“Why, God? Why?” I sit at the funeral of a friend who died unexpectedly of a heart attack. Alive one day, gone the next. “Why, God? Why?” Tornadoes flatten neighborhoods in the time a speeding train passes through a station. Lives turn to rubble. “Why, God? Why?” Another day begins for an exhausted parent living […]
I maintain that God—out of the abundance of divine relational life, not any need for us—desires humans into existence for the sake of friendship. This thesis may sound strange, because it runs counter to much teaching about God. To be honest, I questioned it myself when I first began to think it through… But over […]
There are so many ways to love, and to love better. Let’s concentrate on five for today. 1. Focus on one good quality. Especially when you’re feeling critical and grumpy, ask yourself, What is one characteristic of this person that is wonderful and that I should not overlook? Focusing on a quality you appreciate can […]
In a recent dotMagis article, Eric Clayton referred to the Presupposition as the “Ignatian plus sign.” Explore that idea more deeply with Michele C. Murray, in her essay, “Suppose we all presupposed? Applying the Ignatian plus-sign in everyday life.” She writes: The Presupposition requires that we sidestep the conventions of persuasion and declaration in favor […]
As much as I love time to contemplate, at the end of an academic year I find that time is often short as I grade exams and attend those last committee and faculty meetings. However, I am reassured by the idea that we can, indeed, seek God in all things. One way that this is […]
“Ugh! Not again!” I shouted, exasperated. “This stupid pop-up won’t go away!” “Um, are you OK?” a quiet voice asked. I jumped, having forgotten I was not alone. While I was trying to generate slides quickly for an upcoming retreat session, a young colleague was testing out microphones nearby. Three hundred retreatants were about to […]
A priest was obsessed about reminding parishioners to turn off their cell phones before Mass. He mentioned it at least three or four times before the service started. Then, just as he stepped up to give his homily, in a moment of total silence, a jiggling ring tone emanated from his own cell phone. Red-faced, […]
When the Museum of Biblical Art in New York hosted an exhibit some years ago called, “The Wanderer,” by Enrique MartĂnez Celaya, I was fascinated by its description: The exhibition explores MartĂnez Celaya’s immersion in a Western literary tradition rich in themes and imagery that project a deeply private existential odyssey. The Wanderer presents a […]
