Lessons from Loyola Hall

St. Augustine wrote this about the relationship between the two halves of the Bible: “The New is hidden in the Old, and the Old is made manifest in the New.” The link of the story of Abraham and Isaac to the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross is somewhat obvious, but sometimes it is in the obvious that we can overlook that which is right in front of our eyes.

During his time as a student at Saint Ignatius Mr. Healey had the privilege of being in the classroom with a number of legendary teachers across a spectrum of disciplines. But the freshman year mentor who had the most lasting effect on his theological and spiritual life was Fr. Jim Lewis, S.J., who died last month.

What is the Gospel? By that Mr. Healey means: What is the Good News? On this, the 1st Sunday of Lent, we are told exactly what the Good News is and the answer comes directly from the mouth of the Messiah. “This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem.” These words of Jesus provide the thematic glue for the Pope Francis’s Lenten message, and they point directly to the fulfillment of the mission of the Messiah. As we acknowledge Ash Wednesday in different ways this year, it is still in a spirit that unites faith with fasting, hope with prayer, and love with giving alms.