It is about shifting my centre of gravity from self to God Jesus comes to us from the inside. He reaches us from within our experience, whatever it is. And the dispositions which open us to him belong to the poor, the immature, and the burdened. For they make no claims and have few defences. […]
Love is who God is, and what God does. Approaching Jesus, I then can begin to appreciate his truth, and I find courage then, as I learn more and more of Jesus, to appropriate not just what he stands for but who he is. In this way I begin to put into practice his way […]
I am resting while feeling restless Henri Nouwen In this process, as I approach Jesus I begin to appreciate his truth, his way – not as immutable propositions to believe – but as a way of being in the world that leads to life, peace, joy, freedom, compassion and hope. The stories Jesus offers us […]
Forgiveness is for giving. How I approach Jesus is crucial to my learning or experiencing him. I need to be open, trusting and receptive. I need to be patient, to take time for silent reflection, and to be prepared to suffer as I open myself to the challenges and changes that new truths bring. I […]
What Jesus offers is a way of being in the world that is real and authentic When Christians are described as followers of Jesus, it is important to be clear that we follow, not the Jesus of history, not just a set of teachings, but someone who is our contemporary, and who, because of the […]
Learning Jesus is discovering that he is an alive and contemporary Jesus. This is how God is; the one who shares our tiredness and burdens. And everything he said came out of his own lived experience of life and of God. Learning Jesus is awakening to the realisation that his inner experience is ours, if […]
Discernment is about sifting what is genuine or true from what is false Fr Philip Carter Am I experiencing a new freedom in my life in such a way that my decisions are more and more in keeping with my desire to know Jesus intimately, love him more intensely and follow him more closely? Vocation: […]
…what we’re seeking is an experience of being fully alive. Joseph Campbell Can I notice any difference between living out of the deep purposive movement of my soul and living out of my shallower, surface desires? The saint is the person who has discovered his/her deepest desire. They then “do their own thing” which is […]
The heart is commonly reached, not through the reason, but through the imagination. John Henry Newman Am I allowing my imagination to stimulate or encourage me to be in touch with and live out of my deepest desires? What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination will affect everything. Pedro Arrupe If God […]
Can I say this is what I want? Or at least, “I want to want it”? Is my faith – what I believe and how I am in the world – leading me towards freedom, compassion, generosity of spirit – or is it leading me towards greater anxiety, confusion or fear? Our disciplines of attending […]