Oh Jesus!
April 18, 2021 1 Comment
Oh Jesus, the One who can walk through closed doors, yet you knock, that we may open our doors to you and choose you of our own free will, thus participating in your love and grace!
Choice Matching
January 16, 2021 Leave a comment
Pix credit: First Spiritual Exercises, Fr. Michael Hansen, AU
Choice Matching
Dear Rep. Terri Sewell, and Sen. Richard Shelby,
I write to you as a citizen of your district who has operated a business in Tuscaloosa, AL for 45 years, first known as Cooper Cabinets. I passed the business along a few years ago to a younger person and am now in private practice as a Spiritual Director, promoting Ignatian Spirituality. Although I have participated in many community organizations and faith based groups, and helped found some of them, I have all my life tried to be apolitical until last year when I registered to vote and voted for President Biden as a matter of conscience, believing he would better bring unity to our country than the main alternative, Ex-President Trump, and believing our nation is in serious decline and moral failure. I write to make a suggestion:
In view of the clear and present division in our country, I suggest that we attempt a program as a part of the 1.9 Trillion Dollar proposal President Biden is putting forth that may help heal our nation. One of the main dividing points of our political conundrum is the issue of abortion. I suggest this program be called “Choice Matching.” I regret that the previous administration has allowed so much national debt to pile up to the tune of 27 Trillion Dollars from the previous 19 Trillion Dollars of all other administrations combined in U.S. history. If I were to be seriously political, I believe my personal leanings would be somewhat Libertarian in nature. I personally believe in a small national government and a non-interventionist policy, although I try to be free to see the good in all types of governance’s including those of other nations.
To this end, I suggest that this program be promoted as a matching funds program whereas our government matches the funds “put up where their mouth is” of certain faith based groups, like the Catholic Church, Evangelical Churches, Mosques, and Synagogues, and in addition, Planned Parenthood, and other non-profit groups who would actually administer the program on a local level AND maintain a low percentage administration budget.
The goal would be to give young mothers a choice by having the host organization become a host family to see after their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, not the United States Government. As to the spiritual needs part, I could suggest some ideas in more detail at another time. I feel many young mothers feel they do not have a choice regarding abortion and have nowhere to turn for physical, emotional, and spiritual companionship.
Making this a part of the new assistance program with President Biden, a Roman Catholic who should not believe in abortion as a solution, promoting the idea himself and our Senators and Representatives on both sides of the aisle joining together on this particular matter should bring healing and unity to our nation as never before. One might say this is an interreligious proposal and an interpolitical proposal. This is already too long, but I think both of you can see the vision behind this seed I am trying to plant and get this to President Biden and VP Harris and others more qualified to develop the idea than I.
Respectfully,
John Cooper
Tuscaloosa, AL
Inner Peace and the Encyclical
October 4, 2020 Leave a comment
I am inspired today to say something about the need for deep inner peace in relationship to Pope Francis latest Encyclical, Fratelli tutti. See: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-10/fratelli-tutti-pope-fraternity-social-friendship-short-summary.html for a brief summary which contains a link to the original document.
In conjunction I would like to share a Spiritual Exercise one can pray by themselves or with others written by Fr. Michael Hansen, S.J. of Australia. I have been sharing these Exercises on my Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/Let-God-In-One-Ignatian-Journey-108638330545262. I credit Fr. Hansen and the FSE Field Hospital for the adapted picture and text.
Praying this Exercise will help you breathe in deep inner peace which is needed to understand Pope Francis’ Encyclical.
John Cooper, Tuscaloosa, AL
THE CPR OF PEACE First Aid
As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. Col3:12-16
See, Open my mouth; the tongue in my mouth speaks.
My words declare the uprightness of my heart, and what my lips know they speak sincerely. The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Job 33:2-6
I touch the Heart of Peace.
I take a slow breath, in and out-a breath in to receive the Spirit of Peace, and a breath out to breathe out all the anxiety, agitation, fears and burdens I carry within me. This breath of body and Spirit, is life in every sense. I repeat, feeling peace settle in me.
I remember a small story of someone who gave me deep peace when I was afraid and lost in the demands of ever-changing distress. If praying alone I hold that memory, if I am praying in a group, I share it with them, listening in turn to their stories, feeling touched by the Spirit of Peace … I begin to understand how such peace
is so desirable in these unsettling times.
I desire the Gift of Peace.
I slowly and prayerfully read the prayer texts above.
I name all the places in my life where I desire the gift of peace …
I ask the Spirit for peace, serenity and harmony in my heart, and for the breath that gives me Life.
I breathe in the Spirit of Peace.
I imagine and feel the Spirit of Peace breathing deep, harmonious peace into me. I breathe it in deeply, wait, then breathe it out to into my agitations and worries, into my spiritual life, desires and relationships. And I pray this peace spreads far.
I repeat as desired – breathing, peaceful, in harmony …I conclude in thanks, considering two questions. Firstly, if possible, how might I make contact and reconnect with the one who brought me great peace? Secondly, to whom and how do I pass on this exercise – who urgently needs peace now? ·
PRAYER TIME: Go gently, using the generous time you have put aside for this prayer.
The three dots … indicate the places to pause.
If you are specially moved at any of the steps, remain there for the rest of the prayer.
FSE FIELD HOSPITAL © Michael Hansen SJ
Contact: field-hospital@fsecloud.life • www.fsecol ud.life • JISA ministries www.jisa.org.au
19th Annotation Spiritual Exercise
August 16, 2020 Leave a comment
Painting by Peter Paul Rubens
Warning: Taking this Exercise effectively requires your willingness to give up everything to live only in God’s love and grace. One must commit to 34 weeks of prayer and discernment each day for about one hour or more each day. Do not undertake this matter lightly. You are likely to suffer loss, even of the self. You may need Spiritual Companionship. To join a small group to take the 19th Annotation or to arrange for monthly Spiritual Companionship via Zoom, email jcooperforpeace@gmail.com
(This Exercise is available in Spanish, Arabic, and other languages. See links for details.)
To preview the 19th Annotation 34 week Spiritual Exercises review the links below: https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/RetreatintheRealWorld/
https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/cmo-retreat.html
Contemplation on the Mystical Roots of Unconscious Prejudice
June 19, 2020 Leave a comment
(Pix: John Cooper)
(A Spiritual Exercise)
- I make a gesture of reverence like a bow, folded hands in prayer, or the Sign of the Cross.
2. I enter a two minute period of silence and meditation.
3. I think about what I desire, that I desire to discover and be healed of prejudice.
4. I take an item or symbol of my ancestors and hold it in my hands.
5. I enter into silent meditation for two minutes, holding the item and if I am in a group, sharing the item I am holding with others.
6. I read the Prayer Texts below:
Gen 1:31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (NRSV)
Gal 3:28 So there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free people, between men and women; you are all one in union with Christ Jesus. (GNBDK)
1 Cor 12:12 Christ is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one body, even though it is made up of different parts. 13 In the same way, all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free, have been baptized into the one body by the same Spirit, and we have all been given the one Spirit to drink. (GNBDK)
Lev 19:32 “Show respect for old people and honour them. Reverently obey me; I am the LORD.
33 “Do not ill-treat foreigners who are living in your land. 34 Treat them as you would a fellow-Israelite, and love them as you love yourselves. Remember that you were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God. (GNBDK)
Deut 5: 9 I bring punishment on those who hate me and on their descendants down to the third and fourth generation. 10 But I show my love to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my laws. (GNBDK)
“…so much is hidden in the unconscious…Below all this is the vast unknown world of corporate memories inherited from our families, our culture and our race…However there is a time for amassing information and a time for letting it go into the hands of God to allow him to illuminate, draw out and bind together what we already know…the works of the memory become in some way divine if they are controlled by the Holy Spirit.” (Door Through Darkness: John of the Cross and mysticism in everyday life, pp. 104-105, 133, Sister Eileen Lyddon, New City Press).
7. I meditate in silence, thinking about the prayer texts above.
8. If doing this exercise in a group, I gently share my thoughts in confidence and confess my sins of prejudice and unconscious inheritances I may have received of which I am now aware. I speak aloud my pain, my grief, how I have been hurt and how I have hurt others. If I am privileged, I resolve to give something back, love, prayers, money, or what I may be inspired to pay forward for my future generations. If I am exercising privately, I write these matters down in my Journal when I am finished for future reflection and action.
9. I am silent for two more minutes, this time hoping to enter a state of thoughtless contemplation, allowing God to do His work silently and passively in my heart and mind.
10. I and others, if I am in a group, moan as if we were dying, perhaps even crying out loudly, AGHH! I grieve. I moan…
11. I recite the Lord’s Prayer myself or in my group together in communion with others.
12. I enter silence for 3 minutes and 29 more seconds, making a total of 9 minutes and 29 seconds of silence and resolve to pray in silence about these matters at other times and the exercise ends without comments or additional discussion, but I will discuss what I have experienced with my Spiritual Director, Pastor, or counselor or friends and I resolve to take this exercise again as often as needed. I also resolve to share this exercise with others as appropriate.
John Cooper
Tuscaloosa, AL
Breath of Life
May 29, 2020 Leave a comment
Our prayer is living our lives in your Presence, oh Lord, every breath in, every breath out, given in all places and at all times for Your praise and glory. Breathe on us, holy Spirit; ignite our hearts with Your love, grace, and mercy that we may be one with You!
John Cooper
Cats Go To Heaven
March 7, 2020 Leave a comment
Cats go to Heaven!
This short essay is inspired by my friend, Rennie Jones’ post where he shared a link, https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/do-dogs-go-to-heaven.html about dogs going to Heaven.
Some know of my fondness of St. Francis, who urged nonviolence and the love of all of creation, and that I am a Spiritual Director and promote Ignatian Spirituality, one of whose core tenants is “finding God in all things.” See: https://www.loyolapress.com/our-catholic-faith/ignatian-spirituality/finding-god-in-all-things.
Recently our beloved cat, Ossie, passed away. He had quit eating and we took him to the Vet after he had not eaten much for several days. It was found he had a problem in his gall bladder the Vet thought was gall stones, but when we took him to the animal hospital in Starkville, MS, he ended up having E-coli in his gall bladder. For three days he was on intravenous IV and seemed to be doing better and one time seemed to be his old self again and he was released after three days and sent home with plenty of medicine to continue his recovery. We began giving him the medicine but in about a week or so he lost his appetite again. I thought I knew what was happening and begin to make a cat casket for him, although I did not tell Wink until after he died what I was making.
We took him to the Vet again and the Vet worked with him and gave him more medicine and we ordered more from the Mississippi hospital for his little gall bladder, but it was too late for him. His time had come to die. When he got home from the Vet, he was so weak. I took him out on our deck where he used to love to be, but he wanted to come back in the house and lay behind one of our sofas. When he came out to go down the hall, he was so weak he walked a little then sat down to rest. He ended up under my Great-Great Grandfather’s chest of drawers which he had made during the civil war period. It came time to give him his medicine and while Wink was preparing the medicine, I went in to get him out from under the chest of drawers. He groaned and rolled over when I awakened him and rolled over again and groaned. I knew he was dying. I called Wink in and I gently slid Ossie out from under the chest and Wink and I watched him die, both of us crying. I told Wink he is dying, but she held out hope to the end. “Watch out.” I said, “Sometimes a dying animal will bite you.” But little Ossie was always so gentle. “He is still breathing,” Wink said. “He is dying,” I said. Ossie let out one last “Ahhh?” as loud as he could and groaned loudly and his little spirit went to heaven. “His eyes are still open,” Wink said. “That’s the way it is after one dies,” I said.
We are still grieving, especially Wink, and we have not yet put his ashes in his casket. Bill Remmert is to come and bless him and the casket when we are ready to experience more closure. Here is a link to where he will rest:
Notice the oil painting of Ossie Janelle Avery did before Janelle died. Both Janelle and Ossie are gone way too soon, but I believe God knows every sparrow which falls to the ground and he can do all things, including reuniting all our loved ones in Heaven.
Rest in Peace,
John Cooper
Let God In: One Ignatian Journey
October 17, 2019 Leave a comment
My book, Let God In: One Ignatian Journey, is to be printed on October 30th. If you are wondering about the afterlife, Ignatian Spirituality, or the Spirituality of inner peace, consider reading my book.
It may be ordered at: Amazon
Or from the publisher: Austin Macauley
Thanks!
John Cooper
From Formation to Action
July 31, 2019 Leave a comment
From Formation to Action
I came to Ignatian Spirituality via the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. The 19th Annotation and my Jesuit based studies for a Certificate in Spiritual Direction at Spring Hill College have formed who I am. I came as I was, with prior life formation already in place. Although new formation has occurred, I also bring to the equation and to the Catholic Church to which I returned who I was and who I am. One of the prior formation events that I brought to the table was my prior formation in nonviolence. I became a conscientious objector to war at about 20 years old and left the Catholic Church to join an historic Peace Church. I did not know at that time that Vatican II allowed for such matters of conscience. In my studies of Ignatian Spirituality I have found links to nonviolence and social action. See note 98:
(098)
Eternal Lord of All Things
Eternal Lord of all things, in the presence of Thy infinite goodness, and of Thy glorious mother, and of all the saints of Thy heavenly court, this is the offering of myself which I make with Thy favor and help. I protest that it is my earnest desire and my deliberate choice, provided only it is for Thy greater service and praise, to imitate Thee in bearing all wrongs and all abuse and all poverty, both actual and spiritual, should Thy most holy majesty deign to choose and admit me to such a state and way of life[1]
The bearing of all wrongs, all abuse, and all poverty is the heart of a nonviolent lifestyle. Seeking to align our personal desires and discerning our choices only for God’s service and praise is the heart of Ignatian discernment.
Although some might attempt to change who they are to fit the constituency of a particular organization, Church, government, or group in order not to offend that group, or to be popular, the giving of the self (kenosis) to live only in the love and grace of God requires one consider what is the most loving thing to do and what will bring greater glory to God regarding one’s own birth, formation, life, burial, and resurrection. To be popular, approved of, to value in essence riches, honor, and pride is diametrically opposed to the discernment which leaves one absolutely free to choose and do only what God wants and do what brings God greater glory.
The third degree of humility of which Ignatius speaks allows for one’s recognition of particular gifts, although not for one’s own conceit, pride, and vanity, but for service and praise to the Lord our God. See note 167:
(167) The Third Kind of Humility
This is the most perfect kind of humility. It consists in this. If we suppose the first and second kind attained, then whenever the praise and glory of the Divine Majesty would be equally served, in order to imitate and be in reality more like Christ our Lord, I desire and choose poverty with Christ poor, rather than riches; insults with Christ loaded with them, rather than honors; I desire to be accounted as worthless and a fool for Christ, rather than to be esteemed as wise and prudent in this world. So Christ was treated before me.[2]
Fr, Joseph Tetlow has this to say about the Third Degree of Humility:
The lover in this case is made greater by love. The Beloved chose to empty himself, taking on the ways and characteristics of a servant. He did not mind being told that he was seriously mistaken about God and the people. He did not mind being considered mad. And his way led to great suffering and death. The person who wishes to be meek and humble as Jesus was can say to the Father honestly, “Treat me as you treated your own Son.” Such a prayer has nothing to do with negative self-image or despising the gifts of the Spirit. On the contrary, heroic love is meek and humble, but it is also glorifying. Just look at what happened in the end to Jesus of Nazareth.[3]
It is possible one might be considered a little crazy, a little radical, and that one may be viewed simply as mistaken, but sometimes one’s particular gifts may not perfectly fit the spiritual needs of others. In this case, it is better to let the Creator deal directly with the creature. In the end, all will be well.
In my case, I am not led to accept everything as is in the Catholic Church. I am somewhat of an activist who desires change in some areas of the Church, like Women being Deacons, like Communion shared especially with non-Catholic mates of members, like something being done about the sex abuse scandal, like perhaps a married Priesthood, like a commitment to non-violence in Catholic cultures all around the world. No more war. No more Catholics killing and bombing fellow Catholics because Catholics will be encouraged not to kill at all. I am feeling the most loving thing to do, and what will bring greater glory to God, is to not accept everything as is in the Church and try to “fit in,” but to promote Ignatian Spirit led change and improvement in the Church. I have been able already to effect some minor changes. I don’t think I am being prideful; I think I am being realistic that this may make me looked down upon by some. Good. I have made some mistakes already on this path, and I am sure to make more, but I am willing to submit to correction and supervision and to realize that the time may not be right yet for such changes.
I am writing this essay as part of my discernment process concerning what to do with my CSD (Certificate in Spiritual Direction) degree. I am led back to one of my Consolations without prior cause, which was to write a book which is now titled Let God In: One Ignatian Journey, and is soon to be published. For Consolation without prior cause, see note 330:
(330)
God alone can give consolation to the soul without any previous cause. It belongs solely to the Creator to come into a soul, to leave it, to act upon it, to draw it wholly to the love of His Divine Majesty. I said without previous cause, that is, without any preceding perception or knowledge of any subject by which a soul might be led to such a consolation through its own acts of intellect and will.[4]
My consolation without prior cause was to write this book and to promote Ignatian Spirituality. I think I need to stick with that consolation for now, and to wait to see what happens and where these matters lead. If other consolations arise, and are like water dripping on a sponge, I remain open to considering them. If they splash like on a rock, then no. Getting too many things going, too many balls bouncing at once, could be thoughts of my own after the consolation without prior cause and such thoughts need to be carefully discerned.
Pray for me,
John Cooper
Tuscaloosa, AL
[1] The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Louis J. Puhl, SJ translation
[2] Spex, 167
[3] https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-spiritual-exercises/the-third-degree-of-humility/
[4] SpEx, 330
We are Not Alone
April 10, 2019 Leave a comment
We are Not Alone
I went to Mass today, Wednesday before Psalm Sunday, 2019 and experienced what I believe to be a consolation without prior cause. As a little background, I pray with the daily readings each morning (See: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041019.cfm) and condense what I think is most important to me for this day into a short phrase to remember throughout the day and try to live out in daily life. My condensations for the last three days are:
I am not alone!
Again, I AM, is in ME, I am not alone.
I am not alone in fiery trials!
These phrases stem from parts of the readings from April 8th, 9th, and 10th, 2019,
“And even if I should judge, my judgment is valid,
because I am not alone,
but it is I and the Father who sent me.” [1]
“”When you lift up the Son of Man,
then you will realize that I AM,
and that I do nothing on my own,
but I say only what the Father taught me.
The one who sent me is with me.
He has not left me alone,”[2]
“”Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?”
“Assuredly, O king,” they answered.
“But,” he replied, “I see four men unfettered and unhurt,
walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.””[3]
We often feel alone, even in our own families which may be experiencing times of alienation and stress. We often feel alone in our national identities when rampant unchristian injustices like racism, nationalism, prejudice against immigrants and asylum seekers and peoples of other faiths, such as the Muslims, which desolations rear their ugly heads against our deep desires for peace and harmony and our deepest desire for God. We can feel all alone in our own church groups, even with hundreds of people surrounding us, some of whom we know by name but with whom we may have only a superficial spiritual relationship. We can feel alone when vices of financial or health difficulties tighten around us.
I wanted to tell someone at church today about this matter, to go out to eat with someone and to just talk about spiritual matters, but the occasion did not arise so I thought I would come in and tell you, the reader, about this matter:
We are NOT all alone!
We may be facing religious Pharisees, who want to judge and condemn us, but God is with us, and in us. Even if we face our death, our little daily dying’s, or walk in fiery trials, we are not alone! To begin with, God is in everything, we can find Him in all things, so we are never far from God in whom we live and breathe and have our being.[4] If we are Roman Catholic we may believe God is in the Eucharist in a special way, so God is with us and is in us in that way also, as well as in all in the congregation and in the Communion of Saints with whom we are also joined in a special and mysterious way. We are NOT alone!
I am a Spiritual Director in the Jesuit tradition and it is my job to help others connect directly to the Creator, who will work directly with the Creature, you, that is. A big part of being a Spiritual Director is to listen, not just to the directee, but to listen to God too. Let us listen for God in each other, in the wind, in the trees, in the birds, in animals, in children, in those we have been told are our enemies, in those of other Faiths, and in refugees and asylum seekers, in the poor, and in those of other races besides our own. There are plenty of places NOT to be alone if one can listen like this. Listen and silence are spelled with the same letters. Maybe a little silent reflection on the daily readings will help us to listen to God speaking to us, to hear His voice, His call and His cry from the Cross where even the human side of Jesus thought he was all alone and forsaken, but it turned out He was not all alone, at least not for long. No man is an island. No man is all alone.
John Cooper
Tuscaloosa, AL
[1] http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040819.cfm
[2] http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/040919.cfm
[3] http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041019.cfm
[4] 1 Cor 8:6; Acts 17: 28-30
John Cooper was born in Paris, Illinois in January, 1949. He was born Roman Catholic and grew up on his father’s and uncles’ farms. After graduating from Marshall, IL High School he attended Samford University in Birmingham, AL. He left college and became a cabinet maker, having his own business for about 45 years. About 7 years ago he returned to the Catholic Church of his youth. Having recently passed along his business to a younger person, John attended Spring Hill College in Mobile, AL and obtained his CSD degree in Spiritual Direction.
jcooperFORpeace 
