Scripture
Matthew:9-13
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Ignatian Reflection
Participate in Your Infinite Love
A dear friend of mine has been helping me understand mercy - both how it is experienced in my own life, and how it might be expressed through me. Isn’t it just like the Holy Spirit to have a friend be the lens through which I understand mercy more fully? After all, that is what Jesus is doing in today’s Gospel - magnifying for others God’s expectation of loving encounter and not exclusion. Upon my hearing the word mercy, perhaps like the Pharisees, I saw it as a prescription following judgement; a judgement applied, in my mind, after someone must’ve “done something wrong” and require change.
Cue Jesus and his example at table with the tax collectors and sinners—mercy is only abundant love. Freely given. Without judgement. Come as you are. Really? I’m as perplexed as the Pharisees. But…thanks, God. You get me. I’m so grateful you call me, again and again in my brokenness. Might I, in my bumbling and earnest gratitude, participate more fully in your infinite love of self and others.
—Amanda B. Angaiak is the TK-8 Principal of Our Lady’s School in San Diego, California.
Ignatian Prayer
Jul 5, 2024
Prayer
Accept, O Lord, and treat as your own
my liberty, my understanding,
my memory—all of my decisions and
my freedom to choose.
All that I am and all that I have
you gave and give to start;
now I turn and return all to you,
looking to find your hopes and will in all.
Keep giving me your holy love.
Hold on me your life-giving gaze,
and I neither need nor want anything else.
—Suscipe of St. Ignatius of Loyola, paraphrased by Fr. Joseph Tetlow, SJ
The Daily Examen is a prayer technique developed by St. Ignatius to help us reflect on the events of the day to discern God's presence and direction. When Ignatius founded the Society of Jesus, he required the Jesuits to practice the Examen twice daily—at noon and at the end of the day. It's a habit that Jesuits, and many other Christians, practice to this day.
The Examen structure presented below is adapted from a technique described by Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises. Click here for more information from our partners in ministry at Loyola Press.
Daily Examen
1. Become aware of God's presence
God, I believe that at this moment I am in your presence and you are loving me.
2. Review the day with gratitude
God, you know my needs better than I know them. Give me your light and your help to see how you have been with me, both yesterday and today.
3. Pay attention to your emotions
God, help me to be grateful for the moments when people have affirmed me and challenged me. Help me to see how I have responded, and whether I have been kind to others and open to growth.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it
God, forgive me for when I have not done my best or have failed to treat others well. Encourage me, guide me, and continue to bless me.
5. Look toward tomorrow
As I look to the remainder of this day, make me aware that you are with me. Show me how to be the person you want me to be.
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