Before the year begins...

A special thanks to those who have contributed to my fundraising and have shared so many kind words of support!

As I walk through Staples and see children shopping for school supplies I come to a realization. I am reminded that, for the first time in my retrievable memory, I have no excuse to buy new pens and notebooks (and if you know how much I love school supplies, you know how much that saddens me). I am doing something totally new: new city, new job, new community. Seeking a moment of comfort in the midst of all this newness, I admittedly bought a package of colored pens on sale despite what I’m now calling “simplicity guilt.” As you may have read in an earlier post, one of the core values of my coming year with JVC is simplicity. I sort of doubt a 12-pack of felt tip pens falls in the realm of simplicity, but I’m giving myself a break because I plan on using them to write letters.

I had such a wonderful time being home for the summer. I found it a refreshing transition stage from college to a new kind of independence. I reconnected with my family, friends, church family, and the community in which I was raised. I reached a feeling of comfort and appreciation for where I come from. As much as I loved reconnecting, it also became clear to me that I need to spend more time learning before I can hopefully some day make a small town like Tupelo home and take a role in making a difference. Thus, a year of JVC begins!

Since I’ll be entering a Jesuit program I thought it worthwhile to spend time this summer learning more about what it means to be Jesuit. James Martin, S.J. makes Jesuit philosophy very accessible in his book The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything. Some fun things I’ve learned/read:

-          St. Ignatius Loyola founded the Society of Jesus (aka the Jesuits) in the 16^th century (p 1)

-          The core essence of Ignatian spirituality is “finding God in all things” (p 5). [Nothing is outside the realm of your spiritual life.]

-          Along the lines of the above - “holiness always make its home in humanity” (p 77).

-          Martin shares a joke that expresses the “contemplative in action” focus of Ignatian spirituality in comparison to other monk orders (p 2):  “Jesuits take their cue from Ignatius in terms of a practical spirituality. One joke has a Franciscan, a Dominican, and a Jesuit celebrating Mass together when the lights suddenly go out in the church. The Franciscan praises the chance to live more simply. The Dominican gives a learned homily on how God brings light to the world. The Jesuit goes to the basement to fix the fuses.”

-          From the Jesuit scientist Guy Consolmagno (followed by Martin’s commentary): “’One obvious way we can let a religion limit our view of the universe is by insisting that its doctrines are a complete and final description of nature and God.’ God is bigger than religion.” (p 137).

-          During prayer one day Martin wondered how Jesus handled the demands on his time. An answer presented itself: “Jesus took things as they came and trusted that God was bringing things before him, rather than trying to plan everything.” (p 154) [Note to self: cultivate spontaneity and don’t be afraid to go with the flow.]

-          A piece of wisdom from the Scottish philosopher John Macmurray that is important for me to remember in a time of fear entering the new: Real religion has a maxim – “Fear not; the things you are afraid of are quite likely to happen to you, but they are nothing to be afraid of.” (p 39).

On that note, I’ll leave you until I’m able to update from my new life in D.C.!

Pax,

Kelly

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