Bill Clarke, SJ, is a member of the team of spiritual directors at Loyola House of Ignatius Jesuit Centre of Guelph and continues his commitment to L'Arche.
12 posts
"During this pandemic how are we inviting Jesus to deepen his healing and life giving presence in our hearts, in our families and in our world? Or in another way how is Jesus encouraging and supporting us to live this precious time with Him?"...
" . . these failures make me more aware of my need for God to come more deeply into my heart, into my life and into our world."...
" During these years many wonderful trees have befriended me in a way that is totally surprising to me. It was a tree that took the initiative in one of the early years."...
"On one occasion I could hear the leaves and the wind whispering to each other and see the branches gently swaying to the wind’s rhythms. I seemed to hear the message; “Tell them to listen and let the Spirit move them”. "...
"Jean’s spirit continues to infuse these communities with his vision that each and every human being whatever their gifts or limitations are a valued precious child of God that can contribute to the well being of our world."...
"Hopefully our Lenten journey will be a time to choose more deeply and consistently our belovedness."...
"There are so many people and even whole countries that are experience desperate poverty with children and other vulnerable people by the thousands even millions dying each day. It is shamefully little for me to experience a bit of hunger from time to time. "...
"My favourite poet Gerard Manley Hopkins says it well in his Spring with the opening line: “Nothing is so beautiful as Spring –“ and later in the poem asks; “What is all this juice and all this joy”?"...
A small child sees these pretty little yellow flowers and with great delight picks a bouquet as a love offering for "mommy" who receives the gift with great delight. The lowly dandelion is more than just a pretty face however. It labours constantly with the earth for our well being. Sending down its long tap root it loosens and aerates the soil and brings much needed nutrients more to the surface to feed other plant life with shallower root systems....
I was sitting with a group of people in the peaceful, prayerful atmosphere of the Loyola House chapel listening to Father Eric leading us in a personal reflection as part of an evening service of reconciliation. He was suggesting that sometimes there is buried in our memories an experience, perhaps even going back to early childhood, where we have been hurt or have hurt someone in a way that leaves us in need of healing or forgiveness. As I thought about this, to my surprise the memory of a little brown coat came to me and I had to struggle to hold back the tears....
