What God Wants…

by Paul on May 21, 2013

God Finds UsAnother extract from Jim Manney’s, God Finds Us.

Ignatius recognized that God’s will is not a precise blueprint, but neither is it a vague “whatever you want” blank check. God has a “plan” in the sense that he has an idea of the kind of person you can be and an idea of the life that would bring you the most joy. The broad outlines of God’s idea are the same for everyone—to love and serve God and neighbor.

But the particulars are unique to each of us. Finding God’s will means discovering God’s unique love for us, his desire to help us grow into our most authentic selves, and the way we can best serve him and his people.

That’s why we get rid of disordered affections. It’s like a cook peeling an artichoke to get to the heart, or a sculptor chipping away at marble to find the beautiful form inside. Beneath the love of money, possessions, honor, and pride, we will find what we really want.

And here is Ignatius’s great insight. When we find what we really want, we find what God wants, too. It’s a pretty remarkable idea, so I’ll say it again: when we discover what we really want, we discover what God wants, too.

Then why do I resist God so often and so thoroughly?

Oh, yes. Sin.

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Some time back, we had the song “This is the Moment” from the musical Jekyll and Hyde. Here is another song from the same show, sung by the incomparable Linda Eder.

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Wisdom Story – 152

by Paul on May 17, 2013

Man Raising His Arms In WorshipTwo men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn’t hear the band – he could see it. In his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.

He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.”

Source

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God’s Presence

by Paul on May 16, 2013

God Finds UsToday I want to share with you an extract from Jim Manney’s God Finds Us. Here Jim writes about finding God in all things:

Some Christian traditions emphasize God’s absence from the world. Ignatian spirituality emphasizes God’s presence. This flows from a Catholic sacramental perspective that sees God as present in the world through the incarnation of Christ. It brings God down to earth.

“Christ is found in ten thousand places,” said the Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins. It also elevates earth to God; Hopkins also wrote that “the world is charged with the grandeur of God.” “Nothing human is merely human,” wrote the theologian Ronald Modras. “No common labor is merely common. Classrooms, hospitals, and artists’ studios are sacred spaces. No secular pursuit of science is merely secular.” Everything that deepens our humanity deepens our knowledge of God.

This expansive view of God’s presence should make us humble. Finding God in all things means that no doctrine, religious tradition, philosophical scheme, or devotional practice can exhaust the mystery that is God. We will never reach the end of “all things.” We can’t grasp the immensity of the cosmos or the vastness of human experience. Something will always lie outside our understanding. Something will always come along to make God present to us in a new way.

I find this all deeply consoling.

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Arts And Faith

by Paul on May 15, 2013

Arts and Faith seriesI can’t sing, I dance only under extreme duress, I can’t play the piano except in my dreams, I don’t know how to draw a circle that isn’t wobbly, and the few ceramics I’ve attempted were admired only by my doting mother! That being said, I love the arts and feel blessed to be based in Chicago where we have the Art Institute, the Lyric Opera, and a vast array of theater companies.

I am equally as drawn to the arts found around the world, especially those that can speak so deeply to the beholder. Many years ago, I was wandering through the Vatican Art Museums and I came upon the Niccoline Chapel, a small gem with fresco paintings by Fra Angelico. It was so perfectly beautiful that it took my breath away—honestly and literally.

Starting today, Loyola Press will be featuring many kinds of beauty in its series, Arts and Faith. I’ve said before that there is a desire for beauty within all of us. Explore with us the ways we find God through the visual and performing arts.

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Some Things Never Get Old

by Paul on May 14, 2013

New FlowersIn no particular order:

  1. The first flowers in Spring
  2. Memories shared with families and friends
  3. The sound of children laughing with wild and exuberant joy
  4. The aroma of a church where incense was recently burned
  5. Seeing family members after a long absence
  6. Reading Jane Austen
  7. Witnessing acts of bravery, kindness and generosity
  8. Eating fish and chips out of a brown paper bag
  9. Knowing you’ve made a positive difference in someone’s life
  10. Connecting with God

I’m sure I could come up with a couple of hundred things, but these ten were the first ones to emerge.

Want to add some more?

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Bonus – Fran Is Mastered!

by Paul on May 13, 2013

Our own Fran got her Master’s this weekend. Way to go! A virtual round of applause is in order.

ReceivingDegree.jpg

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Monday Music Moment – Nella Fantasia

by Paul on May 13, 2013

A new version of an old standby, Nella Fantasia, by Ennio Morricone from the movie, The Mission.

Lyrics in Italian and English available here.

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Wisdom Story – 151

by Paul on May 10, 2013

27166A 10-year-old boy decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.

The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn’t understand why, after three months of training the master had taught him only one move.

“Sensei,” (Teacher in Japanese) the boy finally said, “Shouldn’t I be learning more moves?” “This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you’ll ever need to know,” the sensei replied.

Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training. Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament.

Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.

This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out.

He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened. “No,” the sensei insisted, “Let him continue.” Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament.

He was the champion. On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind.

“Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?”

“You won for two reasons,” the sensei answered. “First, you’ve almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm.”

The boy’s biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.

Source

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Principles & Foundations 10

by Paul on May 9, 2013

Ignatian Spirituality wants us to be grateful and, in our gratitude, to become “people for others.”

I recently read an article about Scientology which pointed out that it is largely about “self help.” The work adherents do to get “clear” seems to be all about the self.  Ignatian Spirituality couldn’t be more different.

Ignatian Spirituality is built upon a “virtuous circle.”  We reflect on all the things we’re grateful for and that reflection which leads us to gratitude hopefully also leads us to service.

When we volunteer or serve in some way, we find ourselves reflecting on the situation.  The reflection leads us back to gratitude and again to service and we have our “virtuous circle.”

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