Scripture
John 15: 12-17
Jesus said to his disciples:
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.”
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
The Knowledge of Being Loved
Blessed John Sullivan, SJ, was not a particularly gifted teacher, from what I’ve been told, and yet, all his students at Clongowes College in Ireland loved him. Regardless of whatever they learned (or didn’t learn) in class, it was clear that he cared about each one of them deeply. For those of us who have worked in education before, it can be so easy to fixate on “learning goals” and SWBAT’s (“Students will be able to...”), but these benchmarks mean absolutely nothing if students don’t first take away with them the sure knowledge and experience of being loved when they leave the classroom.
And so it goes with all our relationships. The Lord says, “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). Like Blessed John, do we love with Christ’s love? Do we love others for who they are and not what they do? Do they know it?
—Alex DeWitt, SJ, is a Jesuit scholastic of the Midwest Province finishing his theology studies at Regis College in Toronto.
Ignatian Prayer
May 8, 2026
Prayer
Blessed John, pray to Christ for us, so that, freed from the idols of our expectations, we might love gently and generously, as he did. Amen.
—Alex DeWitt, 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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