Tag Archives: Hafiz

The Best Day Ever

Posted on August 2, 2019 by

This is the second post about what happened on my 8-day silent retreat in July. If you haven’t read last week’s post, I encourage you to do that before you read today’s. “I’d like you to pray the third exercise … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, Ignatian Spirituality, Prayer, Reflections, Seed Cracked Open, Spiritual Direction, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Inseparable

Posted on June 7, 2019 by

Fred and I gathered on Vancouver Island with family and friends of my nephew Lee to spread his ashes. Some came just for the ceremony, some for a few days and, others, like us, stayed for the whole week to … Continue reading →

Posted in Prayer, Reflections, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Advent II: Yearning

Posted on December 7, 2018 by

Instead of the usual Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, I have chosen different words for each week in Advent this year. A few weeks ago Fred and I had a Groupon for a restaurant in the Vancouver’s West End. We … Continue reading →

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Don’t Do a Thing

Posted on August 6, 2018 by

My Eight-Day Retreat: Part 2 “I don’t enjoy praying for a whole hour,” I admitted to Father Roshan on the third morning of my eight-day retreat. His eyes widened for half a second. But he didn’t question me. He just … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Prayer, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Led Into the Storm

Posted on July 21, 2017 by

If you haven’t already noticed, I love efficiency. I often look back on the chaotic, haphazard way I’ve arrived at a solution and–with a sigh–see a simpler, more direct route. It’s easy to assume that I did something wrong, it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Prayer, Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Flies and Cold Fish

Posted on June 2, 2017 by

I’ve been doing too much, thinking too much. I’m so full of thoughts about what I have to do, my prayer times are inundated with them. I try to push them away, but each one promises to be the thought that will … Continue reading →

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Loving Certain People

Posted on March 3, 2017 by

“I love mankind. It’s people I can’t stand,” exclaimed Linus Van Pelt decades ago in the cartoon strip Peanuts. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say, “It’s certain people I can’t stand.” When I see certain people do things that annoy … Continue reading →

Posted in Lent, Poetry, Poverty of Spirit, Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

DIY Prayer Retreat #9: Living Out Our God-Created Identity

Posted on March 2, 2017 by

Here is another one-day prayer/silent retreat outline I put together for our contemplative group. You’ll find the introduction to Do It Yourself group prayer retreats here and other outlines under resources. Living Out Our God-Created Identity Introduction: Gather together, light a candle and take time … Continue reading →

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Anointed

Posted on June 17, 2016 by

“Wow, what a powerful quote! It would be awesome if the world could live like this,” said a friend after reading this quote from last week’s blog post. You stand with the least likely to succeed until success is succeeded by … Continue reading →

Posted in Overeating, Reflections, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Weighted Blessing

Posted on October 16, 2015 by

The Mountain Ash tree in my parents’ backyard was heavily laden with berries. There must have been two hundred clusters of them. “Won’t they make a big mess when they fall off?” I asked my eighty-seven-year-old father. Dad reassured me that … Continue reading →

Posted in Poetry, Poverty of Spirit, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment