MAKING ALL THINGS NEW

Over the last several weeks, I’ve been meeting with someone who wants to make the Spiritual Exercises this fall.  I’ll save the story on how he ended up getting in touch with me for another time, but there’s no doubt in my mind that God (or Ignatius?) was at work in bringing us together.  I hope it will all work out and we can begin our Ignatian journey together in September.  Well, in some sense, our journey has already begun in the form of a very long preparation period.

A few weeks ago, he began telling me about his reading of Ludolf of Saxony’s Vita Christi (Life of Christ).  I thought he must be confused, because to my knowledge there was no English translation available.  When doing my doctoral research, I knew that some parts of Ludolf’s medieval epic work on the life of Christ were available in English, but not the complete work.  When we sat down together recently over coffee, he mentioned reading the Vita Christi, so I asked him about it.  Low and behold, there is a new translation, having just come out, available a few weeks ago as an e book.  In fact, the hard copy will be available tomorrow!!!  This will be a multi part work, but that it’s been done at all is a really wonderful thing.  I’ll buy my copy tomorrow, since I can’t imagine reading this electronically.  I want to feel the pages, read the printed words.

I think I wrote this in an earlier post, or maybe in a few of them, but I’m always amazed at how much I continue to learn about St. Ignatius and his Spiritual Exercises, along with those people/concepts which influenced him throughout his life.  While recovering from his battle wounds, Ignatius was given two books to read to pass the time.  One of those books was Ludolf’s.  In fact, his Life of Christ was one of the most widely read books of his day, with countless copies and translations available all over Europe.  Unfortunately, this work lost favor when Biblical scholars were looking for purity, not embellishment.  Ludolf wove the Fathers of the Church, maps, stories, etc. into his text, which as we know, made it difficult for some to differentiate what was from Scripture and what was from Ludolf.

For me, that was centuries ago, and now, with my Bible in hand, I can easily see the difference, so I’m not concerned I’ll get things mixed up.  I can’t wait to begin reading this first volume,  translated by Milton Walsh.  I’m grateful to him for what must have been an exhaustive labor of love.  I hope I’ll always be forever learning.  I hope it’s the same for you!

If you have ever read a contemporary self improvement book, the place they usually start is the identification of your “why?”  What’s the motivating factor in your decision?  Most of these books mention family, friends, financial security, health, etc. Not that there’s anything wrong with any of those reasons “why,”  but in my mind they fall short.  One only has to look at the disappointing long term results the majority of people achieve, to figure out something’s missing.  Could it be God?  The long and short of it is “yes!”

When Ignatius of Loyola was penning his Spiritual Exercises, he noted what he thought our “why” should be right at the beginning, in a section he called the First Principle and Foundation.  Fr. David Fleming SJ translated this last line using contemporary language:

Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to God’s deepening life in me. [23]

Pretty straightforward, but also hard to do today.  For me, I take this line to mean that my why should speak to my singular desire to choose that which deepens my relationship with God.  That’s it.  If it/he/she strengthens my relationship with God, then I’ll choose to have it/him/her be part of my why.  If something or someone weakens my relationship with God, then I reject it and it/he/she has no part in my why.

I hope you can see the importance of choosing our why through the lens of faith. I think choosing this way reminds us that our choices can have eternal consequences.  Discerning our why(s) is an important exercise and deserves our time and effort.

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A Happy Easter to you and your family!  I wanted to provide you with an Ignatian Contemplation today, when we remember Jesus’ rising from the dead.  Interestingly, St. Ignatius did not include a contemplation on the Resurrection as an event.  Instead, he focuses on the risen  Christ’s appearances (218-225).  Following an ancient tradition and found in The Life of Christ by Ludolf of Saxony, a work central to Ignatius’s conversion, the risen Christ and his mother are seen as talking to one another, delighting in the Lord’s Paschal victory. Our Lord revealed to St. Teresa of Avila that it was to the Blessed Mother that he appeared after His resurrection.  I hope you take some time, either today or during the upcoming days, to pray this contemplation.

Preparation:  I take a moment to call to mind the attitude of reverence with which I approach this privileged time with God.  I recall everything up to this moment of my day, and ask God to take all my thoughts and receive this time of prayer as an offering to His Glory.

Grace:  I ask for the grace of being able to enter into the joy and consolation of Jesus as He savors the victory of His risen life with His Blessed Mother.

Setting:  I enter into this contemplation as fully as I can.  Although I do not have a specific Scripture account to guide me, I easily imagine with a sense of excitement that Jesus would want to come to Mary and show her that He was not dead, but alive.  I imagine the joyful consolation Mary experienced and let that joy permeate my being.

I realize that the joyful consolation Mary felt is available to me.  Knowing that availability touches my heart deeply.  Jesus, who died for me, has now risen from the dead and offers me a share in His eternal life.  I do not let this overwhelm me, but rather I pray about how it might affect the way I live, how I think, and it fills me with hope.  I resolve to live my life more and more for Him each day and share my Christian joy with others.  How could I not live for Him and share the Good News with all those around me?

Colloquy:

I end my prayer with a conversation (colloquy) with Jesus and His Mother.  I end my prayer with an Our Father.

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As I type these words, I’m watching Pope Francis celebrate the Easter Vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. I don’t speak Italian and I don’t know Latin, but I am able to follow along with the ritual of this most important liturgy of the year easily.  How can that be?  Because tonight, in every country and city in the world with a Catholic Church, the Easter Vigil will be celebrated, with the same words, actions, sacraments, images of light and darkness, and a Candle which symbolizes Christ as the Light of the World (John 8:12).  He has risen from the dead and offers each and every person in the world eternal life.

Earlier today, we had an Easter Vigil rehearsal at my parish.  This year, we have twelve adults and children who will receive the sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. We do a rehearsal because, let’s face it, people get nervous doing things for the first time in front of hundreds of people.  We want to help them focus on the great, life-changing gifts which God offers them, rather than where they are to stand, what they are to say.

Someplace in the world, the Easter Vigil has come and gone, and it’s Easter Morning.  In about fourteen hours, it will be the same here in Maryland.  As I get older, I realize more and more that life moves at breakneck speed.  I hope you will take some time to savor the gift that the Lord gives to us in His resurrection.  Don’t focus on tomorrow’s  meal, Easter egg hunts, or maybe even a final four basketball game.  All these things will pass away, but Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).  Alleluia!

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Here in Maryland, you would have had a hard time recognizing that today is the first day of Spring.  When I turned on the news, I heard that it was supposed to snow here today, but it would not be just a dusting. No, it started snowing here around 8:30 in the morning, and it’s still coming down. It will be the same tomorrow..  If the forecast is right, it will be the biggest snowstorm we’ve had this winter. Ugh.  When I took this photo a few days ago while out for a long walk, it felt and looked like Spring.  You could smell it in the air and my walking path was crowded with people looking forward to the joys of what’s to come.  And then…

This morning, I wanted to celebrate the change of season, and I realized, no matter how much snow as coming our way, I was going to get a walk in.  I dashed out the door, bundled up, and headed out.  By the time I parked the car, it was already sleeting, but not enough to deter me.  It was actually quite beautiful, and I was completely alone, except for a few adventurous birds.  I walked for about 30 minutes, making my way around the mile or so loop which surrounds this pond, looking not nearly as picturesque as it does in the photo. In those thirty minutes, I got three loops in.  It felt good.  When I got back to the car, I was really grateful I pushed myself and made the effort.

I love being out in nature, even if the weather isn’t cooperating.  The warm weather is coming.  The flowers, the trees, the new life, they are all coming.  Knowing it’s just not up to us to make it happen is comforting..  That belongs to Someone else, and I’m glad I get to experience it all with eyes to see, ears to hear, and two legs to take me along the path.  Happy Spring!

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Although winter isn’t officially over, I feel blessed that it’s been a fairly mild one here in Maryland. Pretty routinely, I’ve been able to get my walking exercise in, with only a few weeks requiring a boring round of circles in the local mall. Today, it was still a bit cold, but glorious nonetheless, with lots of people out walking, running, jogging. It was great to see, and I know spring is right around the corner, so more and more people will be looking to come out of hibernation and get active.

This past week, I had a great meeting with the Coordinator of Walk Carroll, part of a state-wide health initiative to get people to get moving. According to the American Medical Association, more that 60 percent of American adults fail to get the recommended amount of regular exercise, and 25 percent are completely inactive. The AMA recommends healthy adults should accumulate an hour of exercise on most, if not all days of the week (AMA Complete Guide to Prevention and Wellness, p. 47-63).

Here in my hometown, this is what we planned out, starting the week after Easter. Gathering folks twice a week for a healthy, hour-long walk. On Wednesdays, we’ll meet at a local park with great trails and accessibility, and then on Saturday mornings at the Mall for what’s known as a 10 x 10 (10,000 steps by 10 am). Last year, we got off to a late start and didn’t begin walking as a group until August. This year, however, we’re way ahead of the game, and with 70 people on our mailing list, we’re sure to draw them and more with our consistent schedule. I truly can’t wait!

No matter where you live, now is the time to develop a new exercise routine. After checking with your doctor, start moving! Find a group, walk your dog in your neighborhood, make some new friends. Get healthy and active. Most of all, have fun!

I should add that this upcoming Saturday (March 17th), I’ll be leading a mini-retreat at Bon Secours Retreat Center in Baltimore. The theme? Prayer Walking! If you’re in the Baltimore area, please consider joining us by signing up here.

See you on the trail!

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If it seems like a long time since my last post, you’d be right.  I’ve been super busy for the last several weeks, with lots of stress, travel, and change.  Thus is life in 2018, right?  Well, maybe not the travel… In the midst of it all, the days have been getting longer (grateful), the winter is fading fast (grateful) and the snowdrops and crocus are already blooming in my backyard (grateful).

The Holy Season of Lent began, as it always does, with Ash Wednesday.  Sadly, Ash Wednesday 2018 will always be remembered by the school shooting in Florida.  So many innocents lost, so much grief and sorrow.  As the tragic details get played out in the public square, we realize that there is much to be done.  My former pastor always reminded his congregation that prayer changes things.  Yes, the world needs prayer, now more than ever.  So as this penitential season of Lent will give way to Holy Week and Easter, we wait.  Prayerfully, we wait on the Lord, trusting that He is with us in the midst of it all, shepherding us ever deeper into the mystery of life.

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I was leading a retreat a few weeks ago, and on Sunday morning, I was looking out the window and saw these geese walking on the icy surface of the pond.  Of course, I wanted to capture the image, so a raced out with my camera and snapped this photo just before they jumped into the safety of the water.  I don’t know about you, but I often wonder, after I’ve seen something like the geese on the ice, what does God want me to see in it.  Since I believe, as did St. Ignatius, that we can “find God in all things,” there’s always something to discern.

Sometimes, it might be that God wants us to be more aware of the gift of sight, or maybe God just wants to gift us with a funny image, a metaphor for something in our life.  As I watched the geese try to maneuver around the slick surface, I thought about areas of my life which I don’t seem to have the best control over.  Do I try to take care of everything myself, leaving my actions to instinct or self deception?  Am I worried about falling into situations where I may sink, and thus avoiding the risk of going where God wants me to?

As I type these words, a line from Matthew’s Gospel came to mind.  “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value then they?” (Matthew 6:26)  Yes, friends, we are valuable in God’s eyes.  More than we could ever know.  Sometimes, we have to step off in faith, trusting that God will bring us safely to where we need to go.  God doesn’t want us to be reckless, however, but discerning, always discerning His good and holy will for us.

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Many people begin the New Year with a diet in mind.  Does that sound familiar?  Right now, diet books are flying off the shelves, and you might not be able to find a parking space at your gym.  We start with the best intentions, and as I wrote recently, 40% of people actually stick with it.  My hat is off to them.  How about you?

I want to recommend a couple of healthy eating books to help you make some diet changes.  I’ve used each of them at one time or another, and have had some great success.  As you may know from following this blog, I believe no one diet can work for everyone, and you have to find what will work for you.  In addition to that, I believe that we will always be more successful if we change our diet and exercise habits so that we can do more for God.

Let’s face it, that’s a great motivation, isn’t it?  It’s what St. Ignatius had in mind when he spelled out his First Principle and  Foundation.  In everything we do, our goal should be the ability to do more for God.  If we get healthy and lose some weight, great.  But our goal was choosing that which best leads to God.

Here are three books to check out in 2018.

The Daniel Plan by Rick Warren, D.Min.,  Daniel Amen, MD, and Mark Hyman, MD

Eat for Health by Joel Fuhrman, MD

Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes by Neal Barnard, MD

I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me  (Philippians 4:13)

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Well, here we are.  2018 has arrived, and I don’t know about you, but I’m filled with expectation that this year is going to be a good one, maybe even great.  Have you thought of any resolutions you would like to make? I’m still deciding, but you can be sure achieving overall better health is high on my list.  This year, I will have help from a great doctor who is a diabetes specialist.  I’m lucky to have found him, and that he takes my insurance.  I had to wait six months to see him for the first time, but it was worth the wait.  He gave me some terrific insights and I’ve made some good strides.  Last year, I also joined a walking club, got a fitbit, and began cooking healthy meals on a regular basis.  So, I guess I could say that I want to continue all those things, but I also know that I still have a lot of work to do.

For those of you who make resolutions and then give them up quickly, I want to share something I heard the other day.  We all know that many, many people begin the year with the best of intentions and some needed resolutions, but they give up quickly and fall back into the same old patterns.  As I was listening to a radio show last week, I heard that about 44% of resolutions are kept until the person is successful in achieving their goal.  When 2018 comes to an end next December, I want to be part of that group.  How about you?  What kinds of things would you need to do to make that happen?  Let’s use this first week of 2018 to create a plan.  Are you up for the challenge?

May God bless you and yours in this New Year.

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