The Just And Loving Gaze Of God With Us

In recent years, Paul has become the subject of renewed interest among political philosophers. These philosophers deploy Paul as a means to deconstruct late modern political issues such as liberalism, biopolitics, and sovereignty. However, these philosophers ultimately truncate Paul’s message to fit nontheistic, materialist ends. Such an approach polarizes interpreters, often leading either to a full endorsement or full rejection. In this work, Spaulding adds a needed voice in this conversation. By neither fully endorsing nor fully rejecting the new approach to Paul, Spaulding argues that Paul’s message is both materialist and faithful to the Christian tradition. Spaulding critically utilizes both the new approach and recent studies in apocalyptic interpretations of Paul in order to articulate a Pauline political theology for our time. Pauline apocalyptic emphasizes the already disruptive nature of the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth that wrests humanity from under the sovereignty of the fallen powers and places them under the Lordship of Christ. Apocalyptic is nourished by the promise of the eschatological hope of the not-yet-finished work of Christ. The church that follows the Lordship of Christ is called forth into being in the tension of the present Lordship of Christ and the not-yet transformation of the cosmos. Such a tension begets practices that form the political commitment of what philosopher Iris Murdoch calls the just and loving gaze, namely the central conviction that, in order to live good (political) lives, one must be taught to see.

There is nothing more intimate than the breathtaking union that blossoms between the human heart and God...this beautiful exchange of loving looks that allows hearts themselves to communicate and to be woven together in a single life of love. This is God's ultimate and all-encompassing desire: to enfold each one of his precious children within the tenderness of his cradling embrace, and, within this embrace, to make all of us one with each other in the single Mystery of his all-encompassing Love.Whenever I encounter such an amazing, awe-inspiring Love, I am profoundly healed in the innermost recesses of my being, and my life itself is bathed in a radiant and beautiful light. We have seen all of this above. Yes, I find the true and deepest meaning of my life in being God's beloved, in letting my existence unfold in childlike playfulness and joy, as I welcome each moment as a gift of his Love and entrust myself totally to him in return. Indeed, all created things begin to reveal the radiant light of the Beloved's countenance, shining through the veil that has been stretched thin by God's own prodigal generosity.In response to this awesome gift--and cradled always in this Love from which, as Jesus said, nothing can snatch me away (cf. Jn 10:28-29)--my heart dilates and expands to love in return. I have spoken much about "heart-healing" throughout these meditations, about the healing that occurs when my searching gaze encounters the loving and cherishing gaze of God, when my thirst encounters God's even more ardent thirst for me. But I have also spoke about the fragrant flower and succulent fruit of adoration, in which my heart, amazed at the Beauty of the One who looks upon me in such a way, who touches me so tenderly and lovingly, cries out in gratitude and jubilation. I have spoken about the spontaneous desire to pour oneself out as a perfume of love upon the sacred Body of Jesus, simply in order to praise him who is worthy of all praise, to love him who is infinitely lovable. This is simply to be caught up into the very throbbing of the divine Heartbeat, the movement of Love that is eternally passing between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is to allow this surging movement, pouring forth into me through God's loving gaze, through his arms that embrace me, to surge back to him anew in the complete childlike abandonment of myself to him.In this place my littleness and weakness is cradled in the tenderness of the Trinity's Love, and I am liberated by the abiding touch of his grace, which sustains me at every moment within the lightheartedness of love that allows me even to walk on the stormy water of this world, with my gaze fixed upon the radiance of the Beloved who illumines even the darkest night. Ah, yes...I am held unceasingly by God. This is the cause of my freedom to rejoice, to play, and to adore.

Overly concerned about what people think of you? Edward T. Welch uncovers the spiritual dimension of people-pleasing—what the Bible calls fear of man—and points the way through a true knowledge of God, ourselves, and others.

Drawn from the many books, writings, and interviews by Richard Rohr, one of the most popular spiritual writers today, this collections introduces many of the teachings for which he has become known, all organized around the central theme of Love.

Where do you seek God? Are you waiting for him to appear in a monumental, life-altering event? In God Moments, Catholic blogger Andy Otto shows you how to discover the unexpected beauty of God’s presence in the story of ordinary things and in everyday routines like preparing breakfast or walking in the woods. Drawing on the Ignatian principles of awareness, prayer, and discernment, Otto will help you discover the transforming power of God’s presence in your life and better understand your place in the world. Andy Otto found God’s presence in surprising moments during his life—when, as a Jesuit scholastic, he taught children in Jamaica and also as he discerned the call to marriage with his wife. By combining elements of Ignatian spirituality with the lessons that came from his experiences, Otto identified three practices that helped him find God in all things: Awareness—Gain an understanding that God is present in the ordinary messiness of our lives such as battle with depression or sharing in the struggle of a friend. Prayer—Develop a prayer life using Ignatian practices such as asking for a morning grace and examining how your prayer was answered at the end of the day. That way you can focus on a personal relationship with God that finds everyday physical activities such as making a meal as an opportunity to talk to him. Discernment—The more you are aware of God’s presence and draw closer to him in prayer, the better you can learn how to plug into God’s narrative of the world in a way that enables you to participate in the divine story through the use of your gifts and talents. With God Moments as a guide, you’ll have a better understanding of how to seek personal wholeness in the reality of God’s presence in the ordinary and learn to accept his invitation to participate in his transformation of the world.

Get your marriage off to a great start--or renew the marriage you've shared for years--with this six-week devotional for couples, which takes inspiration from Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body. Experts Jackie François Angel and Bobby Angel will teach you how to pray together as a couple, opening you up to the wonders that God bestows on your marriage.

"A magnificent book, bursting with profound spiritual insights, from a man who has quickly become one of the greatest spiritual teachers of our time." --James Martin, SJ, author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage In the year since he was elected, Pope Francis’s simple message of mercy, service, and renewal has spread to every corner of the world. Through his gentle demeanor, selfless actions, and welcoming call for service to others, Pope Francis has captured the attention of a world longing for an authentic message of hope—we want to hear what he has to say. Collected from Pope Francis’s speeches, homilies, and papers presented during the first year of his papacy, The Church of Mercy is the first Vatican-authorized book detailing his vision for the Catholic Church. From how to be citizens of the world to answering God’s call for evangelization, Pope Francis's deep wisdom reminds us that the Church must move beyond its own walls and joyfully bring God's mercy wherever suffering, division, or injustice exists. Named TIME Magazine’s 2013 “Person of the Year,” Pope Francis is helping the Church continue toward an authentic Christianity that is faithful to the Gospel and resonant with the world’s greatest needs. The Church of Mercy encourages each of us to ignite the flame within to help share the light of Christ and revitalize the Church.

The way I understand the gaze of God to have a defining influence on spiritual growth and development has, as its overarching image, the way a mother gazes at her infant at the breast: It is a gaze that is tender; all-absorbing; exclusive; filled with wonder and love; tranquil; and protective. Just as the mother’s gaze engages the infant in a dialogue without words and provokes a response, so too the gaze of God evokes a response from the human heart. Just as the mutual gaze of mother and infant sets up a relationship which becomes the basis of communication, so too the mutual gaze of God and the soul become the basis for prayer. The main insight of the book is that the movement into union with God is circular rather than linear; that it is not exclusively a movement into something new, something that has not previously occurred, but is also, and more importantly, a movement towards recapturing something which has already existed, namely, that relationship we enjoyed, albeit pre-consciously, at our mother’s breast when God looked upon us and saw that we were very good.