“Newly confident, Mary says yes. Notice that she does so in absolute freedom. No one coerces her. And she was free to say no. Mary also makes her decision without appealing to a man. She doesn’t ask Joseph for permission.… — James Martin Copy Share Image
“At the time, I prayed to God only intermittently, and then mainly to ask for things, such as: “Please let me get an A on my next test.” “Please let me do well in Little League this year.” “Please let my skin clear up for the school picture.” I used to envision God as the Great Problem Solver, the one… — James Martin Copy Share
“What might our lives feel like if we didn’t march through them with a scorecard, keeping a tally of our failures and successes? How… — James Martin Copy Share Image
“True prayer wants others to flourish. If any still have a hard time praying for church leaders, they might use a prayer that I… — James Martin Copy Share Image
“define Ignatian spirituality in a few words, you could say that it is: Finding God in all things Becoming a contemplative in action Looking… — James Martin Copy Share Image
“In fact, respect, compassion, and sensitivity are undervalued gifts for dealing with conflict and disagreement in general, gifts that can be shared with the… — James Martin Copy Share Image
“Interestingly, the mascot of the Roman legion garrisoned in the region, the Legio X Fretensis, was a boar, which was emblazoned on its standard,… — James Martin Copy Share Image
“As I was deciding on what to select, George motioned me over to a shelf of merchandise. He held up an unusual Nativity scene.… — James Martin Copy Share Image
“Is it right for people to critique others for their supposed un-Christian attitudes by themselves being un-Christian?” — James Martin Copy Share
“Often, when we are in trouble, or doubting, or struggling, we rely on others to carry us to God. Just as often we must do the carrying, to help friends who are struggling. This is one of the many benefits of organized religion, as we all need others to help us find God. Even though we may disagree with others… — James Martin Copy Share
“The language of martyrdom and persecution is often the language of war. It forces a rupture between “us” and “them” and perpetuates and legitimizes an aggressive posture toward “the other” and “our enemies,” so that we can “defend the faith.” Without this posture and the polarized view of the world upon which it relies, we might—without compromising our religious or… — James Martin Copy Share
“My friend’s experience reminded me that the search for a perfect religious community is a futile one. As the Trappist monk Thomas Merton wrote in The Seven Storey Mountain, “The first and most elementary test of one’s call to the religious life—whether as a Jesuit, Franciscan, Cistercian or Carthusian—is the willingness to accept life in a community in which everybody… — James Martin Copy Share
“What would you concede if it didn’t matter who got the credit? What would no longer matter if you were not hostage to the… — James Martin Copy Share Image
