A Lenten Reflection by Brother Charlie Jackson, SJ

LENT

“After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee
proclaiming the gospel of God: ‘This is the time of fulfillment.
The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the
gospel.’” (Mark 1:12-15)

Jesus began his public ministry by calling the people of Galilee to repentance. The repentance to which Jesus was calling them was a change of mind and heart. It would be the work not of the moment but of a lifetime. Jesus was not calling the people of Galilee to temporarily give up something. He was calling them both to turn away from whatever impeded their relationship with God and to open themselves to the love that God wished to share with them. The kingdom of God, Jesus told them, was at hand.

Lent calls us to something similar. We might often think of Lent as a time when we give up things
that we like, such as candy or movies, but ultimately Lent is meant to be a time when we seriously reflect on our lives, and turn away from whatever hinders us in our relationship with God, and open ourselves to the love that God wishes so ardently to share with us.

Allow me to suggest something to help in this: the examination of consciousness. The examination of consciousness is a prayer of simple attentiveness to God to perceive where God has been active in our lives and to discern what within us may be resisting God’s action and to what God is calling us. As with any prayer, it is important to find a suitable time and place for it. It is often done at the end of the day. The more often it is done, however, the more natural it becomes. It thus becomes a way of being, a way of growing into an ever-closer relationship with God.

In his Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius described the examination of consciousness and suggested five steps:

(1) to recall the gifts that God has given you, (2) to ask God to open you to what he wishes to reveal to you, (3) to review your day with God, (4) to ask for God’s healing grace and (5) to plan how you will live tomorrow in accord with God’s loving desire for you.

Hearts On Fire Annual Award Dinner

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Double Tree Guest SuitesAnaheim Resort and Convention Center

The Loyola Institute for Spirituality's Hearts on Fire Celebration is an annual dinner and fundraiser. It provides an opportunity each spring to celebrate the work of the Institute and those who have contributed to it in many different ways, and an opportunity to increase financial support for the organization. If you or anyone you know is interested in attending this celebration,please contact the office and request an invitation. (714-997-9587)

Hearts on Fire Award: Bishop Gordon Bennett, S.J.
Writer's Award in Spirituality: Rev. James Martin, S.J.
Rosita Diaz Award: Mr. & Mrs. Eleuterio and Linda Rodriguez

Give the Gift of You!

Dear Friend of LIS:

On Saturday, April 25, 2009, friends of the Loyola Institute for Spirituality will gather at the DoubleTree Hotel and Resort in Anaheim for the seventh annual Hearts on Fire Dinner and Award Ceremony, a joyous celebration at which we honor three outstanding Christian leaders formed in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

We need your help. It takes many hearts and hands to make the Hearts on Fire dinner a success. This year we are inviting all the friends of LIS to join us in planning and preparing the event. We need people who have time and talent to share in the following areas:


Sponsorship solicitation
Underwriting appeals
Media relations (pitching)
Public relations
Advertising sales
Internet marketing/web design
Event advertising and promotion
Hospitality
Live-auction gift getting
Decorations and set design
Flower arranging
Photo direction
Printing and calligraphy
Video production
Graphic arts and design
PowerPoint and Excel
Database management
Telephoning
Transportation and logistics


A Volunteer Organizing Meeting will be held at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM in the Rosita Diaz Room at the LIS office at 480 S. Batavia in Orange on Thursday, December 18, 2009. You'll hear about Hearts on Fire Dinner and Award Ceremony, and have the opportunity to volunteer for any size task you wish to embrace. Most importantly, you'll meet other friends of the Institute who are devoted to bringing spirituality to life! The meeting will be held in English and Spanish.

Please RSVP to Cindy Galvez at 714-997-9587 or cgalvez@loyolainstitute.org by noon Wednesday, December 17 to let her know you will be joining us.

Thank you for your prayers and support,

In Christ,

Fr. Stephen Corder, S.J., Executive Director
Robert Wittenburg, Development Committee Chair
Shirely Espique, Hearts on Fire Coordinator

Welcoming Jesus, An Advent Retreat

Join us on Sunday, December 7, 2008 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. for an Advent Retreat. This afternoon will be a contemplative time of Advent waiting and preparation. The time will include reflective prayer, story, music, quiet space for personal meditation, and faith sharing.

Please join us for this prayerful time of focusing on our Lord and clearing space for Him in our hearts.

Ignatian Morning

You are invited! Loyola Institute for Spirituality welcomes you to our first Ignatian Morning, a time of prayerful reflection and exploration of Ignatian Spirituality. The morning will include a presentation entitled "Ordinary People and Great Desires" about the ways in which God inspires us and enables us to love and serve in our daily lives. An explanation of Ignatian imaginative prayer, a guided contemplation, small group faith sharing, and a personal testimony from one of our LIS Associates will follow. The morning will conclude with an overview of LIS offerings and an invitation to participate for spiritual growth. Please consider joining us and know that you are welcome!

Grace Upon Grace

Mid-September has come and gone, and the Loyola Institute for Spirituality is once again abuzz as the year’s activities get under way. Within this past week, the classes in the Ignatian Spiritual Formation Program and the Equipo Latino Americano (Hispanic Spiritual Leadership Program) have begun, and a total of sixty-eight people have begun 19th Annotation retreats that will run until mid-June. And the staff members of the Loyola Institute continue to meet with men and women seeking spiritual direction. August was surprisingly busy for all of us. I helped direct three retreats: an 8-day retreat in Encino and 6-day and 4-day retreats in Rancho Palos Verdes. Sometimes when I begin to direct others in a retreat or begin to teach a class I have a brief sense that I am giving something to others or imparting some knowledge or doing something that will enrich their lives. That sense quickly dissipates, however, as I listen to others speak of what God is doing in their lives or when I see it in their faces – and I realize, once again, that I am in the presence of God at work in the world, and I am taking away far more than I have given. One of the great graces of working at the Loyola Institute is the daily encounter with God in the lives of those to whom we minister.