The Examen with Fr. James Martin, SJ

Because today is Monday, we have a new reflection for the week.

Easter, as one of my Jesuit friends always reminds me, is not just a day, but a whole liturgical season. This makes sense, of course. The Easter event, that is, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, is simply too big a truth to be celebrated in just one day. Notice I didn’t say a truth to be “understood,” I said “celebrated.” Because, in the end, the Resurrection is a mystery, something to be pondered not to be figured out. But that besides pondering the mystery of the Resurrection in our prayer, we can also see signs of it in our lives. Places that seemed dead suddenly come alive. Relationships that had been frozen over thaw, and then warm. Parts of ourselves that seem impossible for God to change suddenly turn around, and we find ourselves growing. So perhaps one invitation this week is to look for signs of the Resurrection within you. Where do you see the mystery of new life in your daily life? And, Happy Easter.

Because today is Monday, we have a new reflection for the week.

Easter, as one of my Jesuit friends always reminds me, is not just a day, but a whole liturgical season. This makes sense, of course. The Easter event, that is, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, is simply too big a truth to be celebrated in just one day. Notice I didn’t say a truth to be “understood,” I said “celebrated.” Because, in the end, the Resurrection is a mystery, something to be pondered not to be figured out. But that besides pondering the mystery of the Resurrection in our prayer, we can also see signs of it in our lives. Places that seemed dead suddenly come alive. Relationships that had been frozen over thaw, and then warm. Parts of ourselves that seem impossible for God to change suddenly turn around, and we find ourselves growing. So perhaps one invitation this week is to look for signs of the Resurrection within you. Where do you see the mystery of new life in your daily life? And, Happy Easter.

A new reflection for the 3rd week of Easter will be added on Monday.

I tend to think that Thomas’s nickname, “Doubting Thomas,” is pretty unfair. I mean, Thomas could be forgiven for not believing the other disciples when they reported that they had seen Jesus rise from the dead.  After all, no one had done that before, so how could he not doubt a bit? On the other hand, Thomas had spent enough time with his friends to know that they wouldn’t lie about something so important, so life changing.  Thomas’s problem was not that he wouldn’t believe but that he wouldn’t believe his friends. So perhaps you could ask yourself this week how the faith of other people—friends, family members, parishioners, even people you’ve not met but admire—helps to strengthen your own.  And Happy Easter!

A new reflection for the 3rd week of Easter will be added on Monday.

I tend to think that Thomas’s nickname, “Doubting Thomas,” is pretty unfair. I mean, Thomas could be forgiven for not believing the other disciples when they reported that they had seen Jesus rise from the dead.  After all, no one had done that before, so how could he not doubt a bit? On the other hand, Thomas had spent enough time with his friends to know that they wouldn’t lie about something so important, so life changing.  Thomas’s problem was not that he wouldn’t believe but that he wouldn’t believe his friends. So perhaps you could ask yourself this week how the faith of other people—friends, family members, parishioners, even people you’ve not met but admire—helps to strengthen your own.  And Happy Easter!

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 2nd Week of Easter. New reflections will be added every Monday.

I tend to think that Thomas’s nickname, “Doubting Thomas,” is pretty unfair. I mean, Thomas could be forgiven for not believing the other disciples when they reported that they had seen Jesus rise from the dead.  After all, no one had done that before, so how could he not doubt a bit? On the other hand, Thomas had spent enough time with his friends to know that they wouldn’t lie about something so important, so life changing.  Thomas’s problem was not that he wouldn’t believe but that he wouldn’t believe his friends. So perhaps you could ask yourself this week how the faith of other people—friends, family members, parishioners, even people you’ve not met but admire—helps to strengthen your own.  And Happy Easter!

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 2nd Week of Easter. New reflections will be added every Monday.

I tend to think that Thomas’s nickname, “Doubting Thomas,” is pretty unfair. I mean, Thomas could be forgiven for not believing the other disciples when they reported that they had seen Jesus rise from the dead.  After all, no one had done that before, so how could he not doubt a bit? On the other hand, Thomas had spent enough time with his friends to know that they wouldn’t lie about something so important, so life changing.  Thomas’s problem was not that he wouldn’t believe but that he wouldn’t believe his friends. So perhaps you could ask yourself this week how the faith of other people—friends, family members, parishioners, even people you’ve not met but admire—helps to strengthen your own.  And Happy Easter!

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 2nd Week of Easter. New reflections will be added every Monday.

I tend to think that Thomas’s nickname, “Doubting Thomas,” is pretty unfair. I mean, Thomas could be forgiven for not believing the other disciples when they reported that they had seen Jesus rise from the dead.  After all, no one had done that before, so how could he not doubt a bit? On the other hand, Thomas had spent enough time with his friends to know that they wouldn’t lie about something so important, so life changing.  Thomas’s problem was not that he wouldn’t believe but that he wouldn’t believe his friends. So perhaps you could ask yourself this week how the faith of other people—friends, family members, parishioners, even people you’ve not met but admire—helps to strengthen your own.  And Happy Easter!

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 2nd Week of Easter. New reflections will be added every Monday.

I tend to think that Thomas’s nickname, “Doubting Thomas,” is pretty unfair. I mean, Thomas could be forgiven for not believing the other disciples when they reported that they had seen Jesus rise from the dead.  After all, no one had done that before, so how could he not doubt a bit? On the other hand, Thomas had spent enough time with his friends to know that they wouldn’t lie about something so important, so life changing.  Thomas’s problem was not that he wouldn’t believe but that he wouldn’t believe his friends. So perhaps you could ask yourself this week how the faith of other people—friends, family members, parishioners, even people you’ve not met but admire—helps to strengthen your own.  And Happy Easter!

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 2nd Week of Easter. New reflections will be added every Monday.

I tend to think that Thomas’s nickname, “Doubting Thomas,” is pretty unfair. I mean, Thomas could be forgiven for not believing the other disciples when they reported that they had seen Jesus rise from the dead.  After all, no one had done that before, so how could he not doubt a bit? On the other hand, Thomas had spent enough time with his friends to know that they wouldn’t lie about something so important, so life changing.  Thomas’s problem was not that he wouldn’t believe but that he wouldn’t believe his friends. So perhaps you could ask yourself this week how the faith of other people—friends, family members, parishioners, even people you’ve not met but admire—helps to strengthen your own.  And Happy Easter!

We'll continue to use the same reflection and examen for the rest of the 2nd Week of Easter. New reflections will be added every Monday.

I tend to think that Thomas’s nickname, “Doubting Thomas,” is pretty unfair. I mean, Thomas could be forgiven for not believing the other disciples when they reported that they had seen Jesus rise from the dead.  After all, no one had done that before, so how could he not doubt a bit? On the other hand, Thomas had spent enough time with his friends to know that they wouldn’t lie about something so important, so life changing.  Thomas’s problem was not that he wouldn’t believe but that he wouldn’t believe his friends. So perhaps you could ask yourself this week how the faith of other people—friends, family members, parishioners, even people you’ve not met but admire—helps to strengthen your own.  And Happy Easter!