Scripture
Mark 3: 20-21
Jesus came with his disciples into the house and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.”
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
Transformative Experiences
In my early years after college, I worked for four years in the Middle East. The whole experience was incredibly formative, transformative actually. Surprisingly, it was so much more difficult to return to the United States than going over initially. We had been prepared for a culture shock initially. But there was no similar preparation to return home. I recall giving deeply reflective answers to questions from family and friends, trying to share what, for me, was meaningful. Then their eyes would kind of glaze over and the next question was about the weather or some sports game on TV. I was confused and disappointed.
Over time, I realized that they could not possibly appreciate and understand these experiences because they were transformative interiorly. I had changed through these experiences, and they had not. This Gospel passage describes a similar sense: that Jesus’ family cannot understand or appreciate his own transformative experience and judged that he was “out of his mind.” A different Gospel passage narrates that Jesus said, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.”
I wonder whether a good sign of a deeply transformative experience is this sort of disconnect: such an experience is beyond words, beyond the ability to adequately explain. And that the real opportunity to share this with others are not the attempts to explain in words, but in the reality of one’s life: what interests you, what you talk about, what excites your imagination and hope.
—Fr. Glen Chun, SJ, a priest of the Midwest Province, is community minister of Bellarmine House of Studies in St. Louis.
Ignatian Prayer
Jan 24, 2026
Prayer
Falling in Love
Nothing is more practical than
finding God, than
falling in Love
in a quite absolute, final way.
What you are in love with,
what seizes your imagination,
will affect everything.
It will decide
what will get you out of bed in the morning,
what you do with your evenings,
how you spend your weekends,
what you read,
whom you know,
what breaks your heart,
and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.
Fall in Love,
stay in love,
and it will decide everything.
—Fr. Joseph Whelan, SJ, typically attributed to Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ
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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