221 – Submission – Intention on the Spiritual Journey

Oct 22 (1 day ago) Last week I shared a prayer of St Teresa of Avila under the heading “abandonment.” I would like to continue the same line of thought this week with a few words from St Ignatius of Loyola, Take, … Continue reading

220 – Abandonment – Intention on the Spiritual Journey

Today, October 15, is the Feast Day of St Teresa of Avila.  In keeping with my practice of the past few years, I will offer today a quote from St Teresa’s writings.  I came across this while reading  Dwight H. … Continue reading

219 – Confession – Intention on the Spiritual Journey

Let’s follow up on our thinking about “walls” with this from M. Scott Peck (found in The Different Drum), Community requires the confession of brokenness. But how remarkable it is that in our culture brokenness must be “confessed.” We think of confession as … Continue reading

218 – Walls – Intention on the Spiritual Journey

Last week we heard Madeleine L’Engle warn us of the walls we can allow to be created between us and others. In part she wrote, “The house of God … is a cross where time and eternity meet, and where we are – … Continue reading

217 – Walls – Intention on the Spiritual Journey

Madeleine L’Engle has written, “Sometimes the very walls of our churches separate us from God and each other. In our various naves and sanctuaries we are safely separated from those outside, from other denominations, other religions, separated from the poor, the ugly, the … Continue reading

216 – Compassion – Intention on the Spiritual Journey

How do we measure the value or worth of spiritual practices?  How do we know if “we are getting anyplace”?  Should we even ask if it is “working” for us? Maybe some advice from the Desert Fathers and Mothers would be helpful, … Continue reading

215 – Silence – Intention on the Spiritual Journey

Let me break the morning silence by bringing a few words from Thomas Merton, “Music is pleasing not only because of the sound but because of the silence that is in it: without the alternation of sound and silence there would be … Continue reading

213 – Hearing – Intention on the Spiritual Journey

A while back I started receiving a daily selection from the writing of Frederick Buechner and recently this came to my inbox.  It immediately caused me to smile as I recognized much truth in it and I must admit also made me sad. … Continue reading