What an honor to share space with one of my heroes, Fr. Greg Boyle, Founder of Homeboy Industries, at the Center for Action and Contemplation’s ReVision Conference!

Fr. Greg has spent his life devoted to creating places of cherished belonging for those living on the margins. His message to us at the conference was, “hold out for mystical activism.”

What does it mean for you and me to live our ordinary lives in mystical activism? St. Ignatius talked about it as standing in awe of the suffering and hardship others have to carry. And recognizing that our woundedness is the common ground of our belonging.

I believe the mystic’s quest is also to find places where the Divine meets the soul with no space in between. We may find this in small, everyday moments – a child’s laughter, the smell of rain in the desert, a sunset that takes our breath away. Times when we are keenly aware of our unique and sacred place in the web of life – when we intuitively sense our connection with other living things. Perhaps it’s simply being deeply present with another person.

Fr. Greg’s call to each of us is to act with greater awareness of our belonging. And to bring love to all those places we inhabit, welcoming and offering our kinship with others so no one stands outside the circle of our compassion. Yes, and amen!