Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
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.
Setting aside time for the spiritual
“Their minds are set on earthly things,” Paul says of some in the Philippi community. Me too, Paul! Guilty as charged! Mine is a mind almost ever-occupied with earthly things: my next meal; the message I must return; the storekeeper who was just now rude to me (or rude a week ago); the fatuous junk scrolling by on social media. Indeed, even in the most solemn of moments, during the consecration at Mass, I may snap to attention, suddenly aware that I had been carried away by some worldly preoccupation. Does all that make me bad? No, just human. And there’s no cure for the human condition. But there are “therapeutics” to lessen the severity. You’re employing one of those therapeutics right now, dear reader, by intentionally setting aside even this minute or two to read and reflect on today’s Mass readings. Maybe you can carve out another few minutes each day for other spiritual therapeutics: Carrying a rosary in your pocket? Doing an Examen at night? Committing to do a five-minute Bible read every day?
—Chris Lowney, a Fordham University graduate and one-time Jesuit seminarian, currently vice chairs the board of one of America's largest hospital systems, CommonSpirit Health.
Loving God, we seek to put you at the forefront of our thoughts, but sometimes we fall short. Strengthen our resolve to put you first, and help our actions to follow from a greater focus on you. May we always remember that we are beloved by you. Amen.
—The Jesuit Prayer team
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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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