There’s nothing complicated or mysterious about making the examen part of your life. The subject matter of the examen is your life—specifically the day you have just lived through. The examen looks for signs of God’s presence in the events of the day—lunch with a friend, a walk in the park, a kind word from […]
My husband and I sat mesmerized by waves at Alki Beach. Our camp chairs were comfy as we watched children play, lovers stroll, and runners pass. My eyes were drawn to a woman lugging a fully loaded ice chest down to a picnic table. After struggling to get it situated, she disappeared briefly, only to […]
Many of us find it helpful to talk through an idea with another person when we are trying to make a decision or process the meaning of something significant that has happened. For example, when I was younger and applying to graduate schools, I decided to shift in my career plans from psychology to philosophy. […]
It is good to remember that spirituality is a series of practices that allow us to pay attention to God. God’s always there, but we get easily distracted. And the more we get distracted, the easier it is to get distracted. Distraction itself has become our practice. The answer, of course, is the opposite practice […]
My husband asked me why I was being nice instead of sharing the snarky comment the expression on my face expressed. Looking at him, I announced that I was trying to “will the good” of others in my life, and I had thought it would be a simple thing to do. “It’s hard,” I reluctantly […]
My 84-year-old father, a former Air Force fighter pilot who traveled around the world, now spends his days mainly confined to his recliner. His liberty to get up and walk to the refrigerator, let alone travel or even run an errand, is gone. He has lived in the same room for three years now, yet […]
One of the most important characteristics of Ignatian prayer is the use of imagination. Ignatius recommends practices of meditation, consideration, and contemplation as ways for humans to open themselves to the work of God’s Spirit, who prays within the bodied spirit of the human person. Each of these practices requires the person of prayer to […]
Any given day, our activities might be driven by one big to-do list: pick up and drop off; get where we need to be; see who we arranged to see; work on projects; prepare and clean up; contact the people in our lives. We put one foot in front of the other most days without […]
