Over the course of the last few years, I felt a strong pull toward deleting my Twitter account. On multiple occasions, I opened my settings and hovered my cursor over the ‘delete account’ option, but I never clicked. After all, there were good reasons for staying on...
As a Jesuit I have to do a lot of traveling and this summer I have made every effort to plan my trips so that I could travel by bus. The bus is the most environmentally friendly option available to me and this summer is the hottest on record. Riding the bus is a very...
I’ve come to see that all of my temptations come from living one subtle lie: God might not be enough for me.1 My lifelong vows of poverty, chastity and obedience are nothing short of a constant reminder to myself and to the world that God is always enough.2 I did not...
If you received the sacrament of Confirmation as a teenager, you were most likely asked to memorize a list of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit as part of your preparation. As Catholic Christians, we believe that the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation indelibly...
Be humble, sit down. The words of Kendrick Lamar serve as a great summary of Jesus’ parable in today’s Gospel. Tim Breen, SJ, reflects on the importance of seeing the bigger picture and focusing less on ourselves. Based on the readings for Sunday, August...
When I was a teenager, I thought prayer was only private. When I prayed in private, it was a personal prayer between myself and God and saints. I sometimes wrestled with my prayers because I did not understand God’s love for me and felt uncomfortable accepting my...
How to Change Your Mind, the documentary miniseries now streaming on Netflix, is just the latest sign that the cultural landscape is shifting around psychedelics. Based on Michael Pollan’s New York Times bestselling book, the documentary was inspired by a recent...
How many will be saved? While some focus on questions about who goes to Heaven or Hell, Jesus reminds us to focus on our relationship with God. Brendan Gottshall, SJ, reflects in this week’s One-Minute Homily. Based on the readings for Sunday, August 21, 2022....
The following reflection is part of our “Jesuit 101” series, celebrating the Ignatian Year. This piece helps us to better understand the Jesuit Vows. To learn more, check out our explainer article: “Jesuit 101: Vows of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience.” Last summer, I...
Each year, Jesuits are required to go on an eight-day retreat. Generally, a Jesuit will have a handful of hourlong prayer periods meditating over a Scripture passage or a contemplation from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. With the exception of communal...