The Spiritual Exercises offer a way of learning to pray and to talk about God. They offer a way to express one’s relationship with Christ with oneself, others, the world, and the Church.

Pope Francis has made it very clear how the future of the earth and the future of humanity are linked. This is especially true for the most vulnerable. Francis often reminds us that caring for and healing the planet is part of our Christian calling.

Recently, Fr. Arturo Sosa, SJ, invited Jesuits and Jesuit institutions to implement the second phase of the Universal Apostolic Preferences. He encourages us to use our imagination as we embark on the second stage.

As we begin the season of Lent, there are different prayer practices we turn to during the forty days of the season. Penance is one of these practices I have always connected with. It helps "lower my guard" as I am made more open to God's action in my life.

May this liturgical season help us to open ourselves to God's grace so that he transforms us into a people for others. Below, please find a few resources and programs from OIS and across the Ignatian community to help deepen your prayer this Lent.

Parenting is certainly a team effort, and parents can find nourishment in the profound wisdom of Ignatius, the Exercises, and Ignatian Spirituality.

We invite parents in their 20s-40s to be part of our upcoming Jesuit Connections program, Parenting Through the Lens of Ignatian Spirituality: A Community Conversation. This three-part online series will be an opportunity for parents inspired by Ignatian spirituality to come together to reflect on the joys and challenges of raising children. Fr. John Siberski, SJ, will open the gathering with a short reflection. Please feel free to join us for one or all of these community gatherings.

As we begin the season of Advent, we reflect on the opportunity presented in the Responsorial Psalm from the First Sunday of Advent, “Lord, make us turn to you.” We invite you to "reflect and take advantage" (“reflectir y sacar provecho”) of the season of Advent. Our office has prepared magnificent possibilities to turn to the Lord for these weeks.

I pray that this invitation, very Ignatian of course, is part of our prayer and conversation.

The time is near.

As we celebrate the month of All Saints and All Souls, we also turn our attention to the Holy Land, and the ongoing war and conflict that persists in the Middle East.

During this time of violence, it is important to remember that we are not just part of one Ignatian family, but also part of a global community. The Society of Jesus has had a presence in both Israel and Palestine for many years now.

The global Society of Jesus issued the following statement last week about the situation. Please read it. Sit with it. Spend time to pray with it.

And join us in embracing the invitation and call to advocate for peace.

This week we launched a new website for our Ignatian Hispanic Ministries (Ministerio Hispano Ignaciano). We are working hard to offer those who feel more comfortable in Spanish a space to learn about Ignatian spirituality and interact with our team, mainly Sindy Collazo and Zandra Schiemann. Read the OIS October 2023 Newsletter here.

When we pray for the desire to live our lives like Jesus, we also pray for the grace of being able to “hacer lío” (to stir things up), an expression that Pope Francis has himself used before. Read the OIS September 2023 Newsletter here.

Happy Feast Day! Today, the entire Ignatian family around the world celebrates the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola. If you are reading this, then you too are part of this family. Read the OIS August 2023 Newsletter here.

Read the OIS July 2023 Newsletter here.

This week my colleague Nancy and I were interviewed by the Catholic Faith Network on their morning program, CFN-Live. We introduced our ministries and spoke a little bit about Ignatian spirituality. Read and watch here!

We are not alone in our journey. Mary walks with us. In our struggles, when we are discouraged, we are invited to pray: ven con nosotros a caminar, come as we journey along our way. 

We've recently produced a short video highlighting our young adults programs. We invite you to watch, reflect, pray and join us in looking toward a hopeful future for the world and our Church.