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Pope Francis smiles as he arrives to celebrate Mass at Church of the Gesu in Rome Pope Francis smiles alongside Father Adolfo Nicolas, superior general of the Society of Jesus, while arriving to celebrate Mass at the Church of the Gesu in Rome Jan. 3. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

In formally announcing his resignation and convoking the 36th General Congregation (to be held in October 2016), Jesuit Superior General Fr. Adolfo Nicolas, S.J., wrote: “I invite the whole Society to enter into a process of deep and genuine spiritual discernment about our life and mission during the coming months.” He then added: “Meditating on the call of the Eternal King, what do we discern to be the three most important calls that the Lord makes to the whole Society today?”

As a lay person with many years in and around Jesuit education (and as one who is currently working at a Jesuit high school), I thought of a minor tweak to Fr. Nicolas’s question, namely: What do we discern to be the three most important calls for those in Ignatian and/or in Jesuit education?

It’s only fair that, if I pose the question, I should offer my own answer. In a future post, I’ll provide some thoughts, but I thought I’d start the conversation.  

Matt Emerson is the author of Why Faith? A Journey of Discovery (Paulist Press, 2016). His writing has appeared in numerous publications, including America and The Wall Street Journal.