I recently enjoyed listening to recordings from a dozen different amateur choirs at the Gregorian University in Rome, each singing songs from different parts of the world. The simple harmonies and instrumentation impressively conveyed the exuberant enthusiasm and joy expressed by each group.

These songs, for me, are a musical metaphor for God's vision of our human potential. When harmony is our motivation, beautiful things result. When we are motivated by disharmony, the results are usually not very pleasant to hear or see.

St. Ignatius of Loyola tells us that God's presence is everywhere and encourages us to find God in all things. As we look around at a world in which disharmony seems to manifest itself in waves of conflict, poverty, hunger, war, and disease, sometimes it's difficult to see God's presence.

God is here, however, present in the Spirit stirring each of us from within to be Christ for others - to bring comfort and harmony to a cacophony of pain and grief.

The stories in this edition of Jesuit Journeys demonstrate the beautiful music we make, literally as well as figuratively, whenever we work together for a common cause. Our individual gifts and talents add up to a sum much greater than our individual efforts whenever we strive to cooperate with others, whenever we allow God's grace to work through us.

Thank you for being part of our Jesuit efforts to bring the Good News of God's loving presence to others.

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