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Surprising Grace From Gratitude to Adoration: Reading St Francis's Final Years At the end of his life St Francis looked back with gratitude on everything he had received, and realised that the initiative had always been with God. His memory of the pivotal graces of his life demonstrates how he moved from petitionary prayer, to gratitude and finally adoration of God as the giver of these gifts. Download this article in PDF format by clicking here Making Space for Grace: Ignatian Formation in Catholic Healthcare among the Religiously Unaffiliated Roman Catholic institutions offer their members a unique formation, whatever their religious affiliation. The structure of prayer in the Spiritual Exercises offers one way to make training a hospitable invitation into deeper reflection on healing, dignity and service. Brother Fire And Sister Earth: The Testament Of Francis Of Assisi and the Fight for Justice on Death Row A religious sister looks back at her life from her entrance into the of the Order of St Clare in 1987 to her life’s work of campaigning against the death penalty. She reveals how St Francis’s embrace of a leper was not only a critique of society, but also an encounter that reveals the face of God in all of those who are rejected. To Console and Be Consoled: Exploring the Grace of Collaboration The grace of collaboration has been felt powerfully in the life and mission of the Society of Jesus over recent decades. However it is not just a response to diminishing Jesuit vocations, but an invitation to a deepen our availability for mission, and place where fresh graces are to be found. Franciscan Spirituality and the Intellectual Life: Integrating Study, Scholarship, and Mission Although he was not a theologian, Francis was profoundly shaped by theology, and this has inspired a tradition of scholarship integrated with evangelical discipleship. The hallmarks of this approach include ethical commitment, missionary purpose and the spiritual depth which can be found in writings from medieval scholastic theology right through to modern interdisciplinary research. The Ecumenical Significance of the Ignatian Ecclesial Disposition The Spiritual Exercises offer a surprising way of orientating people back towards their own ecclesial context. Ashley Evans interprets Ignatius' Rules for Thinking and Feeling with the Church in the light of the inclusive ecclesiology of the Second Vatican Council to discover the unity of all those who are members of the body of Christ. Franciscan Ecological Spirituality in Dialogue with Vedanta A comparative dialogue between two very different world views reveals how, beyond technological solutions for the ecological crisis, a renewed vision of the world is needed in which humans can live together in humility, gratitude and responsibility towards creation. Why the Divine Feminine in Christianity Matters to Me A sculptor reflects on how her image of God has grown through her experiences and been manifested in her creative output. A living relationship with God helps to free us from old patterns of thought and feeling so we can find ourselves at peace with our creator. Theology and the Future: Rahner, Heidegger, Gadamer The philosophies of Martin Heidegger and Hans-Georg Gadamer offer an important basis for Karl Rahner’s theology of grace. Whereas for Heidegger the meaning of life is sealed by death, for Rahner its ultimate significance can only be beheld by God. Works for the Spirit: A Tribute to Rory Geoghegan (1931–2026) The editor pays tribute to the life of Rory Geoghegan SJ, whose sculptures have inspired retreatants at St Beuno’s Jesuit spirituality centre for so many years. From the Foreword The year 2026 marks the eight-hundredth anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi in October 1226, and we honour his memory in this issue of The Way with a number of articles. Shortly before his death, Francis gave a testament recounting the pivotal graces of his life, and offering them as a blessing to those who would come after him. The account is filled with holy surprise that, without anyone else to show him the way, God had helped him to ‘live according to the holy pattern of the Gospel’ (n.14). At the time of his conversion, his feelings of revulsion towards lepers were transfigured into ‘sweetness of soul and body’ (n.3). Later he was able to recognise Christ in the ministry even of clerics who persecuted him (n.6). And he not only received followers as a gift from God, but also the manner in which they were to live together (n.14). His life disclosed the surprising ways in which the grace of God had been at work, and affirmed that the initiative had always belonged to God.Philip Harrison SJ Please click here to subscribe to The Way, | ||
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