MAKING ALL THINGS NEW

Today, July 31st, is the Feast of St. Ignatius.  Without a doubt, adopting the spirituality rooted in the life of this great saint has made a huge impact in my life.  Nearly ten years ago, I happened to sit across a dinner table from Fr. George Lane, the publisher of Loyola Press.  The initial conversation started with Fr. Lane asking me, “so what do you know about Ignatian Spirituality?”  When I replied “not much at all,” he casually started highlighting some of the foundational components of this 500 year old rhythm of life, prayer, and action.  The next day, Fr. Lane gave me a little stack of Ignatian Spirituality books, and recommended I make an 8 day retreat sometime in the near future.  I read those books and took his advice, and I’ve never looked back. Now, with a doctorate from Catholic University of America which focused on how those dealing with chronic illness might benefit from integrating key Ignatian practices into their lives and potentially improve their overall health, I’ve realized that I’ll never stop learning new insights about this great saint.

Where has July gone?  I’d like to say I’ve spent most of it at the beach, up in the mountains, someplace where I’m called to slow down and relax.  Well, my July hasn’t been that.  I’ve been super busy, but I hope the results of all this activity will bear fruit in the future. First off, I’ve been working on my health. If you follow this blog, you know that my favorite form of exercise is a long walk.  Since the beginning of the month, I’ve been doing a lot of walking.  Now encouraged by my new Fitbit Blaze, I’m keeping great track of my daily activities.  I love that this watch will beep me throughout the day to gently remind me that I haven’t met my hourly exercise goal.  Mostly, I just need to squeeze in another 200 steps, and if I can, a little fitbit celebration occurs.

Yesterday morning, I was out for my walk and I happened upon this empty French fry container from a well known fast food chain.  Normally, I would have passed right by, but the words printed on it caught my eye and made me stop.  “All you need is fries.”  Really?  I know it’s a marketing slogan, but what they are saying is that food, especially junk food, will satisfy your needs.  Feel sad?  Food!  Feel lonely?  Food! Feel fat?  More food!

I’m working hard at increasing my knowledge of nutrition, health, and exercise.  The benefits of making small and positive changes in any of these areas are  really remarkable and proven through countless studies.  Add in prayer and a deepening relationship with God, and a person can positively affect all areas of their life.  We don’t need more fries.  They never were and never will be the answer to what we truly need.

Each year, my friends and colleagues at Loyola Press offer a wonderful gift to those devoted to Ignatian Spirituality.  For the entire month of July, which ends on the Feast of St. Ignatius, daily updates will include articles, blog posts and videos to help you gain new/deeper insights into the spirituality which developed out of the life of this great saint.  You’ll find everything here.  I hope you’ll join me and countless others every day this month as we  not only learn, but also grow in our desire to serve God and find Him in all things!

Do you remember the movie, Dead Poet’s Society?  I was a teen when it came out, and there was a lot in the film which struck me.  Sometime back, I showed just the beginning of it to my religious ed. class, the part where Robin Williams had his class gather around the trophy cases in the school hallway.  He told them to move in close and listen intently.  Did they hear it?  They moved in closer… Then Williams whispered, “carpe, carpe diem.”  “Seize the day, boys.”  The students were a bit freaked out, then realized it was Williams.  In the end, his message was that life is short.  All those people who won those trophies and were in the photos were long dead.  “Food for worms,” said Williams.

Carpe Diem means seize the day.  Since seeing Dead Poet’s Society for the first time, I’ve thought about this ancient saying from time to time.  There’s wisdom in it.  When I was at Eastern Point Retreat Center a few weeks ago, I was surprised to see a sun dial in the photo above,  mounted on a prominent wall of the old house, facing the ocean, with Carpe Diem carved into the stone.  Those wealthy people who built the house and lived there for many years may have envisioned the words to mean “live it up!”  “Let’s have a party!”  “Tennis, anyone?”  “Yes, I believe I’ll have another…”  Sorry to be a downer, but they’re all long dead.  They may have seized the day, but what was it all about?  I wonder how they envisioned God when they followed the sundial’s movement from morning to dusk.  Hopefully they did and are now enjoying eternal bliss.

How about you?  If you were challenged to seize the day tomorrow, what would you do?  Where would you go? Who would be a part of it?  Where would you find God in it?     Some things to think about over this long weekend, don’t you think?

Summer is a great time to learn something new, or get deeper into an area you want to learn more about.  A group of friends and I are into your second week of The Ignatian Workout by Tim Muldoon.  I’ve read the book before, and knew that this group of friends, who I took through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius last year, were looking for a fresh approach.

Right from the beginning, Muldoon has some wise things to say.  Here’s one quote:

What makes the Spiritual Exercises a helpful guide for us post-moderns is its insistence that we can come to know God by coming to know ourselves better.  Ignatius was a bit of a maverick in his early life… the spiritual practices he worked through were not simply repeating old formulas but, rather, a fresh attempt to make sense of God’s will. (p XXV)

What great thoughts to leisurely discern this summer:   How can I come to know God more?  How can I come to know myself better?  How can I make better sense of God’s will in my life.  I used this image of a footpath to get you thinking about a little journey you might be called to make with my group of friends.  With honesty, ask yourself where you are really going?  Spiritual books like The Ignatian Workout just might help you either stay on track or get back on the right path.  Come, join us in our discernment.

This past weekend, I had the blessing to make a retreat at Eastern Point Retreat Center in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Once the stately home of a New York Stock Broker, the main house of the Center was built in 1921, and is was created for parties. Big parties. It must have been amazing to be a visitor there during those days. Now, it provides a serene place to spend time, spiritual time. On Saturday morning, the sunrise was magnificent. I wasn’t the only one to notice, as there were quite a few of us out to see the dawn of a new day.

As I sat watching, the song How Can I Keep From Singing? came to mind. I’ve been reflecting on the lyrics for several months, since the funeral of one of the deacons of my parish. It had been years since I last heard it, and it came as a bit of a surprise initially. But then, knowing the wonderful, faith-filled person Deacon Don was, it made perfect sense. It’s gotten me thinking that we don’t sing enough. Of God’s goodness, his mercy, is love, the beauty of his creation.

It’s ours for the taking. Let’s start becoming more aware of it, shall we? That new level of awareness just might lead us to sing.

My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth’s lamentation,
I hear the sweet, tho’ far-off hymn
That hails a new creation;

Thro’ all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul—
How can I keep from singing?

What tho’ my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Saviour liveth;
What tho’ the darkness gather round?
Songs in the night he giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that refuge clinging;

Since Christ is Lord of heaven and
earth,
How can I keep from singing?
I lift my eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;

And day by day this pathway smooths,
Since first I learned to love it,
The peace of Christ makes fresh my
heart,
A fountain ever springing;

All things are mine since I am his—
How can I keep from singing?

I was at Bon Secours retreat center yesterday, hoping to recharge after a long month.  May has been great, with graduation, family visits, and good times with friends.  I also said goodbye to a good friend who died too young from cancer.  Life’s journeys have plenty of twists and turns, and sometimes we loose our way and spend a lot of time and energy trying to get back on track.  Yesterday, as I was walking the footpath around the pond at the retreat center, a momma and poppa goose where not to happy that I was getting close to their babies blocking my path.

In order not to disturb them, or maybe it was fear of a goose attack, I turned around and avoided them.  Nice, but not too convenient.  Later, I tried again, and this time, I moved off the path and walked around them, very slowly.  No disturbance.  No attack.

Sometimes on our life journey, we simply avoid things which need to be dealt with.  We don’t want to spend time figuring out another way. But so often, we find out that avoidance isn’t the best response, and we might learn that someone else has been in a similar situation and figured out a way to resolve the issue.

This weekend has been a good one for me.  I’m trying to discern some things that will, I believe, bear much fruit in the future.  I’m guessing it will take most of the summer, but that’s ok.  Isn’t that what summers are for?

All this being said, today, Memorial Day, is a day to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the defense of our county.  May God bless them.

Sometimes in life, we find ourselves stuck and unsure of the changes we need to make in order to get to where we want to go.  More often than not, we try to make these changes on our own, without a guide and/or tools.  In those situations, we might make the changes necessary, but they are often short-lived and we fall back into old habits, finding ourselves right back were we started, or maybe even worse off.  We know we want to get from one place to the next, from one side of the bridge to the other, but how can we do it effectively, with long-lasting results?

For me, the answer lies in the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola, a heroic figure who lived over five hundred years ago and whose legacy is still making a positive effect in our world today.  Now, of course there are lots of particular spiritualties to choose from, and all of them helpful to particular individuals and groups of people.  But for me, I fell in love with the simple and time-honored spiritual practices of this Spanish saint, who had a radical conversion and became a companion of Jesus, taking the Gospel message to the ends of the known world.

This past weekend, I had the chance to give a group of retreatants just a few of the spiritual practices found in Ignatius’s great work, The Spiritual Exercises.  Our group only had the weekend, and during our time together we focused on five key practices:

• First Principle and Foundation
• The Examen
• Discernment of Spirits
• Meditation and Contemplation
• Finding God In All Things

Just five key practices, but in my own experience, their ongoing application in the lives of people who are striving for holiness and an ever-deepening relationship with God, they can be life-changing.  They provide the means to help you get to the other side of that spiritual bridge, and you will never look back.  Take some time and click on at least one of the practices above and give it a test run.  If you find one spiritually fruitful, add another. Then another.  And another.  You will be amazed at how quickly your life will change.  For millions of people over the past 500 years, Ignatian Spirituality has provided the bridge from where they were to where they wanted to be. Maybe it can be the same for you.

Thanks to all those who joined Nancy and I on the Ignatian Way Retreat this past weekend!

(photo shared by Jeanne S.) 

He has risen indeed!

I was telling some friends recently that I’m amazed at how quickly Lent flew by this year.  It came during the intense time of preparation for the final stage of my doctorate, so I’m guessing that may have had something to do with it, but as I talked to people, they had the same experience.  Maybe it’s that we’re all just too busy.

Today is a day for quiet reflection.  It can take place in a church or chapel, in your house or garden, or anywhere where you can have some downtime.  Read the story of Christ’s passion and death found in the gospels.  Ponder the words, imagine yourself there.  Would you have been one of those who stayed, or one who ran away as fast as they could?  I’d like to think I would have stayed, but….

I found this image today while searching for something else.  I never heard of Niccolo dell’Arca until today, but he created these terracotta figures early on in the Renaissance, between 1463 and 1490.  Look closely at the anguish on the faces of Jesus’ disciples.  What grief.

While we can experience the sorrow and loss, we also know what happens next.  So, mixed with our sense of sorrow, we also experience the anticipation of the empty tomb and all that comes with it.