Building the Kingdom: Striving for Depth and Creativity

By Santiago Rodriguez, S.J.

Credit: www.thinkingdeeply.net

With the election of Pope Francis as the Bishop of Rome, questions about Jesuits and Ignatian spirituality have surfaced in both religious and secular circles. In light of this, the contributors of Ibo et Non Redibo have decided to launch a blog series on Ignatian spirituality. In six blog entries, we will attempt to introduce some key principles by which Jesuits live, and how these insights may be useful to the Church and to the world. The previous four entries addressed the discernment of spirits, the idea of Magis, "men/ women for others" and holy indifference; the following is the fifth entry.

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The Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Father Adolfo Nicolás, visited Canada in the summer of 2011. During his visit, he suggested that the Society of Jesus, the Catholic Church and the world in general are faced with the same challenges. As Jesuits, we have to identify these serious challenges and problems; we need to study and tackle them with depth of thought and compassionate imagination. Fr. Nicolás called us to a more profound reflection on the challenges of the world and subsequently to find creative solutions that address the heart of these issues.

God Works in Us Through Art: a Picasso Exhibit

By Santiago Rodriguez, S.J.

This week I had the opportunity to visit the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) to see the Picasso Exhibit. It showcased a large collection on loan from the Museé Picasso in Paris. My friend Ann and I arrived early to enjoy the exhibit without the distraction of large throngs of people. Apparently, others also took the same early-bird strategy and the rooms began to fill up within 20 minutes of our visit.

Having these people around me made a great difference. I learned that visiting an art gallery is both a personal and a communal experience. What dumbfounded me the most was the stripe and flavour of the crowd, who were mostly elementary school children. There were at least three different schools visiting the exhibit. The blurry picture shows one of these groups before a Picasso painting, as the tour guide asked them for their opinions.