Which Door, and Which Way?

By Edmund Lo, S.J.

http://www.catholicsoncall.org

As a Jesuit working at Camp Ekon, I wear a few hats, and it is just the way I like it. My official role includes: being a camp counsellor and all that entails with it; leading reflection sessions with the older campers; driving the van; and conducting communion services (a celebration of the Liturgy of the Word and distribution of communion whenever our chaplain is not available). Since these services during the week (save Fridays) are optional, the rate of participation often depends on how well I know the campers, and how hard I try to invite them.

I find that kids tend to come when they get to know me as a person. In fact, non-Catholic kids would come to communion services because I have befriended them. I have been working with the “Rock Hut” girls – eleven to twelve-year-olds – for the past two weeks, and they have the opportunity to get to know me. This translates into a decent representation of the Rock Hut during the communion services. With the older girls in the “Bear Hut” (thirteen to fourteen-year-olds), it is another story. I know some of them from last year, but I don't have a chance to directly work with them this time around. In other words, they do not know me as well, and vice versa. This makes the invitation to communion service more challenging.

“Who Do You Say that I Am?”

By Artur Suski, S.J.

Credit: http://wallpaper4god.com

Exactly halfway through the Gospel of Mark, Jesus popped the above question to his disciples. They had been with him long enough to see countless miracles, to hear the words of salvation, and to truly get a sense who Jesus is through being with him on a daily basis. But things would start getting difficult from now on– Jesus would tell them three times that he will suffer, die, and be raised. They would also see their Lord being taken away in the Garden of Gethsemane – and in order to be able to pass these challenges, they had to give an honest answer to that question. For if their understanding of his person or his mission is off, they would not be able to carry the heavy burden of witnessing his passion and death. Indeed, what we see is that they were not able to endure that most painful event; all the disciples fled when Jesus needed them most, because they still did not truly know him.

Lumen Fidei: Faith and the Vast Horizons of Our Time

By Santiago Rodriguez, S.J.

Credit: http://www.catholicworldreport.com

Without light, there would be no sight. Our sight is the result of the interaction between light, our eyes and our brain. Light allows us to see. I had this in mind as I read Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis' encyclical, Lumen Fidei (LF). The encyclical reflects on the light of faith – the way faith illumines our lives. It presupposes the Second Vatican Council's consideration about faith: we receive the ultimate truth about human life as a gift of love from God the Father in the revelation of Jesus Christ. Faith allows us to know truth through love, since love is a “form of shared knowledge, a vision through the eyes of another and a shared vision of all that exists” (LF 27). Lumen Fidei invites us to contemplate Jesus and to see all things with his eyes.

My Eight-Day Retreat: Finding new language for an old experience

By Brother Daniel Leckman, S.J.

artfire.com

A bit over a week ago, I completed my eight-day Ignatian retreat at Loyola House in Guelph, Ontario. During the retreat, God opened some doors and I was given new language to help me reflect on the mystery that is our relationship with God. One of my more powerful prayer experiences began with a “simple” contemplation on love: What kind of love does God give me? How does it sustain me, shape me, affect my actions?

I spent most of the week discovering what it means to stand before God as “a beloved”, and that alone was an incredibly uplifting. While sitting before a picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary one night, the whole reflection took on a whole new meaning. As I engaged in prayerful conversation with Mary, she invited me to imagine what it felt to be loved by my parents. So, I sat with that for a few minutes and contemplated that love. It was a wonderful experience that brought me deep joy. After a few minutes Mary said to me, “Do you understand now? If you think your parents’ love for you is such an incredible gift, imagine how much more God loves you.”

Praying the Prayers of the Mass

By Adam Hincks, S.J.

http://www.wdtprs.com

An ancient, newly-learned form of words. —Evelyn Waugh

The new English translation of the Roman Missal has helped many of us listen to the mass with new ears. The mere fact that the words are often different from the previous translation can awake us from the passivity that is a constant temptation at church. As the Second Vatican Council taught , we are to aim for “fully conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations” (Sacrosanctum Concilium (SC), §14). Of course, there are many modes in which we participate in the liturgy, and “active participation” does not always mean making gestures or saying things. It is both external and internal (SC, §19), so that in addition to participating in responses and singing, it includes maintaining “a reverent silence” at the appropriate times (SC, §30).

There has been a whole spectrum of opinions about the quality of the new translation, but I will prescind from adding my own. Rather, I would like to focus specifically on three short prayers that change each mass: the collect (or opening prayer), the prayer over the gifts (at the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist) and the prayer after communion. One decision that was made in the new translation was to retain more of the content and imagery of the original Latin text. As a result, there is much fruit to be gained by being attentive to them—and by actively praying along with the congregation these prayers that the priest pronounces.

Don't Be Afraid to Fly with Eagles: Stay Motivated

By Santiago Rodriguez, S.J.

Credit: www.allpostersimages.com

During my pilgrimage in the Canadian Maritimes a few years ago, I met a wonderful woman who had suffered lots throughout her life, but nevertheless had found the strength and motivation to pray every day. She said: “Prayer changed my life. Actually, prayer saved my life.” She knew what she needed to do in order to succeed and find meaning in life; she needed to pray. She also knew she lacked the motivation, and for this she found her inspiration from seeing eagles fly. “When I felt that life was too much for me to handle”, she said, “I would go for a walk and contemplate the outdoors. I would always see a bald eagle and I would tell myself, ‘I have to soar. I may be living a sparrow kind of life, but if I let the Lord more deeply into my life, I am gonna fly with eagles.’”

Mosquitoes, Comfort Zones, and Leadership

By Edmund Lo, S.J.

Photo: www.greatnorthernprepper.com

For five weeks this summer, I find myself again at the beautiful Camp Ekon, the Jesuit-run summer camp in Ontario, Canada. I have been here for a week along with the staff and counsellors, getting the camp-site ready for the campers. This “getting ready” can range from cleaning campers' washrooms to putting in the wooden swimming docks. I was assigned to rake the leaves off one of the trails on a humid afternoon last week, and this meant encountering creatures that bring out the absolute worst in me: mosquitoes.

Those of you who know me, will remember my deep dislike for mosquitoes. For this fateful encounter, I was already wearing long pants and a hooded windbreaker, but these creatures nevertheless swarmed and went for the part of my head and face that were not covered. I received five of these “head shots”, which I find to be the most irritating kind of bites. I thought to myself several times, “Argh! ARGH! Why am I doing this?” This blog entry is not meant to be another one of those mosquito rants, but the point is that these little devils certainly took me out of my comfort zone completely.