Jesuit Saturdays: Sharing the Ignatian Spirit with Friends and Colleagues

Am not in the habit of reading "religious" books. But, someone had given this book to me - and noticed that coincidentally, it was by the same author as this one spiritual book I had picked up several years back while visiting Georgetown University. Really can relate to the language and practical philosophy that Fr. Byron uses to convey his points - true to Jesuit form. Even more impressive is how well-read Fr. Byron seems to be - from philosophy, to politics and business. Would highly recommend to everyone, but particularly to those who are interested or working in politics and business.

Fr. Byron is the pastor of my church, Holy Trinity, in Georgetown, DC. In this artfully written work, he explores the essence of Ignatian spirtuality applied to education and being an educator, or simply day to day living and being part of the wonderful circle of friends who try, as well as each of them can, to live by the principles of Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. Jesuit Saturdays reads easily and I was anxious to keep turning to the next page to learn another gem of wisdom from Fr. Byron. I overwhelmingly recommend this book to anyone who wants to plant the first seed or nourish his or her on-going spirituality and perhaps learn better what God's will for her/him is.

These days Jesuits and their co-workers, particularly in the educational apostolate, are trying to elaborate together their shared mission in common awareness of the centuries-old Jesuit tradition. Fr. William Byron here makes his own valuable and informed contribution to the cause, drawing on fifty years of experience, much of it in key administrative positions, summing up some of his recent keynote speeches, and citing extensively individuals and institutions involved in the world-wide Jesuit apostolate. He writes of the founder of the Jesuits, the reasons they are in education, the kind of alumni they seek to form, discernment and choice, service of others, celibacy, being a responsible individual in community, proper use of talents, the value of the cross, and the question of vocations to the Jesuit order. He shares with us as within a family everything from the highest ideals of the order to the difficulties of using community cars. Anyone who wants to know about the Jesuits could profit from this book, but it's particularly aimed at those who work in the Jesuit schools, and its individual chapters would be especially useful as topics for their common discussion. A correction: the book has 112 pages, not 260.