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- Written by EJ Sweeney
Have you ever tried Ignatian prayer? Have you ever heard of Ignatian prayer before? Do you have any idea what I’m talking about!
Ignatius of Loyola was the founder of the Jesuits, one of the largest and most influential religious orders in the Catholic Church. He was also a mystic, someone who had phenomenal experiences of God. One of the prayer techniques which he regularly used and which every Jesuit to this day is taught, is called Ignatian prayer.
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- Written by EJ Sweeney
Two years ago, I saw the most remarkable thing I’ve ever seen in church. I was completely taken aback. It was after the service. I had decided to stay a few minutes and say a few prayers, to spend some time with the Lord. I was sitting about halfway up on the left hand side of the church. When I turned to leave, I noticed that there was only one other person in the church at that moment, a young woman who was sitting on the right side of the church toward the back.
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- Written by EJ Sweeney
Let me pose a “does a tree falling in a forest with nobody around to hear it make a sound” kind of question: Can God be vulnerable? Well, on the one hand, obviously not. He’s all-powerful. Immortal. Transcendent. By nature, one of the most obvious things about God is that He is immune to any weakness, pain, or rejection. But if this is true, then He isn’t affected by anything that happens to us. In which case, He’s indifferent to us. In which case, He can’t be a God of infinite goodness and love. So, on the other hand, being a God of love, obviously yes. He can—He has to be—vulnerable. Uggggggh! Which is it?
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- Written by EJ Sweeney
“Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” One of the most popular passages in the Bible is the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11. Here’s why.
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- Written by EJ Sweeney
Last week, many churches celebrated the “Baptism of the Lord”. In churches that follow a liturgical calendar, the readings that follow the Christmas season focus on the baptism of Jesus, the start of His public ministry. One of the readings that is often used is a passage from the beginning of Mark’s gospel that describes Jesus’ baptism. (Mark 1:9-11) This passage reveals a stunning truth that, for most of my life, I always missed.
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- Written by EJ Sweeney
How are you? We ask this question all the time, from the stranger passing us on the street to the people we know best. But most of the time, we don’t really want to know. We don’t want to stop and find out how people are really doing. Most of the time, we expect them to say nothing more than, “Good, thanks. How are you?”, and move on. Most of the time, this question is nothing more than a polite greeting, another way of saying “Hello”. Why? Why don’t we want to know how people are?
