All posts by Joe Simmons, SJ

It’s when I’m alone that I’m most on the prowl for distraction. Knock at the door? A God-sent interruption from my own company. A viral video? Better than birthday cake…

“Whether it’s four artsy NYU grads or a bunch of vowed religious living together, the “otherliness” of it all strikes most people – to put it in Midwestern politesse – as… different…”

The first thing I asked when I sat down to dinner was how to say “thank you” and “pardon me.” As it turns out, “dziękuję” and “przepraszam” don’t sound like they look…

Seeing Rome for the first time I remember that adrenaline cocktail of alert excitement, fear, and invincibility that come from total anonymity in a big city…

“Evil is that strangely familiar force that makes us feel at home in the darkness. It’s not easy to face the shadows in our lives. We avoid it because of the risk…”

His teeth and ambitions are bared… Be prepared! Does evil resemble a prowling lion?

There’s an old Jesuit dictum that warns about “comparing and despairing.” With Facebook, the temptation is always there to compare the fun out there with how we’re feeling in here…

On Divine Mercy Sunday three generations of a family – grandma, mom, and little girl – sat in the pew ahead of Joe Simmons, SJ. A drama of mercy unfolded.

I aspire to be a morning person, but liking the idea is usually as far as I go. Still, I take comfort in the simple, daily ritual of Mass…