Meeting with a Jesuit...

[Nathan]

Well, I'm off to meet with a Jesuit priest tomorrow morning to discuss my possible vocation, among other things. (My RCIA instructor, great friend that he is, took it upon himself to set up the meeting for me.) I've met Jesuits before -- very briefly, during Masses -- but this will be the first time I'll have actually had a good, sit-down conversation with one. I'm really looking forward to it.

I don't know how I know this, but If I indeed do have a vocation to the priesthood, I am almost certain that it is with the Jesuits. I know all about the Society's not-so-kosher reputation in North America and all of that, but despite this my attraction to the Order remains very strong.

Wish me luck! Say a prayer.

Edited September 26, 2005 by Nathan

[Sixtina87]

just keep in mind, that we are discernign adn we are never sure 100% what teh Lord wants of us, let alone where we belong!!!!! I have that feeling about a community for women religious but I'm sure that where god wants be to be, but I ahve always been told, you're never 100% possivitve though!!!!!!!! Because what god wants of us is still a mystery until we go to heaven!!!!!!

[zabbazooey]

Prayers for you, Nathan!

[Nathan]

Well, just got back. It went very well. I told Fr. my story, we talked about it; he told me about the Jesuits, we talked about it. It was a brief meeting -- I suspect he has quite a busy schedule -- but he answered all my questions, and was very nice and accomodating.

He is helping to set me up with a regular spiritual director, and even invited me over to the local Jesuit house for dinner sometime. This is just the thing I need to be doing.

On my way home, I stopped at a library and picked up a few more books on the Society of Jesus and Jesuit life.

[ForHimAlone]

St. Ignatius of Loyola is one cool saint! My Spiritual Director is leading me through his Spiritual Exercises, and the fruit of the prayer is so beautiful. Definitely a cool saint to have founded the order you're discerning!

[Theoketos]

Maybe you will save the order and their loyalty to the Pope.

[zabbazooey]

I like the Jesuits

[Extra ecclesiam nulla salus]

my ispiritual director b is a jesuit

i thought i would share that

[zabbazooey]

jesuits are not all bad...........creighton is a great college run by jesuits and creighton prep is run by them too.

[MC IMaGiNaZUN]

A good friend of mine just entered the jesuits. I am happy for him, although i would never do that myself.
[quote]just keep in mind, that we are discernign adn we are never sure 100% what teh Lord wants of us, let alone where we belong!!!!! I have that feeling about a community for women religious but I'm sure that where god wants be to be, but I ahve always been told, you're never 100% possivitve though!!!!!!!! Because what god wants of us is still a mystery until we go to heaven!!!!!![/quote]
thats why this is such an adventure, because we never know for sure. It is fun not knowing a little bit.
SHALOM

[zabbazooey]

to me it's frustrating not knowing. but i trust in the Lord.

[PadrePioOfPietrelcino]

I have heard all of those bad things about the Jesuits too, but I haven't seen it. Granted I know only four, but they're all awesome. One of them is Fr. Mitch Pacwa! I met him a couple months ago when I was at the Defending the Faith Conference at FUS. He went to the side and talked with me for a bit about my discernment and gave me some great advice. Go Jesuits! I don't think my vocation is to become one, but I think they have definetly helped my discernment in a very possitive way.

[Nathan]

[quote name='zabbazooey' date='Sep 29 2005, 10:34 AM']jesuits are not all bad...........creighton is a great college run by jesuits and creighton prep is run by them too.
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[/quote]

And aside from the amazing, almost jaw-dropping work they do in education around the world -- from grade schools through to graduate universities -- the Jesuits continue to flourish in many other ways. There are currently over 5,000 Jesuit foreign missionaries worldwide bringing the Word to people who often have never even heard of Jesus, many happily living in utter squalor and risking their lives in the process; there are Jesuit physicians, lawyers, psychiatrists, scientists, surgeons, novelists, filmmakers, social workers, carpenters, prison, hospital and military chaplains, parish priests -- the list goes on -- all of them working within secular society to share the nature and love of Christ with those around them.

The Jesuits continue to do things and go places no other order within the Church would or could do. They don't call them "the Pope's Marines" for nothing. Without them, the Church -- and the world -- would be much poorer. It is important that we remember this.

[zabbazooey]

Hooray for Jesuits!

[Nathan]

Update:

I'm going to be attending a Jesuit mass and dinner, followed by reflection and prayer, next week with a number of Jesuit priests, scholastics, men in various stages of discernment, and friends of the Society. Should be fun and educational.

I'm also going to be meeting with a Jesuit spiritual director sometime, I understand, in the near future. I am [i]very[/i] excited about this. It looks like it may be an old priest in his 70's! (Which is awesome in my book; the older, the wiser.)