At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
To know God, we have to know Jesus. To know Jesus means we must recognize and affirm the virtues Jesus teaches in the Gospels, those virtues of charity, mercy, compassion, justice, etc.
St. Ignatius teaches us to be “contemplatives in action.” We should be constantly looking at the ways that God reveals himself to us in our lives. We should be constantly giving thanks for God’s unwavering support and love. I have interpreted “being a contemplative in action” as a call to make my life my prayer. I recognize God’s presence in the people I meet. I actively look for God when God’s presence may not be as obvious. I have learned to take this hypervigilant worldview as an opportunity to reflect on the ways I am upholding the aforementioned virtues, and in the ways I can do better. This way, I can come to know Jesus better.
—Michael Petterson is a senior at the University of Michigan and is an active member of St. Mary Student Parish in Ann Arbor, MI.
Lord, as I embark on this new day, open my eyes to your presence, so that I may come to better know and serve you. Amen
—Michael Petterson
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Ignatian spirituality reminds us that God pursues us in the routines of our home and work life, and in the hopes and fears of life's challenges. The founder of the Jesuits, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, created the Spiritual Exercises to deepen our relationship with Christ and to move our contemplation into service. May this prayer site anchor your day and strengthen your resolve to remember what truly matters.
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