Scripture
Jeremiah 2: 1-3, 7-8, 12-13
The word of the Lord came to me, saying: Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord:
I remember the devotion of your youth,
your love as a bride,
how you followed me in the wilderness,
in a land not sown.
Israel was holy to the Lord,
the first fruits of his harvest.
All who ate of it were held guilty;
disaster came upon them,
says the Lord.
I brought you into a plentiful land
to eat its fruits and its good things.
But when you entered you defiled my land,
and made my heritage an abomination.
The priests did not say, “Where is the Lord?”
Those who handle the law did not know me;
the rulers transgressed against me;
the prophets prophesied by Baal,
and went after things that do not profit.
Be appalled, O heavens, at this,
be shocked, be utterly desolate,
says the Lord,
for my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me,
the fountain of living water,
and dug out cisterns for themselves,
cracked cisterns
that can hold no water.
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.
Ignatian Reflection
Faith of Our Youth
Do you remember the devotion of your youth? In our first reading, God reminds Israel of a time when they loved God fiercely, when they trusted God entirely.
I recently heard an older woman speak about a retreat in which she spent every day revisiting memories from her childhood with God. Spiritual moments, experiences of devotion, times when God felt present to her as a young child. Perhaps many of us have some moments like this, maybe buried deep.
There can be a temptation to forget those moments, view them as childish, or even to scorn them. We might think they somehow mean less for the more “mature” spirituality that we have now.
I suspect if we search our hearts for one or two of those moments from our youth, we will be consoled. We might even find a less complicated, and freer faith than we have now.
—Billy Critchley-Menor, SJ, is a Jesuit of the Midwest Province; he writes on Substack at From Every Side and is the author of As It Is: Poems. He currently studies at Boston College.
Ignatian Prayer
Jul 23, 2026
Prayer
Lord, you told your disciples to let the children come to you, and said that the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Grant me a childlike faith and trust in you that I may follow you freely. Amen.
—Jesuit Prayer team
The Daily Examen is a prayer technique developed by St. Ignatius to help us reflect on the events of the day to discern God's presence and direction. When Ignatius founded the Society of Jesus, he required the Jesuits to practice the Examen twice daily—at noon and at the end of the day. It's a habit that Jesuits, and many other Christians, practice to this day.
The Examen structure presented below is adapted from a technique described by Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises. Click here for more information from our partners in ministry at Loyola Press.
Daily Examen
1. Become aware of God's presence
God, I believe that at this moment I am in your presence and you are loving me.
2. Review the day with gratitude
God, you know my needs better than I know them. Give me your light and your help to see how you have been with me, both yesterday and today.
3. Pay attention to your emotions
God, help me to be grateful for the moments when people have affirmed me and challenged me. Help me to see how I have responded, and whether I have been kind to others and open to growth.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it
God, forgive me for when I have not done my best or have failed to treat others well. Encourage me, guide me, and continue to bless me.
5. Look toward tomorrow
As I look to the remainder of this day, make me aware that you are with me. Show me how to be the person you want me to be.
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