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Prayers for the Jesuits

By Sister Julie | January 15, 2008

Catholic News Service published this article yesterday about the resignation of Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, SJ, as General Superior of the Jesuits. He had been General Superior for 25 years.

My prayers are with the Jesuits as they discern who will be their next General Superior. I’ve known the Jesuits for many years and have been formed by Ignatian Spirituality. I am grateful to be working for a Jesuit apostolate — Loyola Press.

The Jesuits are a religious order of men. Like Sisters, they profess the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Here’s what one Jesuit vocation office says about their understanding of the vows:

A Vowed Life in Common

St. Ignatius of Loyola imagined religious life in non-conventional terms. His monastery was the world; his prayer, to find God in all things; his work, whatever helped people. In this setting, the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience become instruments to enable Jesuits to do the work of God’s realm.

The vow of poverty is focused on using one’s energies, talents, time and resources for the good of others. In an age when possessing means power over others, Jesuits take a serious promise to live in a public way as Christ did, believing that people are more important than things.

Chastity centers on one’s affective, sexual life. It is a vow which orients one’s energies to a love people can trust. Jesuits should be men of openness and availability. Their chastity is the willingness to be available to all, not exclusively to one person or to one family. The Society of Jesus looks for men who are capable of directing their affective life towards all people, caring for them with the integrity of Christ himself.

Obedience, the touchstone of Jesuit life, is the call to find and follow the will of God, through prayer, discernment and dialogue with one’s superior. The Jesuit places his entire being at the disposal of God for the service of God’s people, to do the work of God’s realm as presented to him by the Society through the superior.

These traits of trust, openness, vision and communication are practices in daily community life. While Jesuits live together for the sake of their apostolic work, we also live together for mutual support, challenge and inspiration. These two sets of values have been kept in balance: community for service and community for mutual growth and development.

(source)

Topics: prayer, theology, vows |

5 Responses to “Prayers for the Jesuits”

1. deerose Says:
   January 15th, 2008 at 4:16 pm

   Why did Fr. Peter resign?

   dee

2. Sister Julie Says:
   January 15th, 2008 at 5:01 pm

   It had to do with his age and energy:

   Before the vote, Father Kolvenbach told the more than 200 delegates that he was offering his resignation because “the Society of Jesus has the right to be governed and animated by a Jesuit in full possession of his physical and spiritual talents and not by a companion whose energies continue to diminish because of age.”

3. Sister Julie Says:
   January 22nd, 2008 at 4:47 pm

   FYI, Father Adolfo Nicolás, 71, was elected the new superior general of the Society of Jesus on January 19, 2008. See Zenit article for more details.

4. VON Says:
   May 16th, 2008 at 8:05 pm

   Peace !
   I’m a paraplegic patient.I was a victim of medical malpractice here in the Philippines for almost 6 years now which landed me into a wheelchair right now.
   I am continously struggling,hoping,praying & wishing for the best to come.
   I’m just patiently waiting for His time,His will,and not mine.
   Will you PLEASE do include me in your daily prayer for my total healing & complete recovery may arrive on me.
   Thank you & God bless us all abundantly.

5. Sister Julie Says:
   May 18th, 2008 at 5:14 pm

   My prayers are with you, Von. Peace be with you.

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