After a summer break, Pope Francis has resumed his practice of saying Mass and preaching each morning at his residence in the Vatican.  His homilies are terrific.  He speaks informally, without notes, with vivid language and a decidedly Ignatian...

Edmund Lo, SJ, tells a good story about monitoring one's inner states of consolation and desolation, as Ignatius did when he was recovering from his wounds: My invitation to you is this: to reflect on your lives to identify what...

I'm a convert. Sometimes my conversion experience piques the interest of cradle Catholics, who are eager to hear about the idea of choosing a faith into which they were born (while I admire the depth of faith in which...

Pope Francis likes to call up total strangers out of the blue and chat with them.  He did this recently with two teenagers, prompting an Italian newspaper columnist to offer tips for phone etiquette for people who suddenly find...

If you're interested in Jesuit history, read the latest issue of the journal Studies in the Spirituality of Jesuits. It examines the Suppression of the Jesuits, one of the most astonishing and mysterious episodes in the history of the Church. Pressured...

Here is a beautiful choral setting of the Anima Christi, the prayer that Ignatius placed at the beginning of the Spiritual Exercises. This is a translation of the Latin: Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ,...

Tim and Sue Muldoon write about using the examen as a way of cultivating children's spiritual lives: Why is it that dinner conversations frequently involve talking to our loved ones about what happened during the day? What is it about...

This is "move in" week at most residential colleges, when undergraduates move into their dorms and apartments.  Classes begin next week if they're not already underway.  Freshmen (and others) might read The Jesuit Guide to Starting College for good...

During the past few weeks I've been reading the speeches and homilies of Pope Francis in connection with an editorial project. A delightful assignment! As I've said here before, I'm struck by his way with words.A few months ago...

A recent article in the Los Angeles Times draws attention to the Cristo Rey network of high schools. There are 25 Cristo Rey schools in 17 states. All of them serve only economically disadvantaged students. All of them feature an...