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This year's Easter service made me think of other Lenten reading that has helped me grapple with the prosaic, day-to-day realities of living my faith.

Being human means being in relationship. Being human also means being in need.

In the midst of their busy lives...

Even though God is always calling us to constant conversion & growth, & even though we are imperfect & sometimes sinful people, God loves us as we are now.... [In the New Testament,] Jesus often calls people to conversion, to cease sinning, to change their lives, but he doesn‘t wait until they have done so before meeting them. He enters in relationship with them as he finds them.

Nor does holiness mean perfection: the saints were always flawed, limited, human. Holiness always makes its home in humanity.

“In the bright sunshine of God‘s love, your shadows begin to emerge.”

Bill Creed

Gratitude, peace, and joy are ways that God communicates with us. During these times, we are feeling a real connection with God, though we might not initially identify it as such.

Great introductory book to Jesuit and Ignatian spirituality and contemplative Christian practices. I liked how open the author makes the techniques he describes to readers of other religious traditions. My main takeaway from this book was the insight on how to integrate contemplation and spirituality into our busy lives instead of separating our spirituality from all the rest - what Martin calls being "contemplatives in action."

“There‘s no need to be deadly serious about religion or spirituality, because joy, humor, and laughter are gifts from God.”

"For no part of a life cannot be transformed by God‘s love. Even the aspects of ourselves that we consider worthless, or sinful, can be made worthwhile and holy. As the proverb has it, God writes straight with crooked lines.”

I've been reading this book since January and I'm taking my time because I found that when I pause and open it again after a while, the words seem to be written just for me. 💛