THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING RELIGIOUS This morning I am happy to share with you my point of view on the importance of being religious. Recently one of our graduates wrote a book entitled, “The Missing Spiritual Factor.” He is an electrical engineer who holds a number of high tech patents and through this book he looks to connect the physical world that surrounds us with the spiritual world, connecting the outer self and the inner being. In my own life the connection between the physical world and the spiritual world is often prayer. I have shared with some of you, students and faculty alike, that my wife and I have gone to scores of different churches in the NYC area for Sunday mass (including all of the boroughs). In fact, we try to go to a different church every Sunday in Lent. We add a little fun to these trips by also looking to find great pizza, burgers, or even bbq places, near these churches …. and YES there are lots of pizza, burger, and bbq places in NYC. A few weeks back my wife and I went to Sunday mass at a church in Brooklyn. We arrived at the church a bit early and I noticed a side area that was filled with statues of saints, and I mean filled with statues of saints. I had never seen anything like it, so I went in for a closer look. As I entered the room, I was distracted by a book that was set up on a small table, it was placed there so that people could write down things that they were praying for. I was struck by the prayer written on bottom of the page that was opened, it read – “Lord, Please, please, please help me pay my son’s tuition at his school.” It was left unsigned.
This prayer struck a chord in me. I wondered how we could have helped the situation, but realized that trying to find someone that left a note unsigned would be impossible. I did offer my own prayer for that family and at the same time, I also recognized how generosity influences the lives of so many of us at Loyola. It is part of our culture. Generosity literally built our school, gives birth to new programs, and makes a Loyola education possible for many of our students. I see it as a great blessing to be a member of a community, which can be characterized by generosity and gratitude. I recall that during our freshmen retreat in December, Julia Goetz, Julia Bonadonna, Chris Campbell and Hannah Valente reflected on what the Prayer of Generosity means to them. We can all strengthen our orientation toward God by thinking about the words of St. Ignatius’ Prayer for Generosity and what those words are saying to us. As a community we say St. Ignatius’s Prayer for Generosity daily…..just a few minutes ago in fact. Do we take it for granted? What does it mean to us? This is what words of this special prayer mean to me, line by line: Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous. Generosity is not only about sharing tangible resources. It can be about encouraging others to do their best or offering your shoulder in times of sadness. It can also be about sharing your time and talents as well. I see this every day at Loyola from students, faculty, staff and administrators.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve; We, as a community, discover this through our service to others, and I have found serving others, in the smallest of ways, can inspire great communal accomplishment and spirit. to give and not to count the cost, Many people struggle with “not counting the cost,” but it is the most rewarding type of giving. I thought of Mr. Tramontozzi when I contemplated this line. It is Tram, a former faculty member, who quietly decorates Loyola during the Christmas season, along with some of you, and the way he does so is truly inspiring. to fight and not to heed the wounds, The Knights and Lady Knights come to mind. In all athletic competitions we compete with great valor and our sportsmanship is always commendable. We’ll dive on the loose ball and always help teammates get to their feet. to toil and not to seek for rest, I am not sure if you are aware of the hours that our faculty and staff put in during the school year. It is not uncommon for me to receive emails after 11pm or before 7am; and they are usually, in some way, about the well-being of you, our students. . to labor and not to ask for any reward, save that of knowing that I am doing Your will. Our Christian Service trips epitomize the final line of this wonderful prayer. Whether it’s helping those in need in Camden or building homes in Belize, our students, faculty and administrators go forward to help others in a way that certainly reflects God’s will.
I thought of the Prayer for Generosity when I saw an interview with Stephen Colbert on YouTube and he talked about how he actually feels his faith, saying: Faith has to be felt. And (feeling and logic) do not defy each other but complement each other. Because logic itself….will not lead me to God. My love of the world and my gratitude toward it will. There it is -- Colbert asserts that gratitude will lead him to God and I think he is right. Gratitude, Service, and Generosity – these ideas also fit perfectly into our Loyola community. And they fit even more perfectly into lives of faith and prayer … and for me they help connect my spiritual and physical worlds. Thank you.