A new bishop was ordained in Oakland last week, Michael Barber, SJ. It was conducted at the beautiful Cathedral of Christ the Light. I lived in Oakland for two years while going to school there. I liked Oakland; it is vibrant, quirky, has cool architecture and a diverse population. Medical people like to practice there because of the international population and the challenges of the diseases that they bring. Berkeley with its culture is close by. Jerry Brown, who is now the governor of California, had been mayor and is responsible for much of its revival. He is present at the ordination and gets a shout out as a former Jesuit.
This video is the new bishop's homily. I like his style and humor. Barber is a native Californian and makes references accordingly. Of course, I'm predisposed to liking Jesuits. Why is that other than having spent a year in the Jesuits myself? You have to go to the founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit is a derivative name), Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) who is the creator of the Spirtual Exercises. The Exercises are a method of going back to the foundation principles of faith in Jesus and how he guides us in following him. Its brilliant in that it makes use of not only scripture and tradition but psychology to help the person following the exercises to examine their motivations and behavior. You learn how to find out what is really going on within and for making decisions that are fully integrated into your personhood. The Exercises become a way of doing things for the rest of your life and not just for the 30 day retreat where they are initially made.
A Jesuit is trained to examine themselves every day and touch base with the basics of what they are doing and the decisions they make. At their best, I think this is what can make Jesuits so effective. They know what they are about and what they going to do; they are directed.
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