Radiating the Glory of God

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary on the Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola invite us to contemplate how we make visible the glory of God within in our daily encounters with people.

The reading from the Book of Exodus describes the radiance of Moses’ face after his meeting with God. Psalm 99 is a hymn to God as the king whose grandeur is seen in the laws given to Israel. In the Gospel from Matthew, Jesus offers more parables on the extreme value of living in the Kingdom of God. Rebecca Ruiz reflects upon living “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam”. John Shea, S.J. comments that at the literal level, the individuals in the Gospel seem only “in love” with money. But we can interpret the stories as a metaphor. They are in love with something of great value and, like anyone in love, they make great, even crazy, sacrifices for their beloved. Don Schwager quotes “Finding the pearl of great price,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD). The Word Among Us Meditation on Exodus 34:29-35 comments that sometimes we have a hard time seeing what’s crystal clear to everyone else: we have changed. A post by Franciscan Media reflects on the life of Saint Ignatius of Loyola Saint of the Day for July 31. Friar Jude Winkler shares how we, like Moses, change when we experience God in ecstasy. The connection of the Gospel of Matthew to the Pharisees means use of the term the Kingdom of Heaven. Friar Jude reminds us that our actions in traffic, at the check out, in groups, and in prayer time should radiate a change people can see. Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares the inner radiance of Jarena Lee (1783–1864), the first authorized woman preacher in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Margaret Silf provides an excellent description of the role of consolation and desolation in our process of discernment. Our journey includes times when we turn in on ourselves and drive down the spiral ever deeper into our own negative feelings. We feel cut us off from community and we want to give up on things that used to be important to us. We patiently await following the example of Ignatius and others for the Spirit that lifts our hearts so that we can see the joys and sorrows of other people This bonds us more closely to our human community. We become open to new inspiration and ideas that enable us to radiate the glory of God.