God's Invitation to Intimacy

I began my career in Christian education with a focus on the importance of affective learning, shaping behavior and character, and not being content to stop at cognitive learning, accumulating information. Rather early on I began to recognize this in the Church's deep legacy of spiritual formation. On that journey I have found great joy in soaking in Scripture as the nourishment of intimacy with God through Jesus. As I moved into pastoral ministry, I aspired to live this out in such a way that others would also be drawn into the wonder of intimate relationship with Jesus. Whatever I may or may not have contributed, I do know many folk who live the exuberant satisfaction of intimacy with Jesus. I also puzzled at many who responded to spiritual disciplines as a dull chore to be endured or left on the margins of life. With this background, I resonated with this quote in this weeks edgeofenclosure.org

Falling in Love

Nothing is more practical than

finding God, than

falling in Love

in a quite absolute, final way.

What you are in love with,

what seizes your imagination, will affect everything.

It will decide

what will get you out of bed in the morning,

what you do with your evenings,

how you spend your weekends,

what you read, whom you know,

what breaks your heart,

and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.

Fall in Love, stay in love,

and it will decide everything.

-Attributed to Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ (1907–1991)

Finding God in All Things: A Marquette Prayer Book