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A new image for healthy boundaries
Last week, I was helping with a residency for the spiritual direction program at Divine Mercy University. There were 20 in the cohort – a beautiful and diverse mix of men and women, priests, deacons, and religious. This was their last residency before being given the green light to meet with people for spiritual direction (under the supervision of DMU). The residency included several role-plays on establishing a relationship, noticing things like transference, and most important of all, setting boundaries. Without boundaries, relationships in both spiritual direction and life can go awry. When this happens to me, I often end up stressed for being over-committed or feeling guilty for not…
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A new way to practice of the presence of God
I just finished leading a retreat which included reflections on practicing the presence of God. I used examples from the 17th-century spiritual classic, The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence set a high bar for being in the presence of God. He said, “We should establish ourselves in a sense of God’s Presence, by continually conversing with him.” (1st Conversation) Hear that: Continually. His biographer adds, “With him, set times for prayer were no different than other times.” (2nd Conversation) Brother Lawrence was not your typical spiritual master. He held a lowly position in a Carmelite monastery. He was their cook. Later, when he was unable…
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The best advocate in the chaos
There are times when we need an Advocate. We need someone to advance our cause, to put into words what we’re feeling, and to speak truth to the powers holding us back. The best Advocate of all is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father has sent in the name of Jesus. The gospel is part of Jesus's going away speech to his disciples. He makes this speech the night before he died. It is fitting that the church places this reading toward the end of Easter, in between the resurrection and Pentecost. He said, “I am going away and I will come back to you.” He continues, “The Advocate, the…
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But this is more than a moment to me…
I had a weird dream. A group was holding religious services in the chapel at the conference and retreat center where I used to work. They decorated the chapel with kitschy 70s disco decor as part of their worship. The entrance song began as the mirror ball turned and the colored lights danced around the dimly lit walls. Sounding like the Bee Gees, the choir changed the lyrics of their classic song, “More than a Woman”, to “More than a Moment”. In my dream, I thought how clever. To enter the space where God dwells, using a song to remind everyone that this is not just a point in time,…
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The Lord’s command: Be strong and courageous
“Don’t forget Laura.” That’s what several of the homeless people on my bus said as they pointed to a woman sitting alone in her walker in a distant parking lot. Because of her disability, she couldn’t walk down the grassy hill to the usual pick-up area. I made an extra stop. As I loaded her walker on the bus, she introduced herself to me . “Hi, I’m Laura. I’ve got M.S. That means I’m ‘Mighty Special’”. One of my most eye-opening experiences in working with the homeless is the sheer number of people with both physical and mental disabilities. Some say half of the homeless population is disabled. I might say more. …
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The most important part of prayer – remembering
Last month, I visited one of the oldest churches in Puebla, Mexico, the beautiful Templo de Convento de San Francisco. It was built by the Franciscans in 1516 as a monastery and place of worship. In one of the chapels of the church is the uncorrupted body of Blessed Brother Sebastián de Aparicio. He gave me a timeless lesson in the spiritual life: Remembering. Brother Sebastian had a fascinating life. He was born in poverty in 1502. He died in poverty in 1600. In between, he amassed a fortune building roads between the towns across Mexico. At the age of 73, he donated his wealth to the Poor Clares and…
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Mary sees her risen son. I see my mom.
There is a fascinating meditation in the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius: Imagine what it would be like if Jesus appeared to his mother after his resurrection. (#299) Though not recorded in scripture, it seems fitting that Mary would have been one of the people graced by the Lord’s resurrection appearances. This exercise took me in a surprising direction. As with all the Ignatian exercises, I imagined the scene. Mary was working in a garden surrounded by a rock wall. There was an open gate. It was early morning. The sun was rising through the gate. I felt the breeze and the sun’s warmth on my skin, smelled the fresh…
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How to keep the gift of divine mercy flowing
In scripture, there are two different images of the disciples. In the gospel (Jn 20:20), they're behind locked doors. They are afraid. At least one is filled with doubts. In Acts (5:12-16), they’re doing signs and wonders in the name of Jesus and drawing great crowds. What made the difference? Which image best describes your discipleship? Are you behind locked doors of your faith? Are you a little afraid of the threatening world? Do you doubt that God is doing anything about it? Or are you boldly proclaiming Jesus in the marketplace with your words and actions? Do signs and wonders accompany your life? Do you draw people from all…
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How Pope Francis Changed My Life
When a friend or family member dies, I often write a letter to that person in my journal. Below is the letter I wrote to Pope Francis the morning I heard of his death… Dear Pope Francis, I awoke this Easter Monday morning to the sad news of your death. You were truly my shepherd. Your message of hope and vision for a new creation changed the trajectory of my life. I think back. When you were elected Pope, I was a General Manager for a large steel company. My focus was on making steel products. I had reached the pinnacle of my career and wielded a certain amount of…
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This is what Jesus said you should also do…
In the gospel, Jesus gives a command. “As I have done for you, you should also do.” What did he do? A disgusting, humiliating task assigned to the lowest of slaves. He washed the dirty feet of the disciples. He said to them, and he says to me and you. “As I have done, you should also do.” You should give your life over to another out of love, even if that means performing the lowest, most humiliating task. You should become washers of dirty feet.
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