Quotes from James Martin

Few people have "heard" God's voice in a physical way (that is, few sane people).

Agapas me?" The word agape means a universal love or selfless love of all human beings. Peter

Whether we are rich or poor, young or old, man or woman, straight or gay: all of us are called to our own brand of personal holiness.

But it was true. I was constantly surprised how the storied names of biblical locales popped up in the most familiar of circumstances: on a simple map, on a graffitied street sign, or in everyday conversations. "The traffic to Bethlehem was terrible last night!" said a Jesuit over dinner one night. Which still didn't beat "Gehenna is lovely.

A prophet critiques a system by quoting its own documents, constitutions, heroes, and Scriptures against its present practice. This is their secret: systems are best unlocked from inside.

Aristotle, who believed that we become like the object of our contemplation.

today we no longer value silence at all. Electronic gadgets—cell phones, laptops, and so on—have created a world of constant stimulation.

Another tip: "During a time of desolation one should never make a change," says Ignatius. Why not? Because when you are feeling distant from God and experiencing desolation (gnawing anxiety, etc.), you are more inclined to be guided by the evil spirit.

As my sister tells her children, "You have two ears and one mouth for a reason: listening is more important than talking.

Our souls recognize God because they were created by God.

how do I find God?

Good decisions mean a wholehearted yes to both the positives and negatives that come with any choice.

For Ignatius, ingratitude was the "most abominable of sins," indeed "the cause, the beginning and origin of all sins and misfortunes.

Vocation is different from work or a job or even a career. You could say that work is the labor required to do a task. A job is the situation in which you do it. A career is the long-term trajectory or pattern of many jobs. But vocation is deeper than each of those concepts.

But Ignatian spirituality is so capacious that even an introduction will touch upon a broad spectrum of topics: making good choices, finding meaningful work, being a good friend, living simply, wondering about suffering, deepening your prayer, striving to be a better person, and learning to love.

because everyone's life is full of absurdity, improbability, and general craziness.

His cassock is done in black marble and his face and hands in white, lending the statue a creepily realistic look. The Jesuit art historian C. J. McNaspy, writing about the otherwise magnificent church, commented, "The statue of St. Stanislaus, upstairs in the sanctuary, however, I find deplorable. One would have thought that the young saint suffered enough in life.

being spiritual and being religious are both part of being in relationship with God. Neither can be fully realized without the other.

A Deep Sense of Humor Let me have too deep a sense of humor ever to be proud. Let me know my absurdity before I act absurdly. Let me realize that when I am humble I am most human, most truthful, and most worthy of your serious consideration. —Daniel Lord, S.J. (1888–1955)

To paraphrase Merton in his book The Sign of Jonas, all of my training pointed one way, and all of my ideals the other.

Before you begin, as in all prayer, remind yourself that you're in God's presence, and ask God to help you with your prayer.

There I was, "striving to be something I would never want to be.

The Great Problem Solver, as it turned out, had been at work on a problem that I had only dimly comprehended.

In order to communicate an essential truth, God offered us a parable: Jesus. Jesus is the parable of God. So for the Christian, if you want to learn about God, get to know Jesus.