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Hope that requires a leap of faith
I’m privileged to share time with amazing folks through Ignatian Spirituality Project and Harmony, Hope & Healing, which offer spaces for people in recovery and experiencing homelessness to encounter God, community, and their true selves. Survivors of trauma, abuse, neglect, and self-harm tell their stories in hopes of experiencing healing and liberation.
As people share—about suffering, loss, shame, failure—every participant proclaims without hesitation their reliance on God. They sing about their dependence on their Savior. They work at their spiritual practice every single day, sometimes needing to begin again. They have hope – the kind that requires a real leap of faith. I wish I could say the same for myself some days.
If anyone is going to make it through the narrow gate described in today’s Gospel, I think it’s folks like these.
What can I learn from people who seem like the “last” according to the world?
—Katie Davis (MDiv, Loyola University Chicago) is a former Jesuit Volunteer/JVC Magis currently working as a Chaplain and Religious Studies teacher at St. Ignatius College Prep. She has served on the Advisory Board for Jesuit Connections and is a member of the Chicago Women’s Team for the Ignatian Spirituality Project. Katie preaches with the project Catholic Women Preach.
Aware of our privilege
For those of us inspired by the Jesuit charism, commitment to “a faith that does justice” may seem obvious. As people for and with others, we tend to align ourselves with those who care for the marginalized. We know we are blessed and that we must show concern for the suffering.
The Ignatian call to solidarity requires us not only to feel compassion toward the vulnerable, but to examine our privileges and their role in perpetuating injustice. How do we react when we are challenged to consider the ways our comforts contribute to the oppression of others: immigrants, refugees, women, people of color, people experiencing hunger and homelessness, LGBT folks? Do we find ourselves feeling defensive? Afraid? Attached?
We are the ones to whom much has been given and entrusted. As we encounter people in need, how can we do more to become aware of and intentional with our privilege?
—Katie Davis (MDiv, Loyola University Chicago) is a former Jesuit Volunteer/JVC Magis currently working as a Chaplain and Religious Studies teacher at St. Ignatius College Prep. She has served on the Advisory Board for Jesuit Connections and is a member of the Chicago Women’s Team for the Ignatian Spirituality Project. Katie preaches with the project Catholic Women Preach.
Going deeper for the magis
One of my favorite Ignatian ideals is magis, Latin for “more” or “greater.”
At first glance, aren’t the Pharisees and lawyers in today’s Gospel committed to doing more: tithing crops, attaining honor in the synagogue, holding others accountable?
“What does all that matter,” the impassioned Jesus argues, “without an authentic commitment to self-reflection, love, and justice?”
Jesus’ anger at this hypocrisy highlights that perceived “excellence” often becomes an idol, displacing the real depth to which magis calls us. Perhaps it is easier, less vulnerable, more instantly gratifying for us to achieve more than it is to go deeper. The “more” we seek requires us always to keep our eyes on God, the direction of our dedicated service.
In my life, how and when am I tempted to understand magis as “doing more things” instead of as “going deeper”? How can I commit more deeply to love and justice this day?
—Katie Davis (MDiv, Loyola University Chicago) is a former Jesuit Volunteer/JVC Magis currently working as a Chaplain and Religious Studies teacher at St. Ignatius College Prep. She has served on the Advisory Board for Jesuit Connections and is a member of the Chicago Women’s Team for the Ignatian Spirituality Project. Katie preaches with the project Catholic Women Preach.
Prayer
God of Peace,
Our comforting Calm in the stress of hectic days,
Our relieving Balance in the heaviness of competing responsibilities,
Our abiding Light in the darkness of painful struggles,
Strengthen our Church so we can create a community of caring support and loving challenge.
Humble us so that each day, we will rely on You, on trusted others, and on our truest selves.
Grant us the freedom that comes from truly focusing on You – that is, on Love – above all else.
Help us trust that this Love will lead us to true success
As we strive for the Magis –
more depth, more truth, more generosity –
in our everyday lives.
In the name of Jesus our Brother,
Who reminds us that we are never alone.
Amen.
—Katie Davis
Freedom to let go of what we love
The Ignatian practice of indifference helps us understand Jesus’ seemingly harsh message today. Indifference is freedom from anything that impedes our ability to love God, others, and ourselves. This stance creates freedom for that which enables us to love and live fully.
Cultivating indifference requires us to reflect on our relationships, our priorities, and our passions, but not because they are bad or meaningless. Rather, since everything is a gift, we must understand our loves within the context of God’s love. We can be passionate about these gifts while simultaneously being ready to let them go and knowing that God’s love continues flowing.
We should consider, too, that Jesus’ repeated indictments against hoarding possessions are not merely metaphors. Both Jesus and St. Ignatius name materialism as a particularly challenging impediment to discipleship—an attachment that pulls us away from God’s call for us.
What attachments prevent me from feeling free to follow Christ?
—Katie Davis (MDiv, Loyola University Chicago) is a former Jesuit Volunteer/JVC Magis currently working as a Chaplain and Religious Studies teacher at St. Ignatius College Prep. She has served on the Advisory Board for Jesuit Connections and is a member of the Chicago Women’s Team for the Ignatian Spirituality Project. Katie preaches with the project Catholic Women Preach.
Speak truth in love
Arrest. Persecution. Testifying before kings. Death. How privileged many of us are to live lives of faith free from such terrifying threats. We do not need to be martyrs, however, to face the real risk of discipleship. In moments major and mundane, we encounter invitations to speak truth to power – to stand on the side of the good and the loving, even when doing so might make us feel vulnerable and alone. This can cause complications at work and at home, with friends and others with whom we are at odds. The challenge for us disciples-in-progress is to trust, deep in our bones, God’s wisdom. If we stay rooted in that wisdom, the Spirit will grant us the words to speak.
How is God calling me to speak truth in love today? How can I trust the Spirit to guide my voice at home, at work, and in the world?
—Katie Davis is a former member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and JVC Magis currently working as a Chaplain and Religious Studies teacher at Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago. She serves on the Advisory Board for Jesuit Connections in Chicago and the Chicago Women’s Team for the Ignatian Spirituality Project.
Prayer
Holy Wisdom,
Who calls us to love and speak truth,
Help us to be rooted in You,
Especially in moments of vulnerability and challenge,
Through Jesus our Companion,
Amen.
—Katie Davis
Trust and Joy
When I was younger I loved to read. I would read almost anything I could get my hands on. Getting into a good book would take up hours of my time, time my other friends wanted to spend in different ways. Sitting with a book, for them, was painfully dull. I continued reading books, regardless of how lame my friends said it was. Reading brought me great joy and a sense of peace. It can be difficult to keep doing something, even something you love, when those close to you disagree and put you down for enjoying it. But if you know something is good and if it brings you true joy it is worth suffering for, even when the suffering is brought on from those closest to you. Trust that Christ will give you the strength to persevere through the suffering needed to gain the greatest joy and peace of all, eternal life with Him. —Matt Davis is a senior psychology major (with a minor in gender and health studies) at the University of Michigan. He is an active student leader at St. Mary’s Student Parish in Ann Arbor.Being Christ’s hands right now
If you’re like me, you might be struggling with the violence in today’s Gospel. Considering the context here is crucial. Once this conversation concludes, Jesus and his disciples enter Jerusalem. Though his friends don’t realize it yet, it’s about to get REAL.
Through this imaginative parable, Jesus invites them to consider their diverse talents: what roles are they called to play in this shared ministry? Jesus uses the drama to urge the disciples not to hold back the gifts he’s helped them discover, but rather to invest their love and their lives now.The poor, the outcast, the oppressed, and the sick need accompaniment now. Like the disciples, we must be Christ’s hands and feet now.
How am I using my gifts to contribute to the Reign of God? How passionately, how deeply, how urgently am I committed to co-creating a world of God’s love and justice? What holds me back?
—Katie Davis (MDiv, Loyola University Chicago) is a former Jesuit Volunteer/JVC Magis currently working as a Chaplain and Religious Studies teacher at St. Ignatius College Prep. She has served on the Advisory Board for Jesuit Connections and is a member of the Chicago Women’s Team for the Ignatian Spirituality Project. Katie preaches with the project Catholic Women Preach.
Three essential prayers
“Help. Thanks. Wow.”
Anne LaMott’s “Three Essential Prayers” feel particularly fitting as I read this Gospel while returning home from the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice.
Along with 1,300+ members of the Ignatian family, I spent three days immersed in nourishing prayer, vulnerable storytelling, excellent educational presentations, and inspiring advocacy. “It’s like medicine,” I tell people back home. Every year, we bring our brokenness and blessings, our anger at injustice and passion for creating change. We place at the center our world’s “Samaritans”—the outcast women, men, and children with whom Jesus calls us to live in solidarity. We are challenged to look honestly at the darkness in our Church, our country, and our own hearts and we are moved to choose and create light.
So I suppose this is the moment when I give praise to God. Thank You, thank You, thank You.
For what am I most grateful today?
—Katie Davis (MDiv, Loyola University Chicago) is a former Jesuit Volunteer/JVC Magis currently working as a Chaplain and Religious Studies teacher at St. Ignatius College Prep. She has served on the Advisory Board for Jesuit Connections and is a member of the Chicago Women’s Team for the Ignatian Spirituality Project. Katie preaches with the project Catholic Women Preach.
God’s comforting presence with us
As a liturgical musician, I cannot recall a single funeral Mass that did not include the beloved Michael Joncas classic, “On Eagles’ Wings.” Perhaps it’s the song’s wide range…its striking imagery…its emotional breadth…or simply people’s familiarity with it. Something about Joncas’ hymn, based in part on today’s passage from Exodus, soothes people’s grieving souls.
As we celebrate Pentecost, we are reminded of this earlier scene from God’s love story with God’s people. Calling the people to covenantal relationship, God tells them who they are and who they are called to be: born on eagles’ wings and brought to Godself, treasured, priestly, and holy. Amid this pandemic, many of us have ached for such assurance of God’s protection and ongoing presence with us.
Though likely not in lighting, clouds, and trumpet blasts, where, when, and with whom have I felt God’s comforting embrace? How can I invite God into my grief?
—Katie Davis-Crowder, MDiv (Loyola University Chicago), works as a Chaplain and Religious Studies teacher at Saint Ignatius College Prep and volunteers with the Ignatian Spirituality Project.
Come to God as you are
As I write this reflection, Mother’s Day has just passed. While there’s much to appreciate about my mom, I believe that what she and my late dad did best as my sister and I grew up was to delight in their children. They reveled in us being us—gifted and flawed—and we knew it.
At first glance, the essence of today’s Gospel seems to be contained in the first sentence; ask God, in Jesus’ name, for whatever you need, and you will receive it. While the clarity and generosity of this truth offer comfort, I am drawn instead to the second half of Jesus’ declaration. Go to God directly, as you are, he clarifies. God our Creator, the one Jesus calls Father, already loves us…already knows us…already delights in us.
What do I need from God today? What prevents me from going to God and asking for what I need?
—Katie Davis-Crowder, MDiv (Loyola University Chicago), works as a Chaplain and Religious Studies teacher at Saint Ignatius College Prep and volunteers with the Ignatian Spirituality Project.
Living fully alive
A few years ago, I got my second tattoo. Two words: fully alive. On the inside of my left wrist, the words facing me, my ink offers a consistent, oft needed reminder of St. Irenaeus’ words, “The glory of God is the human person fully alive.”
In his preaching and teaching, healing and companioning, suffering and dying, Jesus embodied the abundant life. Today’s Gospel reminds us that a full life like Jesus’ is not an easy life, but it’s the life we are called to live as disciples. Being fully alive requires us to love with our whole hearts, even in the face of uncertainty and risk. Pain is always possible. Only through such vulnerability can we cultivate true joy and connection.
What gets in the way of my living fully? If I get scared to love today, can I remember Jesus beside me, knowing what it’s like to be scared?
—Katie Davis-Crowder, MDiv (Loyola University Chicago), works as a Chaplain and Religious Studies teacher at Saint Ignatius College Prep and volunteers with the Ignatian Spirituality Project.
Trust that we are enough
“The opposite of scarcity is not abundance; … [it] is simply enough” (Brene Brown). The fear of scarcity has permeated our news and perhaps our own anxieties, from “Will there be enough toilet paper, hand sanitizer, or ventilators?” to “Am I doing enough?” for my family, for work, for the sick, for front line workers.
A common pitfall for us Jesuit-educated folks in the face of scarcity—certainly for me— is misguided magis (the more). We mask our fears of not having, doing, or being enough with our quest for excellence. Perhaps this was a struggle for the scribes, who depended on visible markers of success, or the rich, who gave publicly of their excess.
How can we respond to the poor widow’s alternative invitation: to acknowledge our poverties, to trust that what we have to offer is enough, and from that place, to give all we have for the greater glory of God?
—Katie Davis-Crowder, MDiv (Loyola University Chicago), works as a Chaplain and Religious Studies teacher at Saint Ignatius College Prep and volunteers with the Ignatian Spirituality Project.
Prayer
God of Abundance,
Help me to trust
That in Your eyes
I am enough.
Amen.
—Katie Davis-Crowder
A companion in Jesus
At Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, today’s Gospel is the framing Scripture passage for the morning prayer on Day 2 of our Kairos retreat. To begin to address the question “Who is Jesus?” we invite students into an Ignatian contemplation, to use their senses to imagine themselves as “onlooker-participants” in the scene. We consider the humanity of Jesus—his growth and learning, his feelings, and his relationships—and ponder what they might mean for us as disciples.
Today, as we navigate both the ongoing pandemic and our Gospel call to end racism and white supremacy, perhaps an encounter with Jesus’ humanity is precisely what we need. In Jesus, I find a companion on the way, one who knew what it was like to grow and learn over time, to feel deeply, and to be in meaningful relationship with others.
Might I be open to practicing Ignatian contemplation with Jesus today?
—Katie Davis-Crowder, MDiv (Loyola University Chicago), works as a Chaplain and Religious Studies teacher at Saint Ignatius College Prep and volunteers with the Ignatian Spirituality Project.
Prayer
Creator Spirit,
You move in and through our imaginations.
Help us to enter into the story of Jesus,
Who shows us what it means to be fully human,
So that we may see more clearly
God’s face in ourselves and each other.
Amen.
—Katie Davis-Crowder
Let your “yes” mean “yes”
As Americans reckon once again with the crushing sin of racism, both systemic and individual, Jesus’ command at the end of today’s Gospel challenges us.
If you’re like me, then our beloved Jesuit lexicon can feel like a blessing and a curse at times. While at their best, our various mottos and catchphrases beautifully capture our vision and promote true community, at their worst, they can become vague buzzwords that help us avoid the uncomfortable and complex.
Jesus calls us to clarity, integrity, and action. If “yes” means “yes” and “no” means “no”, there is no “maybe,” no “neutral,” in the face of injustice. Author and historian Ibram X. Kendi explains, “There’s no in between racial hierarchy or racial equality…injustice or justice…racist or anti-racist. There’s no ‘not racist’ sort of category.”
How can I say “no” to racism and “yes” to anti-racism today?
—Katie Davis-Crowder, MDiv (Loyola University Chicago), works as a Chaplain and Religious Studies teacher at Saint Ignatius College Prep and volunteers with the Ignatian Spirituality Project.
Blazing the trail
Disclaimer: I am a huge fan of John the Baptist (JTB, as I like to say). As a Type A hippie-wannabe, I dig his free-flowing locks and his penchant for berry and locust consumption.
As a campus minister, however, I am inspired above all by the way JTB embraces his role. He has only two areas of focus: 1) “the one who sent [him] to baptize with water,” i.e. God, and 2) the one he baptized, in whom he clearly witnesses the Spirit, i.e. Jesus.
It was never about him. JTB listened deep within for the guidance of God’s voice and followed it boldly, blazing a trail for Jesus. When Jesus emerged, JTB humbly stepped aside, striving not for his own acclaim, but only to magnify the Spirit of God uniquely present in Jesus. That is good ministry.
Who are the teachers/ministers/guides in my life who have blazed the trail for me?
—Katie Davis is a former member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and JVC Magis currently working as a Chaplain and Religious Studies teacher at Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago. She serves on the Advisory Board for Jesuit Connections in Chicago and the Chicago Women’s Team for the Ignatian Spirituality Project.
Make space for God
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…right? If you’re like me, there is a little part of you secretly longing for December 26th. Don’t get me wrong; I relish the Christmas spirit! But I started seeing Christmas items for sale seven weeks ago. And it makes me wonder how we’ve gotten so far off course.
Enter Jesus in today’s Gospel. Look at the way he spends his time: healing people in need and encouraging them to praise God for this holy encounter. Then, moved by compassion for the people, he ensures they have the nourishment they need. In the face of perceived scarcity, Jesus responds with a spirit of abundance, leading to more than enough for everyone.
This is the One who entered into the messiness of humanity as Emmanuel. How can we let go of the anxiety of holiday consumerism and make space for God with us?
—Katie Davis is a former member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and JVC Magis currently working as a Chaplain and Religious Studies teacher at Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago. She serves on the Advisory Board for Jesuit Connections in Chicago and the Chicago Women’s Team for the Ignatian Spirituality Project.
Prayer
God of Abundance,
Who nourishes our bodies and our souls,
Liberate us from the weight of materialism,
So that we might be free
to feed those most in need,
and to be fed by Love, Hope, and Peace—
gifts that truly sustain.
We ask this through Emmanuel, God with us,
Amen.
—Katie Davis
Pay attention
In her poem “Sometimes,” Mary Oliver writes:
Instructions for living a life:a
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.
It strikes me that Mary Oliver and the Apostle-evangelist John may be kindred spirits.
Throughout Jesus’ ministry, the apostles were awake (well, mostly) to experience firsthand, through their senses, his presence in first century Palestine.
They basked in the astonishment of fellowship with Jesus, which revealed to them who God is and who they were.
Finally – and this is crucial – their joy was made complete in the telling of the story.
This is the heart of our identity as Christians and as “Ignatians” – people attentive to “God in all things,” who stop and savor the wonder of it all, and who rejoice in sharing it with others.
What is keeping me from paying attention to God? What has astonished me lately? With whom can I share my noticing?
—Katie Davis is a former member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and JVC Magis currently working as a Chaplain and Religious Studies teacher at Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago. She serves on the Advisory Board for Jesuit Connections in Chicago and the Chicago Women’s Team for the Ignatian Spirituality Project.
Favored just as we are
For many of us, our relationships with our parents evolve as we do. The same holds true for my relationship with Mary. Last year, I had the wonderful opportunity to make the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius in everyday life. Much to my surprise, I was bowled over by meditating with today’s Gospel, which I had heard countless times before.
“Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” Not “The Lord will be with you if…” or “…will be with you when…” Mary was favored by God as she was – a poor, unmarried, young, lay woman. She was favored because she was – a remarkably generous, loving, faith-filled human being with dignity in and of herself. Mary’s radical availability as a person allowed her, in freedom, to welcome God into the home of her humanity.
Can I see myself as “favored” by God? What gets in my way of saying “Yes!”?
—Katie Davis is a former member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and JVC Magis currently working as a Chaplain and Religious Studies teacher at Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago. She serves on the Advisory Board for Jesuit Connections in Chicago and the Chicago Women’s Team for the Ignatian Spirituality Project.
Bring your burdens to Jesus
The weeks before Christmas overflow with reasons to be joyful. Though I certainly savor the wonderful festivities, a few years ago, my dad died on December 23. So each year at Christmastime, I experience some grief.
I suspect I am not alone in this. While some of us grieve losses, others struggle to love ourselves. Some of us carry physical or mental health burdens, while others deal with broken relationships. Violence, racism, and conflict in our world weigh all of us down.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus doesn’t tell us to grin and bear it because it’s Christmas! Rather, he invites us to bring our burdens to him and to bask in the comfort he offers our weary souls. He shares with us the hope of the Incarnation.
What burdens do I need to share with Jesus this Advent? Do I know anyone who needs special care this holiday season?
—Katie Davis is a former member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and JVC Magis currently working as a Chaplain and Religious Studies teacher at Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago. She serves on the Advisory Board for Jesuit Connections in Chicago and the Chicago Women’s Team for the Ignatian Spirituality Project.
Fearful Yet Overjoyed
In the musical Into the Woods, Little Red sings a song about the lessons she has learned on her journey. Grappling with the conflicting emotions evoked in moments of self-realization, she feels “excited! Well, excited and scared.”
Today’s Gospel highlights two women experiencing similar feelings in the face of discovery; they are “fearful yet overjoyed.” God empowers Mary Magdalene and the other Mary by revealing to them the Risen Christ, who sends them alone to spread the word to the apostles. In doing so, God gives the women a glimpse into God’s identity and, perhaps less obviously, a glimpse into their identity. These women, like us, are beloved disciples whose voices are needed to share the Good News. Exciting and scary. Yet Jesus assures us, “Do not be afraid.”
In this Easter season, amidst joy and fear, how can we use our authentic voices to spread the Gospel?
—Katie Davis is passionate about spirituality, social justice, and the arts. Hailing from the Philadelphia area, she studied musical theater at Catholic U., and then served as a Jesuit Volunteer in Houston and Chicago. Katie earned her M.Div. at Loyola Chicago and currently works as a Chaplain at St. Ignatius College Prep.