To see a cactus is to see a plant well-armored and well-suited to the harshest of environments—at least, to an amateur cacti observer like me. The fleshy green exterior is solid and firm; the coat of prickles is intimidating and sharp. I give cacti a wide berth. For that reason, I had no trouble staying […]

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Anthony P. Carter tells of a life of faith and a journey through adversity in This I Know.

This post is based on Week Eight of An Ignatian Prayer Adventure. I find myself drawn to the post-Resurrection scene in John, chapter 21. Peter, resignedly returned to his old life, sees Jesus on the shore making breakfast of all things. This is God showing up in the ordinariness of human experience. Impulsively Peter jumps […]

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Anthony P. Carter tells of a life of faith and a journey through adversity in This I Know.

It’s mind-boggling how many times Jesus’ friends didn’t recognize him. I can’t imagine how I would not recognize one of my good friends after having lived with that person for an extended time. Even if my friend were wearing a disguise, wouldn’t there be something that might tip me off? Yet this is exactly what […]

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Anthony P. Carter tells of a life of faith and a journey through adversity in This I Know.

We all encounter suffering, either our own or someone else’s. Perhaps our suffering or the suffering we witness is not like Jesus’s agony on the cross or like my grandfather’s cancer journey, but in our own way we experience and witness hurt, abandonment, betrayal, loss, doubt, fear, or pain. It is hard to endure suffering […]

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Anthony P. Carter tells of a life of faith and a journey through adversity in This I Know.

This post is based on Week Seven of An Ignatian Prayer Adventure. Pilgrimage experiences teach great lessons in basic humanity, reaching limits, and dependence on others and God. Pilgrims learn the importance of being freed from false expectations and beliefs, and they come to truths about themselves and the world, learning new levels of compassion […]

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Anthony P. Carter tells of a life of faith and a journey through adversity in This I Know.

I’m in a period of discernment, not sure where God is calling me. I may discover that the old ways I’ve been doing things are no longer appropriate; in a sense, a part of me may have to die so that I can discover a new way of serving God. In this way, I will […]

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Anthony P. Carter tells of a life of faith and a journey through adversity in This I Know.

In Encounter Grace, Becky Eldredge references the story of the woman bent over for 18 years (Luke 13:11) and concludes, “While I was not physically bent over by a spirit, listening to other people’s voices over God’s was weighing me down.” Consider how the story of the woman resonates in your life and what weighs […]

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

Anthony P. Carter tells of a life of faith and a journey through adversity in This I Know.

This post is based on Week Six of An Ignatian Prayer Adventure. Before I was a Jesuit, I worked in the corporate world for an American computer company near London. Slowly I became tired of the self-indulgence of my carefree yuppie lifestyle, and I ended up in a bad place personally. The lack of purpose […]

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

Anthony P. Carter tells of a life of faith and a journey through adversity in This I Know.

The last straw that led to St. Augustine’s conversion to Christianity was the voice of a child, playing a game in which he chanted, “Take and read; take and read.” The voice led Augustine to pick up the Bible and read a passage from Romans, which made him look upon himself and the world in […]

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

Anthony P. Carter tells of a life of faith and a journey through adversity in This I Know.

Becky Eldredge suggests that when we feel lonely, we take a moment to remember we’re not alone. In the below video, Becky shares a simple prayer practice to feel the gift of God with us. As we take three breaths: “Breathe in the gift that God the Father is with us. Breathe in the gift […]

Click through to read the full article Finding God in Loneliness, which appeared first on Ignatian Spirituality.

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

Anthony P. Carter tells of a life of faith and a journey through adversity in This I Know.