Such things as are hidden I learned, and such as are plain; for Wisdom,
the artificer of all, taught me.  For in her is a spirit intelligent, holy,
unique, manifold, subtle, agile, clear, unstained, certain, not baneful,
loving the good, keen, unhampered, beneficient, kindly, firm secure,
tranquil, all-powerful, all-seeing, and pervading all spirits, though
they be intelligent, pure and very subtle.

This time of year we are bringing some things to a close for the season – our academic institutions, for instance – and entering into the more relaxed season of summer.  The men who have been studying for the priesthood for so many years are finishing their studies and we will soon celebrate their ordination.  We take time to pause and celebrate the lives of our Jubilarians.  The season of Easter is similarly drawing to a close with Pentecost.  How do we name the Holy Spirit whose presence is felt in all these activities?  How do we continue to be converted to God at the core of our being?  How do we become persons of the Holy Spirit?

For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion and she penetrates and
pervades all things by reason of her purity.  For she is an aura of the
might of God and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty…For she
is the refulgence of eternal light, the spotless mirror of the power of
God, the image of his goodness.

Bernard of Clairvaux called the Holy Spirit the kiss of God.  St. Hildegarde saw the Holy Spirit as the “breast-plate of life, girdle of beautiful energy.”  The Nicene Creed refers to the Spirit as the Lord and Giver of Life.  Other images are found in the Litany of the Holy Spirit:  Consuming Fire, Burning Love, Author of All Good.  The Curé of Ars saw the Spirit “Like a mother leading by the hand her child.”  Dietrich Bonhoeffer considered the Spirit to be the “Pledge of the abiding presence of Jesus.”

And she, who is one, can do all things, and renews everything
while herself perduring; and passing into holy souls from age to age,
she produces friends of God and prophets.  For there is nought
God loves, be it not one who dwells with Wisdom.  For she is fairer
than the sun and surpasses every constellation of the stars.  Compared
to light, she takes precedence; for that, indeed, night supplants, but
wickedness prevails not over Wisdom.  Indeed, she reaches from end to
end mightily and governs all things well

Wisdom 7: 21-8:1

How do we name the Spirit?  Are we willing to surrender ourselves to the Spirit, receiving the grace of encouragement to become utterly enthralled with God through Jesus?  Do we allow ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit?  Do we allow ourselves to live in God’s love and allow that love to live in us?  When we do, we become something more.  We become people conformed to the image of Christ.  Ignatius understood this and provided us with the tools to stir up our love of God to the point of being enthralled through the Exercises.

Who was Jesus? A prophet? There have been many of those. A miracle-worker? A radical revolutionary? wise teacher? There have been many of these, too. In his latest book, renowned Scripture scholar erhard Lohfink asks, What is unique about Jesus of Nazareth, and what did he really want? Lohfink engages the perceptions of the first witnesses of his life and ministry and those who handed on their testimony. His approach is altogether historical and critical, but he agrees with Karl Barths statement that historical criticism has to be more critical.Lohfink takes seriously the fact that Jesus was a Jew and lived entirely in and out of Israels faith experiences but at the same time brought those experiences to their goal and fulfillment. The result is a convincing and profound picture of Jesus.

Get to know the man behind the collar in this special edition episode!

Walter Ciszek, SJ: A Jesuit On The Frontiers

Books, videos and more information can be found below!

Father Walter Ciszek Prayer League

Surrender is the true story of the vocation of an American Jesuit priest, accused by the Soviet era K.G.B. of being a Vatican spy, who survived fifteen years of hard labor in Siberian prison camps. Father Walter Ciszek not only survived but learned to surrender to God’s Providence.

Surrender is a narrative digest book based entirely on Father Ciszek’s two books: With God in Russia, (1964), published one year after his release from Russia, and his second book, He Leadeth Me, (1973), published nine years later. Surrender interweaves these two books and telescopes the most dramatic events of Father Ciszek’s vocation and steadfast fidelity to that calling through the crucible of unjust imprisonment following the end of World War II.

The profound insights of Father Ciszek’s second book illuminate the grim facts of his first book. Surrender attempts to highlight the evolution of spiritual wisdom in He Leadeth Me, embedded in the harsh events depicted in With God in Russia. Hopefully, through the relative brevity of Surrender, the major chords of Father Ciszek’s heroic embrace of God’s Providence in the most extreme conditions will resonate. The reason why Father Ciszek’s cause for Canonization, the process of declaration of Sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church, is currently proceeding should be abundantly evident.

Surrender describes not the triumph of human will-power but the freedom of total dependence on God. The paradox of power to love is only born in the powerlessness of surrender of self-will to God’s Providence.

Written by: Seamus Dockery

- by Christianna McCausland

Loyola has long been known for its high academic standards. But the College is equally concerned with ensuring that its students continue to learn well outside the classroom. Loyola’s Jesuit educational philosophy insists that the College create an environment that shapes leaders and thinkers for the next generation, not only through its curricula, but through events, services and the example set by College leadership. An enduring commitment to social justice has led to enumerable programs that engage students and make them keenly aware of issues facing their local and global communities. Now, Loyola is turning its attention to what is rapidly becoming a primary frontier of social change: the environment.

Read the full article from the Spring 2008 edition of Loyola Magazine

The paperless initiative began with the creation of the Paperless University Project.  However since this project’s inception, the concept of paperless has expanded greatly throughout the university.  With increased awareness of environmental concerns and technlogical advances, employees have explored and implemented their own ideas to support the initative.  Technology services has been on the forefront of offering and supporting the latest tools.  Department projects to aid in paper reduction, and more importantly in improving efficiencies, are implemented with Technology Services as a partner.

http://www.loyola.edu/department/paperless.aspx

Tim Brown is the CEO and president of IDEO and frequently speaks about the value of design thinking and innovation to business people and designers around the world.

 In his article “Thinking” he discusses this idea of design thinking, a “methodolgy that imbues the full spectrum of innovation activities with a human-centered design ethos,” and how it is the key for success in the business world.

Tim Brown’s article “Thinking”

Father Greg Boyle is a Jesuit who is the founder of Homeboy Industries. An organization that “serves at-risk and gang involved youth with a continuum of services and programs designed to meet their multiple needs, and runs four businesses that serve as job-training sites.”

This video shows Father Boyle working with these members of this organization.

For Father Greg Boyle’s Video click here

In the New Yorker, author Adam Gopnick discusses the prison epidemic that exists in America today and goes into detail about how this epidemic should and how it can be stopped,which would result in beneficial outcomes for America and the goevrnment in reducing crime. According to Gopnick, he says that during the 60s and 70s, many believed that imprisonment was the best answer to reducing crime on the streets. Resulting in jailing numerous people for smaller offenses like drug related crimes and ponzi schemes. This idea proved not to be effective and has lingering effects today, costing the country millions of dollars and has left America with the highest incarceration rate in the world with nothing to show for it.

Gopnick says that rather trying to curb crime through incarceration and changing social patholgies, it must be done through “erecting small, annoying barriers to entry.” This is not the cure, however, but this “intercession of thousand of smaller sancties” who reduce both the rate of imprisonment and the plague of crime.  

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2012/01/30/120130crat_atlarge_gopnik?currentPage=all

Stephanie George, sentenced to life in prison for possession of half a kilo of cocaine, is interviewed in an article written by John Tierney that questions what drug crimes should deserve prison time, as incarercation rates are increasing with no affect on the crime rate. 

“Over the past three decades of stricter drug laws, reduced parole and rigid sentencing rules have lengthened prison terms and more than tripled the percentage of Americans behind bars.” This state spending on corrections and prisoners is cutting into other important state budgets such as higher education. What are state officials doing to decrease crime but also reduce the incarceration rate? Tierney goes into depth about what state officials are working on to correct this problem.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/12/science/mandatory-prison-sentences-face-growing-skepticism.html?pagewanted=all