I’ve a confession to make.

I are inclined to overlook about Jesus round per week or so into the Easter season annually. It’s by no means intentional, however it occurs extra usually than I need to admit.

I believe it’s partially because of the truth that I are inclined to go all in lately for Lent. I decide to fairly a number of further issues in the course of the 40 days as a manner of reconnecting and renewing my relationship with Jesus. Some years, like this one, I tackle a bit too many issues, and so once I lastly attain Easter morning, I discover myself sighing in reduction and releasing all my commitments without delay in a joyful response to my pal that was as soon as useless and now lives on within the Resurrection.

This Lent, I wrote a collection of reflections for the Central and Southern Jesuit Province. As I entered into the expertise of writing the collection, “Leaning into our Belovedness,” I discovered myself partaking with Jesus’ Ardour and Loss of life in deeper methods than ever earlier than. The journey was extra intense than I assumed it could be, however in its depth, I used to be graced with many moments of deep and significant reference to the God who loves me as I’m, it doesn’t matter what.

Whereas writing my final reflection for the collection proper earlier than Holy Week, I skilled a second of intense longing to carry on to the connection I had fashioned. However then, once I completed all of it and eventually pressed Ship, I discovered myself respiration a protracted sigh of reduction. I used to be grateful to have arrived on the conclusion of Jesus’ Ardour and Loss of life and was greater than prepared for the enjoyment of the Resurrection. I paused and thanked Jesus for the 40 days of intense focus and contemplation, after which I shut down my pc and walked away.

Reflecting on that second now within the midst of the Easter season, I notice how shortly I left my pal behind. Right here Jesus and I had walked collectively by means of this intense journey by which Jesus allowed me to get to know extra of him and I used to be capable of uncover new items of myself within the context of our growing friendship. After which I simply ended it, as if I have been writing in his yearbook post-graduation: “Thanks for the experience! See you on the reunion, Jesus!”

As I interact extra with the Non secular Workout routines by means of my graduate work this 12 months, I acknowledge that St. Ignatius was intentional in not ending with Jesus’ Ardour and Loss of life. He was additionally intentional in not concluding merely with one fast day of reflection on Easter Sunday. Ignatius, in truth, devoted a complete week of the Workout routines to exploring our relationship with Jesus after his Resurrection, the Jesus current with us within the right here and now. Within the Fourth Week, we’re invited to a extra complete contemplation of the love of God in order that we could take the insights we’ve gained within the Workout routines and work out how they’ll have an effect on our on a regular basis life shifting ahead.

So, although I’ll have began this Easter season by closing the e book on my journey with Jesus for the 12 months, I’m opening it up once more now to see what it seems wish to develop additional this relationship with the resurrected Jesus, who lives on in my life immediately.

I’m spending some intentional time reflecting on the 4 attributes of God that the Contemplation to Attain the Love of God focuses on within the Fourth Week of the Non secular Workout routines. As Jim Manney writes in Ignatian Spirituality A to Z, “The Contemplation focuses on 4 of God’s attributes: his generosity to every of us personally; his presence in all issues; his energetic exercise on the planet; and his ceaseless giving of blessings and items.”

I’m hoping that intentional time spent reflecting on these 4 attributes of God in the course of the Easter season will assist me proceed to develop my relationship with Jesus, the one who wishes a friendship with me all the times of my life. I’m hoping that it’s going to additionally assist me to proceed the journey I began throughout Lent, the journey to lean into my belovedness.

Will you be part of me on this journey?

Picture by Shera Banerjee on Pexels.