 Associates gather at a recent Come and See Weekend
Who is a Jesuit Associate?
A Jesuit Associate is a man who is discerning
the call to service in the Church as either a priest
or brother in the Society of Jesus. Associates
range in age from students in high school and college
to men already pursuing careers. As an Associate,
a man is offered several opportunities to learn
about and experience what life and ministry in
the Society of Jesus involve.
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How can I become an Associate?
A man who is interested in the Associates' program
should contact
the Jesuit Vocation Office. The Vocation Director
then introduces him to one of the Jesuit priests
or brothers responsible for coordinating vocations
in the man's local area. After a period of reflection
and conversation, the Area Vocation Coordinator
may invite the man to join the Jesuit Associates.
An Associate continues in his ordinary occupation
and participates in programs as he is able. He
is also involved in spiritual direction and Ignatian
prayer.
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Spiritual Direction
Spiritual Direction
is the help that one person gives another to
enable him or her to become more conscious of
how God is working in his or her life and how
he or she may become more responsive to God.
The term "direction" does not mean
to imply that the director alone is the active
partner in the relationship - the one who initiates,
leads and instructs - while the one being directed
is the passive receiver of the director's wisdom.
In the spiritual direction of Associates, the
emphasis is on helping a person examine carefully
the desire and attraction to become a priest or
brother in the Society of Jesus. As an Associate,
a man and his director, over a period of several
months, will prayerfully try to discern whether
the desire for a religious vocation is from God,
that is, whether God is calling the man now, or
in the near future, to be a Jesuit priest or brother.
What are some of the matter talked about in Spiritual
Direction? Anyone who believes that he or she may
have a vocation to religious life should be willing
to invest time in conversations with a director
he or she can trust and with whom he or she can
talk openly about matters that have a close bearing
upon a religious vocation.
Within the context of the Society of Jesus, the
director will want to know about the origin and
growth of the desire for the priesthood or brotherhood
as a Jesuit. A person in direction may anticipate
discussing one's life of faith, prayer, and an
experience of God's nearness, support, and call
to life in the Society of Jesus. It may be somewhat
difficult at the beginning of spiritual direction
to put into words things that are very personal
and interior, but with the help of the director
this should become easier as the conversations
unfold.
A vocation to any manner of religious life develops
out of one's personal history. The spiritual director
will be interested, therefore, in knowing an Associate's
background: family, friends, values, interests,
and anything else that might be helpful.
Part of spiritual direction will also involve
learning more about the Society of Jesus in today's
world. In such a context, the Associate is more
greatly disposed to making an enlightened decision
about the future.
How frequently does spiritual direction take place?
In ideal circumstances, the Associate would meet
every two or three weeks with the Spiritual Director
for a period of four or five months. At the beginning
of the direction, by mutual agreement, meetings
occur more often than the usual two to three weeks.
In some cases direction is prolonged over a greater
period of time, or it is reduced to a shorter time
- to make, confirm or strengthen a decision on
whether God is calling an Associate to religious
life in the Society of Jesus.
What role does the Spiritual Director play in
the formal application to the Society of Jesus?
The Spiritual Director is not a member of the Admissions
Board and does not participate in the Board's deliberation.
He or she is never asked to supply an evaluation
of an aptitude for the Jesuits. The work of the
Director is to help in the discernment of God's
activity in the Associate's life.
For more about Spiritual Direction download and
read Companions
in Grace, The Ministry of Spiritual Direction,
by Mary Naughton, Pastoral Associate of the Church
of St. Ignatius Loyola, New York, NY.
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SJAP Yahoo Group
The SJAP (Society of Jesus Associates' Program)
Yahoo Group is an electronic discussion community
for members of the Jesuit Associates of the Maryland
and New York Provinces. The group keeps Associates
updated on events, news, photos, and opinions of
men in discernment.
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Suggested Reading
Complimentary copies of To Fling out Broad His
Name and The Autobiography of Saint Ignatius Loyola
are sent to each new Associate. In addition, the
Vocation Office highly recommends a number of other
titles which we think might be of interest to you. Contact
the Vocation Office to request these titles and
for a complete list of all our books in stock:
| Author/Editor |
Vocation
Office Books In Stock |
| William Barry,
S.J. |
Contemplatives in Action |
| James Martin,
S.J. |
In Good Company |
| James Martin,
S.J. |
Awake My Soul |
| William O'Malley,
S.J. |
The Fifth Week |
| Margaret Silf |
Inner Compass |
| Michael Harter, S.J. |
Hearts on Fire |
| Various authors |
Come & See Series
(thought-provoking books exploring the Catholic
Christian tradition) |
We also suggest these newly
published or noteworthy titles which are available
at your local or online retailer:
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