Embracing Faith as a Divine Gift in Ignatian Spirituality

A Scripture Passage That Suddenly Resonated

While reading Acts of the Apostles this week, I was struck by a single line that resonated deeply.

“Yet He is not far from us, for in Him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your poets have said, ‘For we are indeed His offspring.’” — Acts 17:28

Paul was speaking to the Athenians, and the words resonated with me on a deeply personal level as I was studying the passage.

Sharing the Moment on Social Media

I posted the verse on my social‑media feed together with an invitation:

“Be attentive to the moments today where God feels near.If He doesn’t feel near, then be attentive to your longing to feel His presence, because that desire is itself a gift—a grace from Him.”

The phrase “If you knew the gift of God” rang in my mind as I crafted the message.

Faith as a Gift – Ignatian Insight

The passage reminded me of a core principle of Ignatian spirituality, which the Catechism of the Catholic Church articulates clearly: faith is a complete gift from God, and even our petitions are responses to God’s own encounter with us.

This understanding transforms my prayer life. It allows me to reflect on the deepest longings of my heart, discern them, and discover God’s presence in that very longing.

Prayer as God’s Gift

Catechism of the Catholic Church

2560 – “If you knew the gift of God!”

The wonder of prayer is revealed beside the well where we come seeking water: there Christ meets every human being. He is the One who first seeks us and asks us for a drink. Jesus thirsts; His asking arises from the depths of God’s desire for us. Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God’s thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for Him.

2561 – “You would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

Paradoxically, our prayer of petition is a response to the plea of the living God:

“They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn out cisterns for themselves—broken cisterns that can hold no water!”

Prayer is the response of faith to the free promise of salvation and also a response of love to the thirst of the Only Son of God.

Finding God in My Day

My days are busy—homeschooling our children, preparing meals, coaching, and completing landscaping projects. Yet I try to be attentive first to the moments of interior joy when God feels near.

When I notice my heart or mind lifted toward God, I recognize Christ meeting me at the well. I believe it is always possible to find God this way, even on days that bring upset, anxiety, or near‑despair. In those moments, I encounter Him in my yearning for Him.

A Prayer by St. Anselm of Canterbury

Look upon us, Lord; hear us, enlighten us, show yourself to us. Give yourself to us that it may be well with us, for without you it goes so ill for us. Have pity upon our efforts and our strivings toward you, for we can avail nothing without you. Teach me to seek you, and reveal yourself to me as I seek, because I can neither seek you if you do not teach me how, nor find you unless you reveal yourself. Let me seek you in desiring you; let me desire you in seeking you;let me find you in loving you; let me love you in finding you.

Closing Thought

In every breath, every task, and every longing, God invites us to recognize His nearness. May we remain attentive to the moments He meets us—at the well, in the quiet of our hearts, and in the ordinary rhythms of daily life.

May the gift of God fill our lives with living water, now and always.

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