“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 […]

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Approach the Examen in fresh ways with Reimagining the Ignatian Examen by Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ.

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 […]

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Approach the Examen in fresh ways with Reimagining the Ignatian Examen by Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ.

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 […]

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Approach the Examen in fresh ways with Reimagining the Ignatian Examen by Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ.

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 […]

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Approach the Examen in fresh ways with Reimagining the Ignatian Examen by Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ.

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 […]

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Approach the Examen in fresh ways with Reimagining the Ignatian Examen by Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ.

“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 […]

Click through to read the full article Discernment in AI Use, which appeared first on Ignatian Spirituality.

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Approach the Examen in fresh ways with Reimagining the Ignatian Examen by Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ.

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, […]

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Approach the Examen in fresh ways with Reimagining the Ignatian Examen by Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ.

When the Museum of Biblical Art in New York hosted an exhibit some years ago called, “The Wanderer,” by Enrique Martínez Celaya, I was fascinated by its description: The exhibition explores Martínez Celaya’s immersion in a Western literary tradition rich in themes and imagery that project a deeply private existential odyssey. The Wanderer presents a […]

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Approach the Examen in fresh ways with Reimagining the Ignatian Examen by Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ.

If you are a Star Wars fan—or even just a general movie enthusiast—you likely have an opinion about Star Wars: The Last Jedi. It was a controversial film, in no small part because of how director Rian Johnson decided to depict the legendary Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. The Luke we meet in this movie is […]

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Approach the Examen in fresh ways with Reimagining the Ignatian Examen by Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ.

Christians are called to show mercy and to enact, through our physical, ordinary lives, God’s compassion for those who suffer and forgiveness for those who have caused harm. However, we tend to express well and pass along only what we have experienced personally. We do better if we have examples to follow, models of the […]

Click through to read the full article Reviewing Mercy Examen, which appeared first on Ignatian Spirituality.

IgnatianSpirituality.com ® is a service of Loyola Press, a Jesuit ministry.

Approach the Examen in fresh ways with Reimagining the Ignatian Examen by Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ.