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There are some experiences we never forget. Some go deep. We not only remember their key messages but even where we were, and with whom, when we heard them. This past week provided me with one of those moments I hope I won’t forget. I came to breakfast last Wednesday 9th where one of my fellow Jesuits informed me of the results of the US election. Now, I need to admit, I am … [Read more...]
I was introduced to the notion of ‘critical friends’ when working at the University. A group of my peers were looking for people who could speak honestly to us, encouraging our strengths while not ignoring our weaknesses. We wanted people we could trust to critique our work, remind us of what we didn’t see or weren’t even aware of. We wanted to have friends who could speak … [Read more...]
We start each day of the GC in prayer. I believe many of us find this a uniting and consoling experience. It is well prepared and settles us for the day and tasks ahead. We have also learned to hear, and even sing, in languages foreign to most of us, such as Swahili, Guarani, Bahasa Indonesia and Hindi, but we try and it works. As Jesuits, we do not seek to pray the Divine … [Read more...]
I find I am easily moved when I listen to Ennio Morricone’s soundtrack to the 1986 film The Mission. This is probably because the film and its music capture a particular Jesuit and Indigenous context of joy and suffering I can identify with. How much more was I moved yesterday when I found myself listening to a fellow Jesuit and violinist begin our morning prayer with this … [Read more...]
This week we have beens reviewing our Jesuit governance, before moving to elect Fr General’s four Assistants ad providentiam which would then lead to his appointment of the members of the General Council. GC35 emphasised that our Jesuit form of governance was at the service of universal mission: ‘As governance in the Society is always measured in an appropriate balance of … [Read more...]
For those of us attending our first General Congregation an important step was learning and appreciating the way of murmuratio. We wanted to know how to do it and do it well. I brought with me an understanding of murmuring, mostly memories from childhood and school, where murmuring avoided open and plain speaking and could be seen as rude or subversive. What makes our Jesuit … [Read more...]
We have now finished four full days of GC36. We were about to change gears and move into the process of discernment for electing a new Fr General but this morning we stopped and reviewed how we were going! Some felt we needed more time to listen and learn more about each other. Some wanted to move on. Our dispersal is spread over thirteen Roman houses (most delegates are … [Read more...]
