The Musical Priest

As part of my (seldom successful) efforts to clear up a backlog of tasks, I'd like to share with you some thoughts on a books I've read recently. This little gem was sent to me by its publisher at Loyola Press  who invited me to share my thoughts. The book is entitled the prayer that changes everything:  Discovering the Power of St. Ignatius Loyola's Examen  (Note: the title is in lowercase letters on the book's cover, hence the strange way it appears in type here) Written by Jim Manney, it's a short (~80 page) treatment of the prayer Saint Ignatius enjoined on his Jesuits and those who would receive the Spiritual Exercises . Manney, either consciously or not, crafts his treatment of the topic in the form of an inclusio. That is, he begins and ends his treatment of the Examen with the five basic points of how to pray using this powerful method Ask God for light. Give thanks Review the Day Face your shortcomings Look toward the day to come This skeletal ...

Every now and again, I hear from people that the "Society of Jesus has lost its way." They decry the focus on a "Faith that does Justice" and they offer embittered wishes that the Society would go back to its old ways, the ways of the good old days...whatever those were. Perhaps it is true that in the 1940's and 1950's, the nostalgic "Golden Era" of American Catholicism that there was a marked lack of focus on justice (although, if you read the incisive work of Father Mark Massa, SJ you'll realize that things weren't so Golden after all). It has long been be my contention that this was anomalous in the history of the Society of Jesus and that the original impulse of the Society of Jesus addressed the needs both of the soul and the body (Ignatius did, after all, found a house for prostitutes and begged money for to feed the hungry). Last night, Father Walter Farrell of the Detroit Province delivered a profound homily on the originating i...

The Alumni magazine of Saint Ignatius High School published in 2007 a very nice article about seven alumni who had entered the Society of Jesus. As of 2008, that number has grown to ten. I realized today that the original link I'd posted to the magazine story was no longer working. So I submit, as a help for those interested in a vocation to the Society of Jesus , the feature story A Spiritual Journey (pp. 16-20). This story offers stories and reflections from men in various stages of formation and even includes a helpful chart of Jesuit formation. If you've ever wondered the difference between a "Novice" or "Scholastic" or "Regent" or "Theologian" or "Tertian" you need only to look on page 19 for a helpful guide!