People for Others is a blog for those who seek to uncover traces of our loving God in everyone and everything they encounter. Let’s journey together to see where grace leads us…
A final card from Bret Nicholaus and Tom McGrath’s “The Meal Box”:
“Suppose you were told that you could have one wish come true – but that wish you make would have to be for someone else, not for yourself. What would you wish for, and for whom would you wish it?
Food for Family Thought: Empathy is a fundamental building block for all moral growth. Make it a family value to frequently consider how your behavior and choices affect others. When your child talks about other children’s experiences, gently ask, ‘And how do you thinks he/she felt about that?’ This will nuture your child’s capacity for compassion.”
There are, in fact, two sets of People For Others at Loyola Press. As well as this blog, the term refers to our outreach efforts into the local community. This year, we put our focus on hunger and 10 of us go each month to the Greater Chicago Food Depository where we do such exciting things as bag bulk carrots and repack cereals.
What saddens and amazes me is the need for this food bank. Here in Cook County more than 500,000 people each year rely on the emergency and supplemental food provided by the Depository and its network of 600 food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters.
We are the richest nation on earth, the wealthiest society in all of human history. We are a country expending billions of dollars on two wars and we consume a huge percentage of the world’s resources. Yet we still have children going to bed hungry.
A few of us here at Loyola Press where yakking the other day and the topic turned to memories. Someone said that her strongest memories were often attached to aromas of various kinds and, suddenly, we were all agreeing with her. Here are my five strongest “aromatic memories.”
5. Great Aunt Louie’s 4711 cologne. One whiff and I’m right back in her arms.
4. Our French neighbors’ home smelled potently exotic — not of garlic, or just of garlic, it was complex, layered and unique. Thinking about it puts me right back in their hallway, asking if Luc can come out to play.
3. The smell of freshly-laid tarmac. Most people don’t like the odor, but when our street was paved with it when I was five or six, I found it intoxicatingly wonderful. I still do and could inhale it all day long.
2. Wet pine cones and moldering leaves – bring back a whole world of rainy Sunday afternoons wandering on the trails of Belfast Castle.
1. The Nivea cream my mother had smeared all over her face when I’d go to her room to kiss her goodnight. [Occasionally in a drug store I will pop the lid off some Nivea to bring my mother "back" for an instant.]
Another card from Bret Nicholaus and Tom McGrath’s “The Meal Box”:
“If you could literally jump into the pages of any book you’ve ever read and experience the action along with the characters, which book would you choose?”
Food for Family Thought: Think about a fictional character (from a book, comic book, movie or TV program) that you admired when you were the age your child is now. Tell your child about the character and the story, sharing what you most enjoyed and appreciated about them and what lessons you learned.”
Another card from Bret Nicholaus and Tom McGrath’s “The Meal Box”:
“As best as you can remember, what has been the most exciting moment in your life to this point?
Food for Family Thought: Your child will go through many challenging moments in life. You won’t be there for all of them – but God will. Remind your child of Jesus’ words to his disciples: ‘Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of time.’”
As a proud and loyal employee of Loyola Press, I want to share with you two new endeavors of the Press.
1. We just launched our first ever iPhone App and are very excited about it. If you have already discovered and use our daily 3 Minute Retreat, you’ll be pleased to know that you can now download it on to an iPhone. Go to the Apps Store and look for us under “Lifestyle.” [I know, I know.]
2. My colleague and fellow blogger, Joe Paprocki, is offering a free “Getting Started as a Catechist” webinar. The first two dates are so full that he’s offering alternative dates for this two-part series: Thursday 20th August & Thursday 27th August from 7:15 – 8:15 [Central Time.] If you are a catechist, or thinking of allowing yourself to be persuaded into becoming one, check it out.
Here’s another card from Bret Nicholaus and Tom McGrath’s “The Meal Box”:
“When it comes to things that make you really happy, what five things would you rank at the very top?
Food for Family Thought: When asked what it would take to get to heaven, Jesus said, ‘Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, and clothe the naked.’ That’s what parents do each day. It’s a paradox that our greatest happiness comes when we freely give of ourslves. Think about that the next time you’re fixing super or folding laundry.”
Thank you to all of you who entered last week’s Hearts on Fire raffle in honor of the feast of Ignatius Loyola. I was excited to see all the great responses.
The lucky winners are Debi, Tina, Lori, Mark Jerome de Leon, and Michele. Winners have been sent an e-mail, asking for the mailing information we need to send your free book.
To those of you who didn’t win, my colleagues and I were so impressed with your enthusiasm for this raffle, that Loyola Press has created a special e-book version of Hearts on Fire for you to enjoy.
And now a word from our sponsor… Terry Locke, Chief Operating Officer of Loyola Press – my boss!, talks for 58 seconds about how St. Ignatius motivates her. Enjoy.
Remember, you can still enter to win a copy of Hearts on Fire. See Tuesday’s post for details.
This is the first time I’ve ever posted three times in a single day. But there is a reason. Friday is the feast day of Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. In his honor, Loyola Press will be giving away five copies of Hearts on Fire. If you would like to enter for a chance to win, please leave a comment on this post. You can enter between today and Friday. Winners will be announced next Monday morning. You can receive extra chances to win by visiting dotMagis, Ignatian Spirituality on Facebook, and our Twitter updates.
As Loyola Press’ VP for Mission and Identity, Paul dares to believe that people for others will, quite literally, make the world a better place. Learn more in About This Blog.
A final card from Bret Nicholaus and Tom McGrath’s “The Meal Box”: 
There are, in fact, two sets of People For Others at Loyola Press. As well as this blog, the term refers to our outreach efforts into the local community. This year, we put our focus on hunger and 10 of us go each month to the Greater Chicago Food Depository where we do such exciting things as bag bulk carrots and repack cereals.
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