{"id":5111,"date":"2025-08-01T15:25:18","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T19:25:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/billykangas\/?p=5111"},"modified":"2025-08-01T15:25:18","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T19:25:18","slug":"weekly-roundup-attentive-to-grace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/billykangas\/2025\/08\/weekly-roundup-attentive-to-grace.html","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Roundup: Attentive to Grace"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
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Happy Friday, friends!<\/strong> As the week winds down, I wanted to share a few highlights, insights, and sparks of grace that lit up my journey these past few days.<\/p>\n

We marked the feast of Saint Ignatius of Loyola with a powerful conversation on Ave Maria in the Afternoon<\/em>, where Marcus Peter and I explored how Ignatian spirituality invites us to move toward what is broken\u2014both in the world around us and within the hidden contours of our hearts. Whether it\u2019s the daily examen<\/em> or a deepening desire to serve the poor, these practices aren\u2019t just acts of reflection or service; they are invitations to transformation.<\/p>\n

Also in this roundup: I\u2019ve been pondering Church governance thanks to some excellent pieces in Church Life Journal<\/em>, especially reflections from Bishop Boyea. There\u2019s something invigorating about seeing ecclesial structures in light of spiritual renewal.<\/p>\n

For those hungry for spiritual depth, I recommend Sr. Dominic Mary Heath\u2019s reflection on the virtue of studiousness\u2014it\u2019s not just about scholarship, but attentiveness to God.<\/p>\n

A bit on the upcoming film Broken Mary<\/em> about Kevin Matthews. And some thoughts on my most recent time through the Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis.<\/p>\n

As always, thanks for walking alongside me in this incredible journey of life.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I was struck this week by the article \u201cGiving God Our Attention: Learning the Virtue of Studiousness by Sr. Dominic Mary Heath\u201d<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Mocking of Christ \u2013 Fra Angelico (1440)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The article begins by examining Fra Angelico\u2019s tremendous fresco, The Mocking of Christ<\/em>, which offers a profound visual metaphor for the experience of studiously meditating on the mysteries of Christ\u2019s Passion. Author Sister Dominic Mary Heath poses a striking question: how is the suffering of Mary in the foreground connected to the practice of study, as embodied in the figure of St. Dominic?<\/p>\n

I found the article immensely helpful in illuminating one of the key pitfalls that has misled much of the intellectual pursuit in modern society\u2014particularly within the contemporary university system. Sister Dominic Mary identifies two prevailing motivations in today\u2019s student:<\/p>\n

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  1. The expression of one\u2019s distinctive personality<\/li>\n
  2. The production of some end that is utilitarian<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    By contrast, the Christian mind does not study for those ends as its primary good. Instead, it seeks the virtue of directing the mind toward God, and through that orientation, to align ourselves morally with the good. This is why true studiousness is intimately connected to a kind of sorrow. It unveils vistas of wonder and contemplation, but in doing so, it subverts our broken wills and desires to the cross.<\/p>\n

    I believe this reflection is a tremendous balm to the scourge of dopamine addiction that has led many to amuse themselves to death in today\u2019s culture. The article has offered me ample fodder for further contemplation\u2014particularly convicting me of the ways in which my own study has not always been driven by a desire to contemplate God\u2019s goodness.<\/p>\n

    Far too often, my study has been motivated not by wonder at divine truth, but by a desire to fulfill my own appetite for worldly goods and recognition.<\/p>\n

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    I was encouraged by the series on Church Governance in Church Life Journal. <\/em>This week.\u00a0<\/a> <\/strong>With Contributions from Bishop Earl Boyea and and John C. Cavadini<\/p>\n

    I found both of the articles in this series to be very powerful. I\u2019m glad that our Bishop Earl here in Lansing to be engaged with some of this thoughtful kind of conversation. And I thought that John\u2019s response in particular was magnificent.<\/div>\n
    I loved how he both upheld the importance of being a good fiduciary of an organization by the standards of an outside organization, whether it be a nonprofit or even something as secular as the facilitation of a local Amtrak passenger rail. And yet, he keeps the spiritual side, that understanding of governance as a part of the exercise of Christ\u2019s particular ministry through the church front and center.<\/div>\n
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    It can be sometimes tempting to believe that good church management should in all ways and circumstances be an expression of best practices employed in corporate boardrooms. And John offers instead the corollary of a bridegroom for his bride. This is powerful.<\/div>\n
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    I also really liked how he brought to the fore the understanding of the duty of ruling or governance as a true doctrinal clarification of the much caricatured, \u201cpastoral\u201d council of Vatican II. I find this always cheapened the kinds of work that the conference so powerfully did and was glad to see it articulated well.<\/div>\n
    Thanks, as always, for sharing a great article and connecting me to a wonderful conversation about this beautiful church we are privileged to be a part of.<\/div>\n
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    I was recently able to screen a copy of the upcoming film Broken Mary<\/em>,<\/a><\/strong> which tells the story of Kevin Matthews and his transformation from a legendary morning radio host in Chicago to a traveling Catholic speaker. I would encourage everyone to watch the film when it\u2019s released\u2014I found it to be an inspiring story that many will find relatable.<\/p>\n

    Matthews\u2019 encounter with Christ arises from a place of brokenness, of need, and of hope. He embodies a kind of gritty masculinity that often emerges in those who, having been wounded, sought protection in a raw\u2014and at times juvenile or hedonistic\u2014lifestyle in their youth, only to confront the emptiness of such facades. The grace within this struggle is an authenticity they carry into their testimony: one that does not seek self-elevation but rather exposes the cracks in their life where mercy floods in\u2014where God generously meets us.<\/p>\n

    I\u2019ve known many people like Kevin. And I must confess, his story stirred something deep within me. It inspired a desire to be more honestly broken and tangibly in need of God\u2019s mercy. Since viewing it, I\u2019ve found myself praying more fervently\u2014from a posture of need and a longing to run to my mother. Mary offers protection. She guides.<\/p>\n

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    This week I reread C.S. Lewis\u2019s Space Trilogy<\/em><\/a><\/strong>\u2014a cycle I\u2019ve returned to every few years over the course of my Christian life. There\u2019s something remarkably fun and endlessly intriguing about the trilogy. It\u2019s Lewis at his most unrefined, and that, to me, carries an undeniable charm.<\/p>\n

    He pours so much of his own intellectual DNA into the books:<\/p>\n