James Martin, SJ quickly tell us, “…this book…is not a guide to understand everything about everything (thus the Almost). Rather, it’s a guide to discovering how God can be found in every dimension of your life. How God can be found in everything. And everyone, too.” (p. 7).   Martin, with his typical humorous style, lights up topics on Ignatian spirituality, the role of desire, discernment, prayer, the vows, and more.

If you are exploring (discerning) a vocation, read, Chapter 3 “What Do You Want?” to learn how to recognize your own desires (like road signs) as a path leading you into God. Martin reminds us that “our deep desires help us know God’s desires for us and how much God desires to be with us” (p. 59). Like a skilled surgeon, he pinpoints the fact that our desires are often masked; presenting themselves from time to time as a sense of incompleteness, a longing for connection, and even feelings of vulnerability. At other times we may experience our desires as … continue reading…

“Bounce: Living the Resilient Life” by Robert J. Wick is the current selection in our book club, here at Sisters of Bon Secours Provincial House.  In fact, we just got together this week to discuss the new chapter. 

So far, Mr. Wick has taken us on a journey through our natural tendencies and reactions to stress, and is highlighting ways to use daily “debriefing” techniques and “self-talk” to stop the drain of valuable emotional energy.  It seems like it would be a nice book to take on a trip, where I could get away and really focus on the content and its meaning in my life right now.  So far, so good!
“Bounce treats us to ‘Have a Life!’ and live it more fully. Wicks helps us to develop hardiness, learn to debrief ourselves after a hard day, and create a personal self-care program we will actually follow. Insightful, practical, and often humorous, Bounce is the right tonic for the spirit that we need in today’s stressful world.” –Sister Helen Prejean, author … continue reading…

Ecology at the Heart of Faith
by: Denis Edwards
Orbis Books. Maryknoll, NY. 2006.

An Excerpt from the Introduction

One of the gifts we have received from the twentieth century is a picture of Earth as our shared home. The human community of the twenty-first century can see Earth as a blue-green planet set against the darkness of interstellar space. We are able to think of our home planet in the context of the vast distances of the Milky Way Galaxy and of the roughly one hundred billion galaxies that make up the observable universe, and be led to a new appreciation of Earth’s beauty and hospitality to life. We can see human beings as part of a global community, interconnected with other species and with the life systems of our planet. This represents a precious new moment in human cultural history.

At the same time we are confronted by the damage human beings are doing to the atmosphere, the soil, … continue reading…

Don’t wait for the Sabbath Day to find a little rest and relaxation. 

Pick up the book, “Sabbath” by Wayne Muller for some simple pointers for busy people.  It is a great read!

Barry opens up the issue of discernment in the church in order to help people bring their actual experience of God to bear not only on their own spiritual lives, but on the whole Christian community.