In the final talk of our Lenten Retreat, Damian asks once again, "Who do you say that I am?" In recognizing all that God has given to us, we express our gratitude by giving ourselves completely to God. This singular act of making God and God’s will central to our lives predisposes us to give everything good to those around us in the way God calls us to give. Spiritual Exercises:  Contemplatio: Contemplation to Attain Love Suggested Scripture for prayer:  1 John 4:7-21 Romans 8:31-39 Colossians 3:5-17 Song: Take, O Lord, And Receive by Lorraine Hess With Every Act of Love by Jaso ..read more

Does God’s love for us ignite our head, heart, and feet to follow Christ? After taking a look at our sins we are met with a healthy and good dose of confusion for God’s immense love for us. And so we ask ourselves, are we disciples of Christ?  Spiritual Exercises:  Colloquy with Jesus on the Cross Suggested Scripture for prayer:  Matthew 25:31-46 Questions for reflection: What am I doing for Christ? What have I done for Christ? What ought I do for Christ? Song: How Deep the Father’s Love for Us sung by Anna Golden Lord, I Need You by Matt Maher A Safe Place to ..read more

In our on-going desire to seek God in all things, the further we can get from discovering the effects of our sinfulness. A pinnacle of the First Week of the Spiritual Exercises, we look deeply into our sins in order to see God’s profound love for us. Spiritual Exercises:  Meditation on Hell Suggested Scripture for prayer:  Luke 16:19-31 Song: Be Still by The Fray I Need You to Survive by Hezekiah Walker, Love Fellowship Choir Print or download the following PDF for helpful materials to help you reflect on the talk: https://bit.ly/LentenRetreatTalk6 ..read more

In this fourth week of our retreat, we delve into personal sins. After placing sin in its proper context in our history and in our world, we can look at how sin affects the humanity of our personhood. And, in looking at our sins, we discover that regardless of what we do, God loves us deeply and unflinchingly anyway. Spiritual Exercises:  The Triple Colloquy: Conversation with Mary, Jesus, and God Suggested Scripture for prayer:  There are no specific scripture passages for this week's talk, but if you would like to reflect on scripture, consider the following: Judges 6 Luke 18 ..read more

In this fourth week of our retreat, we delve into personal sins. After placing sin in its proper context in our history and in our world, we can look at how sin affects the humanity of our personhood. And, in looking at our sins, we discover that regardless of what we do, God loves us deeply and unflinchingly anyway. Spiritual Exercises: Meditation on Our Own History of Sin Suggested Scripture for prayer: 1 John 1:5-2:2 Matthew 5:21-24 Psalm 130 Questions for reflection: Review the PDF below for three suggestions for prayer. Song: If You Can Hear Me by Ben Rector Reclaim Your Sheep by L ..read more

In the 3rd talk of our Lenten Retreat, we continue to contemplate our identity and how much God loves us. To come to a profound awareness of this love, Ignatius desires us to put sin in its proper perspective: sin as systemic and all around us. We may not like to think about sin, but Damian reflects on what it reveals about God and ourselves. We are sinners, and we are sinners loved by God. Spiritual Exercises: The First, Second, and Third Sin Suggested Scripture for prayer: Luke 7:37-50 Galatians 5:16-26 Psalm 51 Questions for reflection: Take a moment to reflect on the three stories: T ..read more

Damian sets up the retreat by letting us know the focus of these 40-days of Lent will be on the First Week of the Spiritual Exercises. And as we begin, we discover that our entire life is a gift in which we have one goal. St. Ignatius posits this goal is also our identity. To help us understand our goal and our identity, Ignatius offers us the Principle and Foundation, which is the mission of our lives. Damian breaks open this Principle and Foundation and offers a suggestion on how we can better identify ourselves with God. Spiritual Exercises: The First Principle and Foundation The Examen S ..read more

This talk introduces the theme of the retreat, Who Do You Say That I Am. It breaks open St. Ignatius’s strategy of “Spiritual Exercises” and what was hoped for by someone taking on these Exercises. The foundation of the entire retreat is getting to see a little more clearly who God is and who we are in God’s eyes. Damian reflects on how God created us in God’s image and so knows us immediately before even forming us. Verse: So God created humankind in God’s image, in the image of God, God created them, human persons God created them. (Genesis 1:27) Spiritual Exercise: Annotation 1/2 Suggested ..read more

In the Fourth Week of the Spiritual Exercises, we focus on the risen Christ. He has passed through the suffering of the cross and entered into his glory. Desiring that others share his joy, he goes about consoling all who were deeply shaken by his death. David ponders several scriptural accounts of resurrection encounters, as well as an imagined reunion between Jesus and Mary. He concludes with a light-hearted story of his own prayer at the empty tomb in Jerusalem. Verse: I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. (John 15:11) Spiritual Exercise: Fourth Wee ..read more

Jesus laid down his life on the cross to save us from sin and death. We may experience different reactions to this greatest act of love. In this Third Week talk, David reflects on several of them. Given the suffering the world has seen these past few years, we may need to grieve before the cross. We could admire the way Jesus patiently suffered, always keeping his focus on others. We might imagine how those close to Jesus felt a spark of hope on Holy Saturday while waiting for the promised third day. No matter what our reaction is, David invites us to trust that God is leading our prayer. Vers ..read more