Jesuit Journeys
Fall 2002

Dear Friends,

People often ask me how a boy who grew up in Oklahoma, one of the 13 states with no Jesuit ministries, could end up as a member of the Society of Jesus in the Upper Midwest.

“Dumb luck” is no explanation because I believe that chance or lucky stars or good fortune had nothing to do with how I came to be who I am, doing what I do. Rather, each of us is called by name into existence by God who loves us into life, who continues loving us in every instant, and who empowers us to become the unique, never-to-be-repeated “immortal diamonds” the Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins reminds us we are intended to be.

I like the image “immortal diamonds” evokes. It tells us we are all precious in God’s eyes, that we are all valuable, important human beings regardless of the life we are born to live, where we live it, or the level of material wealth we attain. It reminds us that life is a fantastic gift we have not earned.

This edition of Jesuit Journeys contains stories of the complex and sometimes confusing ways God works in the lives of all of us to lead us to our true home. I hope these stories help us all reflect more deeply on the awesome providence of God that enfolds us when we least expect it.

Please keep the Jesuits in your prayers and know we are ever-grateful for all you do to help us proclaim the Gospel of God’s love. Know too that your concerns and hopes are part of our Jesuit prayer.

Your brother in the Lord, James E. Grummer, SJ Provincial

Return to Fall 2002 issue