Words of Wisdom from the Smartest Man I Know

A defining moment in my education life was my Junior year at The Prep. For AP English that year, I was lucky enough to have Fr. Joe Michini SJ for one semester followed by Fr. Ryan Maher SJ. For those who know these 2 men -- or have had any type of Jesuit education for that matter -- can appreciate how wonderful it is when you are taught to be a "contemplative in action." These two men challenged me in so many ways, and it was the first time ever that I was motivated to read literature without just getting what I needed in order to get a good grade. Fr. Maher -- now a dean at his alma mater Georgetown -- recently shared the following Jesuit traditions with his class this semester. Whether you are Catholic or not, I think we can all learn something from his wise words.

(Thanks courteous Maher!)

Ten things the Jesuit tradition wants you to have heard before you graduate from a Jesuit college. (There are more, but these ten will do for starters…)

Don’t settle for being less than fully alive. Evil’s main strategy is to get us to compromise away, bit by bit, what it means to be human, usually by keeping us from even thinking of God and the reason we exist at all. Or by getting us to measure our selves and our lives by standards that aren’t worthy of us.

Be bilingual: speak poetry and prose. Learn to love metaphor and the worlds of insight it opens for us. Recall that there is a reason Jesus preached so often in parables. At the same time, learn to communicate intelligently, rationally and effectively what it is you believe and why you believe it. Make room for beauty in your life: art, music, theater, poetry, literature, architecture, sculpture, dance, etc. Beauty feeds your soul and can help attune you to the “frequency” of Grace.

The culture of the “Academy” and professional schools (and most jobs) serve up thin gruel for the human soul. Take from them what helps. Reject the rest. Keep learning for the rest of your life. Seek intelligent sources of support (books, people, courses) for your faith. Intellect and faith can support and correct one another, but it takes work, the hard work of paying consistent attention to both.

Regular, substantive, meaningful conversation is the key to healthy/vibrant learning, life and faith. Be sure your life includes conversation partners and topics worthy of you. This can take some work, but it repays the effort many times over.

Know that you have a committee in your head, always read to sit in judgment of your choices and define/measure your success. Shape this committee, as much as you can, carefully. Pay it the attention it deserves, no more, no less. The committee can help you or tyrannize you, depending on your approach to it.

If you marry, marry carefully. When the time comes, ask advice of people who love you enough to tell you the truth about the person you are thinking of marrying. Consider what they say. Ask God for advice. Pay attention.

Remember, should you become a parent, you will NEVER do ANYTHING more important than raising your children. Keep in mind that children are human beings entrusted to you by none other than God. There is no higher calling on the planet than parenthood.

Love your country enough to struggle to make her better. Vote, and know why you're voting the way you do. Be sure your reasons fit into the Big Picture informed by your faith.

For those of you who are Catholic or might one day be Catholic: Love the Church enough to struggle to make Her better. We seem to be in/entering a time marked by a mindset on the part of many who exercise power in the Church characterized by a cramped understanding of “orthodoxy,” the stifling of conversation, and the confusion of conformity/uniformity with unity/community. None of these things has ever marked a healthy era in the life of the Church. The Church needs people who love Her enough to speak up...and stay.

Be open to God. For some, this will mean looking for the action of Grace and listening for the subtle voice of God in whom they firmly believe. For others, it will mean trying to be willing to entertain the possibility that God might exist. And everything in between. Openness is what matters because it gives Grace a fighting chance.