Erik Oland, SJ

Erik Oland, SJ, is the Provincial Superior of the Jesuits in French Canada.


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    01 Sep

    The Canadian Canoe Pilgrimage celebrated Ignatius Day in North Bay. Erik Oland,SJ preached at the Mass....

    19 Apr

    One could fill a small library with all the books that have been written on the Exercises – their genesis, theology and spirituality, discernment, spiritual direction, psychotherapy – but for me there are two key elements that preclude any commentary: 1. the Exercises need to be experienced and 2. one needs to want to make them....

    04 Nov

    Erik Oland, SJ writes" "I have had a few intense conversations over the past year about charity and justice. As the result, I've been mulling over the meaning of these two virtues so important to our Christian tradition (and to the traditions of all people of good will). My 'mulling' has gone something like this: people tend to use the terms loosely, indistinctly, and forget how they relate to each other."...

    29 Jul

    For over 400 years, Jesuits and their colleagues have had a presence in Canada. Today they work coast to coast - from Vancouver to St.John's. In this series igNation invites you to join us as we travel across Canada stopping at cities where there are Jesuit apostolates to read personal reflections about the city and the work being done there. Today we visit Montreal, Quebec....

    02 Jul

    Finding God's will' or 'responding to God's call' is central to the Christian journey. It is also central to many of the Bible stories that we know so well. Still, one aspect of 'call' that we don't often speak about is how does God get one's attention in the first place?" That is, God doesn't so much call directly as if to say 'Erik, I want you to become a Jesuit priest' but rather, God takes his time and allows one to wake up to the plans that he has for each of us. "...

    01 Jan

    The vows of religion, also termed the evangelical counsels, are central to the engagement of those who desire to follow Christ in religious institutes. The three vows are poverty, chastity and obedience; three 'ideals' that today are considered either totally antiquated or absurdly countercultural. Still, men and women of today are entering religious orders, albeit in reduced numbers, hoping to find deeper meaning in their lives and greater connection with their fellow human beings....

    02 Sep

    I was a good eater as a kid but when it came time for first communion I had major trouble with the wafer host most commonly used in our parishes. It felt so strange on my tongue, so dry and unappetizing, that I had trouble swallowing. As the date of the celebration approached and I seemed to be getting nowhere, my mom had the smarts to ask Sister for a few extra 'practice hosts' so that we could rehearse at home. Luckily, by the time that the celebration came around I made it through without embarrassing myself....

    20 May

    The first time I ever got up to sing in public my heart was in my throat. I had left the quiet beauty of my home in Rothesay, New Brunswick for the uncertain excitement of full-time musical studies. Destined soon after, I was sure, for a life on the stage. The comfort and protection of family, friends, life by the river in Rothesay--I was eager to trade them all in for a career in the cosmopolitan halls of Montreal and beyond. The exacting judgements of directors and critics, the rigors of auditions, performances, and reviews: I thought I was ready for them. Bid good-bye to training in anonymity, I told myself. It was time to become a professional. Maybe even star....

    14 May

    Mature adults don't just decide things, they discern. That is, if one desires to learn and grow from life's challenges it is imperative to spend time reflecting on experiences, discerning what is helpful, what is less helpful, and then deciding what action to take. This is nothing new in the Western tradition of decision making which can be traced back to the philosophical adage of Socrates (4th c. BC): "The unexamined life is not worth living."...

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