It is a pleasure to welcome Father James Martin, SJ, to A Nun’s Life blog. Father Martin is a member of the Jesuits (the Society of Jesus), a Catholic religious community for men. He is also a fellow blogger at In All Things, an editorial blog at America magazine where he is an author and associate editor. (Read more at James Martin, SJ - Biography.)
Father Martin is here at A Nun’s Life to chat with you about the saints, becoming a saint through your everyday life, and much more. Since I often write about religious life and discerning God’s call, I’ve asked Father Martin some questions around his own vocation as well as religious life and discernment in general — click here for my initial questions for Father Martin. Those questions are just to get the ball rolling because really this conversation is for you!
Here’s how this works …
1) Ask your question(s) for Father Martin by writing a comment in the comment box below this post or any post today (all of the posts today will be part of the conversation with Father Martin).
2) Father Martin will be scanning all of these posts and comments and will respond to people’s questions. He’ll send me an email so that I can re-post the questions along with his responses in a new post. The most recent questions with responses will appear at the top of the blog. Father Martin’s responses will be in blue text.
3) If the questioner, Father Martin or anyone else would like to further a particular conversation, they can click on that post and comment there.
4) Loyola Press, the sponsor of Father Martin’s blog tour, is raffling off a free autographed copy of Father Martin’s book My Life with the Saints - you are automatically entered in this drawing when you post a comment or question for Father Martin.
5) Loyola Press is also offering a 35% off discount to A Nun’s Life visitors who wish to purchase My Life with the Saints. You can order at www.loyolabooks.org/martin or by calling Loyola Press toll-free at 800-621-1008. Please use the code 2679 to receive the 35% discount off the hardcover or paperback of My Life with the Saints. This offer is good through June 8, 2008.
My gratitude goes to Father Martin for joining us, to Loyola Press for sponsoring this, and to you readers and guests of A Nun’s Life for joining in!
We’ve already received some questions, so sit back, relax, and join in the conversation!
Welcome, Father Martin!
Welcome, Father Martin!
Father Martin: It’s great to be with everyone today on the second stop of my blog tour, or as I prefer to call it, my blog camino. I’ve long admired Sister Julie’s blog, and feel in good company with a younger religious. (For a Jesuit, anyone under 75 is young!) Anyway, I look forward to answering your questions about the saints, and, most of all, hearing what you all have to teach me!
"She wrote the way she lived: on the fly, without retrospect, always on the way, climbing higher."
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Christian W 06.03.08 at 10:05 am
Father Martin,
God Bless You, and thank you for taking the time to visit on Sister Julie’s blog today.
I first heard you conducting an interview on the Saintcast podcast talking about your books. Then, not too long after, I was attending the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress and found myself at the Loyola Press display. ‘My Life with the Saints’ was on sale at a special price for the exhibit - so I purchased a copy.
The only other biographical style book I have ever purchased prior to your book is ‘The Story of a Soul’. I bought that book because St. Therese helped to bring me back into the Church in my mid 30’s. I focused on St. Therese because she is the Patroness of my Diocese (Fresno, CA). Oh, and did I mention my parish is the Shrine of St. Therese in Fresno. Coming back to the Church and listening to homilies relating to an ordinary girl from Lisieux made me realize that any of us can be called to do something extraordinary. It also inspired me to get her story in her words.
Your stories on how you were introduced to each of the Saints in your book are enjoyable, but it leads me to my question. How does an ordinary lay person cull through all of the Saints and find some biographies and other stories about these amazing lives and find the right one that might affect our own lives in some way. Additionally, how can we use these Saints to help better spread the word of God and the Church today.
I look forward to reading ‘A Jesuit Off-Broadway’. Thank you again for your time.
Sister Julie 06.03.08 at 11:14 am
Hi Christian … Father Martin’s response to your comments is here: James Martin, SJ, on exploring saints’ biographies and using them to spread the word of God
crystal 06.03.08 at 11:22 am
Hi Fr. Martin,
This question is sort of off-topic, but I was wondering if you could say a bit about the Ignatian style of imaginative prayer that is a conversation with Jesus. Thanks
Sister Julie 06.03.08 at 12:44 pm
Crystal … Father Martin’s response is here: James Martin, SJ, on the Ignatian style of imaginative prayer
Augustine 06.03.08 at 1:08 pm
This is a really wonderful resource to all discerning Christians. Had I known better about religious life in my youth, I’d probably have become a friar myself.
But given that God has not abandoned me and has blessed me with a wife and a family, I’m grateful to Him, although I carry a certain remorse for not having pursuing further His calling before.
Anyways, I’m now in the novitiate of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites. It’s been wonderful to grow in the charisms of this religious order as a secular member. I still pause in awe at the wisdom of the Church for providing so many ways for the faithful to strengthen their relationship with the Lord.
However, even though the Jesuits don’t have a third order, it seems to me that secular orders are often overlooked if not downright dismissed at the parish and diocesan level. Evidently, vocation to the priesthood and to the religious life should be a priority, but I think that vocations to religious orders as seculars should also be fostered. What are Fr. Martin’s views on third orders?
Karen 06.03.08 at 1:20 pm
Father Martin - I’ve been enjoying the conversation all day today and it has given me much needed breaks of sanity during my work day. I was wondering if you could comment on the reaction your family, friends and business associates had when you told them about your decision to leave the business world and become a priest? Thanks very much for your wonderful comments and for posting chapter 4 of your book.
Sister Julie 06.03.08 at 1:23 pm
Thank you for writing, Augustine and Karen. Father Martin will be checking back later this evening so be sure to look then for a response from him.
Sister Julie
Sister Julie 06.03.08 at 4:52 pm
Karen … here’s Father Martin’s response to your comment: James Martin, SJ, on people’s reactions to his vocation decision
Augustine … here’s Father Martin’s response to your comment: James Martin, SJ, on the broader Jesuit family