Sanctuary at Jesuit Center
If you spend much time around the Jesuits, you will hear them speak of gift & grace. They have come to understand that all of life is either gift or grace.
The Jesuits, or “the Society of Jesus” is a Roman Catholic order of priests and brothers founded half a millennium ago by the soldier-turned-mystic Ignatius Loyola.
Jesuits seek to “find God in all things.” They are dedicated to the “greater glory of God” and the good of all humanity. Jesuits draw upon the rich tradition of Ignatian spirituality and reflection.
Contemplatives in Action
To be clear, I do not consider myself an expert on Jesuit thought or life. I do know that when I spend time with my Jesuit brothers I am challenged, and my faith is deepened. What attracts me to their specific “brand” of mystic theology is that while the focus begins with gaining a deeper understanding of and relationship with God it does not end there. Jesuits do not retreat from the world to “navel gaze” and simply deepen their walk with God. They “aim to be ‘contemplatives in action,’ people who bring this spirituality into the wide world.”
During this last trip to the Jesuit Center I realized that pieces of my personal vision statement could have been written by a Jesuit priest. [Read more…]
