Jesuit Journeys
Spring/Summer 2002

Dear Friends,

One of my oldest family memories is kneeling at the side of the bed with two of my brothers as we said an Our Father and Hail Mary before going to bed. Although my parents sometimes had to prompt us when memories failed at the end of a busy day, the experience of closeness to one another and toward those to whom we prayed never waned, no matter how tired I might be.

Those consoling feelings remain an important part of prayer for me although I have learned to pray in many different ways with many different people in many different places.

Countless people felt the longing for a similar sense of consolation after the Sept. 11 atrocities and other painful events in the months that followed. The desire in people of diverse faiths, diverse cultures, and diverse life experiences to come together and pray about the concerns of their hearts, their fears, and their hopes genuinely moved me then and continues to do so now.

Such unions not only deepen our intimacy with God, they also deepen a common bond of reverence and mutual respect.

There is power in prayer; sometimes we catch glimpses of it.

I hope this issue of Jesuit Journeys helps you experience the power of prayer as we celebrate the Lord as Risen among us. Please know that you and your concerns are part of our Jesuit prayer and that we count on your prayers for our efforts to proclaim the Gospel of God’s love in all that we do.

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

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