After first studies Jesuits are asked to do some apostolic work. Since three weeks I am active in a school in Belgium teaching Latin and Religion. The thing that energizes me the most in my new job is the enthusiasm of the kids for what I have to bring, be it the Latin for "Hello, how are you?" or the question on how to live a good life and how to make a good choice, two of the central themes of the curriculum I need to teach. Teaching is not a one way street, I have discovered. Without my enthusiasm for what I give the pupils will soon lose interest. And without the enthusiasm of the pupils I find myself drained. We both energize each other. That for me is the sign that I am doing well. It is a sign of consolation, as Ignatius would call it, a sign that the good spirit is at work.
