In search of happiness? Joy? Perhaps the greatest place to begin looking is in your own life. Is there anything you could be grateful for today?

Christian Living, Faith and Reflection, Religious InsightsPepe RuizNovember 9, 2022Montserrat Jesuit Retreat HouseJoy, Happiness, Gratitude, Fr. Mike French SJ, Spiritual Reflections, Christian Living, Biblical Teachings

Surrendering to God's Invitations: A Lesson from a Coffeemaker

Not a Complex manual, a Simple Picture.

Christian Living, Discipleship, Faith and Reflection, Personal Growth, Religious InsightsPepe RuizNovember 9, 2022Montserrat Jesuit Retreat HouseDiscernment, Surrender, Trust, Faith, Fr. Mike French SJ, Spiritual Reflections, Christian Living

Loving Yourself: Understanding Jesus' Example

Loving yourself? Well, if you put God first, you’re loving yourself because we are created to love God, and loving Him leads to eternal life.

Christian Living, Eternal Life, Faith and Reflection, Personal Growth, Prayer, Religious Insights, Spiritual PracticesPepe RuizNovember 2, 2022Montserrat Jesuit Retreat HouseSelf-love, Jesus' Teachings, Spiritual Growth, Fr. Joe Tetlow SJ, Christian Living, Love Thy Neighbor

Living Generously and Magnanimously in Christ

Our times demand that we imitate Christ, not that we live for ourselves.

Christian Living, Faith and Reflection, Personal Growth, Religious Insights, Spiritual PracticesPepe RuizOctober 12, 2022Montserrat Jesuit Retreat HouseChrist's Example, Generosity, Magnanimity, Selflessness, Fr. Joe Tetlow SJ, Christian Living, Service to Others

Embracing Forgiveness: A Path to Peace

Forgiving myself might not be the best way of going about forgiving myself, but instead replacing that self-despair with the blessed assurance of God’s Love for me.

Christian Living, Faith and Reflection, Religious Insights, Spiritual Practices, TransformationPepe RuizOctober 5, 2022Montserrat Jesuit Retreat HouseForgiveness, Self-Forgiveness, Inner Peace, Spiritual Reflections, Fr. Mike French SJ, Christian Living, Encounter with Jesus

Living a Life with Purpose

There are many Purposes we can choose for our lives, they are not all the same.

Christian Living, Compassion, Faith and Reflection, Personal Growth, Religious Insights, Spiritual PracticesPepe RuizSeptember 28, 2022Montserrat Jesuit Retreat HousePurpose of Life, St. Ignatius, Stephen Covey, Spiritual Exercises, True Happiness, Spiritual Guidance, Christian Living

Living Above the Circumstances

We can be simply Okay, given the circumstances or cruise above the circumstances.

Christian Living, Faith and Reflection, Personal Growth, Religious Insights, Spiritual PracticesPepe RuizSeptember 21, 2022Montserrat Jesuit Retreat HouseFaith, Perspective, God's Plan, Spiritual Reflection, Fr. Mike French, Christian Living

Jesus’ Shortest Parable

Jesus’ shortest parable is about the old and the new. We learn from Jesus so we can live it out.

Christian Living, Faith and Reflection, Religious Insights, Spiritual PracticesPepe RuizSeptember 7, 2022Montserrat Jesuit Retreat HouseJesus' Parables, Kingdom of Heaven, Old Testament, New Testament, Spiritual Reflection, Fr. Joe Tetlow

Embracing the Extraordinary in Ordinary Time

Ordinary Time does not mean unimportant or not special. Ordinary Time could be a continued chance to receive “extraordinary grace”. Ordinary time proclaims that “There’s more to come”.

Christian Living, Faith and Reflection, Religious Insights, Spiritual PracticesPepe RuizAugust 31, 2022Ordinary Time, Catholic Church, Spiritual Reflection, God's Grace, Fr. Mike French

Abiding in His love

“Jesus also knew, and we learn, that the Commandments guide us to personal fulfillment… We don’t outlive the Commandments. We obey them because we love Him. This is both our personal fulfillment and abiding in His love.”

Christian Living, Faith and Reflection, Personal Growth, Religious Insights, Spiritual PracticesPepe RuizAugust 23, 2022Spiritual Life, Commandments, Christian Maturity, Abiding in God's Love, Fr. Joe Tetlow

Finding Strength in Love

Love is, after all, where our strength came from in the first place if we were to trace its origins, the Lord of love being the original source.

Faith and Reflection, Personal Growth, Religious Insights, Spiritual PracticesPepe RuizAugust 17, 2022Montserrat Jesuit Retreat HouseStrength in Love, Overcoming Tragedy, Community Support, Psalm 18:2, Fr. Roy Joseph

Divine Harmony: Embracing the Music of the Spheres

Hear in your mind a beautiful, harmonious harp. That harmony, as Hildegard of Bingen pointed out, reminds us of God creating everything in all the universes to fit harmoniously with everything else.

Christian Living, Democracy, Evangelization, Faith and Reflection, Personal Growth, Religious Insights, Spiritual PracticesPepe RuizAugust 10, 2022Montserrat Jesuit Retreat HouseDivine Harmony, Music of the Spheres, Hildegard of Bingen, God's Will, Spiritual Reflection

Uncovering Our Deepest Questions: Finding Answers in Christ

Whether we know it or not, each of us has an unconscious question lying just beneath the surface. It's that question we bring to our parents, friends, family, co-workers, teachers, bosses, and most people important to us.

Christian Living, Faith and Reflection, Personal Growth, Religious Insights, Spiritual PracticesPepe RuizAugust 3, 2022Montserrat Jesuit Retreat HouseFaith, Spiritual Retreat, Montserrat, Deepest Questions, Jesus' Love

Living a Life of Purpose vs. Meaning

I have found it helpful to distinguish between living a life of Purpose and a life of Meaning. Let’s define each and explore tools we can expand on in the future.