of the Lord are right: they give joy to the heart.The precepts of the Lord are clear: … Continue reading Thoughts from Terce, July 27

From Vespers (Evening Prayer) 2 Corinthians 1:3-4“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, a gentle Father and the God of all consolation, who comforts us in all our sorrows, so that we can offer others, in their sorrows, the consolation that we have received from God ourselves.” We do not receive … Continue reading Thoughts from Vespers, July 26

From 2 Corinthians 7 “To suffer in God’s way means changing for the better and leaves no regrets, but to suffer as the world knows suffering brings death.” In this passage Paul is rejoicing that the Corinthians have turned from the worldly ways of sin against which he admonished them in his previous letter. But, … Continue reading Thoughts from Lauds, July 26

From Lauds (Morning Prayer) Ephesians 2:19-22 You are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: you are citizens like all the saints, and part of God’s household. You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus himself for its main cornerstone. As every structure is aligned on … Continue reading Thoughts from Lauds, July 25

From Psalm 51: “Take pity on me, Lord, in your mercy; in your abundance of mercy wipe out my guilt.Wash me ever more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.For I know how guilty I am: my sin is always before me.” Each of us is a sinner, and we each have our … Continue reading Thoughts from Lauds, July 24

From the Office of Readings, 2 Corinthians 4: “We are in difficulties on all sides, but never cornered; we see no answer to our problems, but never despair; we have been persecuted, but never deserted; knocked down, but never killed; always, wherever we may be, we carry with us in our body the death of … Continue reading Thoughts from Lauds, July 23

From Psalm 63:1-7 O God, you are my God, I watch for you from the dawn.My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you.I came to your sanctuary,as one in a parched and waterless land,so that I could see your might and your glory.My lips will praise you, for your mercy is better than … Continue reading Thoughts from Lauds, July 22

From the Office of Readings, 2 Corinthians 2:12-3:6 In Christ, we speak as men of sincerity, as envoys of God and in God’s presence. Does this sound like a new attempt to commend ourselves to you? Unlike other people, we need no letters of recommendation either to you or from you, because you are yourselves … Continue reading Thoughts from Lauds, July 21

Does God cause us to suffer? From Morning Prayer (Lauds): Judith 8:25-26,27“Let us give thanks to the Lord our God who, as he tested our ancestors, is now testing us. Remember how he treated Abraham, all the ordeals of Isaac and all that happened to Jacob. For as these ordeals were intended by him to … Continue reading Thoughts from Lauds, July 20