As I write this column, my Jesuit community is preparing to celebrate a number of jubilees, or anniversaries, for three Jesuit priests. The evening’s celebration will consist of what some wags refer to as an L.S.D., that is, liturgy, social and dinner.Apparently, one must be advanced in years
James Martin, S.J.
The Rev. James Martin, S.J., is a Jesuit priest, author, editor at large at America and founder of Outreach.
Posted inTelevision
The Promising Shows…We Think
This year’s fall TV roundup was surprisingly simple to, well, round up, since there have been relatively few good shows introduced this season. And after all, does it take a media savant to predict that one is probably not going to enjoy a show called Freakylinks? Or that a show called Cursed
Posted inFaith, News Analysis
The challenges and gifts of the homosexual priest
Facing the challenges and accepting the gifts offered by homosexual priests in the Catholic Church
Posted inOf Many Things
Of Many Things
Among the most enjoyable duties I have at a local Jesuit paris – hwhich you will be unsurprised to learn is named St. Ignatius Loyola – is running a book club for young adults. The parish started the group three years ago as a way of offering the young professionals crowd a chance to continue, if in
Posted inOf Many Things
Of Many Things
One of the interests that I share with my father is a taste for what the British used to call ripping good yarns, that is, stories of high adventure. My father and I are far from alone in our interest. A glance at recent best-seller lists will reveal a surprising number of adventure tales nestled am
Posted inTelevision
Coarse TV
Unless you’ve been stranded on a desert island for the last few weeks, you know that the lucky winner of the CBS series Survivor was revealed during its Aug. 23 episode. America’s newest millionaire is the now-famous Richard Hatch, a Machiavellian corporate trainer, of whom we will undou
Posted inOf Many Things
Of Many Things
My reading habits have recently taken a surprising turn. Despite the Jesuit training that introduced me to such recondite authors as Karl Rahner, Edward Schillebeeckx and Hans Urs von Balthasar (don’t theologians have great names?), I now find myself reading books no longer than 10 or 20 pages
Posted inBooks
God in All Things
Not long ago a friend asked if I could recommend a good book on Ignatian spirituality He was an intelligent college-educated young man interested not simply in deepening his prayer but more specifically learning about what could be called the specifics of the way of Saint Ignatiusfor example t
Posted inBooks
God in All Things
Not long ago a friend asked if I could recommend a good book on Ignatian spirituality He was an intelligent college-educated young man interested not simply in deepening his prayer but more specifically learning about what could be called the specifics of the way of Saint Ignatiusfor example t
Posted inTelevision
The Year in TV
One of the givens about religious life is that after spending so much time in studies, and with so many friends working in schools, the year seems to end in the summertime, rather than at the end of December. As a result, one naturally tends to reminisce as soon as the mercury begins its annual clim