Self-donation is the spiritual practice of attention to others. It does not refer to any sort of self-mutilation or injury but rather to the self-control and self-knowledge that allows one person to be attentive to another person. In this post,…
Category: Susan T. Mahan
Seeking God, Decision-Making and the Ignatian Examen, by Susan Mahan, PhD
A blog post presenting the Ignatian Examen as a useful tool in the spiritual journey. Peace and freedom are both hallmarks of a good relationship with God, as well as essential characteristics of good choices when decisions must be made.…
The Sixth Gift: Reverence, by Susan T. Mahan
Reverence is rare in American society yet we love to see it. We are enthralled by dignity in great people. We appreciate graciousness and care, attention to detail, kindness to the helpless. We love to gaze on a photo by…
The First Fruit of the Spirit is Love, by Susan T. Mahan, PhD
Reflections on Love as a Fruit of the Holy Spirit by Dr. Susan Mahan. Part of her series on the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit. Find It. Did you like this? Share it:Tweet
The Fruit of the Spirit: A way to live a transformed life, by Susan T. Mahan, PhD
In his letter to the Galatians (5:22-23), Paul speaks of the “Fruit” of the Spirit. He uses this term in the singular, implying there is just one fruit, with nine aspects or expressions. Susan Mahan notes that Paul does not…
The Seventh Gift: Awe and Wonder (Fear of the Lord), by Susan T. Mahan, PhD
When I stare at the night sky, especially if I am out in the country, I get almost overwhelmed at the immensity of the universe. I am in awe of the beauty of the stars and then amazed at a…
The Fifth Gift: Courage, by Susan T. Mahan, PhD
Courage comes from the Latin word for heart cor and the French coeur. To have the heart for something means to be able to face something difficult or frightening and to persevere. Courage therefore does not mean not being afraid. …
A Fourth Gift of the Holy Spirit: Counsel or Right Judgement, by Susan T. Mahan, PhD
Drawing from the example of the approach to invention of a vacuum cleaner, Dr. Mahan offers a reflection on the Gift of Counsel, also known as the Gift of Right Judgement. Noting that the two names of this gift reflect…
The Gift of Wisdom: Ancient but Pertinent? by Susan T. Mahan, PhD
"Wisdom is a gift from God which empowers us to do what is best." In this post on the Gift of Wisdom, Susan Mahan looks at wisdom from a variety of perspectives, offering examples and insights from daily life as…
The Second Gift of the Holy Spirit: Understanding, by Susan T. Mahan, PhD
In this third post of her series on Pentecost and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Dr. Mahan explores the topic of Understanding. Beginning with understanding a bit about God and moving through the levels of our human experience of…
