Jesuit priest Father Jim Martin joins Team Busted Halo for a catch-up!
Father Jim recently wrote a foreword for Father William Barry’s book, “God’s Great Story and You.” Father Dave asks him how Father Barry’s wisdom shaped him. “His books helped to change the way I looked at God,” Father Jim replies. “He explains that prayer is a personal relationship with God. Prayer can be compared to a relationship with a friend – honesty, openness, listening, and being willing to change make for a good relationship with God… I was talking to a person today who is struggling with a terminal illness. And I said, ‘When you talk to God in prayer just be honest like you would talk to a friend.’ And that’s Father Barry.”
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Father Jim discusses how much he enjoys leading people in spiritual direction. “It’s a great ministry because you see how God is at work in different ways, in different people. Teresa of Avila was once asked if you should go to a spiritual director who is wise or holy. She said ‘wise.’” Fr. Jim points out that spiritual directors need to be trained in how to listen and guide their directees.
In his recent New York Times op-ed, Fr. Jim discusses the topic of taking joy in someone’s misery. He explains to Father Dave that just because we may not like someone’s choices does not mean we are justified in taking joy in their suffering. We are called as Christians to love one another, even our enemies.