Philip Shano, SJ has many years of rich and varied experience working with Ignatian spirituality: teaching, writing and using it in his ministry. He resides in the Jesuit community in Pickering, Ontario.
581 posts
"Advent and Christmas are times to look to our desires and God's dreams for us. What invitations from God cause me to be fearful or reluctant? Is that fear really an invitation to ponder and move to a new level of trust in God?"...
"The Gospel for the Third Sunday of Advent has John the Baptist say, "I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal." Advent is a time to recognize our basic human unworthiness."...
"It's time to stop feeling "sympathy" for our aboriginal brothers and sisters and help them move toward rights and justice. So long as we call them victims and feel sorry for them, we are still maintaining a kind of power over them."...
"The 19th century Jesuit poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins, has a line in Hurrahing in Harvest that resonates with me as we come to the beginning of Advent. Hopkins says: “These things, these things were here and but the beholder wanting.”"...
"This final Sunday of the liturgical year is celebrated as the Feast of Christ the King. The days from now until next Sunday, the First Sunday of Advent, are devoted to eschatological themes"...
"The Church is invited to acknowledge the initial World Day of the Poor. Pope Francis said in his June 2017 letter instituting this particular World Day: “At the conclusion of the Jubilee of Mercy, I wanted to offer a World Day of the Poor, so that throughout the world Christian communities can become an ever greater sign of Christ’s charity for the least and those most in need.” "...
"We can learn from the whales and dolphins. They have a degree of intelligence that often surprises humans. Along with other mammals, humans need to enter an unconscious state when asleep in order to function properly. We normally do that each night, or at other times, for those who work shifts or those who suffer from insomnia."...
"The Gospel today is an invitation for us to examine the motivation with which we do things. Jesus contrasts those who “do all their deeds to be seen by others” and to be treated with respect, with those who see themselves as one among other brothers and sisters."...
November is a month of remembrance. This is natural, as fall has settled in and our thoughts are turning to the end of another year and the reminiscing that comes with that. Special days such as All Saints' Day, All Souls' Day and Remembrance Day all heighten that sense of the significance of reflecting and remembering....
"Today’s Gospel reiterates a simple and straightforward message that features prominently in Jesus’ teaching: love of God and neighbour. That love is total - “with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” It also includes love of self. . . How do I best show love to others?" ...
