Much of this end-of-year series exploring values and goals in the sacred life will be spent in the contemporary worlds of positive psychology and coaching; this week’s practice, however, comes from the Ignatian Christian spiritual tradition, which like these more recent disciplines, understands the importance of putting our life under the microscope to see what … Continue reading Discernment of Desires
There’s a seeming contradiction in our tradition of Advent. On the one hand, it’s a time of waiting patiently in the darkness of life for the beautiful in-breaking of God, in the coming of Jesus: We as a people living in darkness wait eagerly to see the Great Light. Yet at the same time, it … Continue reading When the Dawn Comes
Two recent practices I’ve explored here, Monitoring and Equanimity, both talked about values. Values have also come to mind recently since the new year is fast approaching and it’s a natural time to think more closely about my values as I look back on the year that has been and forward to the year that … Continue reading Identify your values
My favorite metaphor for understanding the different seasons of the Church year is that of light. It most logically belongs to the season of Epiphany, but I think it plays nicely with the themes for the rest of the year. If Christmas and Epiphany are the seasons when we proclaim: “The people living in darkness … Continue reading Who’s Afraid of the Dark? (An Advent Reflection)
After last week’s exciting foray into the Scriptures with the practice of Havruta, this week I decided to explore a practice that is a goal and ideal of most religious traditions, something that is an essential component of living a balanced and contented life in a turbulent world. This week, I explored a practice of … Continue reading Equanimity
Matthew Root 