Sue Putman, PhD, professor emerita of psychology, had a little fun with her students on April Fool’s Day, sending them this video greeting from her dog, Cooper.
Here’s something else that’s sure to lift your spirits:
Dan Higgins, assistant professor of journalism, created a “Canisius in Quarantine” playlist for his students on Spotify, the audio streaming platform. He included some of his favorite songs that spoke to his current mood, hopes and fears surrounding the COVID-19 crisis. Higgins then asked his students to add to the playlist with a few of their own favorite tunes. It didn’t take long for them to respond. The “Canisius in Quarantine” playlist now includes nearly 115 multi-genre songs. Certainly something for everyone!
Click here to listen to the playlist. (You may need to create a free account on Spotify.)
Economics Professors George Palumbo, PhD and Julie Anna Golebiewski, PhD, comment on the fate of the Western New York economy in today’s edition of The Buffalo News. The column, written by business reporter David Robinson, is titled “Hope Fades for a Quick Economic Recovery as COVID-19 Spreads.” Click here to read the article.
Canisius alumna Maria Scrivani ’76 contributed to the Sunday, April 5 edition of The Buffalo News. An acclaimed author and freelance writer, Scrivani wrote a column for the Viewpoints section titled “Finding Gratitude in a Challenging Time.” Click here to read it.
Buffalo News cartoonist Adam Zyglis won the Pulitzer, Monday, April 20, 2015. (Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News)
Congratulations to Adam Zyglis ’04, who won the 2020 Best Cartoon Award from the Overseas Press Club of America. The award recognizes the best print or digital graphic journalism, including cartoons, on international affairs. The OPC judges describe the Canisius alumnus this way: “An impressive caricaturist, Zyglis is the kind of cartoonist who would have to be jailed immediately if he lived abroad. That’s the standard by which all great political cartoonists should be judged.” Zyglis, who works for The Buffalo News, can now add the OPC award to his other accolades, which include a 2015 Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning.
On Sunday,
April 5, Palm Sunday, Campus Ministry initiated “The Seven Last Words of
Christ.”
The seven
last words of Jesus Christ are actually seven short phrases. In the Gospel, these passages provide a
moving account of Jesus’ dying words.
To recognize
this devotion, the Office of Campus Ministry invited seven Canisius students to
read and reflect on one passage each day, during Holy Week. Some offered written reflections; others
provided video reflections. All will be
published throughout the week in The Dome,
on the college’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, and on the Campus Ministry blog.
Click on
either of the links below to view the first two of the seven last words of
Christ:
Manuscript Leaf with the Crucifixion, from a Missal | French Metropolitan Museum of Art
This week Rev. Patrick J. Lynch, SJ, Jesuit associate for Mission & Identity, presents our fifth Lenten Reflection on Jesus’ Passion.
He suggests that we approach this event through the lens of Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises. In the first week of the four weeks of these Exercises Ignatius has the exercitant repeatedly ask oneself: “What have I done for Christ? What am I doing for Christ? What ought I to do for Christ?” (#53)
As we reflect on Jesus’ passion and death in the light of John’s Gospel, Father Lynch proposes that we turn these questions around and ask what Jesus has done for me.
The easiest but most comprehensive answer would be that he died for my sins and the sins of everyone else. Let us, however, be more specific: What has Jesus done for me yesterday, today and in the future? For one with the eyes of faith he has kept me in existence. I also may see that Jesus helped to save me from an accident or rescued me from a bad relationship. On a more positive note, we might look over our past life to see how Jesus might have been helping me in my studies or obtaining a new appointment or promotion, in finding a mate, or in helping me in doing a complex project.
I also can ask: What Jesus is doing for me now? Might I believe that he is protecting my family and me from COVID-19? Might he be guiding me in the work that I am doing or in offering me assistance with teaching students online? Might he be assuring me that I have a job and am therefore be able to earn a living and support my family?
Finally, I can reflect: How might Jesus help me in the future? I can trust, hope and pray that he will be protecting and nurturing me to become the best person that I can be. He will be seeking the best for my family and friends. He will be offering us help in protecting our planet, walking with the poor, the outcast and those whose dignity has been violated. In short, I can pray that he will help us to develop a hope-filled world and offer us ways to find him in the people with whom we live and work and in our plans for promoting the common good.
By these means we can become more aware and grateful why Jesus died for me, for other women and men, and the rest of creation and our planet.
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Here are also some other ideas that may appeal to you, if you have time for a period of extended reflection on Jesus’ Passion. At the close of the third week of the Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius suggests that a person spend the entire day contemplating the complete story of Jesus’ passion. If you have the time, you can follow Ignatius’ suggestion by reading John’s account of the passion or that of another Gospel and reflecting on those parts of the text that you find of interest or appealing. Alternatively, you may want to listen to J. S. Bach’s “St. John’s Passion” BWV 245on YouTube while reflecting on the meaning of Jesus’ Passion and his death for you and our entire world.
Submitted by: Rev. Patrick J. Lynch, SJ, Jesuit associate, Mission & Identity
Rev. Arturo Sosa, SJ, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, spoke in English for about 15 minutes on Thursday, April 2, and then answered questions related to COVID-19 and the Jesuits journey of the UAP (Universal Apostolic Preferences).
For those who may have missed or been excluded from the Webinar, you may now view the Webinar by clicking here or on the image above.
Submitted by: Rev. Patrick J. Lynch, SJ, Jesuit associate, Mission & Identity
