John Predmore, S.J., is a USA East Province Jesuit and was the pastor of Jordan's English language parish. He teaches art and directs BC High's adult spiritual formation programs. Formerly a retreat director in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Ignatian Spirituality is given through guided meditations, weekend-, 8-day, and 30-day Retreats based on The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Ignatian Spirituality serves the contemporary world as people strive to develop a friendship with God.
What an incredibly wise and humble man! I have learned a great deal from Fr. Arrupe and am grateful to him for his commitment to our Lord. His prayers have become very important in my own prayer life. One statement from his final speech really struck me as it exudes his enthusiasm for the vocation to which God called him and yet it applies to all of us: "What a wonderful mission has been entrusted to us: to bring all to the knowledge and love of Christ!"
I honor this man so much. He is the type of leader that I would like to see canonized. His good friend, Fr. Vinny O'Keefe, died this year so I am remembering them both in special ways.
He was an amazing man who never lost his gentle spirit despite living through some of the most horrendous events in modern history at close quarters, including being in the blast zone of the Hiroshima nuclear bombing. His patient endurance of prolonged survival after the severe stroke that robbed him of mobility and speech is almost painful to contemplate. Having watched my own father struggle for 12 years with the sequelae of a stroke that at least left him able to speak, I find Fr. Arrupe's continued hopefulness inexplicable except as the result of Divine grace. As someone who is part Basque myself, I can testify that his willingness to submit humbly to anything at all, even the most gracious Will of God, is nothing short of miraculous! What private agonies and austerities he must have gone through in order to tame what surely must have been a naturally fiery and obstinate temperament! It is impressive, and certainly robs me of my usual "It's those Basque genes!" excuse for my own outbursts of stubbornness, arrogance, and impatience. Thanks for reminding us of this extraordinary priest who really did everything A.M.D.G.
I hope you come away from this knowing there is hope for your Basque temperment. Our current Superior General is also a Basque. Both are impressive men. I'm glad you've taken such a liking to Arrupe. His story is awesome and I've read many of his texts again and again. I like the Bishop biographies and I enjoy his article, "Rooted and Grounded in Love." He is a hero to me.
What an incredibly wise and humble man! I have learned a great deal from Fr. Arrupe and am grateful to him for his commitment to our Lord. His prayers have become very important in my own prayer life. One statement from his final speech really struck me as it exudes his enthusiasm for the vocation to which God called him and yet it applies to all of us:
ReplyDelete"What a wonderful mission has been entrusted to us: to bring all to the knowledge and love of Christ!"
I honor this man so much. He is the type of leader that I would like to see canonized. His good friend, Fr. Vinny O'Keefe, died this year so I am remembering them both in special ways.
DeleteHe was an amazing man who never lost his gentle spirit despite living through some of the most horrendous events in modern history at close quarters, including being in the blast zone of the Hiroshima nuclear bombing. His patient endurance of prolonged survival after the severe stroke that robbed him of mobility and speech is almost painful to contemplate. Having watched my own father struggle for 12 years with the sequelae of a stroke that at least left him able to speak, I find Fr. Arrupe's continued hopefulness inexplicable except as the result of Divine grace. As someone who is part Basque myself, I can testify that his willingness to submit humbly to anything at all, even the most gracious Will of God, is nothing short of miraculous! What private agonies and austerities he must have gone through in order to tame what surely must have been a naturally fiery and obstinate temperament! It is impressive, and certainly robs me of my usual "It's those Basque genes!" excuse for my own outbursts of stubbornness, arrogance, and impatience. Thanks for reminding us of this extraordinary priest who really did everything A.M.D.G.
ReplyDeleteI hope you come away from this knowing there is hope for your Basque temperment. Our current Superior General is also a Basque. Both are impressive men. I'm glad you've taken such a liking to Arrupe. His story is awesome and I've read many of his texts again and again. I like the Bishop biographies and I enjoy his article, "Rooted and Grounded in Love." He is a hero to me.
DeleteThank you very much for this.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome. He is a hero to many of us.
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