November 2025

Dear Friends,

A dear friend has recently introduced me to a song called “Mercy Now,” written by Mary Gauthier. She longs for mercy – for her father, her brother, her church, her country and for life itself. Whenever I hear it, I long to put my arms around her.

I’d like to tell her about a book called Life of the Beloved by Henri Nouwen. His simple and straightforward point is that we are chosen and beloved by God. It is in this simple truth that our whole worth and our authentic identity lie. 

Oh yes, I believe that sometimes — when it’s such a beautiful day I can’t stand it; when a friend knows my mind and heart without asking; when worship moves me to tears. But that conviction can be hard to hold onto. We inhabit an environment that manipulates us by fear or withholding love. We work in a world that values success above everything. We are conscious of our own sin annd anguished by the corporate sin we acquiesce to every day. 

Merle Marie Troeger
Ignatian Maine Spiritual Director

Click here to read all of the November 2025 Ignatian Maine Newsletter.