“O, send out your light and your truth; Let them guide me, Let them lead me to your holy altar.” Psalm 43: 3, Nan Merrill paraphrase Trauma When our 7 month old puppy, Hazel, jumped off of our back porch and went...
Melissa Borgmann-Kiemde

Burn Brighter: An Invitation to Group Spiritual Practice During this time of Upheaval
“let us turnto our Godandto the sacred lightof the Holy Spiritthat burnsineach of us.” – from Burn Brighter*, a Meditation by Ray Angle I sit, center myself, recognizing I am in God’s presence, take a deep breath, and there is Mr. George Floyd, trying to...
Encounter and Conversation: Dialogue in Ignatian Prayer
“How do you prepare for a meaningful conversation with a friend?” –Dan Johnson, Spiritual Director When my Loyola colleague Dan Johnson framed his “Simple Prayer” retreat with this essential question, a deep part of me was moved. How do I prepare for a meaningful...
Ignatian Contemplation this Advent
“Contemplating a [Biblical] scene is not simply remembering it or going back in time. Through the act of contemplation, the Holy Spirit makes present a mystery of [God’s Love] in a way that is meaningful for [us] now.” – Fr. Kevin O’Brien, SJ The Ignatian...
The Biggest Little Farm
by Melissa Borgmann-Kiemde Summer Rejuvenation: Praying the Examen “For what moment today am I most grateful?” “For what moment today am I least grateful?” -Examen questions from Sleeping with Bread Hyperlink:...
Ramadan and Christ: An Ignatian Prayer for Ramadan
by Melissa Borgmann-Kiemde Next week marks the start of Ramadan for Muslim brothers and sisters. As a Spiritual Director at Loyola, this time of prayer and fasting in the world inspires my heart. As a Christian, marking my own holy days of Jesus’ resurrection, I love...
Opening To Our History: A Reflection on Place – A White Spiritual Director Listening in an Historically Black Neighborhood
by Melissa Borgmann-Kiemde When Sr. Liz Kerwin gave me my first tour of the Loyola Spirituality Center, I remember being deeply moved learning that the building was once a convent. I loved this history. I loved imagining the former cloister cells of the religious —...
God’s Deepening Life: An Ignatian Invitation to Re-imagine the Spiritual Journey
by Melissa Borgmann-Kiemde "Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to God's deepening life in me." - from St. Ignatius of Loyola's Principle and Foundation of the Spiritual Exercises I remember turning 40. I sold my...
IN FLIGHT: An Ignatian Encounter with Jesus
by Melissa Borgmann-Kiemde “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him.” Matthew 2:13 I try to imagine what it is like to be an undocumented, employed immigrant,...
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