News & Updates | April 2025

Dear Friends,

As we enter into the season of Easter, we’re invited to walk with the risen Jesus. What does this mean? Jesus, now resurrected, doesn’t instantly create a perfect world, but he welcomes us into seeing things through his eyes and participating with his heart.

I remember when I volunteered at a summer camp in Kentucky with the Christian Appalachian Project. This was a camp for materially poor children, some of whom never got out of their “hollar,” so going to overnight camp for a week was a great adventure for them. I recall the day the first group arrived. The children – all boys, age six through twelve – tumbled out of the bus and chaos ensued. Some did not have an overnight bag. Some did not have shoes. Some white-skinned kids had never seen brown-skinned kids.

One scruffy cub of a boy got off the bus crying. I could see he had wet pants and needed some timely, discretionary assistance. I took the tiny boy by the hand and began to walk toward our collection of extra clothes. I was not known to be particularly sensitive, so I was almost a bit proud of myself for having noticed a delicate situation and to have sidelined my concern about his dirty, sticky hands. At the clothing pile, a fellow camp counselor, Peggy, squatted down to greet the boy. When she saw his predicament, she picked him up and sat him on her hip (where I could now smell the urine), snuggling him in close and said, “Michael, we’re going to have a great week at camp. Let’s choose some clothes!”

I came to know Peggy as a true friend of Jesus. I could see that she somehow knew him personally. Her life was characterized by creativity, generosity and, as this story indicates, tremendous freedom. She had no fear, only love that flowed without hesitation. This is what it means to walk with the risen Jesus. We believe Jesus died (for real) and came out the other side and is now alive forever. He invites us into a life of love that flows without measure or constraint and a life without fear. May we be brave enough to accept his invitation.

Happy Easter!

Sheila Murphy

Spiritual Director

Prayer

Free Indeed

You did a marvel, Lord Jesus Christ,

and make me feel beside myself in surprise.

My spirit glistens with Your rising.

I smile and smile with You,

I am drowning in the laughter of Your friends.

You have won, Lord, we know You have won!

You have defeated all the worst that we could do,

each alone and all together.

You crushed the power of darkness and of death

to walk peacefully again in our flesh,

now and forever.

Come to me, great Lord of life,

as You come to all your friends.

Send me to console those around me who hurt.

Come, and send Your friends into this daily world

to labor full of hope for the Reign of God.

–Joseph Tetlow, Choosing Christ In The World (A Guide to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius)

EVENTS

Palm Sunday Day of Reflection

Sunday, April 13, 9am-4pm

Eastern Point Retreat House, Gloucester, MA

Visit https://www.easternpoint.org/retreats-2025.html for full information and to register.

SAVE THE DATE

Save the Date (Nov. 8) for a morning with Fr. Kevin O'Brien, SJ.

Seeing with the Heart: A Guide to Navigating Life's Adventures

Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Our Lady of Hope Parish Hall, 492 Ocean Ave., Portland

*Spiritual directors are also invited to a special afternoon session at 1:00 PM

Respected Jesuit educator and spiritual director Fr. Kevin O’Brien, SJ, invites you to recognize the opportunities to uncover your meaning and purpose as you navigate the turbulent river of life. O’Brien reveals how we can realize our potential by embracing our struggles with courage, our questions with curiosity, and our destiny with boldness as we tap into our deepest desires and live lives of authenticity.

More information and registration coming soon at IgnatianME.org.

HELP WANTED

The Partnership of Ignatian Maine is run by a small group of volunteers which we refer to as the "Steering Committee." 

The committee meets monthly for 1 hour for planning and sometimes as needed for special event planning.Through our volunteers: this newsletter is written, assembled and sent; the website is updated; coming events are planned and posted, etc. Volunteers help when and where they are able.

We have a need for additional help with the website, and we invite you to prayerfully consider whether your gifts and talents might be able to help out. It's not a lot of time, but the familiarity with maintaining a website is most needed.

If you are interested in connecting and learning more, please send your name, email address, phone, and thoughts to us at ignatianme@gmail.com or use the CONTACT US page found on our website.

Thank you for considering.

Prayers Please

Jennifer Hansen, Ignatian Maine Steering Committee member and newsletter editor, needs our prayers! She was diagnosed with a glioblastoma - a malignant brain tumor - and had it surgically removed on March 24. Now home resting and healing, she tells us she is recovering well from the surgery and taking it all "one step at a time." She is deeply grateful for the prayers, love, and support she's receiving. 

Many thanks for keeping Jennifer's need for strength, courage, and healing in your own prayers.

RESOURCES

Ignatian.info

All things Ignatian.

IgnatianSpirituality.com

Good source of prayer material/reflections, etc.

SacredSpace.com

Daily reflections, run by the Jesuits of Ireland.

Jesuits.org/news

From the US Jesuit Conference.

If you know someone who might be interested in any of our offerings, please share!

This message was sent by the Jesuits East Office of Ignatian Spirituality (OIS) on behalf of the Ignatian Spirituality Partnership of Maine. OIS is pleased to provide communications support to Ignatian Maine.