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WITH JUBILANT HEARTS!
Reflections and Prayers

 

HEDWIG LEWIS SJ

 

In the year 2006, the Society of Jesus celebrates the anniversaries of three of its founding fathers:

Saints Ignatius Loyola, Francis Xavier, Blessed Peter Faber.

 

For information regarding this book CLICK HERE

Preface

During the Triple-Jubilee Year 2006, the Society of Jesus commemorates the fifth centenary of the birth of St Francis Xavier [7 April 1506] and of Bld Peter Faber [13 April 1506], and the 450th death anniversary of St Ignatius Loyola [31 July 1556].

The Superior General, Fr Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, SJ, noted that these events invite us “to examine and intensify our fidelity to the call of the Lord” that the three founding fathers “were the first to discern and that they followed in such a creative fashion that it continues to challenge us, their companions of the third millennium. We remember especially some aspects of the original spirituality that moved these three companions of Jesus and that continue to challenge the apostolic body of the Society today.

We should truly profit from the jubilee year to examine our way of life and taking the means to live more profoundly the charisms received from our Founders. That is to say, in our apostolic prayer, nourished by the Eucharist, in our missionary ardour, in our ministry of spiritual aid to others.” [Rome, 6 January 2005]

With Jubilant Hearts is an earnest attempt to recapture the charisms of the three “saintly jubilarians”. It provides abundant resources for creative use at the personal and community levels. There are four sections, the first three on the respective Saints and the fourth on various aspects of Religious life, specific to the Society of Jesus. There are theme-based Community Prayer Services and Novenas; there is also a  “Desk-Calendar” on the life of St Xavier, in 12 units.

With Jubilant Hearts provides information and inspiration. There is some inevitable overlapping of materials in the different sections, however instead of being merely repetitious, they add new perspective or focus.

This book is understandably geared toward Jesuit spirituality. The resources are broad-based enough to be helpful and challenging to the collaborators in Jesuit institutions or to religious congregations that share the charism of the Society of Jesus. We can all vibrate in payer and reflection, with jubilant hearts!

CONTENTS

 

I. SAINT IGNATIUS LOYOLA

A. Jubilee challenges

B. Reflections and Prayers

       Ignatian Litany to the Names of Jesus

C. Community Prayer Services

         

II. SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER

A. Jubilee Challenges

B. “Xavier Spells Excellence” [Desk Calendar]

C. Novena of Grace

D. Points for Reflection

E. Letters of St Francis Xavier

    

III. BLESSED PETER FABER

A. Jubilee Challenges

B.  Introspection and Prayers

C. Letter of Bld Peter Faber

            Bld Peter Faber’s devotion to the Holy Spirit

D. In the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit

          Bld Peter Faber and Guardian Angels

 

IV. THE SOCIETY OF JESUS

A. The Sacred Heart of Jesus

B. The Blessed Virgin Mary

C. Litany of the Saints of the Society of Jesus

        A private Litany on Humility

D. UNITED WITH CHRIST ON MISSION

        Community Prayers on some Decrees of GC 34:

1. Servants of Christ’s Mission

2. Our Mission and Justice

            A Latin American Litany

3. Chastity in the Society of Jesus

4. Jesuit Poverty

5. Characteristics of Our Way of Proceeding

6. With the Poor and Suffering Christ

 

 

 

What they have said...

 

Some responses to the book:

 

Dear Hedwig,
Greetings from Dublin.  ... I would like to use an abbreviated form of your SFX "calendar", on our website, Sacred Space, for the upcoming Centenary Year of St. Francis.  
Gerard J. Bourke, S.J.
Editor, Sacred Space
November 08, 2005

[The 'desk calendar' in the section of St Francis Xavier is being serialised in Sacred Space, a daily-meditation website of the Irish Jesuit Province:

Reflections for each month of 2006, celebrating the 500th anniversary of St. Francis Xavier’s birth - April 7, 1506... (Excerpted from "With Jubilant Hearts", by Hedwig Lewis, S.J., 2005)
www.sacredspace.ie/sfx2006.htm]

 *

Dear Hedwig,

Just today, I received our copy of "With Jubilant Hearts".  
I have been going through it and I really think that you have given EVERY JESUIT a wonderful jubilee gift. Every page I turn literally grips me... it's really a wonderful labour of love.
Thanks so much for being the Great Jesuit you are!  
I will be ordering a copy for each of the PJ Community members.  
Love and prayers,
 Cedric
November 26, 2005

Fr Cedric Prakash, SJ, is the superiior at Premal  Jyoti, Ahmedabad and the Director of  PRASHANT  -  A Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace

 *

Rev. Father Hedwig Lewis, S.J.

We have received the copy of the book: “With Jubilant Hearts”, which you have sent to us, for the General Father’s Library. It will be a value addition to our collection.

With sincere thanks,
Luiz Fernando Medeiros Rodrigues,S.I.
                        Librarian
Rome, December 09 2005

 *

Dear Fr Hedwig Lewis,

With a jubilant heart I thank you for your latest book “With Jubilant Hearts”. The Parish has already used it for the feast of St Francis Xavier and I feel confident that there will be many an occasion during the Jubilee Year where it will come of very good use.

Fr J. I. D’Abreo, SJ,
Parish Priest, St Ignatius Loyola Church, Vasai, Mumbai
12 December 2005

*

The newsletter of the "Catholic Bishops Conference of India", [http://www.cbcisite.com/NU676.htm] in an item entitled “With Jubilant Hearts”:  A Jesuit Jubilee Year Gift, states: "Father Hedwig Lewis has brought out a masterpiece in the context of the Jesuit Jubilee Year.  “With Jubilant Hearts” captures the charisms of the three Founding Fathers of the Society of Jesus. 

New Delhi, Jan. 06, 2006

 *

Dear Fr. Hedwig,
Congrats for the "Jubilant Hearts". Great indeed are your works. Great. Keep it up.

Stanny
January 13, 2006

Fr S. Jebamalai, SJ, is the director of Navsarjan, Legal Aid and Human Rights Centre (LAHRC), Surat  

*

Province Express, A Website for Australian Jesuit Communications, in the section Eye on the Jubilee - Ignatian insights, noted: In this edition (1 June 2006) we look at St Ignatius Loyola though the eyes of Jesuit Hedwig Lewis.  This was followed by an excerpt from Reflections and prayers taken from “With Jubilant hearts”.

*
As the book of Fr Hedwig Lewis, “With Jubilant Hearts” contains a fine set of Novena prayers for the feast of St Ignatius, no other special help for the Novena will be sent to our communities this year by the CIC (Fr Richard Sequeira – PCIC)
KNL [Karnataka Jesuit Province News Letter] JULY 2006 Vol. 79 No. 7

*
Dear Fr .Hedwig
Your book “With Jubilant Hearts” was a great help to me and others , especially in giving  recollection to the theologians at GVD. What a wonderful ingenuity in presenting the history of our first companions in a  “prayer- exercise- mode”.
Fr. Lawrence Dharmaraj S.J
Sevasi, Vadodara, 07 October 2006  

*
I know that your books are  inspired and hence inspiring.
Varghese Mannarkulam. S.J.
Vadodara, 10 October 2006  

REVIEWS

Excerpts from book-reviews:

Along with the conventional prayers of the three saints, there are a number of adapted prayers and life illustrations that add beauty to this book. The general pattern of prayer followed in the book is: invocations, insight from the life of the saint, reflections, questions, intercessions and concluding prayers. Though the prayers are arranged in an order, they give room for spontaneous prayers and creativity in order to make better use of the book on different occasions.  There are also theme-based community prayer-services. Treasured prayers like Anima Christi, Take and Receive and Lead Kindly Light are samples that will continue to feed the devotion of readers.

This book may be of help to not only the Jesuit communities but also  to all people who engage themselves in bringing out the best in others. It can offer inspiration for religious leaders, preachers, teachers, parents and friends. As the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius Loyola turned millions of people to God, so also in its own way With Jubilant Hearts can help people come close to God. Hedwig Lewis has mined the Jesuit sources for prayers, reflections, anecdotes, illustrations and information and this brings out the true spirit of these three saints. We are grateful to him.
Justin Ekka, SJ, Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection, May 2006

This is a new book released in connection with the Jubilee year in the Society of Jesus. The Society of Jesus celebrates three Jubilees during the year 2006: the fifth centenary of the birth of St Francis Xavier [7 April 1506] and of Bld Peter Faber [13 August 1506], and the 450th death anniversary of St Ignatius Loyola [31 July 1556]. With Jubilant Hearts catures the charisms of the three 'Founding Father'. It vibrates with a spirit of joy, of 'jubilation', of spiritual celebration. It is a 'resources book' containing a variety of informational and inspirational material that can be put to creative use at the personal and community levels. Ideal for Community Prayer Services and Novenas. Author: Hedwig Lewis, SJ Published by: GUJARAT SAHITYA PRAKASH, ANAND -388001, INDIA.

Tom Rochford SJ, tom’s communication blog, Posted: November 19, 2005

 

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