No Man is an Island

By Artur Suski, S.J. 

Credit: http://www.surreyccblog.com

A couple of recent guest lectures in a Grade 12 Philosophy class on “the Self” have prompted me to do some reading on the topic of “Human Nature”. In the philosophy curriculum, the unit on “the Self” mostly focuses on the philosophy of Réné Descartes and that of G.W.F. Hegel. There’s no such thing as pretending to know what Hegel was writing about; I tried my best, and I had my hands full. Nevertheless, the discussion on these two philosophers is rather fascinating.

A Call to Kénōsis

By Artur Suski, S.J.

Salvador Dali- Crucifixion

Holy Week will soon be upon us. By the time it arrives, we will have prayed, fasted, given alms, done certain pious acts, and so on; in short, we will have been generous toward the Lord and our brothers and sisters. We will have in one way or another participated, at least in a small way, in Jesus’ own generosity as he journeyed to the Cross. After all, generosity is what Holy Week is really about: Jesus’ kénōsis, Jesus’ self-emptying.

Truth and the Lonely Hearts

By Santiago Rodriguez, S.J.

Credit: www.digitalphilosophy.wordpress.com

I spent the last few days in Florida. Yes, I know what you are thinking: “How nice! He was enjoying the sun and the ocean. He got to visit Disneyworld or Universal Studios.” No, but I really like that idea. I visited Ave Maria University with some of my brother Jesuits to give a Hearts on Fire retreat. I arrived in Florida a couple of days after the US elections and many of my conversations there were linked to it. I have heard arguments for and against the victor. To be honest, most of the arguments were against.

I did not take sides in the arguments. Almost everyone was unequivocal about their choice for candidate. As an outsider, people knew I did not have to choose between the candidates. Yet, most of them asked for my opinion. I simply replied that I did not like either candidate. My interlocutors seemed perplexed, and they did not seem to have time for me thereafter. After getting the cold shoulder in some of these conversations, I began to feel a bit rejected and excluded. I felt somewhat ostracized and lonely. Above all, I felt lonesome and desolate.