In this episode, Fr. Ruff reminds us of the Lenten disciplines of Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. Alongside Fr. Ruff's message, producer Aaron Lemma shares about how the coronavirus pandemic is changing the podcast and how it should, in reality, be a changing moment for us. Aaron put's Fr. Ruff's message in perspective. May we use this moment as an opportunity to adapt and deepen our Lenten practices instead of forget them altogether. After all, the world needs prayer now more than even.Key Quotes:"And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and grew gardens full of fresh food, and learned some new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently."And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal."And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.” - Kitty O’Meara“A good Lenten Abstinence may be to give up technology that doesn’t aide prayer or alsmgiving. Maybe this means giving up some things alltogether: abstaining from TV during Lent, abstaining from video games on your iPad, or maybe even giving it up alltogether for Lent, unless of course it somehow is helping you to pray or give alms. Giving up surfing the internet might entail real sacrifice and conversion, especially if it sometimes leads us to sites that are not good for our vocation as baptized Christians. "Maybe fasting means tuning off the radio and praying on the way to work, or listening to a CD of the rosary, or a lecture. It might even mean calling someone you love and praying together over the phone. I warn though that our inclination is to run from silence. And maybe this Lent could be a great opportunity to foster silence in our lives, at least at some point in our day. ” - Fr. Michael Denk, Our Sunday Visitor“Because you have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” - Saint Augustine, Confessions 1.1.1Connect with Fr. Ruff:Please send your comments, questions, and feedback to rufflyspeakingpodcast@gmail.com.  We would greatly appreciate any thoughts you have about this podcast project! 

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18: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving During Quarantine

The Coronavirus has been spreading, causing many to fear and panic.  In this episode, Fr. Ruff reminds us that as Christians, We are People of Hope. Especially during this Lenten “Springtime,” we are reminded of our call to live in love, not fear.  This reflection helps us remember what truly matters – our relationship with Christ.Key Mentions:The Season of LentRite of Christian Initiation of AdultsKey Quotes:“This we have as an anchor of the soul,sure and firm, which reaches into the interior behind the veil.” – Hebrews 6:19“Our great, true hope, which holds firm in spite of all disappointments, can only be God. God who has loved us and continues to love us to the end until all is accomplished. Whoever is moved by love begins to perceive what life really is. She or he begins to perceive the meaning of the word of “Hope” that we encountered in our own Baptismal Rite: “From faith I await eternal life, that is the true life which whole and unthreatened in all its fullness is simply life.” – Pope Benedict XVI, Spe Salvi (2007 Encyclical)“A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10“When you fast,do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,so that you may not appear to others to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.” – Matthew 6:16-18"Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidenceof things not seen.” — Hebrews 11:1The Instinct of Hopeby John ClareIs there another world for this frail dustTo warm with life and be itself again?Something about me daily speaks there must,And why should instinct nourish hopes in vain?'Tis nature's prophesy that such will be,And everything seems struggling to explainThe close sealed volume of its mystery.Time wandering onward keeps its usual paceAs seeming anxious of eternity,To meet that calm and find a resting place.E'en the small violet feels a future powerAnd waits each year renewing blooms to bring,And surely man is no inferior flowerTo die unworthy of a second spring? Connect with Fr. Ruff:Please send your comments, questions, and feedback to rufflyspeakingpodcast@gmail.com.  We would greatly appreciate any thoughts you have about this podcast project! 

17: We are People of Hope (Coronavirus Update)

During this Lenten season, Fr. Ruff takes some time to explain the importance of silence in our spiritual lives.  In an ever-busying world, we are reminded of the value and scarcity of silence. Perhaps we can make silence a part of our spiritual practices this Lent. Show Notes:Noise PollutionWhisper of the Wild by Kim Tingley (NYT) In Pennsylvania, a Quick Shot of Peace, on a Budget by Susan Gregory Thomas (NYT)What Works: Enjoy the Silence by Phil Fox RoseThe Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life by Fr. Jim MartinGreen Country Town (William Penn) Key Quotes:“The paradox with meditation and other forms of silent prayer, and especially with silent retreats, is that even though they are formless and goalless, they achieve something wonderful — something potentially transformative: they create space, physical and mental space, to become more open.” – Phil Fox Rose“’We may fear silence because we fear what we might hear from the deepest parts of ourselves. We may be afraid to hear that ‘still small’ voice. What might it say?Might it ask us to change?’  This is the great power and the great challenge of silence: it can reveal truth. Or more accurately, it takes away our ability to run from Truth.” – Phil Fox Rose quoting Fr. Jim Martin“…Find more opportunities to bring silence into your routine. (Or should I say, to remove noise from your routine.) I have absolutely nothing against technology. I spent half my career writing about it or developing it. I myself have an iPod, iPhone, iPad, cable TV and high-speed internet. This is not about avoiding technology. It’s about choosing how you use it.As Jon M. Sweeney says in his delightful book about monastic life and retreats, Cloister Talks:It’s not that it’s wrong to live a busy, secular life (I certainly do), but you’re supposed to have more than that, and the more than that is supposed to eventually take prominence.So I make sure there’s room for the “more than that” — which often involves silence in betweenthings…” – Phil Fox Rose“…and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:32“All is seared with trade, bleared and smeared with toil, and wears man’s smudge, and wears man’s smell” – Gerard Manly HopkinsConnect with Fr. Ruff:Please send your comments, questions, and feedback to rufflyspeakingpodcast@gmail.com.  We would greatly appreciate any thoughts you have about this podcast project! 

16: Silence in a Noisy World

It's the season of Lent, and the Church is calling it's faithful people to become more aware of ourselves, both in where we in and how we serve.  In this first week of Lent, Fr. Ruff invites us to think about why we go to Church and what's the point of Ash Wednesday in the first place.  If we place so much importance on Ash Wednesday, how much does this say about our deep desire to be cared for by the Church?  All this and more in this episode!

15: Ash Wednesday & the Lenten Season

In this week's episode, Fr. Ruff shares his longing for a snow day.  These are moments where God cannot only be seen but heard, revealed in, and experienced.  He shares a classic by Robert Frost, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.  And yes, it's okay to pray for snow to come before the winter comes to an end.Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Eveningby Robert FrostWhose woods these are I think I know.His house is in the village though;He will not see me stopping hereTo watch his woods fill up with snow.My little horse must think it queerTo stop without a farmhouse nearBetween the woods and frozen lakeThe darkest evening of the year.He gives his harness bells a shakeTo ask if there is some mistake.The only other sound’s the sweepOf easy wind and downy flake.The woods are lovely, dark and deep,But I have promises to keep,And miles to go before I sleep,And miles to go before I sleep.Connect with Fr. Ruff:Please send your comments, questions, and feedback to rufflyspeakingpodcast@gmail.com.  We would greatly appreciate any thoughts you have about this podcast project!

14: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Valentine’s Day is a time to take a step back and remember our love, especially the love we share with others. Fr. Ruff’s Valentine’s reflection walks us through the myth of St. Valentine, the traditions associated with the day, and what we can learn from this practice of love.  As the greatest love story ever told is recorded in scripture, Fr. Ruff concludes this episode with an important passage from 1 John, a passage we should come back to when we feel a lack of love in our lives.  Happy Valentine’s Day to all our listeners!Key Mentions:Roman Liturgical CalendarSt. ValentineChristian MartyrsParliament of Foulesby Geoffrey ChaucerScripture Mentioned:“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another” – 1 John 4:7-11Connect with Fr. Ruff:Please send your comments, questions, and feedback to rufflyspeakingpodcast@gmail.com.  We would greatly appreciate any thoughts you have about this podcast project!

13: "From Your Valentine"

In this episode of Ruffly Speaking, Fr. Dan Ruff explains Why He Stays in the Catholic Church.  Though flawed in its humanity, Fr. Ruff explains that the Church is his home and his family.  In fact, with enough grace the wounds of the Church can be linked to the very nature of the Resurrection of Christ, wounds glorified in all their ugliness. Our hope is that this message may inspire those who are tempted to leave the Church because of its institutional shortcomings.  Perhaps with enough encouragement, we can continue to bring people back.Key Mentions:Lion’s Club InternationalThe Catholic ChurchSacramentalityJesuit / Ignatian SpiritualityThe IncarnationBishop Robert BarronCatholicismby Bishop BarronEaster VigilSacraments of InitiationRite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA)First CommunionResurrection of Christ Quotes Mentioned: “THE great principle of Catholicism is the Incarnation, the enfleshment of God…  I mean. THE WORD OF GOD – the mind by which the whole universe came to be – did not remain sequestered in heaven but rather entered into this ordinary world of bodies, this grubby arena of history, this compromised and tear-stained human condition of ours.” – Bishop Robert Barron“We are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed.  We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”  1 John  3:2Connect with Fr. Ruff:Please send your comments, questions, and feedback to rufflyspeakingpodcast@gmail.com.  We would greatly appreciate any thoughts you have about this podcast project!

12: Why I Stay in the Church

In this installation, Fr. Ruff shares his thoughts about the 1957 musical-turned-film which is being revived on Broadway this year, The Music Man.  While uncovering the truth about Harold Hill, Fr. Ruff elegantly analyzes the heart of the play: that we all should have something to place our hope in. We hope you enjoy this meaningful episode of Ruffly Speaking and have a blessed week.Show Notes:The Music ManThe Music Man RevivalHugh JackmanSutton FosterKey Quotes:When the boy growls, “You lied about the band, too, didn’t you?  There isn’t any band, is there?!” Hill replies gently: “I always think there’s a band, kid…”Connect with Fr. Ruff:Please send your comments, questions, and feedback to rufflyspeakingpodcast@gmail.com.  We would greatly appreciate any thoughts you have about this podcast project!

11: I Always Think There's a Band, Kid

If you listened to last week’s Getting to Know Fr. Ruff episode, you’ll know that Fr. Ruff is an avid fan and admirer of stories, especially those told in theater.  This week, Fr. Ruff discusses what it means to have a sacramental Church through the lens of the Theater as Sacrament.  Pulling from Colleen Mary Carpenter’s U.S. Catholic essay, Fr. Ruff explains that this is a sacramental Church, one where the world around us can bring each of us to a closer relationship with God.  The story shared in this episode explains how God can truly be found in all things.Key Mentions:Ignatian SpiritualitySt. Ignatius Loyola“Finding God in All Things”Read into it: What books can reveal to us about the presence of God – U.S. Catholic Article by Colleen Mary CarpenterSacramental Meaning“The Madwoman of Chaillot” by Jean Giraudoux“Dear World,” a musical adaptation by Jerry Herman“American Idiot” musical by Billie Joe Armstrong“American Idiot” album by Green DayCharles IsherwoodQuotes From Colleen Mary Carpenter’s Article:“Catholics are a sacramental people. We see signs of the presence of God around us in every moment of our lives. We know, of course, that God is greater than we can imagine and beyond all that we can touch, but we are also convinced that creation, from the most ordinary--water, oil, bread--to the most unlikely--the stranger, the enemy, the cross--can reveal divine love.”“Storytelling has always been a central way human beings have taught each other about how the world works.”“…to look at the world from a new perspective, to imagine reality in a new way.”  “…literature can be one of our teachers as we develop and educate our imaginations."Connect with Fr. Ruff:Please send your comments, questions, and feedback to rufflyspeakingpodcast@gmail.com.  We would greatly appreciate any thoughts you have about this podcast project!

10: Theater as Sacrament

In this episode of Ruffly Speaking, host Father Dan Ruff sits down and is interviewed by his producer, Aaron Lemma.  This conversation yields Fr. Ruff's origins, from where he grew up to when he became a member of the Society of Jesus.  Also discussed are the special influences on Fr. Ruff's ministry as well as his passion for theater and storytelling.  We hope you'll know the podcaster himself a little better by the end of this episode, Connect with Fr. Ruff:Please send your comments, questions, and feedback to rufflyspeakingpodcast@gmail.com.  We would greatly appreciate any thoughts you have about this podcast project!

9: Getting to Know Father Dan Ruff, S.J.

As the Christmas Season comes to an official close this weekend, Fr. Ruff wants to remind us one final time: “the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  This is not only at the core of the Christmas season but, in fact, summarizes the whole message of the New Testament.  A better understanding of the King of Kings, Jesus, as the light of the world might help us bare the cold and darkness of the winter that much more, for nothing shall overcome the light.Key Mentions:Liturgical YearA Charlie Brown ChristmasThe Birth of Jesus, according to LukePrologue to the Gospel of JohnThe Last GospelSaint John the ApostleBook of Revelation“God said it, I believe it, that settles it!”Scripture Mentioned:“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…” – John 1:1“What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” – John 1:4-5“Nothing accursed will be found there anymore. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.  They will look upon his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.  Night will be no more, nor will they need light from lamp or sun, for the Lord God shall give them light, and they shall reign forever and ever” – Revelation 22:3-5“Darkness is not dark for you, and night shines as the day. Darkness and light are but one” – Psalm 139:12“Those who have ears to hear, let them hear.” – Matthew 13:9“Peace  I leave with you; my peace I give to you… Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid” – John 14:27“In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world” – John 16:33“I will never forsake you or abandon you” – Hebrews 13:5, referencing several Old Testament texts, including Joshua 1:5Connect with Fr. Ruff:Please send your comments, questions, and feedback to rufflyspeakingpodcast@gmail.com.  We would greatly appreciate any thoughts you have about this podcast project!

8: Light in the Darkness

It’s 2020, and that means people are thinking about changing their habits by creating New Year’s Resolutions.  In this episode Fr. Dan Ruff shares his perspective on resolutions and how our tendency to overreach, control, and perfect ourselves leads to pain and upset.  Instead of resolutions, Fr. Ruff suggests praying for New Year’s Graces instead.  With this new perspective, Fr. Ruff wishes you a Happy and Holy New Year filled with prayer and a reinvigorated spiritual life.What if we thought of graces to pray for instead of resolutions?1) Pray for the willingness to spend more quality time with family and friends.2) Pray for the discipline to step up your fitness consciousness.3) Pray for the freedom to slow down and enjoy your life more.4) Pray for the freedom to slow down and enjoy your life more.5) Pray to learn something new.6) Pray to have heightened awareness of and be kind to the earth.7) Pray – period.Key MentionsNew Year’s ResolutionsPerfectionismHow to Write a Gratitude ListAuntie MameQuotes Mentioned:“Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!” - Auntie Mame“Ask God what you desire.” - Saint Ignatius LoyolaConnect with Fr. Ruff:Please send your comments, questions, and feedback to rufflyspeakingpodcast@gmail.com.  We would greatly appreciate any thoughts you have about this podcast project!

7: Praying for New Year Graces

In this second Christmas Episode, Fr. Ruff shares his love for Christmastime stories, especially “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens.  Though the fairy tales, fantasies, age-old, and contemporary stories of the Christmas season often contain happy endings, Fr. Ruff explores the truth behind our longing for a peaceful conclusion.  Be it “A Christmas Carol” or the Book of Isaiah, these accounts can bring us to the true meaning of this holiday season—the recognize the Wonder-Counsellor of all creation, God Incarnate.Key MentionsCharles DickensDickens’ Reviving of Holiday CustomsA Christmas CarolThe Life of Our Lord“Spiritual but not Religious.”“Emmanuel” – God with usThe Joy of ChristmasDickens Quotes MentionedDickens says that Christmas is “a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time … when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.”“A time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer…”“A time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices.”  “The people … shoveling away … on the housetops jovial and full of glee; calling out to one another from the parapets, and now and then exchanging a facetious snowball – better-natured missile far than many a wordy jest – laughing heartily if it [goes] right and not less heartily if it [goes] wrong.”“Customers all so hurried and so eager in the hopeful promise of the day, that they [tumble] up against each other at the door, clashing their wicker baskets wildly, and [leave] their purchases upon the counter, and [come] running back to fetch them, and [commit] hundreds of the like mistakes, in the best humor possible.”Scripture Mentioned“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; upon his shoulder dominion rests.  They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6 Connect with Fr. Ruff:Please send your comments, questions, and feedback to rufflyspeakingpodcast@gmail.com.  We would greatly appreciate any thoughts you have about this podcast project!

6: Christmas (2/2) - A Carol of Joy

To kick off this Christmas season, Fr. Ruff shares a Meditation on the Nativity from St. Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises.  By walking through the mystery of Jesus' birth through Imaginative Contemplation, we can come to know God in a more personal way.  This is a good thing, because that's what God wants to offer to us this Christmas: a personal relationship with him, the King of Kings.Meditation on the Incarnation (Part 1)Meditation on the Incarnation (Part 2)Meditation on the NativityPrelude 1: Recall the basics of the story“How Our Lady went forth from Nazareth, about nine months with child, … seated on an ass, and accompanied by Joseph and a maid, taking an ox, to go to Bethlehem to pay the tribute which Caesar imposed on all those lands.” – Luke 2: 1-20Prelude 2: Imagine the Nativity Scene“See with the sight of the imagination the road from Nazareth to Bethlehem; considering the length and the breadth, and whether such road is level or through valleys and over hills; likewise looking at the place or cave of the Nativity, how large, how small, how low, how high, and how it was prepared." Prelude 3: Ask for the “Godspell Grace”“To see Jesus more clearly, to love him more dearly, and to follow more nearly.”– Richard of ChichesterThe Meditation:1.    See the Persons of the NativityDoes Mary look tired?  Does Joseph look anxious?  Is the baby small and scrawny or round and fat?  And how do I, as their servant, respond?  Am I frightened by Mary’s pain?  Sympathetic?  Do I distract and comfort Joseph?  Does Mary offer to let me hold the baby?  Do I do so?  What is THAT like?  How do I feel cradling the Son of God in my arms2.    Hear the Sounds of the NativityFor instance, do the animals there make noise?  Does Mary groan with discomfort during childbirth?  Does Joseph call for me to get some hot water and clean towels quickly?  Does the newborn baby cry?  Do Mary and Joseph speak in adoring baby talk to little Jesus, as new parents are apt to do?  3.    Look, See, and Consider what this all meansWhat does Emmanuel, “God with us,” really mean “for ME”?  And what all does God’s startling choice entail in its human details?  For instance, why bring up the cross with the baby barely born?!  What feelings does the whole experience stir up in me?4.    Enter into a ConversationWhat should I say to the Jesus, to Mary, to Joseph?  How do I feel about what is happening?Let the Christmas Mystery become up close and personal, to chat with Mary and Joseph and God as friends.“Come to Bethlehem and see him whose birth the angels sing,"“Come adore on bended knee Christ, the Lord, the newborn king.”Understanding the Spiritual Exercises:St. Ignatius of LoyolaJesuits / Society of JesusThe Spiritual Exercises Imaginative ContemplationConnect with Fr. Ruff:Please send your comments, questions, and feedback to rufflyspeakingpodcast@gmail.com.  We would greatly appreciate any thoughts you have about this podcast project!

5: Christmas (1/2) - The Mystery of the Nativity

In this last edition of the Advent Series, Fr. Ruff walks through Part 2 of the Meditation on the Incarnation which comes from the Spiritual Exercises.  While the first part of this meditation asked us to explore God’s decision to save the human race, this second part focusses on Mary’s human response.  Part 1 - 3: Advent (3/3) - Meditation on the Incarnation (Part 1 of 2)Understanding the Spiritual Exercises:Jesuits / Society of JesusThe Spiritual Exercises Imaginative Contemplation“To see Jesus more clearly, to love him more dearly, and to follow more nearly.”– Richard of ChichesterUnderstanding the Meditation on the Incarnation:Diptych PrayerFirst Panel: The Trinity Looks Down from HeavenSecond Panel: Mary’s Human ResponseDraw Me into Your Friendship (1996)by David L. Fleming, S.J.The Meditation on the incarnation (Part 2 of 2):1.  Draw yourself into God’s presence, and ask for what you desire to see more clearly, to love more dearly, and to follow more nearly.2.  Carefully read the account of the Annunciation, found in Luke 1: 26-38.  Then, reflect as Fr. Flemming suggests:     “Here, I try to stay with the eyes of God, and look upon the young girl Mary as she is greeted by God’s messenger, Gabriel.”3.  Guided by the Holy Spirit, get to know Mary intimately.  Imagine what this scene looked like as the angel Gabriel descended on Mary’s small, meager town.  As St. Ignatius suggests, be present to this scene by:     “Hearing the nuances of the questions, seeing the expression in the face and eyes [of Mary], watching the gestures and movements which tell us so much about a person.”4.  Ask yourself some questions to help you better understand Mary:     How must Mary have reacted to this divine intrusion?     How would you react?     What on earth could God possibly want with me?     What does it mean to say“you will be the Mother of God?”     How could all this come to pass?5.  Sit in reflection of this scene.  Stay with Mary or with the Divine Word for a little.  Perhaps thank the Trinity for this gift, or Mary for her courageous response. Maybe reflect on how you can respond with courage to God’s call when it comes.6.  Conclude this meditation by carrying this peace and perspective with you these last few days of Advent.

4: Advent (4/4) - Meditation on the Incarnation (Part 2 of 2)

Dan Ruff, S.J. is a Jesuit Catholic priest working in Campus Ministry at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. Through this podcast, Fr. Ruff shares his thoughts on searching for meaning and hope in a world that, at times, seems to lack both. With a Doctorate in Liturgy, a love of storytelling, and a passion for the performing arts, Fr. Ruff wishes to show that spirituality is a noble pursuit welcome to people of all walks of life—you just have to be willing to ask the big questions and search for satisfying answers. This podcast is not only for Catholics and the Jesuit-educated but for all those searching for answers. As Jesus says when he heals the ten lepers, Fr. Ruff echoes: “Where are the other nine?”

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