January 2018

Christian Unity Week Celebrated

Dear Friends of Loyola Institute:
 
Christian Unity Week, established in the 1930s by the Graymoor Franciscan Friars, occurs January 18-25.  The theme for this year is "Your Right Hand, O Lord, Glorious in Power," taken from the book of Exodus 15:6.  
An unmistakable, biblical motif is God's unrelenting determination to form a people whom He could call His own.  God initiates a sacred covenant with his people for their salvation and for the glorification of His name.  The prophets repeatedly remind Israel that their covenant should be characterized by justice, compassion and mercy, made possible by reconciliation, namely repentance and the healing of memories.
These themes for Church Unity Week are central to the tripartite mission of the Loyola Institute for Spirituality:   transformation, formation, and discipleship.  But frankly we have not taken much ecumenical leadership.   It's true, thankfully, that many Protestants have taken part in our programs; they are drawn, like so many Catholics are, to the gentle invitation and dynamic transformation offered by embracing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
What seems to be missing is a more explicit space for ecumenical dialogue and for fostering the exchange of gifts that each of our Churches has to offer.  Wouldn't, for instance, a course comparing Wesleyan spirituality and Ignatian spirituality be an opportunity for enriching both and for stretching LIS?
As Jesus prepared to seal the new covenant in His own blood, he earnestly prayed that "all might be one" (Jn 17:21).  Let us make our prayer that we might be a reconciling community that serves as an effective sign of how to live in justice and peace for all the people of the earth.  May we be active agents of reconciliation.
Some suggestions for Church Unity Week:
  • Include prayers for reconciliation and unity in the liturgy.
  • Attend an ecumenical service for Christian Unity in your own area.
  • Attend a Sunday Service in a church of another tradition in your area.
With blessings,
 
Fr. Patrick Howell, S.J.
Executive Director,  ad interim
LIS Seeks Dynamic Executive Director

Loyola Institute for Spirituality  (LIS) seeks a new Executive Director to lead a vigorous program of contemporary spirituality for leadership in the church and society. 
LIS accompanies people on their journey toward a life-giving relationship with God, self, and others, to help transform the world.


At a Glance

Our friends at Emmaus Spiritual Ministries are presenting Recipies for a Retreat on Saturday, January 27. 

BioSpiritual Focusing  starts with An Overview on Sunday, January 28 and is followed by a four-week Exploration on Friday evenings, starting February 2.  BioSpiritual Focusing is a process that allows us to deepen our personal self-awareness through a reflective exploration of inner movements-- of emotion, bodily sensation, and memory held in the body.


We invite you to join us for our  Ignatian Morning on Sunday, February 4, 2018. Join
Br. Charlie, Fr. Pat, and an excellent team of LIS Associates for a morning of prayer, reflection, presentations, and small-group faith sharing.  

Hearts on Fire 2018  is on Sunday, May 6, 2018.  LIS is pleased to announce  Jesuits West Province as the 2018 Hearts on Fire Award recipient.  

Spiritual Reflection

A Prayerful Remembering
by Br. Charlie Jackson, S.J.

It may be simply a sign of growing old, but I find that the beginning of a new year sparks in me a desire to look back to what has passed. This looking back, however, is more than the simple remembering of a man growing old.  It is more accurately a prayerful remembering, a form of prayer to which I was introduced when I read the prologue to James Agee's autobiographical novel A Death in the Family.  In that prologue, "Knoxville: Summer, 1915," Agee reflected on an evening he had spent as a boy in Knoxville, Tennessee.  Allow me to share some of Agee's prologue along with some of my reflections about how a prayerful remembering might actually unfold.

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Our Mission

The Loyola Institute for Spirituality, founded in 1997, 
works to promote a faith-that-does-justice, in the tradition of St. Ignatius.  

We declare our mission to be:
 
Setting Hearts on Fire with love of God for the world.
 
We bring spirituality to life by:
-Inviting spiritual seekers to transformation
-Fostering Ignatian formation and education
-Nurturing discipleship