A major part of the Spirit’s activity in Jesus was the fashioning of his character. As a human being, Jesus had to grow spiritually, psychologically and physically, and he truly “increased in wisdom, and in stature, and in divine and human favor” (Luke 2:52). The Spirit wants every Jesuit today to grow also in some very important human qualities: “May the God of peace sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit (pneuma) and soul (psyche) and body (soma) be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, and He will do it” (1Thes 5:23,24). So I suggest that more importance be given by Formators to building up the “human character” of their trainees, focusing not only on their growth in Ignatian spirituality, but in view of today’s needs (especially the UAP), also on “character-building.”
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Fiorello Mascarenhas, SJ, D.Min, writes frequently for various pastoral and theological magazines. He can be contacted for retreats at [email protected]
