Although I was educated in Jesuit institutions (St. Ignatius College Prep, Santa Clara University, and the University of San Francisco), when leading a group in prayer, either as a classroom teacher, pastoral minister, or presenter at workshops for adults, I liked to begin with the traditional introduction practiced by the Christian Brothers:

“Let us remember… 
that we are in the
holy presence of God.”

I’ve often wondered,… what if? What if all of us could be more consciously aware of God’s presence in our world? What if all of us could be more aware of God’s presence in our relationships and in our workplace? What if all of us could more consciously acknowledge God’s presence in people who are different than us, most notably those we either do not approve of or simply do not like?

On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Whether we understand it or not, whether Easter is a spiritual celebration for us or a cultural one, millions of people around the globe acknowledge the risen Christ on this day. But do we acknowledge the risen Christ every other day of the year?

St. Ignatius challenged us to see God in all things. This means recognizing God in all people, as well. All people! That’s not easy. It’s something with which many of us struggle. And yet, this is precisely what our faith calls us to do — to love the liberal and the conservative, to love the homeless and those addicted to drugs, to love people who embrace different philosophies than we do, to love those whose sexual orientation we might not understand. God is in all things. God is in all people.

Happy Easter!