JesuitSpeak IV
C. Hightower, S.J.
Cura Personalis
Care of the (whole) person.
The University Ministry office sits on the main floor of the Crosby Student Center right between the bank and the coffee shop. Sister Laura Michels, SNJM, tells students the office location is “Christ between coffee and cash,” but that is another story. The bank staff was wearing shirts the other day which had the Jesuit phrase Cura Personalis stenciled across the front. Four-hundred and fifty years of Jesuit practice as a corporate slogan; nice. It reminds me of another Jesuit mantra, “go in their door and take them out Ours.”
The Jesuit practice of Cura Personalis is grounded in the love of Christ. It is evident in our treatment of each other as individuals created and loved unconditionally by God. How we attend to each other physically, emotionally, and morally are questions that must be asked in addition to our spiritual care. Grounded in love, at times our decision- making priorities change in our day-to-day relationships; one area may be superseded by another for the benefit of God’s love and the person’s experience of that love. It is necessarily good to nurture completely the love that lies within so that it may be manifested towards others.
The bank’s shirts were printed in sponsorship of a Gonzaga student government program focusing on Spirit, Mind, & Body. These foci are catch popular phrases of civic groups, corporations, and student groups around the country. Perhaps the doorway entrance is becoming more and more inviting.