Today’s Scriptures invite us into the heart of God’s justice — a justice rooted not in power or privilege, but in love and impartiality. The Lord of lords, the great and awesome God, shows no favoritism and accepts no bribes. Instead, God defends the vulnerable: the orphan, the widow, and the stranger. These words are as urgent now as they were in ancient Israel, calling us to contemplation, conversion, and action.
In the Ignatian tradition, we are encouraged to find God in all things and seek justice for all. In today’s scriptures, we are urged to see others as God see them, with love. This calls us to pause and prayerfully consider how we might respond with love for others in our own lives.
Contemplation: Seeing Through God’s Eyes
Imagine God looking out over the world, not with the eyes of earthly kings or presidents, but with the eyes of perfect love. God does not see status, wealth, race, or influence. God sees beloved children and God does not have favorites.
Imagining God’s view this way is unsettling. It challenges our assumptions and preferences. We must ask ourselves questions. Who do we favor? Who do we ignore? If we are honest, we often gravitate toward people who are like us. We gravitate towards those who share our background, culture, and opinion. God’s vision sees beyond these divisions.
In Ignatian contemplation, we might place ourselves into a scene, watching as God moves through a crowd. Whom does God approach first? The single mother working to make ends meet? The migrant fleeing violence in search of peace? The elderly man who has no one to visit him? God seeks out the forgotten and the overlooked.
Conversion: Justice Rooted in Love
Ignatian spirituality compels us to love as God loves, requiring us to enter into solidarity with others, including the orphan, the widow, and the stranger. Solidarity is not sympathy or pity. In fact, we cannot live in solidarity with those we pity. Rather, solidarity is proximity, commitment, and sharing in benefits and burdens that life provides. It means opening our lives to those who God loves.
Ignatian spirituality further requires that we seek justice. This is not justice sought out of charity or pity. It is justice born of our solidarity and relationship with others.
In this way, the widow, the orphan, and the alien from scripture are not merely symbols, but people we meet every day. The single parent struggling to pay rent. The refugee waiting to find safety. The elderly woman eating alone at a nursing home. Ignatius would ask: Who is suffering today and how am I being called to solidarity with them?
Margo Minnich
Margo Minnich, Associate Professor at Creighton University College of Nursing, integrates her passion for public health nursing and professional development with her commitment to Ignatian spirituality. Rooted in the teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola, she strives to live a life of service, compassion, and reflection, promoting holistic well-being in the communities she serves. In her professional work, Dr. Minnich aligns the core values of public health nursing with Ignatian principles, emphasizing social justice and the dignity of every person.
